Your favourite morning assembly hymn! (or other non-denominational school song)

[tim]

Other than the usual favourites already mentioned, I recall a fondness for one about shining your little candle in a corner, or something. But the bestest tune was, without doubt, the Battle Hymn Of The Republic, aka John Brown’s Bo*dy. Lyrics varied but the ones I'm most familiar with featured the immortal lines:

"There are wise men filled with bum love
There are shepherds in disguise"

Good revolutionary guerilla fighter John Brown, just the sort of person we should be teaching primary school children about.

As to the original lyrics:

John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave;
John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave;
John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave;
His soul's marching on!

Chorus:

Glory, halle—hallelujah! Glory, halle—hallelujah!
Glory, halle—hallelujah! his soul's marching on!

He's gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord!
He's gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord!
He's gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord!
His soul's marching on!

John Brown's knapsack is strapped upon his back!
John Brown's knapsack is strapped upon his back!
John Brown's knapsack is strapped upon his back!
His soul's marching on!

His pet lambs will meet him on the way;
His pet lambs will meet him on the way;
His pet lambs will meet him on the way;
They go marching on!

They will hang Jeff. Davis to a sour apple tree!
They will hang Jeff. Davis to a sour apple tree!
They will hang Jeff. Davis to a sour apple tree!
As they march along!

Now, three rousing cheers for the Union;
Now, three rousing cheers for the Union;
Now, three rousing cheers for the Union;
As we are marching on!

 

[Wintermute]

I learnt a song off my Dad that used that tune:

He jumped from forty thousand feet without a parachute
He jumped from forty thousand feet without a parachute
He jumped from forty thousand feet without a parachute
Hell of a way to die

They scraped him off the tarmac like a lump of strawberry jam
They scraped him off the tarmac like a lump of strawberry jam
They scraped him off the tarmac like a lump of strawberry jam
Hell of a way to die

They put him in an envelope and sent him home to mum
They put him in an envelope and sent him home to mum
They put him in an envelope and sent him home to mum
Hell of a way to die

I don't suppose anyone else recognises it / knows where it came from?

 

[Crispy]

Autumn days when the grass is green
*something* inside a chestnut shell
Jet planes meeting in the air to be refuelled
All these things I know so well

And I musn't forget
No I musn't forget
To say a great big thankyou, I musn't forget.

They eventually had to stop singing that one, cos we'd all shout at the top of our voices, "and a WIN FOR MY HOME TEAM!" complete with fists in the air

 

[Looby]

Yes, I was going to say Little Boxes. Hippy 70s teachers I reckon

Ahem, I was an 80's school child. Don't age me any more please.

 

[Louloubelle]

To be a pilgrim is shite. Badly flowing overly pious crap.

Jerusalem is much the same when it comes to internal logic in the lyrics, but somehow it's made it into the same category as Bon Jovi in student discos, beloved by all but no one knows why.

I was born in the house where John Bunyan was arrested before being taked to Bedford Gaol so I've always had a soft spot for To Be a Pilgrim

I grew up in Bedfordshire so it was the school hymn at just about every school I went to.

When I lost my first friend to AIDS, a young man called Paul, 24 years old, he chose To Be A Pilgrim to be played at his funeral. The vicar made a point of telling us how the lyrics "He will a giant fight" were so appropriate as Paul had battled bravely against the giant of AIDS .

Everyone in the church was crying their eyes out as we tried to sing that hymn.

It means a lot to me and is my favourite hymn.

 

[beeboo]

We used to sing 'Chestnuts waiting in the air to be refuelled'

Come to think of it, has anyone ever seen jet planes in the air being refuelled...? I haven't.

I was just thinking about this song the other day, and thinking exactly the same thing.

We used to live near an RAF camp so we saw lots of jet planes, but I'm fairly sure none of them were ever hanging 'bout waiting to be refuelled

This was definitely my favourite

 

[beeboo]

For reasons I don't fully understand, we used to sing "Lilly the Pink" regularly in hymn practice.

We'll drink the drink to drink
To Lilly the pink, the pink, the pink
The saviour of the human race
She invented medicinal compound
She was efficacious in every case

 

[Louloubelle]

For reasons I don't fully understand, we used to sing "Lilly the Pink" regularly in hymn practice.

I can remember singing that too in school

I always thought that the final line was
"for speflecations in every case"

I always wondered what speflecations were and thought it was somehting to do with diarrhea

 

[beeboo]

I can remember singing that too in school

I always thought that the final line was
"for speflecations in every case"

I always wondered what speflecations were and thought it was somehting to do with diarrhea

We got to write our own verses, stick them up on the OHP and get the whole school to sing it. I still vaguely remember mine...something to do with someone having no teeth, then drinking the medicinal compound, and getting a job in the Jaws movie as the shark. Seemed funny when I was nine.

 

[BadlyDrawnGirl]

It would have to be a toss up between '12XU' and 'Ace Of Spades'...

 

[subversplat]

I learnt a song off my Dad that used that tune:

He jumped from forty thousand feet without a parachute
He jumped from forty thousand feet without a parachute
He jumped from forty thousand feet without a parachute
Hell of a way to die

They scraped him off the tarmac like a lump of strawberry jam
They scraped him off the tarmac like a lump of strawberry jam
They scraped him off the tarmac like a lump of strawberry jam
Hell of a way to die

They put him in an envelope and sent him home to mum
They put him in an envelope and sent him home to mum
They put him in an envelope and sent him home to mum
Hell of a way to die

I don't suppose anyone else recognises it / knows where it came from?

He jumped without a paracute from twenty thousand feet
He jumped without a paracute from twenty thousand feet
He jumped without a paracute from twenty thousand feet
And he aint gonna jump no more

Glory glory what a hell of a way to die
Glory glory what a hell of a way to die
Glory glory what a hell of a way to die
And he aint gonna jump no more

He landed on the pavement like a lump of strawberry jam
He landed on the pavement like a lump of strawberry jam
He landed on the pavement like a lump of strawberry jam
And he aint gonna jump no more

They put him in a match box and they sent him home to mum
They put him in a match box and they sent him home to mum
They put him in a match box and they sent him home to mum
And he aint gonna jump no more

She put on the mantel piece for everyone to see
She put on the mantel piece for everyone to see
She put on the mantel piece for everyone to see
And he aint gonna jump no more

She put him on the table when the Vicar came to tea
She put him on the table when the Vicar came to tea
She put him on the table when the Vicar came to tea
And he aint gonna jump no more

The Vicar spread him on some toast and said what lovely jam
The Vicar spread him on some toast and said what lovely jam
The Vicar spread him on some toast and said what lovely jam
And he aint gonna jump no more

 

[joevsimp]

He jumped without a paracute from twenty thousand feet
He jumped without a paracute from twenty thousand feet
He jumped without a paracute from twenty thousand feet
And he aint gonna jump no more

Glory glory what a hell of a way to die
Glory glory what a hell of a way to die
Glory glory what a hell of a way to die
And he aint gonna jump no more

He landed on the pavement like a lump of strawberry jam
He landed on the pavement like a lump of strawberry jam
He landed on the pavement like a lump of strawberry jam
And he aint gonna jump no more

They put him in a match box and they sent him home to mum
They put him in a match box and they sent him home to mum
They put him in a match box and they sent him home to mum
And he aint gonna jump no more

She put on the mantel piece for everyone to see
She put on the mantel piece for everyone to see
She put on the mantel piece for everyone to see
And he aint gonna jump no more

She flushed him down the toilet when the vicar came to tea
She flushed him down the toilet when the vicar came to tea
She flushed him down the toilet when the vicar came to tea
And he aint gonna jump no more

Now he's up in heaven teachin angels how to fly
Now he's up in heaven teachin angels how to fly
Now he's up in heaven teachin angels how to fly
And he aint gonna jump no more

 

[Hotcat]

Oats and beans and barley grow!

He stands erect and takes his ease
Stomps his feet and claps his hands
And turns around to view his land

Oh to be 7 again

 

[ska invita]

great thread!

Refrain:
Sing hosanna, sing hosanna,
Sing hosanna to the King of kings!
Sing hosanna, sing hosanna,
Sing hosanna to the King [.....]

at which point [.....] a few people would always forget to stop and throw in one last "of kings"

-
i went to two infants schools as we moved half way through, the second had all the above (little boxes, morning had broken, etc) but the first in tottenham seemed to have no religious songs at all, but we did sing
my old man said follow the van
and
have you seen the old man who walks the streets of london? (that one)
cant remember what else

 

[ska invita]

Oats and beans and barley grow!

He stands erect and takes his ease
Stomps his feet and claps his hands
And turns around to view his land

Oh to be 7 again

welcome to the boards! great thread bump to start with

 

[butcher]

We plow the fields, and scatter the good seed on the land;
But it is fed and watered by God's almighty hand:
He sends the snow in winter, the warmth to swell the grain,
The breezes and the sunshine, and soft refreshing rain.
Chorus All good gifts around us
Are sent from heaven above,
Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord
For all His love.
He only is the maker of all things near and far;
He paints the wayside flower, He lights the evening star;
The winds and waves obey Him, by Him the birds are fed;
Much more to us, His children, He gives our daily bread.
Chorus
We thank Thee, then, O Father, for all things bright and good,
The seed time and the harvest, our life, our health, and food;
No gifts have we to offer, for all Thy love imparts,
But that which Thou desirest, our humble, thankful hearts.
Chorus

 

[butcher]

I like them all still....

All things bright and beautiful was at my wedding....

My mate had to leave his grannies funeral giggling when he got to 'each purple headed mountain'

 

[ska invita]

We plow the fields, and scatter the good seed on the land;
Chorus

blasting me into my subconscious past jsut remembered a p.e.? dance? class, where the teacher put on The Planets in the gym/assembly hall and we had to 'dance' out the different moods of the planets!

 

[ska invita]

My mate had to leave his grannies funeral giggling when he got to 'each purple headed mountain'

had this at my mates wedding a while back... some very disappointed inlaws

 

[Termite Man]

I didn't bother singing the hymns and when they took requests for hymns to sing I'd always request the most boring dirgefull one possible and was hated by my class mates because they wanted to sing from the 'come and prey' book instead of the manky old one which had probably been donated by some church or other.

 

[Cloo]

Ah, 'Come and Prey', the favourite book of certain Catholic clergy.

 

[Termite Man]

Ah, 'Come and Prey', the favourite book of certain Catholic clergy.

the misspelling was deliberate.

 

[billy_bob]

Us to - we used to get the RNLB in assembley about twice a year when we had to sing that.

My favourite was 'So I mustn't forget' (or 'Autumn Jewels' - was never clear on the title:

Autumn Days. I'd just looked it up soon as I saw the thread, hoping I'd be the first to post it. I always loved autumn as a kid and we sang this over and over at my primary school. I actually got goose-bumps and welled up with tears when I loaded this up:



Wish I was seven again

 

[billy_bob]

By way of cheering meself up again, looks like we had different alternative lyrics to the rest of you:

...and a bird shit in my eye
so I mustn't forget,
no I mustn't forget,
to buy a great big hanky
I mustn't forget

 

[maldwyn]

Psalm 23

 

[billy_bob]

Psalm 23

Off-topic now, but vaguely related to the changing of words to hymns:



I've always wondered why God would maketh Prince Far-I to lie down in green pasta. Is he trying to make him into a lasagne?

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

What is that one about "airplanes meeting in the air to be refueled".
If you didn't pick that when it was hymn request time, you would get great big scowls from everyone.

 

[maldwyn]

And who knew

THERE is a green hill far away,
Without a city wall,

referred to a hill beyond the city's walled boundaries?

 

[billy_bob]

What is that one about "airplanes meeting in the air to be refueled".
If you didn't pick that when it was hymn request time, you would get great big scowls from everyone.

I'm sure no-one's mentioned it. You'll be fine to bring it up without reading the rest of the thread.

 

[PlaidDragon]

And it's frommmm the old I travel to the new, keep, me travelling along with you