Learning the 144 Secular Hymns

♪♪♪ SING ALONG ♪♪♪ as a piano plays the chords and melody (from the SOLO Edition of the Secular Hymnal). Singing along to a simple, chorded melody like this is an ideal way to develop your harmonizing skills!

Lyrics:

We're parents of a soldier whether knowing it or not
And whichever side they're on, they are the soldier that we got
If we have the chance to stop them but we never have them stop
Good parents we are not

We are parents of a soldier. We are parents of a soldier
We are parents of a soldier. Good parents we are not

We put them in a situation nobody could win
As we teach them how to kill, and then how killing is a sin
When they come out so confused that we're afraid to let them in
Good parents we are not

We are parents of a soldier. We are parents of a soldier
We are parents of a soldier. Good parents we are not

If we indeed were loving parents we would be the ones
Who would take away their bullets and would take away their guns
'Cuz we don't want phony heroes, we want daughters, we want sons
So we must be the ones

We are parents of a soldier. We are parents of a soldier
We are parents of a soldier, so we must be the ones

 

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Here's the same hymn in 4-part harmony (from the SATB Edition of the Secular Hymnal). If you and your choir prefer to print out your own score of this hymn, click here to access a beautiful PDF file.

To research the history of this hymn tune: http://www.hymnary.org/hymnal/SH2014

 

Out of respect for our diverse society, please work to keep our public school and community choirs "secular" (comfortable and welcoming to both religious and nonreligious singers). For more information, please visit the secular choirs webpage.

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(Page last updated: January 16, 2016 )