The Lord of The Dance - Tommy Makem [6/8]

[Nuiceltico]

great Celtic and christian fusion ...may your god go with you

[KittyStarlight]

Actually it kinda reminds me of "for God so loved the world" and then "as God so loved us, let us also love one another"...only more JOYOUS. (As God so loved the world, let us all rejoice and sing and dance and have FUN. ^__^ No need to be solemn or holier-than-thou or anything like that...just DANCE. ^____^)

[KittyStarlight]

@ MacbookProWizard: I love it so much because it's BOTH. ^__^

(And also..."Lord of the Dance" is actually a pagan term for "Lord of all creation" or something similar..."the dance" is kind of the circle of life or something of that sort...I love how this song *combines* a lot of neat ideas all together...it's kind of like putting love of dancing and love of the whole world in a Christian context...to me it means that God is all one God and Jesus IS the pagan Lord of the Dance...pretty special.)

[StormyTrooper]

Dance then, wherever you may be.

[MacbookProWizard]

This isn't a religious song. It's just a song about a fabulous man... dancing.

[GeorgeVeld]

@MacbookProWizard :) this song is about the Lord Jesus and the dance of life it is religious listen to the words

[newfieedmonton]

by what a voice

[tyrantsfaceisred]

this song > modern religious music (not that i listen to any lol)

[KittyStarlight]

@tyrantsfaceisred This song is (to me anyway) much greater than most modern religious music...while also BEING modern religious music (okay, not THAT modern, but 20th-century and popular in churches). You'll find this in your local Catholic (or Protestant) church hymnal AND on your favorite Irish tapes and things like that (it's not really Irish but it sure sounds Irish). That's what I love about it...it expresses so perfectly/joyously "It's just me, God, I love you so let's all DANCE!!!" ^___^

[heliclops]

Hello, friend! its very good video congratulations, fantastic beautiful music. Big hug and be with God. Att .. Youth.

[WaternSpirit]

Good Christian Song

[buenavozalasdoce]

Now this brings back memories for me! We sang this song @ the church I went to when I was in my early teens. JESUS saved me/ (I became a Born Again Christian) while attending that church. I didn't know how much I missed this song until I heard it. Thank you JESUS for this song telling everything you have done for me (& will do)!!!

[MONTAGNEVILLE]

LOVE THIS AND LOVE TOMMY. GOTTA LOVE THE BANJO PLAYIN

[rikki111]

This is the Shaker Hymn known as Simple Gifts. "'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free. 'Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be" are the original lyrics. Aaron Copland used the melody in Appalachian Spring. Been around since the mid 1800's.

[rmm413c]

The tune is originally American; these words are English. Not an Irish song, but well done by Tommy Makem.

[windshadow333]

Tommy, I think you are the only one who could rock out those awesome side burns. R.I.P. Sláinte

[sportygirl869]

A bright peppy song - something GOOD to listen to/watch on youtube!

[heliodor001]

These are not the original Shaker lyrics for this Shaker hymn.

[Oldbluesock]

in my first school, it was a christian school, this was a hymn, even though im not religous now, still got a huge soft spot for the songs, especially this one :)

[papadopilo]

You don`t need to tell us that you dont like religious songs. But anyway is this a realigious song? If it was religious it had never been created. More a protest song against religious thinking in the church against the selwish people we find everywhere today not only in the churches

[TheJoetowngirl]

@papadopilo

This is a song that we sing at Mass very often, particuarly at youth Mass. My teen daughters are both cantors and the song resonates for them with a celebration of their Lord and faith. To many, it is a song of faith.

[bbbartolo]

Q: what kind of strange people equate life with a "dance" and call patriotism a "game"? ("The Patriot Game") when obviously taking these very seriously. I ask as someone who's part Irish.

[TheJoetowngirl]

@bbbartolo

Are they not then? To me, life is indeed a dance and I take that patriot game very seriously!

[bbbartolo]

@TheJoetowngirl In the USA, to call something a "game" is to reduce its seriousness or to be glib. But anyway, the connection between the two songs fell apart when I learned that "Lord of the Dance" was written in the 20th c. by an Englishman sympathetic to Eastern religions (i.e., Hinduism and Siva)--in other words, not an Irish folksong at all.

[skampydog1]

@bbbartolo actually if you look back in history to medieaval times, the idea of the Christian life as a "dance" arose as a means of teaching biblical truths to those without access to their own copy of the Bible. (In much the same way that they enacted bible stories in plays)In a "promenade" dance, you follow the leader wherever he takes you, and Sydney Carter's words are a reminder that the Christian life is meant to be joyful, "abundant life".

[bbbartolo]

@skampydog1 I'd since looked up the composer/lyricist and found it was an Englishman influenced by eastern religions. But thanks for additional info. :-)

[bbbartolo]

I heard the end of this on the radio 20 years ago and haven't been able to find it since. Thanks so much IrishandFolk! (Now another week before I can get it out of my head) :-)

[EireGoon]

In this vid he looks like one of the actors from the movie of Godspell- I think it's the haircut :)

Great song and great version.

To anyone who like this version, it's worth checking out the dubliners singing it!

[Sturono]

He only sings it, but he don't do it!

[LilyD1994]

@Sturono Well...have you ever tried to dance while playing a banjo?  I don't suppose it's easy...

[PlasticPaddySociaist]

i've noticed tommy has a lot of songs about Uxoricide

[Patchh09]

@PlasticPaddySociaist

What does this song have to do with Uxoricide?

[TheJoetowngirl]

One of my favorite songs, both in and out of church. Tommy Makem was the best and his like shall be missed. Let perpetual Light shine upon him!

[rossmcl177]

I dont really like religious songs. However I have always had a soft spot for this one - partly because it is very catchy, but also it's quite inoffensive. Most religious songs ram it down your throat and say that you MUST believe. Ths one is just gently suggesting it. "I'll live in you IF you'll live in me..." I like that. It makes it much gentler and much more enjoyable, for this agnostic anyway.

Also I remember the song from my childhood. It was nice then and still is.

[1958cyclist]

@rossmcl177 repent now and believe you evil sinner, the devil or the lord will either get you. no just joking mate

[Chomuno]

@rossmcl177 But... Is it really a religious song? I don't see where the religious lyrics are!

[rossmcl177]

@Chomuno You seriously don't see the religious lyrics???? The whole song is about Jesus. "I came down from Heaven and I danced on earth; In Bethlehem I had my birth". Thats just one of the more obvious lines - listen to the whole song and you'll see its very clear.And yet, like I said in my original post, it is tuneful and cheerful and the messge is not rammed down your throat like most religious songs.

[Chomuno]

@rossmcl177 It is very funny but now I feel that the lyrics have changed since you wrote that... Just kidding! But yes, now I see how it is religious. "Left me there on the cross to die"...

[KittyStarlight]

@rossmcl177 I adore this song because (to me) it combines all of the most beloved elements of "I am the Christian God" with "I am the God of everything, Christian and everything else". And because it's just pure *joy*. It says the sorts of things that Jesus-the-lovable-rebel would've said...not Jesus-the-modern-churchy-Chris­tian but just that independent spirit coming down to us through the ages and then finally ending up sounding Irish. ^_^ Jesus for all time, Jesus for everyone. And *fun*. ^_^

[lilbatman616]

The original score aka song was Appalachian Spring from a composer named Aaron Copland and the segment that became famous is Simple Gifts. Search Appalachian Spring Simple Gifts :) Greatest performance of this song guaranteed to make you happy.

[edogawaranpo]

@lilbatman616 Simple Gifts was written in 1848 by a Shaker; the Lord of the Dance lyrics were subsequently written to the same melody by Sydney Carter; much later the tune was incorporated into the beautiful Appalachian Spring.

[thebluebutterflie]

We sang this as my sons Baptism...it was fabulous!!!

[cazzy1968]

used to sing this at school .....still gets my feet tapping and my heart going.... oh what memories

[IWantLandingSnow]

This song always gets my feet a'tappin'

[irishpride9999]

what a marvelous song it is. I sing it for my catholic school every year for eight grade graduation. Tommy in person would sing it so well and he would always tell me that a true singer lives his songs. We have to follow christ as the song says. I miss tommy. he was my mentor. Rest in peace my dear friend.

[dennydog10]

this song may have been written in the U.S., but whoever wrote it had some Irish in them.

[hostroute]

Its based on the shaker song "Simple Things". look it up on wikipedia and compare them.

[CubaRican89]

Simple Gifts*

[Devonxltwo]

ummm actually i believe its called "Simple Gifts"

[billiebigalo]

Actually he was a english minister from Norfolk near kelly heath cromer.

[TheMiseryKids]

Erm no! It was not written in the U.S. nor did he have any Irish in him

The song was written by an Englishman called Sydney Carter.

[cheerydavie]

first time ive heard this song sung by Tommy thanks another gem from my Hero