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On Hymns Of The 49th Parallel, By K. D. Lang

947 Words4 Pages

Hymns hold an import place within Canada’s history. Therefore, Canada now has several different religions within it. Hymns are designed for singing in worship, and are regarded as primarily religious (Watson, 1999). Hymns allow for the congregation to participate within the Church service. It’s a chance for the congregation to create music by singing in unison, therefore creating a closeness/unity within the community. Hymns are songs used to bring worship and praise (Watson, 1999). In this essay, I will be looking specifically at K.D. Lang’s, ‘Hymns of the 49th Parallel.’ I will look at who was behind Lang’s inspiration for the album, and how they fit within Canadian popular culture. I will then explore Emile Durkheim’s theory of religion, …show more content…

This song caught my eye as it reminded me of the Canadian national anthem. “I drew a map of Canada, oh Canada (Lang, 2004).” As I interpreted this song, it stood out to myself as romantic, but also as a song filled with national’s pride. The song recites the words ‘Oh Canada.’ These words may be the most passionate/heartfelt words in the Canadian National anthem. We sing these words with love, admiration and praise. Similar to that of a ballad, romantic song. Mitchell may be considered one of the most influential Canadian songwriters. She sang about a variety of topics/issues, and won a total of 8 Grammys for her efforts (CNN, …show more content…

This song stood out to me for a different reason than the two previously mentioned. Defined, Hallelujah means, “to worship as an exclamation of praise and thanks to God (Collins, 2018).” This song has no mention of Canada or national pride. Rather, this song refers to the different ways in which we praise and worship. I believe that this song is important because it closely relates to the hymn, in the Hymns of the 49th Parallel. This song appears sacred, as that was Leonard’s intention (Burger, 2015). This is just another example of how songs are interpreted differently based on personal perspectives/experiences. Cohen will always remain a legend due to his composition of Halleluiah. Since its release, the song has been used in hundreds of soundtracks, covers (K.D. Lang), movies (Shrek), etc. It is a song that will stay in popular culture for a very long time to come (Rohter,

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