This is one of the realities of being deaf. Most deaf can't sing or dance as most of us are tone-deaf also. During my early teen years I really loved to sing. But whenever I get carried away with my singing, mum would complain and would tell me to just keep my singing to myself as I'm very disintonado, she would say. I didn't know I was tone deaf then. It was only lately that I came to realize why I can't sing any of the notes my music teacher would blow on her pitch pipe. All the tones sounded the same to me.
All the music I knew during my lifetime had to do with the lyrics and not the tune or sound. If the song had good lyrics, it's a good song to me. If it has lousy lyrics like Torn Between Two Lovers or Release Me, these songs I consider junk. I think most of our songs today are the expression of our dysfuntional humanity. Umm... what?
Anyways, at least I was able to sing lullabyes to my kids when they were babies. And not just the standard nursery rhymes, ok. I know the poem Flow Gently Sweet Afton set to music and I used to sing this song to my kids. Softly, as I always remember mum's stern words that I better keep mys singing to myself.
Flow gently sweet Afton among thy green braes
flow gently I'll sing thee a song in thy praise
My Mary's asleep by thy murmuring stream
Flow gently sweet Afton, disturb not her dream.
Another song I specially liked was Steal Away to Jesus, a song sung by (again) the Negro slaves during the time they were stealing away from their white masters. Made me think the blacks were really musical people.
Steal away, steal away, steal away to Jesus
Steal away, steal away home
I ain't got long to stay here
My Lord He calls me, He calls me by the thunder
The trumpet sounds within a- my soul
I ain't got long to stay here
Green trees are bending
Po' sinners stand a-trembling
The trumpet sounds within- a my soul
I ain't got long to stay here.
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