Saturday, February 04, 2012

The Soundtrack of My Life


I have been working on a project I call "The Soundtrack of My Life". It is comprised of music that I listened to in my youth and that has resonated with me throughout my life.


I included songs that had either a spiritual message, or made some type of social comment, or were anti-war.

I made a deliberate choice to find songs that were not preformed by "christian" bands, but rather "popular" songs that were played on the radio. In a way, it could be called "The Gospel According To Billboard's Top 10".

Part of my inspiration for creating this Soundtrack came from my attending the "Rock Mass" at All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena California back in the early '70s. The Rock Mass was the mixture of a traditional Episcopalian Mass and a live rock concert. Although the music was not necessarily "christian", the band would play popular rock songs that contained references to God and Jesus. During the late '60s and early '70s there was an explosion of these songs coming out of the "secular" music industry.

By creating The Hippie Christian Playlist over on YouTube I can enjoy these songs anytime and share them with others too. I can't take credit for creating (or uploading) any of these music videos, but I hope you enjoy my selections just the same.



The Hippie Christian Playlist on YouTube


Songs in alphabetical order by title:

A
Abraham, Martin and John - Dion
Alice's Restaurant Massacree - Arlo Guthrie

All You Need Is Love - The Beatles *
Almost Cut My Hair - Crosby, Still, Nash and Young
Amazing Grace - Rod Stewart *
And We Bid You Goodnight - Grateful Dead *

Are You Ready? - Pacific Gas & Electric *

B
Beware of Darkness - George Harrison *
Big Yellow Taxi - Joni Mitchell *
Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon and Garfunkel *
Border Song - Elton John *
Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show - Neil Diamond *
But I Might Die Tonight - Cat Stevens

C
California Dreamin' - The Mamas and The Papas
Can't Find My Way Home - Blind Faith *
Carry On - Kansas *
Chicago / We Can Change The World - Crosby, Stills and Nash
Country Road - James Taylor
Crystal Blue Persuasion - Tommy James and The Shondells *

D
Day By Day – Godspell *
Drift Away -Dobie Gray *
Dust in the Wind - Kansas *

E
Estimated Prophet - Grateful Dead
Eve of Destruction - Barry McGuire *
Eyes of the World - Grateful Dead *

F
Find the Cost of Freedom - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young *
For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield
Fortune Son - Credence Clearwater Revival *
Freedom - Richie Havens *

G
Gimme Shelter - Rolling Stones *
Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) - George Harrison *
Give Peace A Chance - John Lennon *
Get Together - The Youngbloods *
God Gave Rock and Roll To You - Argent *
Going Up The Country - Canned Heat
Good Morning Starshine – Oliver *
Grand Illusion - Styx
The Great Gig in the Sky - Pink Floyd


H
Handsome Johnny - Richie Havens *
Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - John Lennon
He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother - The Hollies *
Heaven Is In Your Mind - Traffic *
Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles
Holly Holy - Neil Diamond
Hymn 43 - Jethro Tull *

I
I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash *
I Don't Know How to Love Him - Jesus Christ Superstar *
I Had a Dream - John B. Sebastian *
I Just Want To Celebrate - Rare Earth *
I Shall Be Released - The Band *
I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing - The New Seekers *
I'd Love to Change the World - Ten Years After *
If I Had A Hammer - Peter, Paul and Mary
If You Want to Sing Out - Cat Stevens *
I'll Take You There - The Staples Singers *

I'm Your Captain/Closer To Home - Grand Funk Railroad *
I'm So Glad -Cream
In The Year 2525 - Zager and Evans *
It Don't Come Easy - Ringo Starr *

J
Jesus Is Just Alright - Doobie Brothers *
Jesus Just Left Chicago - ZZ Top
Just a Closer Walk With Thee - The Chambers Brothers *
Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) - The First Edition *

K

L
Lay Down (Candles In The Rain) - Melanie Safka *
Lean on Me - Bill Withers *
Let It Be - The Beatles

Let It Rain - Eric Clapton *
Let's Work Together - Canned Heat *
Listen to the Music - Doobie Brothers *
Lo And Behold - James Taylor *
Long Time Gone - Crosby, Stills and Nash
Love, Peace and Happiness - The Chambers Brothers *
Love Reign Over Me - The Who *

M
Magnificent Sanctuary Band - Jerry Garcia Band
Man on the Silver Mountain - Rainbow
Masters of War - Bob Dylan
Miles From Nowhere - Cat Stevens *
Military Madness – Crosby and Nash *
Morning Has Broken - Cat Stevens *
My God - Jethro Tull *
My Sweet Lord - George Harrison *

N
Nature's Way - Spirit *

O
Oh Happy Day - Edwin Hawkins Singers *
Ohio - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
On The Road to Find Out - Cat Stevens *
One Love - Bob Marley *
One Tin Soldier - The Original Caste *
One Toke Over The Line - Brewer and Shipley
Out In The Country - Three Dog Night *

P
Peace Train - Cat Stevens *
Peace Will Come - Melanie Safka *
People Get Ready - Rod Stewart *

Playing in the Band - Grateful Dead *
Presence of the Lord - Blind Faith *
Pretty As You Feel - Jefferson Airplane

Pride of Man - Quicksilver Messenger Service *
Put A Little Love In Your Heart - Jackie DeShannon
Put Your Hand in the Hand – Ocean *

Q
Question - The Moody Blues *

R
Revival - The Allman Brothers Band *
Ripple - Grateful Dead *
Rocky Mountain Way - Joe Walsh

S
Salvation - Elton John *
Samson and Delilah - Grateful Dead
Save the Country - The Fifth Dimension *
See Me, Feel Me - The Who *
Seems Like a Long Time - Rod Stewart *
Share The Land - The Guess Who *

Show Me The Way - Peter Frampton
Sitting - Cat Stevens
Sky Pilot - Eric Burdon and The Animals *
Something in the Air - Thunderclap Newman *
Spirit In The Sky - Norman Greenbaum *
Stairway to Heaven - Led Zepplin *

T
Take Me to the Pilot - Elton John
Teach Your Children - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young *
That's the Way God Planned It - Billy Preston
The Great Gig In The Sky - Pink Floyd
The Unknown Soldier - The Doors
The Weight - The Band *

Think His Name - Johnny Rivers *
Three Little Birds - Bob Marley *
Time Has Come Today - The Chambers Brothers
Times They Are A-Changin - Bob Dylan
To The Last Whale (Critical Mass/Wind on the Water) - Crosby, Stills and Nash *
Turn! Turn! Turn! - The Byrds *

U
Universal Soldier – Donovan *

V
Volunteers - Jefferson Airplane

W
Way Over Yonder - Carole King *
What The World Needs Now Is Love - Jackie DeShannon *
What's Going On - Marvin Gaye *
WAR - Edwin Starr *
War/No More Trouble - Bob Marley *
What Is Life - George Harrison
Where Do The Children Play? - Cat Stevens *
Where Have All The Flowers Gone? - Peter, Paul and Mary
Wind on the Water - Crosby, Still and Nash
Wind Up - Jethro Tull *
Wonderful World Beautiful People - Jimmy Cliff *
Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who
Wooden Ships - Crosby, Still and Nash
Woodstock - Joni Mitchell *

X

Y
You Can't Always Get What You Want - Rolling Stones

Z

*Songs included in Rock Mass posts.

Updated 11/01/2020

Fair Use Notice


Peace, Love, and Light!
Kevin (Cloud)

18 comments:

That Ma said...

I do enjoy your selections. Thank you for creating the playlist on YouTube so I can listen while I work. Years ago I created something similar: a cd of music that I felt spoke to my spiritual side. I called it "Keep The Faith." Only I didn't think to make it public, I didn't even realize I could do that! There are songs from Van Morrison, George Harrison (of course!) Sweet Honey in the Rock, Eva Cassidy, The Byrds..to name a few. There is only one song from a contemporary Christian Band called "Flood" by Jars of Clay, but other than spirituals the songs are from supposedly "secular" artists. Frankly (and I hope no one wants to hit me for this) I find a lot of "Christian Music" reaallly boring and/or cookie-cutter.

Hippie Christian said...

Thanks Laura,
I am glad you like it. I agree with you that a lot of "Christian Music" can lack originality, but then again so can the "secular" music industry.

Back in the day a lot of the early Christian bands sounded just like what was on the radio. As the Christian music industry grew the music took on a slightly different and unique sound that set it apart from popular secular music.

It didn't completely become its own style nor was it setting any trends. In my opinion it was an attempt to christianize popular top 20 radio (yuck!), but a year or two behind the times.

The thing about the early christian bands in the '60s & '70's was that you couldn't hear them on FM rock radio and the christian radio stations wouldn't play any of that devil inspired Rock & Roll syncopated rhythm. Any good christian would tell you that a Hammond B3 organ with Leslie speakers only belonged in church, not at Woodstock!

In a way we were forced to listen to secular music and pick out songs inspired by the current spiritual quest that was popular during that time.

Anonymous said...

Peace, Love, and Light to you too! :-)

D.M. said...

Funny, when I was growing up some secular tunes were used by God to touch me...such as "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison (my innocent 2year-old mind had not idea he was really worshipping another god-but somehow the true God manifested His Presence to me in that song anyway)along with "Give me love(Give me peace on earth)". There was "Love Is The Answer" by England Dan & John Ford Coley. And there were simply positive songs, such as "Shower the People" by James Taylor, a song about remembering to love your family and friends. And I have had a habit for a long time of taking secular songs and "rewriting them" just a tad to make them Christianized...you should see how I "redeemed" John Lennon's "Imagine"....hee, hee!

Hippie Christian said...

Thanks DM... I just added Revival by The Allman Bros.

D.M. said...

"People can you feel Him (it)....
Love is everywhere." :D

D.M. said...

Hey! You forgot "Let It Grow" By Eric Clapton!

Happy Resurrection Sunday coming up!

Hippie Christian said...

I love Clapton... I'll have to go back soon and add that one!

Zathiel said...

Hey, guys, just thought I'd leave this here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/FavoriteJesusMusic

Jesus Movement Music!


Hope you get some enjoyment out of it!

Peace. :D

Hippie Christian said...

Thanks D, you found some Jesus Music that I never heard of. Cool

Jaredsma said...

There was a mention in a comment of John Lennon. Larry Norman said that John had accepted Jesus before he died. Wouldn't that be super to see John there?
I recently had the chance to hear/see/meet Randy Stonehill. He's been writing, singing, recording and working on projects all of these years and is always fresh and new. He was also funny, real and humble and his voice in great shape. I was overwhelmed with the presence of God when I closed my eyes as he sang to just take it in. He's touring...I highly recommend checking out his schedule on his website.

Hippie Christian said...

Hi Jaredsma,
Randy and Larry were true pioneers in the development of Jesus Music back in the day.

Yes, that would be cool (and ironic) to see John Lennon in the place he Imagined didn't exist.

I believe that we will all be surprised when we find out what is truly on the other side of this physical world.

Peace,
Kevin

Anonymous said...

I love this blog and I love this specific blog post about the music! I also really love your description of yourself, and how you cannot choose being a Christian or a hippie over the other, because for you both are possible. For me too!!!

I am so glad to find another colourful child of God! I am different too in so many ways, and I know God made me this way because it is who I am, and how he wants me to be :)

Thanks, I needed to read this blog today, and God brought me to you again, to see your blog posts and stuff :)

I will have to listen thru your songs and try to put together a list of my own songs!!

Cheers from Carrie! xo

Hippie Christian said...

Hi Carrie,

So glad that you enjoy my blog! It's so encouraging to hear from other Hippie Christians.

Peace & Love!
Kevin

Hippie Christian said...

Hi Carrie,

I re-posted your comment below without your email address so that you don't get spam and other junk email

Blogger Carrie said...

Hi Kevin!

Thank you! I am so glad to find that I am not alone!

I just wanna ask, is it possible to talk to you thru email instead of the blog?

My email is *********@gmail.com

I hope you don't mind!!!

Cheers!

Carrie

8:01 AM

Hippie Christian said...

Hi Carrie,

I wish that I had the time to devote to creating more frequent blog posts and have ongoing email conversations, but that is not possible right now.

Since my wife and I adopted our autistic granddaughter along with my working full time for a non-profit organization I have to limit my online time.

That was one reason I shut down HippieChristian.org and moved most of the content to this blog. I just couldn't keep the website and the blog updated simultaneously.

Please don't take it personally, I just have to monitor my online time very carefully. I do enjoy reading comments here on the blog and posting replies.

I look forward to reading your comments and I'll continue to reply.

Peace, Love, and Light,

Kevin



Anonymous said...

Hi Kevin!

No problem! I understand you have a lot to do and you also have to spend a lot of time on your granddaughter! more power to you for being a dedicated grandfather! You are very special indeed!

No worries, I don't take it personally! Now you have my email addy if you'd ever like to write or have the time to write! otherwise we just communicate on the blog, no problem whatsoever.

Thanks for removing my email addy, you did the right thing. Thanks so much for that! <3

I still have to read thru everything you have posted here, so it will take me some time! :)

Hope you are going well!! :))))

Peace, love and blessings from Carrie!

Hippie Christian said...

Hi Carrie,

Thanks for being so understanding!

Peace, Love & Light!

Kevin