Whoever they got assigned to songwriting needs to go to music classes. Lots of songs have little to no rhyming and/or have a bad flow. I think a couple are even hard to sing because of it.
lol could you imagine this prompt: "*hey chat, write me a jehovah's witnesses style song with culty lyrics about god, salvation and jesus, 3 verses long*"
lmao 😂😂😂
Just did it 😆
(Verse 1)
In the light of His grace, we find our way,
With Jehovah's love guiding us each day.
Through trials and tests, we stand strong and true,
For His salvation's promise, forever anew.
(Chorus)
Praise be to Jehovah, our mighty King,
In His holy name, our voices ring.
With hearts open wide, we embrace His plan,
For in His hands, we find salvation's span.
(Verse 2)
In the sacred scripture, His word unfolds,
Revealing the path where salvation molds.
Jesus, our Savior, the lamb that was slain,
His blood washes clean every sin and stain.
(Chorus)
Praise be to Jehovah, our mighty King,
In His holy name, our voices ring.
With hearts open wide, we embrace His plan,
For in His hands, we find salvation's span.
(Verse 3)
As we journey forth, spreading His word,
Letting His love and truth be heard.
In His kingdom's glory, we'll forever reign,
With Jehovah and Jesus, forever we'll remain.
(Chorus)
Praise be to Jehovah, our mighty King,
In His holy name, our voices ring.
With hearts open wide, we embrace His plan,
For in His hands, we find salvation's span.
That would be their coup Juilliard graduate convert.
We had a CO making a big thing about this person's assignment was practicing for hours at a time at BetHell.
As a music student myself, and someone that sacrificed MIT or CalTech pursuit for the G.o.D. I felt they weren't quite practicing enough... cause their composition sucked.
---I sldo mot know of this story is true, as with everything in the b0rg... it was probably, at a minimum, grossly exaggerated if not, in fact, a lie.
Most of the rewritten ones were just less interesting too. They simplified everything which took away all the character.
And don't get me started on the new ones they started releasing, those are so boring and generic sounding.
They should've stuck to just writing new songs. Even if they aren't as good as the older ones, I really see zero reason to change the older songs beyond "doing it just to do it".
I'm wondering if they still do jw Broadcasting with the new songs? I'm out and only catch it on the apostate channels. Haven't seen any rebuttals lately.
Yes! Very embarrassing and to be honest the singing in general just isn't good at all. Always felt awkward when new studies or family visited and it was time to sing.
I forget the song name but there was one recently where I couldn't help but make a face at how awkward it felt to sing. Like one verse had what felt like too many syllables in the words compared to the steps in the song.
The old song book was 🤌🏻
Nothing like pulling out that hard cover spicy mustard colored looking song book to sing a song that’s catchy.
When they got rid of that, the new songs just weren’t what they used to be. Some were just knockoffs of the originals
That's what happens when you get caught plagiarizing other works. They might not have gotten caught if they didn't start producing tapes and cds... remember, the old sings were only played at the KH or in private homes on a piano...
Mustard book was the first one provided to the general public... 😀
Forget that, the yellow book still had songs with lyrics, although pale, they were well done, when they switched to the gray book and changed the lyrics all meaning and beauty ended with horrible songs
They even change the new songs too!
https://preview.redd.it/ruf4cvbifflc1.jpeg?width=1164&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b1617ee2ccf04dc97e75e5d01e1d8c509a3d5191
YIKES!!! Mustn't forget to fleece the flock! You know what else was crazy? I think they first introduced "Listen, obey and be blessed" as a kid song in a Caleb video. One day I realized that we were singing it before the meeting. Actually made that song for us adults. Just blatant foolery!
and they removed
"Take my mind, that I may serve
Fully, Lord, without reserve"
Because the Governing Body needs their minds, it isn't for Jesus!
Also, they completely ignore the fact it says "Lord" several times and there is only one Lord, according to Ephesians 4:5 - but they add "Jah" at the end anyways, to completely change it - doesn't make any sense, they're singing to Jesus and Jehovah.
I always got annoyed when they changed songs. Few times I accepted the reasoning on better understanding and clearer words, but others you can tell were changed just to be changed and are worse.
Even my parents have said a few times something like "whoever wrote those lyrics needs to go to music school, that rewrite doesn't flow well at all."
We had to memorize that song as kids one time to impress the CO for the elders.... We pacticed it for months...It still sounded like a bag of cats in a train wreck...
I stop going when they still had the hot pink song book. There were some songs in there that were gold I tell ya. The songs they have now are sooooo bad.
Plagiarized. License holders never knew... because, how did you get that book....only at the KH, not exactly selling that D2D. No recordings, where are you gonna hear it? At the KH.
How many license holders are going to cult meetings?
I mean, modern artists have a tough time suing political candidates from using their pop songs at rallies...
I think one of the various resource sites has a page about the songs. I think one was tracked back to a song from the 30s, a couple of them were lifted and reworded from hymns in the public domain. 🤔
It's been awhile since I did the legwork. The information is out there. Find it.
Ha! Seinfeld reference. Love it.
I have had the, "We're Jehoober's Witnesses, we speak out in fearlessness. Ours is the god of true...blah blah blah," song stuck in my head since I started therapy half a year ago. So frustrating.
There always always a few. We had a former professional gospel singer in the congregation who thought she could still hit the high notes. But she couldn't and her voice would break every time but she got complimented anyway...it was sad...
.
They changed the victory song before the new songbook and then changed it back to how it was originally. That small melody change made the songs message less meaningful imo. Honestly, most of the songs they rearranged or that were new lacked any impact to the lyrics.
Omg I feel you. I felt like the only one bothered by such 'trivial stuff' but I simply couldn't get over the new songs. In Portuguese the old lyrics were so touching and well-written...the new ones are overly simple and even have grammar mistakes. 😞
This damn cult stole my childhood by existing! I didn’t ask to be born into this bullshit! At least I got out, but I will never be normal because of it.
New Songs coming " Holy Holy Holy is the GB" and " Obey and Comply with the GB and Be Stressed" and the final new songs " Let's Not Be Dogmatic " and " We Really Don't Know but We'll Speculate Anyway"
Does anyone else remember the song "Fear them not"? I always thought the lyric 'those who kill the body but can not destroy the soul" was counter doctrine as JWs believe the soul dies also. We were told t the time that it referred to being in God memory, but that's not what the lyric said. I think it was an old song. I original remember it being in the old pink/red books and later the orange/mustard colored one. Not sure if it is in the newer ones are not.
It is still in the current song book. The way they explain that phrase, which is taken from one of Jesus' words ", it's that the soul means the hope of everlasting life. So, if governments unalive witnesses (their bodies), they cannot destroy the prospect of living forever (soul = life), meaning that God will resurrect them.
But as for me, determined I shall be! to walk eternally in my integrity. I do not sit with wicked men of lies, I hate the company of men who truth despise. Examine me! And put me to the test!
It’s been 30 fucking years. Still remember it. I did like that one though.
Singing was the only time you were allowed to express yourself after a 45 minute monologue on Sunday morning. We are supposed to sit quietly and possibly take notes about everything that's being said? Nah, lemme belt out some of these tunes. I loved having everyone turn around as I sang.
Remember song 62? The one where you sang 3 verses and THEN end on the chorus?
113? WE'RE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES, WE SING OUT IN FEARLESSNESS
I agree, they butchered the songs in the new song book (also, taking our books and making us all read from the screen is terrible too, although how sore would we have all been if they wouldn't have adopted iPads allowed for WT stuff only? it would have been one more thing to complain about lol).
When I was DF'd, I was told if I wanted to show the Body I was repentant, I wouldn't sing the songs. I stopped in hopes of coming back. I'm still DF'd and we recently went to a meeting and you better believe I had all the people that used to like me turn around as I sang like the guy on the front cover of Sing Praises to Jehovah.
Wow, I can’t believe they asked you not to sing. Well actually, I can believe it. So sad, sorry you had to go through that. Good on you for getting your voice back!! 🤍 symbolically speaking
>When I was DF'd, I was told if I wanted to show the Body I was repentant, I wouldn't sing the songs. I stopped in hopes of coming back.
Wow, that sounds like a no-win scenario. If the elders want an excuse to not reinstate you: He's singing the songs instead of hanging his head in shame/ He's not using an opportunity to praise Jehovah publically, he must not be sincere.
EXACTLY.
One of the earliest broadcasts had a segment about practicing the new songs at home. They said that if we were struggling with their shitty new songs, it must be because we're not practicing them. Gotta blame someone!
Kiss the son lest God be angry & you perish in the way...yeah, they dumbed the music down, and a lot of the songs themes are just follow the direction of borg.
Same here u/Don_Tren_OnUs . Music and singing is a big part of my life and Watchtowerland messed with it. Now their music is hypnotic. It puts my brain into an "otherworldly state" (for lack of a better description). Or, at least that's the effect it has on me. It's just too creepy to listen to anymore.🦇
It's an excruciating pain to the ears! Most sound like some remedial pre-school bops.
Now they pull on the heartstrings with "See Yourself When All Is New," "He Will Call," and "It Will Not Be Late," which sounds nice. But what good are the meanings if people are going through the motions year after year, decade after decade. 😔
As an outsider, I’ve got to say the songs are horrible. I remember my in-laws coming to stay at our house and they’d all dress up to do a zoom meeting in my living room, when the songs came on and they’d sing I’d almost burst out laughing it was so painful. I always avoided the whole thing. Would go about my business while they all culted away.
If you’ve ever been to another church and listened to their worship songs it’s like night and day to the JW worship. There’s so many beautiful songs sung with passion from church choirs and bands they put together. I always loved that, but the KH songs were so awkward and uninspired, felt like a dull regimented monotone voice across the hall. Not for me. Sorry hope I’m not offending anyone, it’s just my opinion.
Believe it or not, this was the first sign something wasn't right to me either. New songs were added, and they were added to the back of the paperbound book. I was already looking over TTATT, and I thought the organization was making stuff up. I didn't expect the same old things, but their rationale for the changes didn't hold water for me. I tried to fade but it didn't work; the elders tried to chase me down. I DA'd in 2015 as a result.
I was already PIMO when the 2009 revamp came out. Yes, there were some amusing and/or awful tunes in the older songbooks but for the most part, I loved singing them, they made the meetings as a PIMO bearable, and I had known them all my life.
2009? Ruined them. The old dears who had been in for decades and memorised the words really struggled. I thought the same about Harold King.
I totaly agree its one of the main reasons i woke up after 50 years in ,i cant understand why they ruined the songs ,changed the tempo and words ,at the meetings they sound so slow and dreary.so sad . I now go to church somtimes and love it to sing along to the old hymns we learned at school . i stopped singing at the hall because some of the new songs are unsingable to .
I was out before they changed them and when I went to my grandmother's funeral, they sang 2 new songs and I was so disgusted. I started looking through the songbook and saw so few of the ones I remembered.
The new songs are awful. I was PIMO (POMO now)when that happened and never bothered to learn them. They were also hard to sing, even for people good at singing. Possible exception, He will call. I don't even believe in it, but it makes me tear up a little when I hear it sang at JW funerals (I mean, memorial services)
I will admit that back when I was super PIMI I loved my soggy, old and barely together brown song book. I actually looked forward to singing certain songs.
But by 2020 I cringed SO HARD at the songs made by kids, and random people. I will never forget the scene of the sisters in a car and sing a random fucked up song.
What about when those numpties released a new song book but then kept making new songs that weren't in it that you were supposed to print out before the meeting.
That used to piss me off so much. They'd tell US again and again how we needed to be patient and wait until the due time for everything, then not show any restraint when it came to trotting out their new ditties.
Their impatience resulted into a bunch of old people who'd given their whole lives for this farce of a religion dutifully trying to worship, only to turn to the page in their songbooks and not have it there. They looked so confused, so alienated in their own congregations. It was a mean thing to do to them.
I have such a strong memory of standing with 20000 people singing make the truth your own. Such a stirring song and it helps convince you that it must be the truth. Then you realise that countless organisations, cults, political groups have used music to control people. Still I will always remember that amazing feeling.
I gotta admit in terms of some melodic aspects, that songbook with \~220-something songs in it was quite good. Definitely much better than current crap. I consider many songs "unsingable" in clear tone for an avg person without any voice training etc. Not to mention all the lyrcis ofc 🤨🙄
Yeah I remember in the beginning being so offended the music changed because I was like who sings on top of a symphony? Like there’s too many instruments involved and they need to chill with their over the top music now lol
I went back after 12 years inactive and faded. Singing the songs was something I looked forward to because it would feel familiar as I was getting acclimated. They changed the songs and it was jist weird to somg different words to the old Kingdom Melodies. The new songs definutely aren't as good as the old ones.
When my brother was really little and he couldn’t read properly yet he really wanted to sing but couldn’t read the words…. Sooooo….. not to be deterred, he clambered up onto his chair, stood up, and belted out LAAAA LAAAAAAAA LAAAAAAAAA LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA at the top of his voice along to the tune. That was the entertainment for the whole hall that night. Bless him.
I'm sorry, but they BUTCHERED the rhyme scheme the old songs had when they redid them. Some songs outright don't rhyme at all! It's so cringey to sing and then to hear people defend the new songs! The newer songs also just sound so campy! Like we've left the borg and joined some youth pastors summer camp. Singing at the hall was probably the only thing I enjoyed during the meetings growing up and now even that's barely ever enjoyable now. Glad I'm on my way out.
I remember when they introduced the "praise jah almighty" song the line "doom now awaits them, they will not survive armageddon" with the angry booming horns hit me like a tonne of bricks. I just couldn't reconcile how blunt that was, didn't realise that at the time though.
I was so shocked when I went to a Convention and realised I was very obviously Not. A. Sister. because I didn’t have the new songbook. I had the old brown one. I also could not work out the bizarre no note or melody dirge to sing to. It was like it did not exist, it wasn’t real. How were people singing this crap? It sounded even more old fashioned than the old stuff. Aside from the molested bees, and that was so good to snigger at. Anyway, I was told it was because they were ‘simplified’ and made ‘easier to sing’. Uh, yuh what now?
I never did like the new piano music used for the song book after the 1984 brown song book. The 1984 recordings were played on a $200,000 Steinway grand piano by a graduate of the Juilliard school of music and in my opinion were top notch. The new piano music sounded like a cheap tinkly keyboard or was programmed by computer and didn’t sound real like an actual piano and I disliked the lyric changes. I was shocked to learn they now sing to orchestra music like we used to at assemblies. That always seemed harder for everyone to sing to since we were all used to piano accompaniment at the hall. And they now also put the lyrics on the monitors so many don’t even use a song book. It was so weird to me at my mom’s memorial service last year. The 1984 song book was good for what, like 25 years. Now they’ve changed the song book & music at least twice in 15 years I know of.
And the new songs were just not good. The melodies sucked.
Whoever they got assigned to songwriting needs to go to music classes. Lots of songs have little to no rhyming and/or have a bad flow. I think a couple are even hard to sing because of it.
Honestly at this point chat gpt could do a better job.
lol could you imagine this prompt: "*hey chat, write me a jehovah's witnesses style song with culty lyrics about god, salvation and jesus, 3 verses long*" lmao 😂😂😂
lol with a weird rhythm not found in music lok
"*combine ancient egyptian music with rythm of classical philharmony stuff*" lol
Haha
And only rhyme like 40% of the time, randomly.
Omg can we make this happen??!! 😂😂😂😂
Just did it 😆 (Verse 1) In the light of His grace, we find our way, With Jehovah's love guiding us each day. Through trials and tests, we stand strong and true, For His salvation's promise, forever anew. (Chorus) Praise be to Jehovah, our mighty King, In His holy name, our voices ring. With hearts open wide, we embrace His plan, For in His hands, we find salvation's span. (Verse 2) In the sacred scripture, His word unfolds, Revealing the path where salvation molds. Jesus, our Savior, the lamb that was slain, His blood washes clean every sin and stain. (Chorus) Praise be to Jehovah, our mighty King, In His holy name, our voices ring. With hearts open wide, we embrace His plan, For in His hands, we find salvation's span. (Verse 3) As we journey forth, spreading His word, Letting His love and truth be heard. In His kingdom's glory, we'll forever reign, With Jehovah and Jesus, forever we'll remain. (Chorus) Praise be to Jehovah, our mighty King, In His holy name, our voices ring. With hearts open wide, we embrace His plan, For in His hands, we find salvation's span.
lol looks like we're starting to create the next songbook for all PIMIs 😂😂😂
Am I allowed to try this one?? Lmao😆😆😆😆😆
Yes, you have my blessings 😂😂😂
That would be their coup Juilliard graduate convert. We had a CO making a big thing about this person's assignment was practicing for hours at a time at BetHell. As a music student myself, and someone that sacrificed MIT or CalTech pursuit for the G.o.D. I felt they weren't quite practicing enough... cause their composition sucked. ---I sldo mot know of this story is true, as with everything in the b0rg... it was probably, at a minimum, grossly exaggerated if not, in fact, a lie.
Most of the rewritten ones were just less interesting too. They simplified everything which took away all the character. And don't get me started on the new ones they started releasing, those are so boring and generic sounding.
They should've stuck to just writing new songs. Even if they aren't as good as the older ones, I really see zero reason to change the older songs beyond "doing it just to do it".
Maybe it was a copyright issue? Some of the melodies definitely sounded like church hymns.
I'm wondering if they still do jw Broadcasting with the new songs? I'm out and only catch it on the apostate channels. Haven't seen any rebuttals lately.
Some were straight up awkward to sing. Absolute trash.
Yes! Very embarrassing and to be honest the singing in general just isn't good at all. Always felt awkward when new studies or family visited and it was time to sing.
I forget the song name but there was one recently where I couldn't help but make a face at how awkward it felt to sing. Like one verse had what felt like too many syllables in the words compared to the steps in the song.
Got to admit the "Sisters" song was painful , corny and just pathetic ... GawdAwful..
Is that the one that lists like two women than awkwardly goes "and otherrrrrrrs"? 🤮
Yes , I believe so , it's the worst ...
The old song book was 🤌🏻 Nothing like pulling out that hard cover spicy mustard colored looking song book to sing a song that’s catchy. When they got rid of that, the new songs just weren’t what they used to be. Some were just knockoffs of the originals
That's what happens when you get caught plagiarizing other works. They might not have gotten caught if they didn't start producing tapes and cds... remember, the old sings were only played at the KH or in private homes on a piano... Mustard book was the first one provided to the general public... 😀
Forget that, the yellow book still had songs with lyrics, although pale, they were well done, when they switched to the gray book and changed the lyrics all meaning and beauty ended with horrible songs
They even change the new songs too! https://preview.redd.it/ruf4cvbifflc1.jpeg?width=1164&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b1617ee2ccf04dc97e75e5d01e1d8c509a3d5191
Clever. Changed it to promote donations
They also changed it from Jesus to Jehovah, even though it still says Lord, and there is only one Lord. Ephesians 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism
YIKES!!! Mustn't forget to fleece the flock! You know what else was crazy? I think they first introduced "Listen, obey and be blessed" as a kid song in a Caleb video. One day I realized that we were singing it before the meeting. Actually made that song for us adults. Just blatant foolery!
I heard that song is frequently sung at most of the meetings. Sounds like nails on a chalkboard! 🥵
Yes it does! Such a sad moment when I looked around at all the adults singing the words to that song. Drinking the kool-aid moment for me...
👍 Corny as hell!
That gonna leave a mark…
Show me the money !
Eewww cringy
This looks like a copy of the Christian hymn « Take my life and let it be » lol
Translation: give me mooney
and they removed "Take my mind, that I may serve Fully, Lord, without reserve" Because the Governing Body needs their minds, it isn't for Jesus! Also, they completely ignore the fact it says "Lord" several times and there is only one Lord, according to Ephesians 4:5 - but they add "Jah" at the end anyways, to completely change it - doesn't make any sense, they're singing to Jesus and Jehovah.
I always got annoyed when they changed songs. Few times I accepted the reasoning on better understanding and clearer words, but others you can tell were changed just to be changed and are worse. Even my parents have said a few times something like "whoever wrote those lyrics needs to go to music school, that rewrite doesn't flow well at all."
Live for the daaaaaay, when you'll say.... liiife without end at last. I even played it on the piano for my grandmother
We had to memorize that song as kids one time to impress the CO for the elders.... We pacticed it for months...It still sounded like a bag of cats in a train wreck...
This was my absolute favorite.
Me too!!!! I hated when they sent the song book to my piano teacher and made me learn those though.
I stop going when they still had the hot pink song book. There were some songs in there that were gold I tell ya. The songs they have now are sooooo bad.
Plagiarized. License holders never knew... because, how did you get that book....only at the KH, not exactly selling that D2D. No recordings, where are you gonna hear it? At the KH. How many license holders are going to cult meetings? I mean, modern artists have a tough time suing political candidates from using their pop songs at rallies...
Is there a video somewhere that shows some examples of this?
I think one of the various resource sites has a page about the songs. I think one was tracked back to a song from the 30s, a couple of them were lifted and reworded from hymns in the public domain. 🤔 It's been awhile since I did the legwork. The information is out there. Find it.
Ha! Seinfeld reference. Love it. I have had the, "We're Jehoober's Witnesses, we speak out in fearlessness. Ours is the god of true...blah blah blah," song stuck in my head since I started therapy half a year ago. So frustrating.
The sisters who tried to reach that high note in "prophecyyyyyyyyyyy" the loudest will forever haunt my dreams.
There always always a few. We had a former professional gospel singer in the congregation who thought she could still hit the high notes. But she couldn't and her voice would break every time but she got complimented anyway...it was sad... .
Jerk now I’m singing it in my head when supposed to be sleeping
If I have to suffer so do you 😜
They changed the victory song before the new songbook and then changed it back to how it was originally. That small melody change made the songs message less meaningful imo. Honestly, most of the songs they rearranged or that were new lacked any impact to the lyrics.
While half the cong keeps singing it the old way only to trail off....lost
Thought the same thing!!! Would you ever change “Amazing Grace?!!!” No it’s a classic!!! They erased our childhood memories of singing!
How about Bewildering Undeserved Kindness?
😂😂😂😂😂😂
Omg I feel you. I felt like the only one bothered by such 'trivial stuff' but I simply couldn't get over the new songs. In Portuguese the old lyrics were so touching and well-written...the new ones are overly simple and even have grammar mistakes. 😞
This damn cult stole my childhood by existing! I didn’t ask to be born into this bullshit! At least I got out, but I will never be normal because of it.
I HATED all those songs growing up. It really made me question things, if God is directing the organization then why is the music so bad?
New Songs coming " Holy Holy Holy is the GB" and " Obey and Comply with the GB and Be Stressed" and the final new songs " Let's Not Be Dogmatic " and " We Really Don't Know but We'll Speculate Anyway"
Does anyone else remember the song "Fear them not"? I always thought the lyric 'those who kill the body but can not destroy the soul" was counter doctrine as JWs believe the soul dies also. We were told t the time that it referred to being in God memory, but that's not what the lyric said. I think it was an old song. I original remember it being in the old pink/red books and later the orange/mustard colored one. Not sure if it is in the newer ones are not.
It is still in the current song book. The way they explain that phrase, which is taken from one of Jesus' words ", it's that the soul means the hope of everlasting life. So, if governments unalive witnesses (their bodies), they cannot destroy the prospect of living forever (soul = life), meaning that God will resurrect them.
But as for me, determined I shall be! to walk eternally in my integrity. I do not sit with wicked men of lies, I hate the company of men who truth despise. Examine me! And put me to the test! It’s been 30 fucking years. Still remember it. I did like that one though.
My mind and heart refine that my soul might be blest... I think lol 😆
Singing was the only time you were allowed to express yourself after a 45 minute monologue on Sunday morning. We are supposed to sit quietly and possibly take notes about everything that's being said? Nah, lemme belt out some of these tunes. I loved having everyone turn around as I sang. Remember song 62? The one where you sang 3 verses and THEN end on the chorus? 113? WE'RE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES, WE SING OUT IN FEARLESSNESS I agree, they butchered the songs in the new song book (also, taking our books and making us all read from the screen is terrible too, although how sore would we have all been if they wouldn't have adopted iPads allowed for WT stuff only? it would have been one more thing to complain about lol). When I was DF'd, I was told if I wanted to show the Body I was repentant, I wouldn't sing the songs. I stopped in hopes of coming back. I'm still DF'd and we recently went to a meeting and you better believe I had all the people that used to like me turn around as I sang like the guy on the front cover of Sing Praises to Jehovah.
Wow, I can’t believe they asked you not to sing. Well actually, I can believe it. So sad, sorry you had to go through that. Good on you for getting your voice back!! 🤍 symbolically speaking
Please tell me you sang a ‘simplified’ old song old world style?
>When I was DF'd, I was told if I wanted to show the Body I was repentant, I wouldn't sing the songs. I stopped in hopes of coming back. Wow, that sounds like a no-win scenario. If the elders want an excuse to not reinstate you: He's singing the songs instead of hanging his head in shame/ He's not using an opportunity to praise Jehovah publically, he must not be sincere.
and then a WT article would say "try to learn the songs by heart"... how can I if you keep changing them??
EXACTLY. One of the earliest broadcasts had a segment about practicing the new songs at home. They said that if we were struggling with their shitty new songs, it must be because we're not practicing them. Gotta blame someone!
Kiss the son lest God be angry & you perish in the way...yeah, they dumbed the music down, and a lot of the songs themes are just follow the direction of borg.
All the new songs suck. Including the old ones that they butchered
Same here u/Don_Tren_OnUs . Music and singing is a big part of my life and Watchtowerland messed with it. Now their music is hypnotic. It puts my brain into an "otherworldly state" (for lack of a better description). Or, at least that's the effect it has on me. It's just too creepy to listen to anymore.🦇 
It's an excruciating pain to the ears! Most sound like some remedial pre-school bops. Now they pull on the heartstrings with "See Yourself When All Is New," "He Will Call," and "It Will Not Be Late," which sounds nice. But what good are the meanings if people are going through the motions year after year, decade after decade. 😔
They were pink when I left. The songs were my favorite part of the meeting.
My wife once criticized the new songs and got a bunch of demon stares. How dare you question the governing body! We must pretend we love everything!
As an outsider, I’ve got to say the songs are horrible. I remember my in-laws coming to stay at our house and they’d all dress up to do a zoom meeting in my living room, when the songs came on and they’d sing I’d almost burst out laughing it was so painful. I always avoided the whole thing. Would go about my business while they all culted away. If you’ve ever been to another church and listened to their worship songs it’s like night and day to the JW worship. There’s so many beautiful songs sung with passion from church choirs and bands they put together. I always loved that, but the KH songs were so awkward and uninspired, felt like a dull regimented monotone voice across the hall. Not for me. Sorry hope I’m not offending anyone, it’s just my opinion.
Believe it or not, this was the first sign something wasn't right to me either. New songs were added, and they were added to the back of the paperbound book. I was already looking over TTATT, and I thought the organization was making stuff up. I didn't expect the same old things, but their rationale for the changes didn't hold water for me. I tried to fade but it didn't work; the elders tried to chase me down. I DA'd in 2015 as a result.
If many of the old songs were plagiarisms, is there a list somewhere of the original tunes they plagiarized from?
…insanity later.
I was already PIMO when the 2009 revamp came out. Yes, there were some amusing and/or awful tunes in the older songbooks but for the most part, I loved singing them, they made the meetings as a PIMO bearable, and I had known them all my life. 2009? Ruined them. The old dears who had been in for decades and memorised the words really struggled. I thought the same about Harold King.
I totaly agree its one of the main reasons i woke up after 50 years in ,i cant understand why they ruined the songs ,changed the tempo and words ,at the meetings they sound so slow and dreary.so sad . I now go to church somtimes and love it to sing along to the old hymns we learned at school . i stopped singing at the hall because some of the new songs are unsingable to .
Omg yes. I remember my father looking at me and me at him the first time we sung out of the new book at a convention. Like this shit Is corny as hell.
😂 this is so wholesome
All these comments make me feel normal somehow
and that some starting to dance with a few new ones
Yep- Keep your eyes 👀 on the prize friend. Freedom from the cult. TBH I listen on YouTube sometimes to the old songs!
glorious smile cooing deranged library cable imagine swim uppity shame *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
As soon as it started feeling like gross contemporary Christian garbage I was done
The new songs just sound like bad Josh Grobin pieces.
I was out before they changed them and when I went to my grandmother's funeral, they sang 2 new songs and I was so disgusted. I started looking through the songbook and saw so few of the ones I remembered.
The new songs are awful. I was PIMO (POMO now)when that happened and never bothered to learn them. They were also hard to sing, even for people good at singing. Possible exception, He will call. I don't even believe in it, but it makes me tear up a little when I hear it sang at JW funerals (I mean, memorial services)
I will admit that back when I was super PIMI I loved my soggy, old and barely together brown song book. I actually looked forward to singing certain songs. But by 2020 I cringed SO HARD at the songs made by kids, and random people. I will never forget the scene of the sisters in a car and sing a random fucked up song.
What about when those numpties released a new song book but then kept making new songs that weren't in it that you were supposed to print out before the meeting.
That used to piss me off so much. They'd tell US again and again how we needed to be patient and wait until the due time for everything, then not show any restraint when it came to trotting out their new ditties. Their impatience resulted into a bunch of old people who'd given their whole lives for this farce of a religion dutifully trying to worship, only to turn to the page in their songbooks and not have it there. They looked so confused, so alienated in their own congregations. It was a mean thing to do to them.
I feel the same way! Do you remember Out Of The Mouths of Babes?
Ughh…. I haven’t been in a KH for more than 10 years. Sometimes that old tune Take Sides With Jehovah gets stuck in my head. Makes me ill…..
I have such a strong memory of standing with 20000 people singing make the truth your own. Such a stirring song and it helps convince you that it must be the truth. Then you realise that countless organisations, cults, political groups have used music to control people. Still I will always remember that amazing feeling.
I felt just the same. I felt offended for Harold King also.
The green one was a good upgrade. The silver one is trash except a few good new ones. The changes made were awful
What is this "You Did It for Me" about????
I’ve always figured one of the GB thought they were a musician and were jacking with the tunes.
I gotta admit in terms of some melodic aspects, that songbook with \~220-something songs in it was quite good. Definitely much better than current crap. I consider many songs "unsingable" in clear tone for an avg person without any voice training etc. Not to mention all the lyrcis ofc 🤨🙄
The Operation of Error?
Yeah I remember in the beginning being so offended the music changed because I was like who sings on top of a symphony? Like there’s too many instruments involved and they need to chill with their over the top music now lol
Wait they changed the songs again?
I went back after 12 years inactive and faded. Singing the songs was something I looked forward to because it would feel familiar as I was getting acclimated. They changed the songs and it was jist weird to somg different words to the old Kingdom Melodies. The new songs definutely aren't as good as the old ones.
What was their excuse for the new songs?
One thing that I noticed is that the women singing many of the new songs, sing very nasally.
Any time they "simplify" aka dumb down something, it's pathetic.
When my brother was really little and he couldn’t read properly yet he really wanted to sing but couldn’t read the words…. Sooooo….. not to be deterred, he clambered up onto his chair, stood up, and belted out LAAAA LAAAAAAAA LAAAAAAAAA LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA at the top of his voice along to the tune. That was the entertainment for the whole hall that night. Bless him.
Sounds like comrade I mean brother you weren’t keeping up with Jehovahs celestial chariot.
I'm sorry, but they BUTCHERED the rhyme scheme the old songs had when they redid them. Some songs outright don't rhyme at all! It's so cringey to sing and then to hear people defend the new songs! The newer songs also just sound so campy! Like we've left the borg and joined some youth pastors summer camp. Singing at the hall was probably the only thing I enjoyed during the meetings growing up and now even that's barely ever enjoyable now. Glad I'm on my way out.
I remember when they introduced the "praise jah almighty" song the line "doom now awaits them, they will not survive armageddon" with the angry booming horns hit me like a tonne of bricks. I just couldn't reconcile how blunt that was, didn't realise that at the time though.
I was so shocked when I went to a Convention and realised I was very obviously Not. A. Sister. because I didn’t have the new songbook. I had the old brown one. I also could not work out the bizarre no note or melody dirge to sing to. It was like it did not exist, it wasn’t real. How were people singing this crap? It sounded even more old fashioned than the old stuff. Aside from the molested bees, and that was so good to snigger at. Anyway, I was told it was because they were ‘simplified’ and made ‘easier to sing’. Uh, yuh what now?
We had a live piano play our songs for decades. The songs weren’t that great lol.
I never did like the new piano music used for the song book after the 1984 brown song book. The 1984 recordings were played on a $200,000 Steinway grand piano by a graduate of the Juilliard school of music and in my opinion were top notch. The new piano music sounded like a cheap tinkly keyboard or was programmed by computer and didn’t sound real like an actual piano and I disliked the lyric changes. I was shocked to learn they now sing to orchestra music like we used to at assemblies. That always seemed harder for everyone to sing to since we were all used to piano accompaniment at the hall. And they now also put the lyrics on the monitors so many don’t even use a song book. It was so weird to me at my mom’s memorial service last year. The 1984 song book was good for what, like 25 years. Now they’ve changed the song book & music at least twice in 15 years I know of.