Ok first of all, y'all don't know what you're missing... I could have sent you this super weird half completed caucophony of terrible drum beats over top of this obscure Holy-week hymn (that I never heard until tonight when I found it on page 284 of the
Rejoice in the Lord Hymnal), but good sense got the better of me and I mixed down a nice and calm ooh ooh ooh version.
Secondly, after recording, I googled the hymn and found out from
wikipedia that "English rock band Coldplay has a song entitled 'A Message', the lyrics and melody of which were inspired by this hymn"
so naturally, I am obliged now to include the lyrics of both the 17th century lyrics and the Coldplay tune ...and allow you to either compare them and/ or sing along with the track I have provided.
Enjoy!
My Song Is Love Unknown (by Samuel Crossman)
My song is love unknown,
my Saviour's love to me;
love to the loveless shown,
that they might lovely be.
O who am I, that for my sake
my Lord should take frail flesh, and die?
He came from His blest throne
salvation to bestow;
but men made strange, and none
the longed-for Christ would know:
But, O, my Friend, my Friend indeed,
who at my need His life did spend!
Sometimes they strew His way,
and His sweet praises sing;
resounding all the day
Hosannas to their King:
Then "Crucify!" is all their breath,
and for His death they thirst and cry.
Why, what hath my Lord done?
What makes this rage and spite?
He made the lame to run,
he gave the blind their sight,
Sweet injuries! Yet they at these
themselves displease, and 'gainst Him rise.
They rise and needs will have
my dear Lord made away;
a murderer they save,
the Prince of life they slay.
Yet cheerful He to suffering goes,
that He His foes from thence might free.
In life, no house, no home
my Lord on earth might have;
iIn death no friendly tomb
but what a stranger gave.
What may I say? Heav'n was His home;
but mine the tomb wherein He lay.
Here might I stay and sing,
no story so divine;
never was love, dear King!
never was grief like Thine.
this is my Friend, in whose sweet praise
I all my days would gladly spend.
A Message (Coldplay)
My song is love
Love to the loveless shown
And it goes up
You don't have to be alone
Your heavy heart
Is made of stone
And it's so hard to see you clearly
You don't have to be on your own
You don't have to be on your own
And I'm not gonna take it back
And I'm not gonna say I don't mean that
You're the target that I'm aiming at
Got to get that message home
My song is love
My song is love, unknown
But I'm on fire for you, clearly
You don't have to be alone
You don't have to be on your own
And I'm not gonna take it back
And I'm not gonna say I don't mean that
You're the target that I'm aiming at
And I'm nothing on my own
Got to get that message home
And I'm not gonna stand and wait
Not gonna leave it until it's much too late
On a platform I'm gonna stand and say
That I'm nothing on my own
And I love you, please come home
My song is love, is love unknown
And I've got to get that message home
