I was minding my own business, listening to Elvis Costello on my headphones, (which I am wont to do) when he sang the following line in his unique voice:
“Maybe Jesus wants you for a sunbeam.”
Whaaaaa? Did Elvis just refer to the primary song “Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam?” So I scrolled back and listened to it again. I was right. He did invoke the Sunbeam song. I should point out he did not sing “a suuuuunBEAM” and shout the last syllable at the top of his lungs, which seemed wrong.
Is Elvis Costello Mormon? No – couldn’t be. They would have had him sing with the MoTab by now, or at least appear at the Stadium of Fire with one of the Osmonds.
So I did some research to find out why Elvis was lifting lyrics from the Children’s Songbook. What I found was one of those instances that can shake your faith – one of those moments when you are reminded that…
We are not alone in this universe.
As I look through the world with my Mormom-centric glasses, it never occurred to me that the people who wrote “I’ll Be a Sunbeam” weren’t LDS. But there it is, the cold hard truth.
The lyrics were written by a enigma named Nellie Talbot, a long time ago. I say “enigma” because nobody seems to know anything about her. Except that maybe she lived in Missouri, and that she looked like this: (Not particularly sunbeaming)
We do know about the composer of the music. It was this man:
Edwin O. Excell. And, might I add, what a mustache!
He put Nellie’s lyrics to music in 1905. Edwin was not a one hit wonder. It is estimated that he wrote over 2000 religious songs/hymns in his lifetime. When he died in 1921, he was the biggest publisher of hymn books in the United States.
His religious roots were Methodist Episcopalian, and was big into revival meetings back in Pennsylvania – but he sure wasn’t LDS.
Back to the sunbeam song. Did you know there were really 4 verses, not just the two we have in our songbook? Here is the whole song:
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Jesus wants me for a sunbeam,To shine for Him each day;In every way try to please Him,At home, at school, at play.
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Refrain:A sunbeam, a sunbeam,Jesus wants me for a sunbeam;A sunbeam, a sunbeam,I’ll be a sunbeam for Him.
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Jesus wants me to be loving,And kind to all I see;Showing how pleasant and happy,His little one can be.
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I will ask Jesus to help meTo keep my heart from sin;Ever reflecting His goodness,And always shine for Him.
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I’ll be a sunbeam for Jesus,I can if I but try;Serving Him moment by moment,Then live for Him on high.Unknowingly, Edwin O. Excell won the hearts of LDS primary kids for generations.But wait! There’s more! Here are two more songs in our hymnal by Brother (by now) Excell:Count Your BlessingsScatter SunshineSeriously? Three of our favorite LDS hymns were written by the same non-LDS man? It is true. I would even venture to say that they are three of the happiest songs that we sing.I wonder how Edwin feels knowing that millions of Mormons count his work as a blessing. I admire how the work he produced actually embodied the lessons he taught in his songs.Now if I can just get Elvis Costello to return my calls…(Here is another one… Yoohoo Unto Jesus.)
About 30 years ago our neighbor, a Baptist minister, invited our children to a week long 1 hour Bible play group he organized for the neighborhood here in rural Utah. Thinking it would be nice and show acceptance as well as being a nice neighbor,our kids walked down the street with all their other friends. Soon I heard them singing “The Wise Man Built His House Upon A Rock….” . The whole thing was a fun experience for them.
Oh, baby. My Primary kids are gonna learn the rest of Sunbeam thanks to you! GREAT article. As usual.
Be careful. Third verse says, “To keep my heart from sin.” Since little children cannot sin, this would be teaching false doctrine. The church is very careful that only correct doctrine be taught through its music. Otherwise, music is the best teacher of doctrine there can be!
Remember – this song wasn’t written by an LDS man.
The church isn;t all that careful about doctrine in songs, either – the Rainbow Song (When I am baptized) Says this:
“I know when I am baptized, my wrongs are washed away.”
Wrong. A) When a child is baptized at 8 it isn’t to wash a way sins, and B) The water doesn’t wash away sins. The Holy Ghost purges them.
Also, “Praise to the Man” has false doctrine about priesthood keys as well.
I’m quite sure that’s why the third-fourth verse wasn’t included. Check with those who are on these committees.
Out of curiosity MMM, what false doctrine re: priesthood keys did poor W.W.Phelps allegedly write? I assume you are referring to this line:
“Great is his glory and endless his priesthood. Ever and ever the keys he will hold.”
That is the line. When the Savior meets with the prophets of the dispensations at Adam-ondi-ahman, all the prophets will return their keys to the Savior. So “ever and Ever” only means until that that.
But he will still hold his overall priesthood keys, right? Just not those
specific to the latter-day dispensation, as they obviously won’t be needed any more. Since Priesthood is eternal, I would think holding its keys would be necessary to continue creating world upon world and all that goes along with that. It doesn’t say, “ever and ever the keys to the latter-day dispensation he will hold”, so I don’t see any doctrinal problem with the wording.
Sure, he will always hold the Priesthood, like all men. Lots of men hold the priesthood, and will eternally, without keys. – Keys and Priesthood are not the same thing. For example, a Stake President holds keys, but when he is released, they are taken away, and given to the new one.
Joseph might get new keys, but he won’t hold the same ones he is holding now.
Maybe this has already been said, but you’ve clearly never seen “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof” – the obnoxious grandkids sing that song.
Mormons don’t get to claim that hymn as their song… we borrowed it.
I just watched that film yesterday and saw that. That’s when I figured out it wasn’t a strictly LDS song.
Cool, you made “LSDLiving” magazine. Always a pleasure sir.
How did this thread turn into a “Mormons are so self-centered that they think they wrote all the hymns” rant? I’ve heard Elvis’ rendition of “How Great Thou Art,” and I know they played “Be Still my Soul” as the Titanic went down. I don’t think we have the corner of the market on good hymns. However, I’ve never heard even a scrap of “Jesus wants me for a sunbeam” anywhere but at our Church. This blog post is a good reminder to dig deeper and learn more about every good thing.
I noticed that turn in the thread, too, Vatermann. If you think about it (and look at the authors and dates at the bottom of the hymns) you quickly realize many predate the Church. But I probably didn’t even think about it until I heard Kurt Cobain and Nirvana singing “Jesus don’t want me for a sunbeam” and realized other faiths must know that one, too. (BTW, I love that scene in “Titanic” – it puts the whole “and the band played on” criticism in better perspective.)
It makes it easier for other religious background folks to feel more at home I think. When you commune musically, your heart resounds with truth.
I grew up Presbyterian and we sang this all the time in Sunday School. I didn’t join the church until I was 11, I remember telling one of the girls in my Primary class just what you have here on your blog (with out all the excellent adult detail) and she told me I was a liar!! Good thing she wasn’t my only Mormon influence things might have gone differently!
I grew up in a part member family, my mother being the non-member ‘part’.
We often attended the church she grew up in, while visiting my grandma. I always felt comforted by the songs our two faiths had in common.
My mother’s Great Aunt Myra Brooks Welch, wrote an oft recited poem at LDS pulpits, ‘The Touch of The Master’s Hand’. Mormons are always surprised to learn that the author was not a church member!
While others proudly recount their pioneer family history, I’m so grateful for what my part-member lineage taught me…that good people and good things can be found outside the church too.
I grew up in a part-member family, my mother being the non-member ‘part’.
We often attended the church she grew up in while visiting my grandma. I was always aware that many of our songs were shared by other denominations.
My mother’s great Aunt, Myra Brooks Welch, was the author of an oft quoted poem at LDS pulpits…’The Touch of The Master’s Hand’. Mormon’s are always surprised to find that the author was not LDS!
While most Mormons proudly recount their illustrious pioneer lineage…I’ve always been grateful for my part member lineage, and the knowledge that ‘good people and good things’ can be found outside the Church too.
Just last Monday I attended a Barbershop Quartet singing practice. The song they were practicing was … “Love At Home”. Again, not written by a Mormon, but a favorite of barbershop quartets …
Many people in the LDS faith are surprised to hear that a significant portion of the current hymns originate outside our faith. to me this reaffirms what Pres. Hinkley often said, namely, Nearly ALL faiths contain truth and light and those seeking to join the LDS church are encouraged to retain that.
On the Mormon channel, under the conversations tab, there is a segment talking with Michael F. Moody, Chairman of the music committee charged with creating the hymnal we use today. His statement was that “come thou fount of every blessing” was not included because back then is was a little known hymn and it is only in the last few years that it has gained popularity. He speculated that if there ever comes a time when a new hymnal is commissioned, that it might be included.
At times many LDS people, myself included, can get quite stuck up about belonging to the church with the restored gospel in it’s fullness. We would do well to remember that MOST faiths contain goodness and faith, seeking to come closer to their Savior.
The only church that I attended as a child was my Grandma Reeves’ Evangelical United Brethren Church in Ohio. I loved Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam, Onward Christian Soldiers, & In the Garden. But the hymn that had the biggest impact on me was at a Stake Primary mtg. when I was a fairly new member and it was sung by a little boy about 5 or 6. The most beautiful rendition of I Know That My Redeemer Lives…I still get goosebumps just remembering.
AuntSue
When Emma Smith put together our first hymn book, she chose the hymns familiar to her from other churches, as well as new ones written by the saints. But the new ones ususally used familiar music, even if the words were new.
Dirty Pink, you are a wise and good person to make sure that all the relatives at MeMa’s funeral felt included. That is the way things should be done. Drops of Awesome for you.
And thank you MMM, for an interesting post.
Also I despise the jumping up shouting BEAM irreverent habit that has become accepted somewhere in the last 20 yrs. May as well be singing Row Row Row Your Boat for all the teaching left in the song.
In a similar vein, though not from a spiritual view, I also hate the cha-cha-cha that now seems to be an accepted part of “Happy Birthday’.
I hear ya, Dirty Pink. One other that annoys me is the ‘echo’ in “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Just ruins it for me every time…
“…like a light bulb.”
Sad how egocentric we tend to be. I feel sad seeing people surprised that we don’t hold some kind of Mormon patent on every note and word in the hymnal.
When planning the music for my MeMa’s funeral, which would be attended in equal parts by Mormons and other denominational Christians, I had to stand up firmly that we choose not only hymns that MeMa loved, but also traditional hymns that were familiar to all in attendance, that everyone could feel a part of the service in being able to sing familiar hymns.
I want to be an enigma.
In fact, I DEMAND to be an enigma.
Kurt Cobain wrote a song called, “Jesus doesn’t want me for a Sunbeam.” Obviously took his inspiration for the original When I heard that is when I did research and found out that the song was not composed by mormons.
The song was actually written and performed by The Vaselines. Nirvana covered it for the Unplugged concert.
I didn’t know this. Thanks, MMM.
Very cool. You could guest-post this at Keepapitchinin.
When on occasion I find myself in another church, I love pulling out their hymn book and looking for familiar hymns. There are always a surprisingly large number — and often with extra verses we don’t have, or slightly different words, etc.
I grew up going to Oklahoma to visit our sweet great aunt, and stalwart Southern Baptist, she would play her hymns on the little organ in her house. Many of them were songs in our hymn book or music from our hymns but she had different words. She once played Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam for us and sang it suuuuuunBEAM (which was extra awesome with her southern twang!!) She wasn’t even 5 feet tall and kinda bounced as she said beam sitting there at her organ. Sure miss that cute lady, she was our only connection to our biological grandmother who died when my dad was 19. Converts to the church or children of converts know that there is a lot of crossover in the hymnals…really emphasizes the fact that we’re all trying to live like and get back to ourSavior.
I had a piano teacher who was the organist at her Baptist church. When I started plunking out hymns, How Firm a Foundation caught her ear. She told me she was going to start using it but asked me not to tell the members of her congregation that it was an LDS arrangement. I never told. Till now.
If you’ll recall, back in the ’90s, Nirvana had a song called Jesus Doesn’t Want Me for a Sunbeam. I never could decide whether he was right, or not. 😛
A significant portion of the hymns in our LDS hymnal were not written or composed by LDS members. If you look in the Authors/Composers index, only those with an * by their names are LDS. Originally, the hymnal was a collection of the lyrics, and they would pick a familiar/popular tune and sing the words to it. For instance, “Praise to the Man” was commonly sung to the tune of “Hail to the Chief” (presidential march song).
Great post, I had no idea!
I was shocked when I first joined the church and we sang “For the Beauty of the Earth,” it was one of my favorites from the Presbyterian church. I was totally thrown off by the LDS version of “Away in a Manger”, I still struggle with singing it that way. There’s also another one that I can’t remember just now…
My husband told me a while back about the history behind “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” which is a gorgeous song that should only be sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (makes me cry like a baby every time), that it was not an LDS song and I believe the composer’s family didn’t want us to have it or something like that….
I grew up in the church and sang the old version of Away in a Manger originally. At some point, they changed to the new song, maybe with the new hymnbook? Maybe somebody can speak to that.
When I was a little girl, Away in A Manger was my very favorite Christmas song. Then, when I was 4 years old the new hymn book came out and they changed my favorite song to a new version. I was devastated. To this day I cannot bring myself to sing that song in church because I loved the old version so much and it still makes me sad that they changed it!
When I was a little girl Away in a Manger was my very favorite Christmas song. Then, when I was 4 years old the new hymn book came out and the new version of the song was introduced. I was devastated that they changed my favorite song! To this day I have a very hard time singing that song in church because it made me so sad that they changed it!
The primary song book still has the original version.
Don’t despair. The original is still in the primary song book. Volunteer to sub in primary in December!
Since my family is chockfull of Talbots–even though all those directly in my line went straight from England to Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, to northeast US ports to handcarts to Utah–I’m going to start claiming that my aunt wrote the Sunbeam song.
I’m related to those Talbots too! Since that’s my maiden name I’ve often had “distant cousins” come up to me and say “Are you related to the South Africa Talbots?” Yeah, good ole Aunt Nellie. hehe.
Wonder if my people handcarted with your people? Mine came via Cape of Good Hope too.
We are most likely all related. My in-laws were the Bodily family who also went from England to South Africa (where they joined the LDS Church)and married into the Talbot family!
Did you know that Edwin O. Excell is also known for the arrangement of Amazing Grace that is typically sung today? The version now going through your head right now? Yep.
There is a great series on the Mormon Channel called History of the Hymns that provides great back stories about popular composers and LDS hymns.
I found out that it wasn’t originally LDS when one of my kids got a picture book with the words (1st 2 verses) illustrated with little ducklings being kinds and sunshiney.
I remember being startled in high school (whilst listening to NPR, hoping for a school snow closing announcement) by hearing the tune to “If You Could Hie to Kolob” being played by an orchestra.
But it goes both ways- did you know that even the quintessentially Mormon hymn “Come, Come Ye Saints” is used by some other denominations now? (With a little tweak to the references to the West in the 3rd verse, kind of like we did with “How Great Thou Art”).
Whilst?
I had a hymnal in my car for a long time and one day was driving a group of people from work to lunch. The gentleman sitting up front with me (not LDS, but Southern Baptist), picked up the hymnal and flipped through it. In a very wondrous voice, he exclaimed, “We have some of these songs in our hymnal too!” I was surprised, but I don’t believe i was nearly as surprised as he was. Uplifting music is loved by all, even those who don’t want to admit it.
Thx for sharing that is very interesting.
I was surprised when I heard it being sung in “My Dog Skip” when Willie was in the graveyard. Wait, you mean other people sing these songs. I also just barely realized that “What a Friend I have in Jesus” is sung to the tune of Israel Israel God is Calling.
I recognized the “What a Friend I Have in Jesus” when I heard one of my fraternity brothers play it as an organ arrangement at our fraternity recital. I remember it sounded like an arrangement you’d hear at an amusement park. 😉