Hymn 43

Last updated
"Hymn 43"
Hymn 43 Single.jpeg
Cover of the Japanese 7-inch single
Single by Jethro Tull
from the album Aqualung
B-side "Mother Goose"
ReleasedJune 1971 [1]
RecordedDecember 1970 – February 1971
Genre Hard rock, progressive rock
Length3:14
Label Reprise
Songwriter(s) Ian Anderson
Producer(s) Ian Anderson, Terry Ellis
Jethro Tull singles chronology
"Inside"
(1970)		"Hymn 43"
(1971)		"Locomotive Breath"
(1971)

"Hymn 43" is a song by British progressive rock group Jethro Tull. It is off their Aqualung album and was released as a single by Reprise Records. The song reached No. 91 on the Billboard Hot 100. [2]

Contents

Background

Songwriter Ian Anderson described the song as "a blues for Jesus, about the gory, glory seekers who use his name as an excuse for a lot of unsavoury things. You know, 'Hey Dad, it's not my fault — the missionaries lied.'" [3] Sean Murphy of PopMatters wrote that "For 'Hymn 43' Anderson sets his sights on the US and in quick order sets about decimating the hypocrisy and myth-making of religion and the new religion, entertainment." [4]

According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the song is set in the time signature of common time. It is composed in the key of D major with Anderson's vocal range spanning from G4 to Eb6. [5]

Classic Rock History critic Skip Anderson ranked "Hymn 43" as Jethro Tull's 2nd best song, behind only "Thick as a Brick" and ahead of the more popular songs on Aqualung, "Aqualung" and "Locomotive Breath". [6]

Chart performance

YearChartPosition
1971 RPM100 Singles (Canada) [7] 86
Billboard Hot 100 (USA) [2] 91

Personnel

Jethro Tull

Covers

References

  1. ↑ Hung, Steffen. "Jethro Tull - Hymn 43". Hitparade.ch. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Jethro Tull > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". AllMusic . Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  3. ↑ Shipston, Roy (March 20, 1971). "Good Heavens, Now Ian Anderson Wants Us to Think". Disc and Music Echo . Tullpress.com. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  4. ↑ Murphy, Sean (December 9, 2011). "Jethro Tull: Aqualing (40th Anniversary Special Edition)". PopMatters . Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Digital Sheet Music – Jethro Tull – Hymn 43". Musicnotes.com. Sony/ATV Music Publishing. 15 April 2013. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  6. ↑ Anderson, Skip (4 March 2018). "Top 10 Jethro Tull Songs". Classic Rock History. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
  7. ↑ Canada, Library Archives (21 August 1971). "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 16, No. 1, August 21, 1971". Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  8. ↑ "Morse / Portnoy / George - Hymn 43 (Official Video)". YouTube . Inside Out Music. May 25, 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Hymn 43 by Jethro Tull // Songs // Rock Band". Harmonix Music Systems. Archived from the original on 18 July 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
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