Friday, November 21, 2008

...so let's just praise the Lord! Right arm, left arm...

Did anybody else grow up in church with the kids' song "Father Abraham"? It's a great song for short people because it contains so many actions and helps wear them down a bit. Also, it has some of the best theology and doctrine in its 3 sentences that I have ever heard in a "kids'" song. Better than what's in a lot of "adult" choruses these days, for that matter (quoth the old curmudgeon.)

Father Abraham had many sons.
Many sons had Father Abraham.
I am one of them,
And so are you,
So let's just praise the Lord!

The reason I bring all this up is to point you to this recording, "Three Good Turns" (The Hikers, 1930.) Is it just me, or is this the same tune?

5 comments:

EegahInc said...

In middle school, I attended a school run by the free-will Baptists where we 7th graders were forced to sing this song every day for a year! Not that it left any scars or anything.

(P.S. I don't think I like the sound of today's word verification: "sectize".)

Allen's Brain said...

Seventh grade?! Eek!

I'm rather uncomfortable with my verification: "aledam."

hmsnow.novelist said...

In my experience, "Father Abraham" is mainly intended to incapacitate the adults (who, after all, get dizzier during the "head up, turn around" part) so that the children, whose energy recovers much more quickly, can take over the world. But that might have just been my own childhood experience...

Word Verification: "Ducratin"? Sounds vaguely French to me. Maybe he was the lost Musketeer. Verify, Ducratin! Let none pass who cannot type your name in the little box. [I'm a little tired and punchy from a long week. Sorry.]

Allen's Brain said...

You may be on to something. (Or just plain on something HMS. I've seen plenty of adults cowering in fear and pain during that song.

As for "Ducratin," wasn't he the treacherous manservant who tripped Dartangnan on his way into the palace?
I keep waiting for "shibboleth" to be the verification word.

verification word: "fambexe" - A 1950s floor polish that contained "space-age polymers that protect your linoleum inside and out!"

PaperSmyth said...

"I keep waiting for 'shibboleth' to be the verification word."
The day is coming, says the Lord...
Father Abraham had many sons, but, alas, I am not "man of woman born" as I am no one's son. So, I have a differing perspective on this one and somewhat of an inferiority complex. I never got into the thing as a kid UNTIL I was big enough to fling myself around enough to scare the adults and of course also big enough to know better!
"Stoopid" Google says type "ionicsp" which I read "Spanish version of Ionic." Talk about specifying capitals...