"Goddamn, that DJ made my day!"

This past Saturday I woke up to a random selection from my iTunes playlist: “Stool Pigeon” by 70’s funk maestro, Kid Creole. As I eased out of bed and Harlem Shuffled it all the way to the bathroom, I thought to myself: “great, great lyricist, that Kid Creole.” One thing I really enjoy about old school funk and hip-hop music is the storytelling nature of the lyrics. It’s so overtly cheesy, and so clearly from a bygone era of urban slang, that you can’t help but love it. They’re like cautionary tales gift-wrapped in impossibly funkilicious beats and slap-bass grooves, topped up with a bright red ribbon of bombastic horns and sax.

It makes me wonder if the parables of the Bible were presented to the masses (pardon the pun) in the same way - and I guess they are if you belong to a Southern Baptist congregation - how much more impressionable would we be to the word of God? It also makes me wonder how rad it would have been if the choir at my synagogue, which my dad insists is the greatest singing collective to ever walk the planet, were conducted by Curtis Mayfield (“Good Yontif, My Brothas! Look at all Y’all mensches lookin so beautiful this mornin!”). I’d probably go to synagogue more than the 3 times a year I do now. I ask you, can a proliferation of funk in the world’s houses of worship lead to a renewed sense of collective piety? In the meantime, below you will find my 5 all-time favourite soulful, funkified nursery rhymes:

Stool Pigeon – Kid Creole

I Can’t Write Left-handed – Bill Withers

Papa Was a Rollin Stone – The Temptations

Supafly – Curtis Mayfield

Peter Piper – Run DMC

These are not terribly obscure selections, as I’m no connoisseur with stacks and stacks of random wax, but they’ll get you through the day. Don’t thank me - thank the funk.

FS