I´m not surprised that Jack sang Water Walking Jesus. It must have been a strong memory from his childhood and mom. I myself often 'hear' in my head short pieces of songs I have heard long time ago. Sometimes after hearing some song only once in my life. On example is 'this is the day, when Jesus took our sins away'. I have heard this hymn only once - I was on vacation and visited a Methodist Church sunday service, ´cos for me Methodist Church is exotic and a new acquaintance, ´cos I live in a country where the Lutheran Church is the majority. Sometimes this piece just comes in my mind in rather unexpected situations. ;)
My reaction was much like Ennis's, I'm afraid - don't think Jack had a great future as a harmonica player. Will listen again next time I watch and try to sort out a tune.
Interesting question, kathy. I suppose he must have been re-living old childhood memories. Memories of church songs should have been drilled into his head when he was young -- by his mother I would assume. This is why I think he referenced his mother immediately after the song. What were they talking about during this scene. Perhaps they were swapping old stories about childhood and parents...
From the SS:
Ennis knew the salty words to
"Strawberry Roan." Jack tried a Carl Perkins song, bawling "What I say ay
ay," but he favored a sad hymn, "Water Walking Jesus," learned from his
mother, who believed in the Pentecost, and that he sang at dirge slowness,
setting off distant coyote yips.
I have no idea about what he played on the harmonica.
I read somewhere (it might have been on here actually) that Jack sounds like he's playing the first bit of "He Was a Friend of Mine".
Interesting question, kathy. I suppose he must have been re-living old childhood memories. Memories of church songs should have been drilled into his head when he was young -- by his mother I would assume. This is why I think he referenced his mother immediately after the song. What were they talking about during this scene. Perhaps they were swapping old stories about childhood and parents...
Yes, of course. I didn't think of that, the context in which he was singing this song. They must have been talking about being brought up, and church, and all. Who knows, maybe young Jack liked to sing in the church choir.
kathy
I know lots of hymns from my youth, too. But mostly I was a little rock-and-roller since I was eight, dancing in the basement to Bill Haley, Rock Around the Clock, I remember. But also, my father was a jazz piano player and all of us kids played the piano since we were little, and played the songs from his "fake books," so there we were, just little kids, playing and singing these sophisticated songs like "Autumn in New York" or some such. Sorry, OT, about me...
kathy
Do you find it interesting, kathy, that a lot of our earliest memories are distilled in a tune or a lyric phrase. Could it be that from our earliest times as a human being, the strains of a lullaby already imbue us with a sense of the past?
Sorry, I love the role of memory and how it plays ouit in the lives of Ennis and Jack...
I read somewhere (it might have been on here actually) that Jack sounds like he's playing the first bit of "He Was a Friend of Mine".
That would be very cool! I'll have to try to really listen. Wonder which scene of this playing this would be.
kathy
These are tunes?????
Do you find it interesting, kathy, that a lot of our earliest memories are distilled in a tune or a lyric phrase. Could it be that from our earliest times as a human being, the strains of a lullaby already imbue us with a sense of the past?
Sorry, I love the role of memory and how it plays ouit in the lives of Ennis and Jack...
Can you elaborate on this a bit? I don't exactly have a sense of where to even start this subject, unless you mean about their childhoods shaping them.
kathy
When Ennis goes to the Twist farm it is Spartan to the extreme. Jacks room in particular has nothing in it. I personally don't think they had much money. If they were poor then maybe they didn't have a radio. I grew up in the 50's and 60's and we weren't dirt poor but TV's and Radios were relatively expensive and there were times when we didn't have one or the other and occasionally both. The only music I heard at those times were
a) the songs my mother sang to me
b) the songs I got in music class at school
c) the songs I got at Sunday school.
Now jack was from a mid western town which would be a lot more religious back then than it is even today, so as his mother was a church goer it follows that he probably was too. If you listen to sound recordings from that area from the "country" genre like the Carter Family etc then there was a very religious, moral and spiritual aspect to the music. If they did have a radio I am sure his mother would have had it tuned to this kind of channel.
So I think imo that the reason he sang Water walking Jesus and not the pop songs of the day was down to his not having access to them and the religious influence of (1) the times he was living in (ii) the area of the US he was living in at that time and (iiii) his mother who obviously loved her son and doted on him. We know from the short story how his dad treated him so I think he would have had the closer bond with Mama Twist.
I don't think it's because he didn't like the pop stars of the day he probably didn't have much experiences of listening to them , that is all. Also you have to remember his young age, even the year before he was working on BBM which was probably his first time away from home, so how would he be able to listen to songs up the side of a mountain. OK he may have heard some on the rodeo circuit, but watch the film....in the bar scenes, in the car with Laureen, at the dance ....it is country music and not pop music that is being played. Remember also that the majority of Americans at that time thought Rock and Roll was the devils music.....Christ they even had record burning sessions.
These are just observations of mine as to why he sang that song. I am not American and I wasn't around in the US, in the mid west at that time so maybe one of you could tell me different.
When Ennis goes to the Twist farm it is Spartan to the extreme. Jacks room in particular has nothing in it. I personally don't think they had much money. If they were poor then maybe they didn't have a radio. I grew up in the 50's and 60's and we weren't dirt poor but TV's and Radios were relatively expensive and there were times when we didn't have one or the other and occasionally both. The only music I heard at those times were
a) the songs my mother sang to me
b) the songs I got in music class at school
c) the songs I got at Sunday school.
Now jack was from a mid western town which would be a lot more religious back then than it is even today, so as his mother was a church goer it follows that he probably was too. If you listen to sound recordings from that area from the "country" genre like the Carter Family etc then there was a very religious, moral and spiritual aspect to the music. If they did have a radio I am sure his mother would have had it tuned to this kind of channel.
So I think imo that the reason he sang Water walking Jesus and not the pop songs of the day was down to his not having access to them and the religious influence of (1) the times he was living in (ii) the area of the US he was living in at that time and (iiii) his mother who obviously loved her son and doted on him. We know from the short story how his dad treated him so I think he would have had the closer bond with Mama Twist.
I don't think it's because he didn't like the pop stars of the day he probably didn't have much experiences of listening to them , that is all. Also you have to remember his young age, even the year before he was working on BBM which was probably his first time away from home, so how would he be able to listen to songs up the side of a mountain. OK he may have heard some on the rodeo circuit, but watch the film....in the bar scenes, in the car with Laureen, at the dance ....it is country music and not pop music that is being played. Remember also that the majority of Americans at that time thought Rock and Roll was the devils music.....Christ they even had record burning sessions.
These are just observations of mine as to why he sang that song. I am not American and I wasn't around in the US, in the mid west at that time so maybe one of you could tell me different.
Does someone know all the words for Water Walking Jesus? I would like to have the lyrics.
It sounds very specific - i wonder why they chose this particular thing as a subject for the "hymn"?
Now I´m imagining in my head the whole hymn Water Walking Jesus! This song does exist - at least in the parallel universe. I´m sure Jack Twist can sing this song from the beginning to the end.
It sounds very specific - i wonder why they chose this particular thing as a subject for the "hymn"?
It sounds very specific - i wonder why they chose this particular thing as a subject for the "hymn"?
Interesting :s)
I was having a look at a website and the heading at the top stood out too me.WALKING ON WATER IS A SYMBOL OF CONQUERING OUR FEARS AND HAVING POWER OVER EVIL.
http://www.hollywoodjesus.com/walking_water.htm
Maybe this is why they chose this particular hymn for Jack to be singing.
It sounds very specific - i wonder why they chose this particular thing as a subject for the "hymn"?
Interesting :s)
I was having a look at a website and the heading at the top stood out too me.WALKING ON WATER IS A SYMBOL OF CONQUERING OUR FEARS AND HAVING POWER OVER EVIL.
http://www.hollywoodjesus.com/walking_water.htm
Maybe this is why they chose this particular hymn for Jack to be singing.
This reference to Peter is certainly rooted in the gospels. I love the application of this interpretation to BBM. Thanks, greenfrog. Truly wonderful.
Wasn't walking on water a test of his faith in Jesus? Jesus could walk on the water; others could, too, but only if they had complete faith in him.
In the same way you might see Ennis as able to be himself and conquer his fear only when he's with Jack; without Jack's presence he sinks into an ocean of fear.
Wasn't walking on water a test of his faith in Jesus? Jesus could walk on the water; others could, too, but only if they had complete faith in him.
In the same way you might see Ennis as able to be himself and conquer his fear only when he's with Jack; without Jack's presence he sinks into an ocean of fear.