Jack’s Winning Words  5/11/22

“All the world is sad and dreary everywhere I roam.”  (Stephen Foster)  Although Foster was born in Pittsburgh and is buried there, it was decided to remove his statue because of the perceived racism in his songs.  But, remember, he grew up in America in the mid-1800s.  Is it any wonder that he wrote: All the world is sad and dreary?  He could be writing that lyric today.  But, he also composed,  Oh, Susanna, don’t you cry.  In the midst of the “bad” he was able to see  the “good.”  Winning Words is meant, in part, to show that our attitudes can change.  Sometimes music helps that to happen.  Is there a song that helps you to escape the sad and dreary world scene?  ;-)  Jack

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  slaves created many great religious songs to relieve the pain and drudgery. hope no one "cancels" those songs...===JACK:  Surprise!  I agree with you. 

FROM CPA MIKE:   Spirit In The Sky    Silly Love Songs     Handel's Messiah===JACK:  The story that goes along with the writing of MESSIAH by Handel is worth looking up.

FROM QUILTING CAROL:  Some days I think it is truly sad that some music, books, statues, etc are removed from our ‘eyes’ to avoid the pain of what has happened in history.  When will someone want to remove all pictures, statues, music and books that talk about Christ’s life because it is too painful for ‘some’? Too many people want to live in make believe world where everything is good and there is no evil lurking to reminds us that we aren’t perfect. Hopefully we could learn from past mistakes and move forward to make the world better for all.  We all have to work to this end. ===JACK:  History is whar it is.  There might be an appropriate time for certain lessons, but that's not for the politicians to decide.

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  how about,  "Don't Worry; Be Happy":):):)   or "you are my sunshine".   i always appreciate all the little historical details you add to the WWs. ===JACK:  Were you the one who had a funeral for Bobby's mother?  I don't know hat I'd refer to Bobby's song during the service, but I might speak about how God can turn tears of sadness in tears of God.  You must have led a funeral for someone famous.

FROM COPPER COUNTRY BOB:  Zippidy do dah!  Rah, Rah, Rah,  Yeah God! ===JACK:  I seem to remember that you had a confirmation service with that theme and sang the Zippidy do dah song as one of the hymns.

FROM EDUCATOR PAUL:  We are in such a quandary right now. If people object to the music of Stephen Foster, just imagine how Al Jolsen would fair.   BTW…I don’t have a good answer to either one!===JACK:  Imagine living in a world where the "police" manage the libraries and the "police" have the job of approving the curriculum.  OOPS!  It almost seems as though that's the world today.