In the movie White Christmas, the main characters are on a train heading for Vermont, and they sing “Snow” by Irving Berlin:
Snow, snow, snow, snow, snow It won’t be long before we’ll all be there with snow Snow I want to wash my hands, my face and hair with snow
Snow I long to clear a path and lift a spade of snow Snow Oh, to see a great big man entirely made of snow
Where it’s snowing All winter through That’s where I want to be Snowball throwing That’s what I’ll do How I’m longing to ski Through the
Snow Those glist’ning houses that seem to be built of snow Snow Oh, to see a mountain covered with a quilt of snow
What is Christmas with no snow No white Christmas with no snow Snow I’ll soon be there with snow I’ll wash my hair with snow And with a spade of snow I’ll build a man that’s made of snow I’d love to stay up with you but I recommend a little shuteye Go to sleep And dream Of snow.
When they get to Vermont, there is no snow to be seen. If they arrived in Vermont today, they’d find plenty of snow. We got our first major snowfall last night. Where I live, we received 3-4” of snow. By the time I woke up, the snow had mainly stopped, and we were getting freezing rain. When the sun rises, that freezing rain is expected to turn into regular rain which is supposed to last for the rest of the morning.
I wish I could just stay in and enjoy the scenery, but I need to run to the grocery store. I hate grocery shopping the day before Thanksgiving, but I wasn’t able to do it yesterday. I was in the grocery store when I developed a terrible migraine, and I just went to check out with the few items I’d already picked up. My headache remained for tye rest of the day and night, and I woke up with it again this morning. However, I’m hoping that it will be better by the time they’ve plowed my parking lot, and I am able to go to the grocery store.
He went to Paris looking for answers To questions that bothered him so He was impressive, young and aggressive Saving the world on his own But the warm Summer breezes The French wines and cheeses Put his ambition at bay And Summers and Winters Scattered like splinters And four or five years slipped away
Then he went to England, played the piano And married an actress named Kim They had a fine life, she was a good wife And bore him a young son named Jim And all of the answers and all of the questions He locked in his attic one day ‘Cause he liked the quiet clean country living And twenty more years slipped away
Well the war took his baby, the bombs killed his lady And left him with only one eye His body was battered, his world was shattered And all he could do was just cry While the tears were falling, he was recalling The answers he never found So he hopped on a freighter, skidded the ocean And left England without a sound
Now he lives in the islands, fishes the pilin’s And drinks his green label each day He’s writing his memoirs and losing his hearing But he don’t care what most people say Through 86 years of perpetual motion If he likes you he’ll smile then he’ll say Jimmy, some of it’s magic, some of it’s tragic But I had a good life all the way
And he went to Paris looking for answers To questions that bother him so
Jimmy Buffett is probably best known for his tropical rock music, which often portrays a lifestyle described as “island escapism.” With his Coral Reefer Band, he is best known for songs like the hit “Margaritaville” and its namesake restaurants and for a sense of humor and irony exhibited in songs like “Cheeseburger In Paradise” and “Why Don’t We Get Drunk” (which originally had the words “and screw” added to the end but was dropped from the title by a lot of online retailers and websites). With this last weekend being Labor Day weekend, I can’t fail to mention “Come Monday.” But what often escapes the notice of so many is that this guy really is an accomplished, and often very serious, songwriter with hundreds of original titles to his credit. His songwriting gift showed up early in pieces like the much-lauded 1973 story song “He Went To Paris.” Though people know many of his other songs, many Jimmy Buffett fans (or Parrotheads, as they call themselves) might tell you that “He Went To Paris” is their favorite song. (My personal favorites are “Stars Fell on Alabama” and “Pencil Thin Mustache.”)
From his album A White Sport Coat And A Pink Crustacean, Buffett wrote the third-person narrative “He Went To Paris” about a Spanish Civil War veteran and one-armed pianist he’d met named Eddie Balchowsky. Released as the album’s final single, it didn’t chart, but in recent years, it has become well known, especially since Bob Dylan named it as one of his favorites and Buffett began to perform it live. With an unusual construction, the song opens and closes with the lines, “He went to Paris/Looking for answers/To questions that bothered him so.” In between those lines are four long verses that chronicle a life of 86 years that saw war, music, tragedy, and world travels, with the subject finally, gratefully and graciously, telling the singer, “Jimmy, some of it’s magic, some of it’s tragic/But I had a good life all of the way.”
Buffett once explained the song’s origins, “The song was actually about a guy I met in Chicago, and he was the cleanup guy at a club called the Quiet Knight [where several prominent singer/songwriter careers were launched]. He had one arm. And so he started telling me stories about his days fighting in the Spanish Civil War, and when he got wounded, he came back to Paris for his treatment. The song is more reflective of stories that Eddie told me. All they did was accentuate the history in the books that I was familiar with from Hemingway and Fitzgerald. That song was written actually in Chicago of all places, and it was written based on the stories of Eddie. At that point I don’t believe I’d ever been to Paris. You put all that stuff together and mix it like a gumbo.”
Buffett was born on December 25, 1946, in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and spent part of his childhood in Mobile and Fairhope, Alabama. After graduating from McGill Institute for Boys, a Catholic high school in Mobile, in 1964, Buffett enrolled at Auburn University and began playing the guitar after seeing a fraternity brother playing surrounded by a group of girls. Buffett left Auburn after a year due to his grades and continued his college years at Pearl River Community College and the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where he received a bachelor’s degree in history in 1969. After graduating in 1969, Buffett moved to New Orleans, often held street performances for tourists on Decatur Street, and played for drunken crowds in the former Bayou Room nightclub on Bourbon Street. I’m pretty sure I’ve read that Auburn granted him a degree after he became famous, even though he flunked out of the university.
Aside from his career in music, Buffett was also a bestselling author and was involved in two restaurant chains named after two of his best-known songs; he owned Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurant chain and co-developed the now defunct Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant chain. Buffett was one of the world’s richest musicians, with a net worth of $1 billion in 2023. Buffett was involved in many charity efforts. In 1981, Buffett and former Florida governor Bob Graham founded the Save the Manatee Club. In 1989, legislation in Florida introduced the “Save the Manatee” license plate, featuring an image of a West Indian manatee, and earmarked funding for the Save the Manatee Club. Buffett was also a longtime supporter of and major donor to the Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory. He has organized several benefit concerts for hurricane relief and for the 2010 BP oil spill that devastated marine life in the Gulf of Mexico. Buffett was also a lifelong Democratic and hosted fundraisers for Democratic politicians, including several for Hillary Clinton in 2016.
After entering hospice care just five days prior, Buffett passed away peacefully in his sleep on September 1, 2023, at his home in Sag Harbor, New York, at the age of 76 from skin cancer (diagnosed in 2019) that had turned into lymphoma. I think it can safely be said that Jimmy himself would say of his life, “Some of it’s magic, some of it’s tragic, but I had a good life all the way.” I hope God and Jimmy are having margaritas together and enjoying cheeseburgers in paradise.
Here is a live version from earlier this year (2/9/23):
I tried to find live recordings of the songs I provided links for throughout the post.
I saw on Colton Haynes’ Instagram a post about a music video he had done for the new Tyler Childers song, “In Your Love.” I no longer keep up to date with country music, so I was not familiar with Tyler Childers or his music. Wikipedia describes his music as “a mix of neotraditional country, bluegrass, and folk.” I didn’t know what to expect when I searched for the song to watch the music video. I certainly wasn’t expecting a video set in 1950s Appalachia chronicling the romance between two male coal miners. I was also not expecting how much it pulled at my heartstrings. I was in tears by the end, so be forewarned. I hope you will watch it anyway.
Last week, Jason Aldean’s release of a disgusting video of fearmongering and aggression dominated the conversation. Childers release is the antithesis to that with a moving, cinematic clip for his new song “In Your Love.” Just under five minutes in length, the video has the ability to emotionally wreck you as it watches the men fall in love, grapple with the violent reactions of their co-workers, and ultimately launch a new life together on a country farm. It features a romantic and ultimately heartbreaking love story between two men: “Arrow” star Colton Haynes and “You’s” James Scully.
The storyline comes from Silas House, the Poet Laureate of Kentucky, who wrote the video’s story from an idea he had with his husband, Jason Kyle Howard. A statement from House about the video, directed by Bryan Schlam and starring Colton Haynes and James Scully, echoes the desire for representation in country music that many still find themselves denied. “As a gay teenager who loved country music, I could have never imagined seeing myself in a video. That visibility matters,” House said. “Tyler and I both felt the attention to detail about rural life was very important, so we made sure that the house and the people looked realistic for the time period instead of the stereotypes of country people that have become so ingrained in the public consciousness… We wanted to tell as complex a story as we could in four minutes, not only about a gay couple but also about rural people. We wanted to show their joy and their sorrow—all the things that make up a complex life. Too often, simplistic notions are pushed about both rural and LGBTQ people, so we did everything we could to make this story as rich and layered as possible.”
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
— Philippians 3:20-21
Never Grow Old By James Cleveland Moore, Sr.
I have heard of a land On the faraway strand, ’Tis a beautiful home of the soul; Built by Jesus on high, There we never shall die, ’Tis a land where we never grow old.
Refrain: Never grow old, Where we’ll never grow old, In a land where we’ll never grow old; Never grow old, Where we’ll never grow old, In a land where we’ll never grow old.
In that beautiful home Where we’ll nevermore roam, We shall be in the sweet by and by; Happy praise to the King Through eternity sing, ’Tis a land where we never shall die. [Refrain]
When our work here is done And the life crown is won, And our troubles and trials are o’er, All our sorrows will end, And our voices will blend With the loved ones who’ve gone on before. [Refrain]
This song has been in my head over the past week. Eleven years ago today, my beloved grandmother went to the land where she “will never grow old.” I have always loved this song. To me, it’s just simple and beautiful. Most people are afraid of dying, and while I hope it’s a long way away for me, if we have faith, there is nothing to fear. Heaven is “a land where we never shall die. The third verse may be my favorite:
When our work here is done And the life crown is won, And our troubles and trials are o’er, All our sorrows will end, And our voices will blend With the loved ones who’ve gone on before.
I’ll be happy when that day comes because I see again, “the loved ones who’ve gone on before.”
“Never Grow Old” usually refers to an old Southern Gospel song of the same name, technically called “Where We’ll Never Grow Old”, written by James Cleveland Moore, Sr. on April 22, 1914. I wonder if he knew that in four short months a war would begin in which millions of young men with so much life before them would go the land where they never grow old. It’s hard for me to think of the year 1914 without thinking of what was about to begin in August of that year.
James Cleveland Moore had intended to become a Baptist preacher. He was educated at Draketown Baptist Institute, Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, and the University of Florida. He received musical training. At 26 years old, while a seminary student at Mercer, Moore visited his hometown church to preach at Draketown Baptist Church. His father, Charles Robert Moore, had led the singing for years. Hearing his father’s voice failing him, Moore knew that he would not hear his father sing much longer due to his father’s advanced age. After returning to school, Moore produced the hymn and dedicated his song as: “Dedicated to My Father and Mother.” The song was not published until around 1930.
And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
—Luke 6:31
A Beautiful Life Also known as “Each Day I’ll Do a Golden Deed” By William M. Golden (1918)
Each day I’ll…do a golden deed,… By helping those…who are in need;… My life on earth…is but a span,… And so I’ll do the best I can…the best I can.
Refrain: Life’s evening sun…is sinking low,… A few more days, …and I must go… To meet the deeds…that I have done,… Where there will be no setting sun…no setting sun.
To be a child…of God each day,… My light must shine…along the way;… I’ll sing His praise…while ages roll,… And strive to help some troubled soul…some troubled soul. [Refrain]
The only life…that will endure,… Is one that’s kind…and good and pure;… And so for God…I’ll take my stand,… Each day I’ll lend a helping hand…a helping hand. [Refrain]
I’ll help someone…in time of need,… And journey on…with rapid speed;… I’ll help the sick…and poor and weak,… And words of kindness to them speak…to them speak. [Refrain]
While going down…life’s weary road,… I’ll try to lift…some trav’ler’s load;… I’ll try to turn…the night to day,… Make flowers bloom along the way…along the way. [Refrain]
“A Beautiful Life” is a Christian hymn that was written by William M. Golden. It was published in 1918. Golding was born on January 28, 1878, in Webster County, Mississippi. He died on May 13, 1934, in a traffic accident near Eupora, Mississippi. It is said he wrote most of his songs while serving an eight-year sentence in the state penitentiary. In addition to “A Beautiful Life,” he was also known for the song “Where the Soul Never Dies” and many others.
I used to love to sing this song in church. The congregation had to know what they were doing to sing this song properly. In the video below, you can hear it sung alternating between tenor and bass. The song begins with the tenors singing, and where the ellipses are, it alternates to the basses repeating the phrase before. It always reminds me of the Johnny Cash song, “Daddy Sang Bass.” When done properly, “A Beautiful Life” is a beautiful song.
Not only is it a beautiful song to listen to, but it also has a beautiful message. If each day we’d “do a golden deed by helping those who are in need” and did the best we can, how wonderful would this earth be! We should make the effort to let our light “shine along the way” and “strive to help some troubled soul.” If we do our best to live a life “that’s kind and good and pure,” how can we go wrong? And so, the song goes. It’s just a really good message on how to live one’s life, and if we just strove to do what this song suggests, then we really could make this world a better place.
Many of you may not have ever heard this song before. If you haven’t, I hope you’ll listen to the Statler Brothers’ version below. I looked and listened to a number of versions of this song, but these are closest to how I remember it always being sung sans the instrumental musical accompaniment. Growing up in the church of Christ, we always sang A Capella. Musical instruments were not allowed.
And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
—John 1:51
The Unclouded Day By Josiah Kelley Alwood
O they tell me of a home far beyond the skies, O they tell me of a home far away; O they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise, O they tell me of an unclouded day.
[Refrain]
O the land of cloudless day, O the land of an unclouded day, O they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise, O they tell me of an unclouded day.
O they tell me of a home where my friends have gone, O they tell me of that land far away, Where the tree of life in eternal bloom Sheds its fragrance through the unclouded day.
[Refrain]
O they tell me of a King in His beauty there, And they tell me that mine eyes shall behold Where He sits on the throne that is whiter than snow, In the city that is made of gold.
[Refrain]
O they tell me that He smiles on His children there, And His smile drives their sorrows all away; And they tell me that no tears ever come again In that lovely land of unclouded day.
“The Unclouded Day” was written by Josiah Kelley Alwood. (Harrison County, Ohio, July 15, 1828–January 13, 1909, Morenci, Michigan). Ordained by the United Brethren in Christ, he spent many years as a circuit rider, traveling on horseback to his many appointments. He would be gone from his family for weeks at a time while he held revival meetings and lectured on Christian doctrine. Later, he became a presiding elder in the North Ohio Conference and was a delegate to several general conferences of his church. Always a staunch supporter of the original constitution of his denomination, he was a delegate to the general conference at the time of the separation of the church into two groups at York, Pennsylvania, in 1889.
Alwood related a story about the event that inspired the song:
It was a balmy night in August 1879, when returning from a debate in Spring Hill, Ohio, to my home in Morenci, Michigan, about 1:00 a.m. I saw a beautiful rainbow north by northwest against a dense black nimbus cloud. The sky was all perfectly clear except this dark cloud which covered about forty degrees of the horizon and extended about halfway to the zenith. The phenomenon was entirely new to me and my nerves refreshed by the balmy air and the lovely sight. Old Morpheus was playing his sweetest lullaby. Another mile of travel, a few moments of time, a fellow of my size was ensconced in sweet home and wrapped in sweet sleep. A first class know-nothing till rosy-sweet morning was wide over the fields.
To awake and look abroad and remember the night was to be filled with sweet melody. A while at the organ brought forth a piece of music now known as “The Unclouded Day.” A Day and a half was bestowed on the four stanzas.
— A Rainbow at Midnight and A Song With Morning (1896)
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
—Revelation 22:1
Shall We Gather at the River? by Robert Lowry
1 Shall we gather at the river, Where bright angel feet have trod; With its crystal tide forever Flowing by the throne of God?
Refrain: Yes, we’ll gather at the river, The beautiful, the beautiful river; Gather with the saints at the river That flows by the throne of God.
2 On the margin of the river, Washing up its silver spray, We will walk and worship ever, All the happy golden day. [Refrain]
3 Ere we reach the shining river, Lay we ev’ry burden down; Grace, our spirits will deliver, And provide a robe and crown. [Refrain]
4 Soon, we’ll reach the shining river, Soon our pilgrimage will cease; Soon our happy hearts will quiver With the melody of peace. [Refrain]
This has long been one of my favorite Christian hymns. I used to sing it often back when I was my old church’s song leader. “Shall We Gather at the River?” or simply “At the River” are the popular names for the traditional Christian hymn originally titled “Beautiful River.” The song’s lyrics refer to the Christian concept of the anticipation of restoration and reward and reference the motifs found in Revelation 22:1–2—a crystal clear river with the water of life, issuing from the throne of heaven, all presented by an angel of God.
Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: “Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O God; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come, and have regarded me according to the rank of a man of high degree, O Lord God.
—1 Chronicles 17:16-17
It’s been quite a while since I used a hymn as my Sunday devotional. During my high school and college years, I was the song leader at the small country church I grew up attending. Half the people at that church were like family to me, and the other half were my family. The song leader I grew up with became unable to lead the singing, so he asked me if I would it. I had taken piano lessons when I was younger, so I had a little musical ability, i.e. I could almost carry a tune. I was never a very good song leader, and I only knew about two dozen or so songs well enough to be able to lead the congregation in singing.
If you don’t know, I was raised in the church of Christ (by the way, it is customary to not capitalize “church” in the name of the denomination, though churches of Christ do not believe they are a denomination nor Protestant, but a restoration of the original church). The churches of Christ have no musical instruments, though some of the more liberal ones today do. The churches of Christ believe that if it is not in the bible, then it should not be part of the religious service. So, the inspiration for a capella singing comes from Ephesians 5:19, “Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” Being a song leader in a church of Christ is not the easiest task. There are no musical instruments to carry the tune. It is completely up to the song leader to do so. All I can say is, that I tried my best. I was never very good at it, and quite honestly, even after doing it for years, I was never comfortable at it. When I went away to graduate school, they found someone else to take over. I was so relieved.
I had a few favorite song: “When the Roll Is Called up Yonder,” “Send the Light,” “Shall We Gather at the River?,” “The Old Rugged Cross,” and a few others. “Amazing Grace” was always a favorite of mine. The service always began with two songs sung while seated before the main prayer. Then, we would stand for the third song just before the preacher got up to give his sermon, and I often sang “Amazing Grace” for this song. After the sermon, we would sing the invitational, a call for those who wanted to join the church and be baptized. After the invitational, we served communion. Communion, or the Lord’s Supper, is served every Sunday in the church of Christ. After communion, we sang the closing song, my favorite being “I Know That My Redeemer Lives” and “Unclouded Day.” The latter begins with “O they tell me of a home far beyond the skies,” and as long as I could get out the “O” in the right key, this one always went smoothly because someone else would pick it up and keep it going in tune.
Amazing Grace By John Newton
Amazing grace! how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved; how precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed!
Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come: ’tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise Than when we first begun.
“Amazing Grace” is one of the best-loved and most often sung hymns in North America. It expresses John Newton’s personal experience of conversion from sin as an act of God’s grace. At the end of his life, Newton (1725-1807) said, “There are two things I’ll never forget: that I was a great sinner, and that Jesus Christ is a greater Savior!” This hymn is Newton’s spiritual autobiography, but the truth it affirms—that we are saved by grace alone—is one that all Christians may confess with joy and gratitude. I, however, believe that it takes faith and good works. James 2:26 says, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” Now, back to Newton’s story.
Newton was born into a Christian home, but his godly mother died when he was seven, and he joined his father at sea when he was eleven. His licentious and tumultuous sailing life included a flogging for attempted desertion from the Royal Navy and captivity by a slave trader in West Africa. After his escape, he himself became the captain of a slave ship. Several factors contributed to Newton’s conversion: a near-drowning in 1748, the piety of his friend Mary Catlett (whom he married in 1750), and his reading of Thomas à Kempis’s Imitation of Christ.
In 1754 he gave up the slave trade and, in association with William Wilberforce, eventually became an ardent abolitionist. After becoming a tide-surveyor (customs inspector) in Liverpool, England, Newton came under the influence of George Whitefield and John and Charles Wesley and began to study for the ministry. He was ordained in the Church of England and served in Olney (1764-1780) and St. Mary Woolnoth, London (1780-1807). His legacy to the Christian church includes his hymns as well as his collaboration with William Cowper in publishing Olney Hymns (1779), to which Newton contributed 280 hymns, including “Amazing Grace.”
Newton wrote “Amazing Grace” to illustrate a sermon on New Year’s Day of 1773. It is unknown if there was any music accompanying the verses; it may have been chanted by the congregation. It debuted in print in 1779 in Newton and Cowper’s Olney Hymns. “Amazing Grace” was published in six stanzas with the heading “1 Chronicles 17:16-17, Faith’s review and expectation.” After being published, the hymn settled into relative obscurity in England.
In the United States, “Amazing Grace” became a popular song used by Baptist and Methodist preachers as part of their evangelizing, especially in the South, during the Second Great Awakening of the early 19th century. It has been associated with more than twenty melodies. In 1835, American composer William Walker set it to the tune known as “New Britain” in a shape note format; this is the version most frequently sung today.
With the message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of sins committed and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God, “Amazing Grace” is one of the most recognizable songs in the English-speaking world.
No Matter What Songwriters: Tobias Martin Gad / Calum Scott
When I was a young boy I was scared of growing up I didn’t understand it but I was terrified of love Felt like I had to choose but it was outta my control I needed to be saved, I was going crazy on my own
It took me years to tell my mother, I expected the worst I gathered all the courage in the world
She said, “I love you no matter what I just want you to be happy and always be who you are” She wrapped her arms around me Said, “Don’t try to be what you’re not ‘Cause I love you no matter what” She loves me no matter what
I got a little older wishing all my time away Riding on the pavement, every sunny day was grey I trusted in my friends then all my world came crashing down I wish I never said a thing, ’cause to them I’m a stranger now
When I ran home I saw my mother, it was written on my face Felt like I had a heart of glass about to break
She said, “I love you no matter what I just want you to be happy and always be who you are” She wrapped her arms around me Said, “Don’t try to be what you’re not ‘Cause I love you no matter what” Yeah
Now I’m a man and I’m so much wiser I walk the earth with my head held higher I got the love that I need But I was still missing one special piece My father looked at me
He said, “I love you no matter what I just want you to be happy and always be who you are” He wrapped his arms around me Said, “Don’t try to be what you’re not ‘Cause I love you no matter what” He loves me no matter what And they love me no matter what
I mentioned to my friend Dylan that I was trying to figure out a song to finish up my “Musical March” posts. Songs, or at least the good one, always make great poetry. Dylan suggested this one. He also suggested “Come to My Window” by Melissa Etheridge or “Montero” by Little Nas X, which are both songs I like, but when I listened to Calum Scott’s “No Matter What,” I had tears in my eyes. The song was very emotional for me. When I came out to my mother, I found out that her love was conditional. She would not love me “no matter what.” My father on the other hand told her that, I was their son, and they’d love me no matter what. While my mother always does what my father says (sometimes much to my dismay), I’m glad she listened this time. Yet, I’ll always know, and she often reminds me, that if it was up to her, she’d have disowned me.
Calum Scott describes “No Matter What” as his “most personal song” and the song he is “most proud of.” The song tells the story of Scott telling his parents he was gay and their reactions of loving him “no matter what.” Scott said “It was a song that I always had to write, and a song I never thought I’d be able to share. This song has so much bones behind it and has such a wider discussion, not only about sexuality but about acceptance.” Adding “This hopefully will be a movement. I want to help people, I want to inspire people, I want to make people more compassionate.”
I wish all parents loved their children “no matter what” especially when they come out as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning/queer, etc. I’ve known too many parents who put conditions on their love for their children. I don’t want children. At one time, I thought I did because that’s what was expected of me, but I knew I’d never make a good father, not because I wouldn’t love my child unconditionally, but I know I have a temper like my father, and I’d never put a child through that. However, if I did have a child, I would have loved them no matter what. I would be accepting and loving. I don’t understand how anyone can put conditions on the love they give their children.
I wish all parents would be loving and accepting, and I said as much to Dylan who told me, “We have a Heavenly Father who does. Those are His feelings toward us. And you have friends who love you very much too.” I agree with him and said, “I just need to be reminded of that sometimes.” He wisely replied, “Yes, we all do!” We are all part of God’s family, and many in the LGBTQ+ community make our own families. I know I have people that I love and cherish, as much, and sometimes more so, than my own biological family (I’m referring to you here, Susan). Cherish the people in your life who love you “no matter what.”
I Like Boys Song by Todrick Hall Songwriters: Carl Seante Mcgrier / Jean-Yves G. Ducornet / Kofi Owusu / Todrick Dramaul Hall
Mama come, come doll, take a seat There’s someone you know that you’ve got to meet So brace yourself for the big reveal He’s about my height when he’s not in heels Some boys play basketball He played house with ratchet dolls It’s not Santa Claus, it’s time for applause It’s comin’ out the closet
Mama, I like boys, I like pecs Like them arms when they flex Like that print in them sweats Tell them girls, “Thank you, next” I like when they text me sexy pics of ’em Like them abs when there’s six of ’em Tell them girls I’m sorry I like boys
Mama, boys like me (I like boys who like boys) Mama (I like boys who like boys) Work (I like boys who like boys) Mama (I like boys who like) Boys like me, yeah (boys like me) Yeah, they do (boys like me) Ooh (boys like me) Motherfuckin’ boys like me (bitch)
I like when they shake it, shake it I like when they grind real slow (real slow) I like when they almost naked (damn) Tell dad I’m so homo Lights off, doors shut Tall, dark, clean-cut Thick with a bubble butt, yup
Mama, I like boys, I like pecs Like them arms when they flex Like that print in them sweats Tell them girls, “Thank you, next” I like when they text me sexy pics of ’em Like them abs when there’s six of ’em Tell them girls I’m sorry I like boys
Mama, boys like me (I like boys who like boys) Mama (I like boys who like boys) Work (I like boys who like boys) Mama (I like boys who like) Boys like me, yeah (boys like me) They do (boys like me) Haha (boys like me) Motherfuckin’ boys like me (bitch)
Style like they name Harry Chocolate like Tyrese I pick him up at Barry’s Crunch, Planet Fitness Shirt off in the lawn Sizzlin’ like grease By day his name Gaston By night I call him Beast
Bitch, B to the O to the Y to the S Boys will be boys and with boys I’m obsessed Boys in their gym clothes, boys in a dress And if boys are a crime then I’m under arrest ‘Cause I’ve been boy crazy since the boy scouts Fuck the closets, let the boys out Don’t be a camel when you are a llama, period No comma, bring on all the drama
Mama, I like boys, I like pecs Like them arms when they flex Like that print in them sweats Tell them girls, “Thank you, next” I like when they text me sexy pics of ’em Like them abs when there’s six of ’em Tell them girls I’m sorry I like boys
Mama, boys like me (I like boys who like boys) Hahaha (I like boys who like boys) Work (I like boys who like boys) Mama (yeah) (I like boys who like) Boys like me (sorry) (boys like me) Not sorry (boys like me) (Boys like me) Motherfuckin’ boys like me, bitch
“I Like Boys” is a song by American singer Todrick Hall; he co-produced and co-wrote the song with Jean Yves Ducornet. Hall released the song during Pride 2019. The video opens with Hall coming out to his mother played by Luenell. The video shifts to a desert with Hall surrounded by male dancers and a camel. The song celebrates Hall’s sexuality, featuring color, cultural references, and male nudity.
Hall describes “I Like Boys” as campy, and I would agree. I am sure it is not to everyone’s taste, but I suspect a lot of us can identify with what Hall says in the song:
I like when they almost naked Tell dad I’m so homo Lights off, doors shut Tall, dark, clean-cut Thick with a bubble butt, yup
Mama, I like boys, I like pecs Like them arms when they flex Like that print in them sweats
Todrick Hall (born April 4, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, and choreographer. He gained national attention on the ninth season of American Idol. Following this, he amassed a huge following on YouTube with viral videos including original songs, parodies, and skits. He aspires to be a role model for LGBTQ and people of color. He once again gained notoriety in 2022 for his tactless and manipulative behavior on the third season of Celebrity Big Brother.
Starting with season eight, Hall became a resident choreographer and occasional judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race. From 2016 to 2017, Hall starred as Lola in Kinky Boots on Broadway. Later in 2017, he began appearances as Billy Flynn in Chicago on Broadway and the West End.
As a singer-songwriter he has released four studio albums, including the visual albums Straight Outta Oz (2016) and Forbidden (2018). In 2020 he released an EP, Quarantine Queen, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic featuring “Mask, Gloves, Soap, Scrub”, and was the international host of Global Pride 2020.
The Closet Professor 