Tim will preach about Samson in two weeks, so last night at music practice we discussed possible songs to accompany the message. I mentioned the 1960s song “Hair,” from the musical by that name.
“Hair” was the first rock song I ever heard. Our family had gone to the Cook home, and their son Rodney and I went up to his room. “I want you to listen to something,” he said. He then put on an album or .45 (I don’t remember which; cassettes hadn’t come out yet) and played the song “Hair.” I was immediately drawn to it–the whole rowdy, rock sound. I had never heard anything like it before, and though entirely beyond my experience to that point, the sound connected with something in me.
And yet, at the same time, I felt like I was doing something naughty. That if my parents heard us listening to this music, they would be upset. They wouldn’t have been, but something in my upbringing (not particularly strict by any means) told me we were listening to something forbidden.
And now, 40 years later, I might actually play that forbidden song in church. Talk about going liberal!
Gimme head with hair
Long beautiful hair
Shining, gleaming,
Streaming, flaxen, waxen
Give me down to there hair
Shoulder length or longer
Here baby, there mama
Everywhere daddy daddy
Hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair
Flow it, show it
Long as God can grow it
My hair
