Freethought Music

A Website for Atheist and Humanist Musicians, Composers, and Leaders

 

The Freethought Band

Jerry Rauser

Band Leader and

Creator of Web Site

Paul Heffron

Keyboard & Songwriter

Jodin Morey

Vocalist

Don Harrer

Guitar

Paul Interviews Dan Barker

Role of Freethought Music

Dan Barker with Freethought Band

Jerry & Tracie

Solstice Banquet 2012

American Atheist

Conference

All Best Women are Atheists

Freethought Follies 2000

A Freezing Cold Picnic

Band Groupies

Freethought Follies 2002

Jodin Mixing a Tune

Jerry Plays Blues Harp

Thank Yah -

Thank Yah Verra Much

Paul and Don

Jerry Tuning the Strat

Webmaster: Jerry Rauser

www.jerryrauser.com

The Freethought Band

     Songs of Freethought/Humanist Life Stance

 

Alice's Restaurant, the Arlo Guthrie song with new words, celebrates the freethinkers meal-and-discussion phenomenon.

 

Anything Goes, a Cole Porter song expressing the revolution of modern morality. Typical Porter lyrics are challenging for the vocalist, especially on the bridge.

 

Blackbird, a Beatles song, which appeals to freethinkers.

 

Don't Blame Me, an old standard with new words, done as a response to Mel Gibson's movie on the Passion of Christ.

 

Don't Talk To Jesus Anymore, the Duke Ellington standard Don't Get Around Much Anymore with new lyrics to evoke the experience of leaving the church and joining the freethinkers.

 

Enjoy Yourself, an old standard with additional freethought lyrics.

 

Ever Since the World Ended, a Mose Allison song adapted as a secular humanist version of the apocalypse.

 

Free As A Bird, a John Lennon song about freedom.

 

Freethought Happy Hour, the old standard Get Happy with new words to celebrate our regular Happy Hour gatherings.

 

Freethought Picnic, the Kansas City song with new lyrics.

 

Friendly Atheist T-Shirt, an adaptation of High Heal Sneakers for lead singer. Expresses and lightly spoofs the freethinkers' openness and audacity.

 

Give Me the Freethought Life, an adaptation of the old standard Give Me the Simple Life.

 

Good Without God, an original expressing the humanist life stance.

             Score                             Audio Recorded Mono Sample

How About You? This is an old standard with new lyrics expressing freethinker's preferences.

 

I Get a Kick Out of You, a Cole Porter song adapted by us to express a love affair between two freethinkers.

 

I Love Being Here With You, a song we do in a swing style at our annual banquet, adapting the Peggy Lee lyrics to the occasion.

 

Imagine, a John Lennon song which serves as a modern Freethought anthem.

 

In My Life, a Paul McCartney love song that appeals to freethinkers.

 

It's Okay, an original rock & roll song expressing a humanist attitude toward sexuality and love. It can be done with the group singing along on the chorus.

 

Periodic Table of Freethinkers, a Dale McGowan version of the Gilbert and Sullivan Major General song celebrating the many freethinkers past and present. It takes a good vocalist to do it along with a good deal of practice.

             Score Paul's           Score Guitar          Audio Recorded Mono Sample

Pick Yourself Up, an old standard with new lyrics about picking ourselves up and carrying on after the 2010 knock-down by the Religious Right.

 

'Taint Nobody's Business, a pop song for a vocalist by early Afro-American composers adapted by us with expanded lyrics.

 

Teach Your Children, a pop/rock song compatible with freethinking.

 

Vincent,(Starry, Starry Night), the Don McLean song about Vincent Van Gogh, a freethinking artist.

 

Why Don't You Think It Thru? A freethought version of the old pop blues song Why Don't You Do Right?

 

With Plenty of Money and You, an old pop song for a vocalist that expresses an ambivalent attitude toward money but leans toward having plenty for worldly enjoyments.

 

You Can't Push People Around, a Mose Allison song, adapted with additional verse.

 

     Satirical Songs

 

Atheists Don't Have No Songs, a Steve Martin song with satire and humor.

 

Holy Mo Jo, an adaptation of Got My Mo Jo Working, satirizing the televangelist con man.

 

I Use Rhythm, a parody of the Gershwin song and a satire on the Catholic rhythm method. It's not necessarily a sing-along but could be if it's on a song sheet.

 

Jesus Loves Me (But He Can't Stand You), satirical pop song for lead singer.

 

Razzle Dazzle, song from Chicago with new words satirizing religious hucksters and freethinkers trying to straighten out believers.

 

Reflections on the Shroud of Turin, a clever satire done to Send In the Clowns.

 

Religious Con Man Blues, a hard-hitting original attacking televangelists and pedophile priests.

              Score                                             Audio Recorded Mono Sample

Those Were The Days, the All in the Family theme song with new lyrics.

 

Your Mind Is On Vacation, a Mose Allison song adapted.

 

Who's In, Who's Out, a Mose Allison song with adapted lyrics.

 

     Sing-along Songs

 

Die Gedanken Sind Frei (My Thoughts Are Free), a popular Freethought folk song from the Peasants Revolt in Germany is a good sing-along worth memorizing.

             Score                                 Audio Recorded Mono Sample

                                                     Audio (Synthesized)

Everybody Loves Saturday Night, an international sing-along folk song that is easy to learn and lends itself to making up new verses, as in our version.

             Score                                 Audio (Synthesized)

If I Had A Hammer, an example of the many pop/folk songs of the time of the Civil Rights and anti-war movement which are good sing-along songs and can be done in the original or modified to add a stronger freethought dimension.

 

It Aint Necessarily So, a Gershwin song that can be a sing-along using a song sheet.

 

Old Time Religion, the Pete Seeger parody of Give Me That Old Time Religion works as a sing-along, although it would always require a song sheet and a good song leader.

 

Song of the Salvation Army, a pop/folk song satire. We added verses. Might work as a sing-along.

             Score                              Audio (Synthesized)

             Score - lyrics

Tell Me Why, a delightful and irreverent version of the sentimental religious song of that name (composed by MIT students) can be used as a sing-along by singing the original first verse and then having told everybody what the original second verse was, sing the new words for the second verse.

             Score                              Audio (Synthesized)

This Land is Your Land, the Guthrie version plus our additional verses, a good sing-along.

 

Vive La Compagnie, a popular sing-along folk song that expresses fellow feeling of Freethinkers in our adapted version of the verses.

 

     Songs for Sing-along on Refrain  (Requires song leader to sing verses.)

 

He Never Returned, the Kingston Trio MTA song with new words that satirize the Second Coming idea. The audience could sing-along on the chorus.

 

I Believe in Music, the Mac Davis song, modified for stronger freethought content, could have sing-along on the chorus.

 

Let the Good Times Roll, a blues song which works well with a song leader and the group singing along on the "So let the good times roll" part.

 

The Preacher and the Slave, a standard folk song that can work as a sing-along by having everyone join in on chorus.

             Score                              Audio (Synthesized)

 

     Protest Songs

 

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? An old pop standard that was a protest song of the post-WWI and Depression era.

 

Can I Have My Money Back?  A protest song about contemporary exploitation.

 

Every Sperm is Sacred, good satire as well as protest.

 

For What It's Worth, the Stephen Stills anti-war song.

 

The Galaxy Song (Monty Python). Good satire and protest.

 

Vietnam Song - Fixin' To Die Rag, the Country Joe anti-war song.

 

With God On Our Side, a Bob Dylan protest song adapted and updated.

 

You Will Be Watched Covertly ("Someone to Watch Over Me" parody). Good protest against the increased surveillance since 9/11.

 

     Solstice Songs

 

Note: On a number of these songs we changed the word Christmas in the titles to Solstice.

 

Blue Solstice, done as an Elvis impersonation by Jodin. Not especially a freethought song, but great fun.

 

The Christians and the Pagans, deals with non-believers at family Christmas dinner.

 

Deck the Halls, a secular carol.

             Score                              Audio (Synthesized)

Frozen in the Snow, a David Wilcox song, it needs a good vocalist.

 

Happy Solstice (War is Over), a John Lennon song for a lead singer.

 

Here Comes the Sun, a Beatles song that makes a good Solstice song.

 

It's Almost Time, a David Wilcox song with a Solstice theme.

 

Jingle Bells Swing. Our jazz version of the secular winter song.

             Score - Soprano                Audio - Soprano (Synthesized)

             Score - Alto                     Audio - Alto (Synthesized)

             Score - Baritone               Audio - Baritone (Synthesized)

             Score - Bass                    Audio - Bass (Synthesized)

Merry Christmas Baby. This is the R&B hit by Charles Brown in the secular urban blues genre.

 

Ring the Bells.  A stirring freethought song of unknown origin.

             Lyric Sheet

Santa Baby, a secular holiday song with which we had great fun, adapting it and making it into a male-female duo.

 

Simple Winter Song (A Winter's Solstice Carol) by Steve Brackenbury (2005). This is an unusually fine original solstice song by a freethinker and gifted composer, with whom we have lost touch.

 

Simply Having a Wonderful Solstice Time, a Paul McCartney song suitable for a secular celebration.

 

Solar Carol.  This high energy sing-along is sung to the tune of "Angels We Have Heard on High". It was found in a songbook called "Rise Up Singing."

             Lyric Sheet

The Solstice Carol, an original secular carol for a lead singer.

             Score                              Audio Recorded Mono Sample

 

The Solstice Party, the Ricky Nelson Garden Party song with new lyrics for a freethought celebration of the Winter Solstice.

 

Solstice Time is Here, the Peanuts TV Special song with humanist values and good jazz chords.

 

Sunshine on the Land, a David Wilcox song with a Solstice theme.

 

The Twelve Joys of Solstice.  This is a freethought version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" with lyrics by Martha Hardesty and Audrey Kingstrom.  It makes for a lively sing-along in which twelve subgroups can each do one of the joys of Solstice.

          Lyric Sheet

Welcome Solstice, the Dr. Seuss Grinch song.

 

     Children's Songs

These were campfire favorites at Camp Quest of Minnesota, or were played at summer picnics.

 

Be Kind to Your Parents, a Camp Quest song. We didn't know the original tune, so made one up, using a push rock beat.

               Score

Blue Shadows on the Trail, a campfire performance song for sleepy campers.

 

Camp Granada, a humorous campfire performance song.

 

Camp Quest, Favorite Place, an original song about experiences at Camp Quest of Minnesota.

             Score                              Audio (Synthesized)

             Chord Lyric Sheet

Camp Quest Theme Song, a song made up at Camp Quest Minnesota and revised each year.

             Score

Camping Life, campers exaggerate quite a bit in this old army song.

             Chord Lyric Sheet

The Dupsha Dove, a song with clever lyrics which delight children.

 

If You're Happy and You Know It, a good children's sing-along song. A freethought verse could be added: If you'd like to ask a question, raise your hand. Raise Your Hand! Etc.

             Lyrics

I'm Proud to Be a Moose, and children should be proud to be humanists and atheists.

 

Monkey and the Engineer, tells what whould happen if a monkey drove a railroad train.

 

Potato, is a very challenging sing-along puzzle in rhythm, a children's favorite.

 

Puff the Magic Dragon, a sing-along popular with children at summer camp.

 

Rubber Ducky, Sesame Street children's song for sing-along.

 

Sunny Day, a children's sing-along from Sesame Street, with atheist reference.

 

The Swimming Song, a good children's song with emphasis on learning new skills and risking new adventures

 

Three Little Birds, a song that soothes children because "every little thing, gonna be alright".

 

The Tree Toad, an old favorite and challenging tongue twister.

             Chord Lyric Sheet

Waltzing With Bears, a humorous children's song which activates imagination.

Our band resides in Minneapolis Minnesota.  Since 1999, we have volunteered to perform for many events hosted by Minnesota Atheists, Humanists of Minnesota and Camp Quest of Minnesota, always without compensation.  Our band members belong to numerous humanist and atheist organizations.

We created this website to form a network and provide resources for musicians who belong to freethought organizations.  If you are interested in being part of the secular movement by creating or performing freethought music, please contact us.

Songs with Comments

Songs listed here are band favorites.  They range from simple sing-alongs to moderately difficult jazz tunes.  If you want more information on these songs, please contact us.