I remember the first time I heard the Violent Femmes. In 1984, I flew to Memphis to see the boyfriend who would later become my current spouse. On our way back from the airport, he popped a cassette tape into the car's audio system saying, "You gotta hear this."
It was the Femmes' second album, Hallowed Ground, that intriguing mix of what we would come to call Americana and punk. Lyrically it was a strange mix of songs that talked about throwing a beloved child in a deep, dark well and songs that could have come from Sunday School, songs about Jesus walking on the water and Noah building an ark.
It took me awhile to adjust, but I came to love the group as much as my spouse. And yesterday, we brought our love of the Violent Femmes to church. Our church choir agreed to do "Jesus Walking on the Water" (to see the group do the song more recently, see this video--you'll notice the guy playing the barbecue grill, a DIY/make a way with what you've got ethic that's been with the group from the beginning, albeit manifesting with different instruments through the years).
I joined them, even though my voice isn't the greatest. That's one of the things I love about punk music--one's voice doesn't have to be the best. And while I'm not crazy with how my voice sounds in the recording we made, I like the overall sound.
I love my pastor's approach to the music that's part of the recorded worship services he puts together. We've got a wide variety of music, from solos with minimal instrumentation, to Christian rock, to groups of several variations. On a typical Sunday, we might hear Christian Contemporary, classic hymns, bluegrass, or gospel--or punk Americana.
I realize I'm fortunate, how very fortunate.
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