Tuesday's Musical Notes - "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" (The Hollies)
Welcome
to Tuesday!!! This is Tuesday's Musical Notes! The blog on Tuesday
that visits the realm of popular musicality and spirituality. You
can access Tuesday's Musical Notes any time by going to www.tuesdaysmusicalnotes.blogspot.com. There you will join the over 3000 folks who have read the Notes and
can see the archive of songs and thoughts from the past 2 1/2 years of
Tuesday's Musical Notes. Hopefully you will find something in today's
Notes that will encourage you and give you the upper hand when you get
that music question in Trivial Pursuit. Welcome again! Now on with
the show...
Let's
face it. One of the things the 60's is known for is the music. From
Psychedelica to Easy Listening, the musical universe was expanded
dramatically as experimentation with amps, guitars, and synthesizers
brought about some of the most unique sounds ever recorded. Towards the
end of the decade, an invasion of behemoth proportions hit the shores
of the United States as teenagers discovered bands that those in the
United Kingdom had been listening to for years. It was known as The
British Invasion. The music of The Who, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks,
The Dave Clark Five, and The Beatles would permeate American airwaves
and soar up American charts as they landed on the shores and joined the
already changing musical landscape of the US. Once Beatlemania hit,
however, many of these British Invasion bands seemed to linger in the
shadows waiting for their opportunity for fame and fortune. While The
Beatles dominated everything musically at the time, there's was not the
only music being written and performed by the lads and lasses from
across the pond.
One
such band was The Hollies...you may not recognize the name of the band
(the name came as a tribute to the Christmas Holly and Buddy Holly), but
you probably have heard some of their music. They continue to tour
today with hits like, "Bus Stop", "Long, Cool Woman In A Black Dress",
"The Air That I Breathe," and today's Tuesday's Musical Notes feature
song. With the 1969 #7 hit, featuring a young Elton John on piano, here
is The Hollies with "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother".
The
story is told of a young Scottish girl who is seen carrying a large
child with her as she was going along her way. As she struggled to move
forward while carrying her load she was asked if she was tried as the
child was almost as large as she. To which she replied, "No, he's not
heavy, he's my brother". Thus the inspiration for the song written by
Bobby Scott and Bob Russel. The first appearance of this story dates
back to 1884 and comes from James Wells, The Parables of Jesus. "He
Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" would go on to be recorded by a number of
artists. It's highest and most successful single performance would be
by the band The Hollies. The most recent recording was by The Justice
Collective, a supergroup formed in 2012 by some of Britain's best known
artists. Two original members of The Hollies, Bobby Elliot and Tony
Hicks, joined the efforts to benefit charities that were raising
resources for those still impacted by the disaster at Hillsborough
Stadium during a soccer game, some 23 years prior.
The
song comes at the end of a decade where the terms "Hippies" and "Flower
Power" gives the folks of that decade (some of who just happen to be
our congressmen and women of this decade...ponder that one) a reputation
for being on the outer fringes of society. But this generation also
saw the legislative and social equality of mankind change unlike any
generation before them. Those who were in their 20's and 30's during
the decade of 1960-1969 found their communities and country changing
around them. "Equality", "Peace" and "Love" became catch words, if you
will, that would be the rallying cry of the change makers of that time.
Interestingly enough, it was also the rallying cry of one who came to
change the world forever, 1969 years prior to the "Flower Power"
movement.
Recently, a passage in the Gospel of John, began coming to mind very often. It is from John 15. "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." (for context click hereJohn 15:12-17 NASB/The Message)
Think on that passage for just a moment. Most of the time, we consider
this passage to be one intimating that to show we love with a great
love, we must be willing to die for our friends and family. While
Jesus certainly exhibited this kind of love, I wonder if He didn't mean
it in a more subtle, daily and not so life ending fashion.
What does the word sacrifice mean to you? One of the definitions provided by dictionary.com is: "the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim".
Certainly one's life is something "desirable" or "prized", but again we
are curious if life/death are the only options to display such great
love.
Ever
day we have the opportunity to give up something for someone else.
That may be time, monetary or other tangible resources, or other less
tangible, but equally important things. As we invest in someone else,
we give up the opportunity to invest in ourselves. This unselfish
behavior is exactly what we see in Jesus as He went about His ministry.
Yes, He did ultimately give up His life for all of us His friends, but
what did He give of himself as He walked the long, long road of His life
that led to Calvary? The Gospel accounts of Jesus' life are replete
with examples of how Jesus would always see to the needs of others,
before seeing to His own needs. As His followers we are called to do
the same. We are to have a life filled with the "little" sacrifices
that ultimately set us apart and have others asking "why did you do
that?" As we live our lives, we must always be on the look out for ways
in which we can "lay" down a part of our life to the benefit of
others. It could be something as small as laying down your time and
holding a door open for others so they can pass through before you. It
could be something as large as donating your vacation money to a medical
mission trip that needs supplies for their efforts. It could be
something as momentous as your church delaying its own building project
to put those same resources into building a meeting place for a church
half way across the world. What ways can you think of to lay your life
down today? We show the contagious hope, joy, and love of Jesus when we
display sacrifice as a lifestyle when continuing down our long, long
road. As we "carry" our friends, family, and even strangers the road
may seem long and the load become heavy, but when given the opportunity
to relieve our selves of our burdens we smile and simply say ..."He
ain't heavy, He's my brother"... so on we go...
Encouraging us to sacrifice...here's Matthew West
'Til Tuesday,
Serving HIM by serving you,
Randy
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