Soul Jingles & Stoic Jingles 15-16

Track 15: Hail Mary

As I said, I was raised Catholic but quit Holy Mother Church upon realizing it was an option after I discovered “bohemia” in my second month of college. I was the first person in my family to go to college. I was also the first person in my family to be kicked out of college. Twice, in fact. But like many ex-Catholics, I still love Mary. Golly, how could I not? Hail Mary was my favorite prayer. Maybe the fact that it was the shortest one was a factor. But mainly, it was about this really nice lady. I had been thinking about putting it to music for a while. I always found the musical version of the Our Father, which seems to be prayer #1, ponderous, clunky and dull. Mary deserved better. So, in 2004 I had at it, and I’m pleased with the result. The structure is nothing fancy, just major chords and minor chords, but I couldn’t have made up anything at this level for the first several decades of my songwriting “career”, which I recently discovered, to my shock, is now longer than that of Irving Berlin (who was active from 1908 to 1966, 58 years, although his last good songs were written in 1960). Mine spans from 1963 to the present, so 61 years and still going.

Hail, Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.