Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Rhyming 101

Has anyone else who serves in Primary been bothered by the song "Tell me the stories of Jesus"? I remember loving it when I was a kid, but then, I only knew the first verse. Now we are learning the 2nd and 3rd verses. Tell me please - when did the words 'kind' and 'wind' start to rhyme? Every time we sing:

And how the Master, ready and kind,
Chided the billows and hushed the wind.

I have to cringe. Sure, it looks nice on paper, but just because they are spelled similarly doesn't mean they sound the same! I don't even know what phonics would tell you. I just know that it sounds horrible. And it's the last line of the song, so it leaves you feeling unsettled. I almost can't sing it; it bothers me that much. But of course I've had it in my head all week, so I change the pronunciation so that it does rhyme, but makes no sense..."And hushed the whined." Our kids will know alternate versions to the primary songs!

1 comment:

LadyCarma said...

Ah, yes, the little known second and third verses of Primary songs! I teach an 11 year old girl whose father is in the newly called stake presidency. When I started teaching her, fall of '06, she only knew the Primary songs, so we have been working on those. I have added songs from "I'm A Mormon" which she loves, and yesterday I had her pick one last song from the Primary book to sing. She choose "Keep the Commandments." The second verse has interesting words that don't fit, so I know what you mean. Second verse words: We are His children; we are His children, and we must be tested to show we are true. Hold to His promises; Hold to His promises, Heeding the prophets: Keep the commandments. In this there is safety and peace.
Doesn't quite "fit" in my mind. Nice words and message, just the strange taste in the memory afterward.
Thanks for sharing your blog. I love it all.