Peter, Paul And Mary - Hymn Lyrics

I have a particular fetish for songs with no chorus — "Frank Mills," "White Rabbit," "The Greatest Discovery," and of course the entirety of Astral Weeks ... This song, "Hymn," has followed me my whole life. It's one of my constant driving songs. Thank you Mr Stookey!

I have been singing and preforming this song since I was 22. The chords are very different but beautiful. I am now 73. Although short...it is one of my favorite songs.

This song also seem to have the same tune, at least for a while if not throughout, as the Jimmie Rogers song "It's Over", which began with "If time were not a moving thing and I could make it stay .....

WOW IbanezArtist85!!! You REEEAAALLLY didn't get it!!!!! For all of your "know-it-all-ness", you are blinded by the light of your own highly superior intellect!!! Worthless liberal theology?!!!? REALLY!!!??? MAN, are you dumb!!! Noel had a very dear friend he had grown up with. He cared about her very much. As time went on, they went their own separate ways. When he had broken up with his first wife, Noel decided to look some people up who were important to him. When Noel ( Paul ) looked this kindly female friend of his up, he discovered that he had been too late and that his dear friend had died some time ago. Noel subsequently wrote a song about that sad experience. THAT'S what the song is about. Not worthless liberal psycho-babble !!! He was not talking about the death of JESUS or the uselessness of the CHURCH!!! It is now time to shut that opinionated know-it-all mouth of yours and listen to the song again!!!!! It is VERY sad. I don't know HOW on EARTH people like you can listen to a song like this one and so COMPLETELY miss the entire POINT of the song's actual ( not to mention OBVIOUS )MESSAGE!!!

Well actually Redredmane M, I met Noel several times after he had written this song. I asked him if the song was an expression of his faith in Christ and he said "Absolutely". A friend of mine also asked him of his faith when visiting at Mt. Hermon, Noel confirmed what he had said earlier to me. Noel seemed to be a very kind person and I am sure he would caution us to express our opinions in a gentler way.

One of my favorite songs. To me a hymn of simply stated loving and deeply felt faith.

Have you ever noticed the similarity between the verses on this song and the Christian song "Through it all."  The progression is identical.  I don't who wrote their song first.  But it goes to show there is very little original on this earth.  I personally sang the PPM song before "Through It All."  But had a Deja Vu when I sang Through it All and only figured this out a few years ago.  It was a Deja Vu.

I'm guessing what you are hearing is the chord progression
MAJOR, MAJOR 7th, 7th. for example D, D-maj7, D 7
It is very common, and very beautiful...
See John Denver's song - Lady

@lw216316 You are definitely on to something.....

A beautiful song about worthless liberal theology. When you remove the true Christ from Christianity, you have nothing left... just beautiful buildings and pretty stained glass windows.

@IbanezArtist85 Sadly, you are exactly right !!!

Again,..... MAN do you EVER miss the entire POINT of that song. Even JESUS is laughing at your cockeyed interpretations of things that you only THINK you understand!!! Judge not, lest you be judged!!! Don't criticize the plank in your brother's eye when you have a shard or two in your OWN eye!!! Time to dim that blinding intellectual light of yours, take things in as they REALLY are, and shut that judgemental expert "pie hole" of yours!!! Seriously, Ibanez,..... You just HUMILIATED yourself.

As for "worthless liberal theology, the week this album was released in August of 1968, "Mary Travers and Peter Yarrow were part of an anti-war demonstration in Grant Park during the late August Democratic National Convention in Chicago, IL. The two were among demonstrators who were beaten and teargassed;" That is according to Wikipedia. I like to think I can be spiritual and a "worthless liberal". To me this song is similar in sentiment to "Wind Up" by Jethro Tull, "He's not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays".

More like reactionary political theology, where the "You" being addressed in Noel's lyric has been "replaced by your assistants" . . . pædophile priests, and millionaire televangelists with their thumbs on our electoral scales (and who are much more likely to have stained glass than any liberals I ever heard of.) I'll get it if you're not persuaded by this interpretation, but it's no less likely than yours for not having a Crystal Palace or sports stadium to sing in.

IbanezArtist85: Since all religions are complete nonsense anyway, I don't suppose it matters that much, but, frankly, if large numbers of people persist in deluding themselves that some magic man is looking out for them, I would prefer the brand that teaches what you refer to as modernistic liberal theology. The old-time belief justified slavery, taught that women were mere chattels for men, that adulterers and homosexuals, as well as disobedient children should be executed in a particularly brutal fashion.
I see that your comment is four years' old so I hope you haven't gone to your reward, but on the other hand, perhaps you've seen the light and realised that religion is merely a tool to control the masses and a crutch for people who cannot face life without the idea that some kind of super big brother is taking care of them. That is all.

I love and share the sentiment in this now "ancient" pice.

wonderful