This page is provided so that you can hear the tunes of items which we use in church. Mostly they are written by the vicar. Please note that they are copyright - we are very happy to give permission to you to use them, but we would like to hear about it. Please include any use on your Christian Copyright Licence returns.
Down this page:
- the words,
- the story,
- the sheet music,
- media player.
Going Bananas
Going bananas
This song is supposed to go: CHORUS - VERSE - CHORUS. The chorus refers generally to the theme of enthusiasm for God: the verse refers to the bible character for the day, and the different verses are for use on different days with different themes. However, those using it should feel free to make whatever local provision seems best.
CHORUS:
Going bananas, going bananas:
When God gives me a job to do,
I know he'll help me see it through;
and so I know that I'll be
going bananas for him!
Wheeee! Splat!
VERSE ON NOAH:
God told Noah to build a boat:
"When it's raining, you'll need to float.
Lots of creatures!", it sounded daft!
But God showed Noah what to do,
and he has promised to help us too
and Noah was glad he didn't build a raft!
CHORUS:
Going bananas, going bananas:
When God gives me a job to do,
I know he'll help me see it through;
and so I know that I'll be
going bananas for him!
Wheeee! Splat!
VERSES ON OTHER BIBLE CHARACTERS
VERSE ON GIDEON:
Gideon wondered if he was right?
Lots of people, should they all fight?
"God, please show me who it should be?"
So God showed Gideon what to do,
and he has promised to help us too
and Gideon led the men to victory.
VERSE ON ZACCHAEUS:
Short Zacchaeus, he could not see,
climbed up higher into a tree,
Jesus told him he'd come to stay,
and God showed Zaccheaus what to do,
and he has promised to help us too,
and Zacchaeus gladly gave his cash away!
VERSE ON THE WOMAN IN LUKE 7:
When a woman came in to weep,
she kissed Jesus right on his feet:
poured some perfume when they were dried,
for God showed her just what to do
and he has promised to help us too:
and Jesus told her she was clean inside.
Words and tune copyright © John Hartley 2006.
Story behind the song
This song was written for the children's holiday club at St James' Church Bolton (the parish next-door to Eccleshill) where the theme for the week is "Going Bananas". The material explains that some bible characters seem to have been 'going bananas' for God, but these programmes show that loving trusting and following Jesus is in fact the sanest thing that anyone can do. So the basic idea of the song is I'm not afraid to stick my neck out when God asks me to do so, because I know he'll work it out right when I trust him.
The four verses are intended for the four days which focus on four bible characters who did this: Noah (in Genesis), Gideon (in Judges 7:4-7), Zacchaeus, and the un-named woman in Luke 7 who anoints Jesus' feet. Each of them takes a risk for God and God works it out right in each of their lives. It would, of course, be possible to add other verses for other characters.
The "Wheeee!" of the last line of the chorus is intended to be a swooping noise, but I'm afraid I have not been able to work out how to indicate this in the midi-file, and the glissando is only a very rough approximation.
John Hartley
Windows Media Player. When you click the left-hand "play" button your computer should have started to play the tune. If it didn't, you might be able to get the tune by clicking here, or by right-clicking the link, choosing "save target as", saving it onto your computer, and then opening it with a music-playing program.
Please remember that a midi file of a tune isn't supposed to be a state-of-the-art musical arrangement - it is only supposed to give a basic idea of how the tune goes. Any reasonable organist / keyboard player / music group could make it sound far better.