George Carlin: The only good thing to come out of religion is the music.
George Carlin: “God bless the homicidal maniacs. They make life worthwhile.”
“Lift Him Up, That’s All” by Ralph Stanley. I cannot abide most Jesus music*, but that song is just so beautiful I can hardly stand it.
*which makes it real challenging to be any kind of a Bluegrass fan sometimes, let me tell you…
jjimm:
Jerusalem is a fine hymn by Blake with a beautiful tune by Parry. Though as an atheist I am convinced that when I’m dead and gone I shall know nothing about it, if it makes my friends and relatives happy to play something I love, this is what I’d like them to play at my secular funeral.
And did those feet in ancient time
And did the countenance divine
Bring me my bow of burning gold!
I will not cease from mental fight,
It has huge significance to me as a critical patriot - but not a nationalist.
[Hijack]link
Let the Light from the Lighthouse Shine on Me from the Coen Brothers’ The Ladykillers . The song is just nine words long, but it’s an outstanding bit of Gospel. It starts slow and builds and builds and builds until it blows the doors off the church (figuratively).
After watching the video, I have to say the version on the soundtrack — split into two pieces — takes this perfect 10 and turns it up to 11.