Hymn 43
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| "Hymn 43" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cover of the Japanese 7-inch single | ||||
| Single by Jethro Tull | ||||
| from the album Aqualung | ||||
| B-side | "Mother Goose" | |||
| Released | June 1971 [1] | |||
| Recorded | December 1970 – February 1971 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock, progressive rock | |||
| Length | 3:14 | |||
| Label | Reprise | |||
| Songwriter | Ian Anderson | |||
| Producers | Ian Anderson, Terry Ellis | |||
| Jethro Tull singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"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]
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
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | RPM100 Singles (Canada)[7] | 86 |
| Billboard Hot 100 (USA)[2] | 91 |
Personnel
- Jethro Tull
- Ian Anderson – vocals, flute
- Clive Bunker – drums and percussion
- Martin Barre – electric guitar
- Jeffrey Hammond - bass guitar
- John Evan – piano, organ, mellotron
