Vilest?

On my post for Sir Arthur Sullivan's birthday a couple of days ago, the Exterminator took me (mildly) to task because I didn't "mention that Sullivan wrote the music to 'Onward, Christian Soldiers'." I added a bit to the post, but noted that "honestly, I'm not going to start running everyone through the 'were they an atheist' filter."

Ex responded: "But my point isn't whether Sullivan was an atheist or not. He wrote the music for one of the vilest songs ever created."

Well, fair enough. I do tend to think that lyricists are more to blame for the "vileness" of a song that the composer, but it must be admitted that if a composer is great he can make the words mean - or matter, or register - less, and the song more popular than it might be otherwise. So if this is in fact "one of the vilest songs ever created" Sullivan's name should be coupled with it. But is it?

I was kind of surprised to hear Ex call it that. Maybe, I thought, I've forgotten one of the verses or something. But no. I hadn't. Judge for yourself, why don't you? Sabine Baring-Gould wrote the words, and here they are:

Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle see His banners go!

Refrain: Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.

At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee;
On then, Christian soldiers, on to victory!
Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise;
Brothers lift your voices, loud your anthems raise.

Like a mighty army moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod.
We are not divided, all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine, one in charity.

What the saints established that I hold for true.
What the saints believéd, that I believe too.
Long as earth endureth, men the faith will hold,
Kingdoms, nations, empires, in destruction rolled.

Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,
But the church of Jesus constant will remain.
Gates of hell can never 'gainst that church prevail;
We have Christ’s own promise, and that cannot fail.

Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song.
Glory, laud and honor unto Christ the King,
This through countless ages men and angels sing.

It's on the militant side, yes. And has that whole Master/slave-or-let's-say-"servant" vibe that modern Christians don't really get, like American ones don't really get "King" or "Lord", but then that's common. And, to be sure, evoking the imagery of war is not consistent with peaceful, loving religion. But there's no overt call to slaughter the infidels here, no hacking and slashing, no actual fighting, not even any dying for God - not even any I wish I were dead, won't it be wonderful when I am. No blood or martyrs. It's more Salvation Army than Left Behind.

There are plenty of mainstream hymns that are much more militant. Such as Philip Bliss's

It was midnight in the valley, and the camp was dark and still,
Where the slumb’ring host of Midian lay along the sloping hill,
When a blinding flash of torches, and a trumpet loud and shrill,
Threw out the battle cry:

Refrain: Blow ye the trumpet, for the Lord hath made us free;
Your blazing lamps raise high!
“The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon,” shall be
Our conqu’ring battle cry.

Where the faint and fearful thousands had returned at God’s command,
By the chosen few of faithful, vict’ry came to Gideon’s band;
Hear them giving God the glory, and around the camp they stand
And shout their battle cry:

Christian soldiers, be not fearful; onward with your Captain go;
Ever “looking unto Jesus” you shall conquer ev’ry foe;
He hath triumphed—take your trumpets, let the world your vict’ry know;
Sing loud your battle cry:

Or Julia Ward Howe's (in)famous Battle-Hymn of the Republic, a national hymn???

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;
His day is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His day is marching on.

I have read a fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel;
“As ye deal with My contemners, so with you My grace shall deal”;
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with His heel,
Since God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Since God is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet;
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free;
While God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! While God is marching on.

He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,
He is wisdom to the mighty, He is honor to the brave;
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of wrong His slave,
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.

Or Oliver Wendell Holmes's "patriotic" hymn

O Lord of hosts, almighty King,
Behold the sacrifice we bring:
To every arm Thy strength impart;
Thy Spirit shed through every heart.

Wake in our breasts the living fires,
The holy faith that warmed our sires;
Thy hand hath made our nation free;
To die for her is serving Thee.

Be Thou a pillared flame to show
The midnight snare, the silent foe;
And when the battle thunders loud,
Still guide us in its moving cloud.

God of all nations, sovereign Lord,
In Thy dread Name we draw the sword,
We lift the starry flag on high
That fills with light our stormy sky.

From treason’s rent, from murder’s stain,
Guard Thou its folds till peace shall reign,
Till fort and field, till shore and sea,
Join our loud anthem, praise to Thee.

Or this charmer, from the Psalms with music by William Craft:

O God, no longer hold Thy peace,
No longer silent be;
Thine enemies lift up their head
To fight Thy saints and Thee.
Against Thine own, whom Thou dost love,
Their craft Thy foes employ;
They think to cut Thy people off,
Thy church they would destroy.

Thine ancient foes, conspiring still,
With one consent agree,
And they who with Thy people strive
Make war, O God, on Thee.
O God, who in our fathers’ time
Didst smite our foes and Thine,
So smite Thine enemies today
Who in their pride combine.

Make them like dust and stubble blown
Before the whirlwind dire,
In terror driv’n before the storm
Of Thy consuming fire.
Confound them in their sin till they
To Thee for pardon fly,
Till in dismay they, trembling, own
That Thou art God Most High.

Or this Psalm set to music by Arthur Page:

Unto my Lord Jehovah said,
“At My right hand I throne Thee,
Till at Thy feet, in triumph laid,
Thy foes their Ruler crown Thee.”
From Zion shall Jehovah send
Thy scepter, till before Thee bend
The knees of proud rebellion.

Thy saints, to greet Thy day of might,
In holy raiment muster;
As dewdrops in the morning light
Thy youths around Thee cluster.
Jehovah sware and made decree,
“Thou, King of Righteousness, shalt be
A royal Priest forever.”

The Lord at Thy right hand shall bring
On rulers desolation;
The Lord shall smite each heathen king,
And judge each rebel nation.
He, swiftly marching in His wrath,
Shall quaff the brook upon His path,
And lift His head in glory.

And here's one that really is violent, rejoicing in destruction. Again, Psalm based:

With restless and ungoverned rage
Why do the heathen storm?
Why in such rash attempts engage,
As they can ne’er perform?

The great in counsel and in might
Their various forces bring;
Against the Lord they all unite,
And His anointed King.

“Must we submit to their commands?”
Presumptuously they say;
“No, let us break Their slavish bands,
And cast Their chains away.”

But God, who sits enthroned on high,
And sees how they combine,
Does their conspiring strength defy,
And mocks their vain design.

Thick clouds of wrath divine shall break
On His rebellious foes;
And thus will He in thunder speak
To all that dare oppose:

“Though madly you dispute My will,
The King that I ordain,
Whose throne is fixed on Zion’s hill,
Shall there securely reign.”

Attend, O earth, whilst I declare
God’s uncontrolled decree;
“Thou art my Son, this day My Heir
Have I begotten Thee.

“Ask and receive Thy full demands;
Thine shall the heathen be;
The utmost limits of the lands
Shall be possessed by Thee.

Thy threat’ning scepter Thou shalt shake,
And crush them every where;
As massy bars of iron break
The potter’s brittle ware.”

Learn then, ye princes, and give ear,
Ye judges of the earth;
Worship the Lord with holy fear;
Rejoice with awful mirth.

Appease the Son with due respect,
Your timely homage pay;
Lest He revenge the bold neglect,
Incensed by your delay.

If but in part His anger rise,
Who can endure the flame?
Then blest are they whose hope relies
On His most holy Name.

And as for vile, how about this one, which James Lowell wrote? (That line "time makes ancient good uncouth" sounds progressive, but it's not, really - the "ancient good" is that falsehood which needs to be rejected.) The very first verse absolutely denies redemption. You can't get viler than that.

Once to every man and nation, comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side;
Some great cause, some great decision, offering each the bloom or blight,
And the choice goes by forever, ’twixt that darkness and that light.

Then to side with truth is noble, when we share her wretched crust,
Ere her cause bring fame and profit, and ’tis prosperous to be just;
Then it is the brave man chooses while the coward stands aside,
Till the multitude make virtue of the faith they had denied.

By the light of burning martyrs, Christ, Thy bleeding feet we track,
Toiling up new Calv’ries ever with the cross that turns not back;
New occasions teach new duties, time makes ancient good uncouth,
They must upward still and onward, who would keep abreast of truth.

Though the cause of evil prosper, yet the truth alone is strong;
Though her portion be the scaffold, and upon the throne be wrong;
Yet that scaffold sways the future, and behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above His own.

So I'm not arguing with Ex, here. If he hates "Onward, Christian Soldiers" so much, that's his taste, his reaction. I'm just saying that for all its reputation it isn't as bad as a lot of other hymns. (In fact, maybe because it's so popular its problems are magnified.)

And lots and lots of secular songs are much, much viler, openly calling for the death or degradation of women, for instance, or gays. I'm finding it hard to excoriate Sullivan - a professional musician - for setting those words to music. I won't praise him for it, but "one of the vilest songs ever created"?

Your mileage may vary, but for my money, not even close.