Bad, Bad Celtic Music Fan!

I'd somehow failed to notice certain new hymns in the hymnal until last week when I was looking for wedding songs. The one that made me laugh was allegedly to a tune called "Marie's Wedding", which was "Irish traditional". That's Mairi, ya ignorant Sassenachs! And it's a Scottish tune!

Anyway, I swear I remember running across a hymn allegedly to the tune of "Whisky in the Jar". (I have serious doubts as to whether any church organist I know could actually play that tune and make it sound right.) Whether or not I remember this correctly, I had to write one myself. I'm only sorry I didn't manage to make Jesus sound more like a highwayman. (Ooh, wait, that'd be St. Dismas or maybe Barabbas, wouldn't it? That gives me another idea....)

Uisge Beatha in the Jar

CH:

Allelu, allelu, allelu!

For God so loved the world,

For God so loved the world,

He sent His only Son.

He didn't wear silk and he hadn't a cradle,
The Lord of all worlds was born in a smelly stable.
The poor shepherds heard all the angels in chorus,
And that's how our God came to live and die here for us.
CH:

He walked down the road and his feet they got blisters.
He knew people's hearts, and the hypocrites, they whispered.
The humble were healed while the proud sat there hatin'
And all the time, Death was down in the city waitin'.
CH:

Betrayed and condemned, not a friend to stand by him,
Except for his mother and the women all there sighin'
He could've called angels to smite every sinner.
Instead he met death -- and ol' Death was not the winner!
CH:

He swore he'd return when we heard of earth a-quakin',
And big storms and wars -- but those things are always breakin'!
So we keep good watch so he won't find us sleepin'
When he comes to end all our sorrow and our weepin'.
CH:

You may thank God that you were spared my attempt to versify "In the beginning was the Word" to this tune....