"Hymn" is a song written by James Taylor that was originally released on his 1973 album One Man Dog It was subsequently released as the B-side of the single "One Man Parade" and later released as the A-side of a single backed by Taylor's song "Fanfare". The single did not chart.
Background
Both "Hymn" and "Fanfare" were part of a suite of short songs on side 2 of the album.[1][2][3] Both songs were recorded at A&R Studios in New York.[2]
Musicologist James Perone finds the song to be "interesting," particularly with its relationship to Taylor's life and certain Beatles influences.[4] Perone describes three distinct sections as having three different themes, all related to people trying to influence him: first religious zealots, second stoned-out drug users, and finally the love of a woman which really frees his soul.[4] Perone points out that the love of a woman likely references Simon, who he had recently married.[4] Perone finds Beatles influence in that it has thematic similarities to John Lennon's recent solo song "God."[4] According to Perone, both "God" and "Hymn" "[reference] the style of gospel music."[4] Donald Langis of L'Evangeline regarded the song as being semi-religious with lines such as "Let the winter wind blow/Where will we hide when it comes from inside?"[5]
About his affinity for hymns, Taylor has said:
Hymns and carols, they are just basically a foundational education, they are what a whole lot of Western music is based on. I grew up in a very non-religious household, and it wasn't till I went away to school and got exposed to this stuff that I learned all of these hymns. They were an education to me: the harmonies, the chord structures, the way they progressed it. It's basically Western Music 101. I learned to play them on the guitar out of boredom, but they basically gave me a foundation for music.[6]
Taylor later wrote a song "New Hymn" in collaboration with Reynolds Price, which Newsday critic Jim Feldman described as "a hushed plea for social commitment."[7]
Reception
Billboard described "Hymn" as "folksy-gospel arrangement in the best Taylor traditional, featuring strong piano with the singers voice taking the spotlight."[8]Cash Box called it a "pop oriented single certain to gain immediate top 40 acceptance across the country."[9]Record World said that "'Mr. Mellow' gets a boost from a horn section that should help disc get across-the-board attention."[10]Rolling Stone critic Jon Landau rated "Hymn" as the best song on One Man Dog, calling attention to the line "As a man and a woman stand alone in the light/Give us reason to be, like the sun on the sea."[1]Berwyn Life critic Steve Sparacio described the song as "lyrical."[3]Calgary Herald critic Jim Rennie said that although many of the songs on One Man Dog are "bits and pieces", "Hymn" is a "substantial enough composition" that has "the same soft, fluid, country flavor that almost all of Taylor's songs contain."[11]
Despite the critical praise, the single failed to chart.[2]
