WhiteS2k

I know this group knows everything.

I am trying to find out who wrote the (English) lyrics to the song "Song of Joy" -- the one that goes "Come sing a song of joy for peace shall come my brother...". I know the music is based on Beethoven's Ode to Joy (part of his 9th Symphony), but the German lyrics (based on a peam by Fredrich Schiller) is completely different from the English lyrics that we hear so often.

I've tried internet searches, but all I can find are either the lyrics or performances (notably Miguel Rios). Wikipedia does not help, neither is Ask.com, Google, Yahoo, or others that I've tried. I must not be entering the right search words. I have the complete lyrics, but I just don't know who wrote them. Does anyone know the answer? Thanks.

S1997

Friedrich Schiller, "An die Freude".
...
Freude, sch

Grannyrod

Is there anything you don't know? Or know how to find out about? I was going to do a little brain exercise and search for it somewhere but you're just too quick.

S1997

I had to learn it by heart in school ...

WhiteS2k

[QUOTE=S1997,May 4 2009, 10:10 AM] Friedrich Schiller, "An die Freude".
...
Freude, sch

Zippy

For what class?

canberra

Not sure if it is the same song.... but there was a version of "Song of Joy" done by Captain & Tennile. According to search results, lyrics were written by Billy Preston and Rasputin Boutte.

LINK

(additional)...

While I don't recall the Captain & Tennile song, I know the song done by Julio Iglesias is the Beethoven melody based song. Interestingly enough, the only writing credits on the Iglesias album for the track indicate written by: Beethoven, and arranged by Albert Hammond.

WhiteS2k

Thanks, but that is a different song. The song I'm talking about has the lyrics:

Come sing a song of joy
For peace shall come my brother
Sing, sing a song of joy
For men shall love each other
That day will dawn just as sure
As hearts that are pure are hearts set free
No man must stand alone
With outstretched hands before him
Reach out and take them in yours
With love that endures forevermore
Then sing a song of joy
For love and understanding

Sung to the tune of Beethoven's Ode to Joy (part of his 9th Symphony). By the way, Beethoven's original lyrics (based on Schiller's poem) is translated to English as this:

Joy, beautiful spark of the gods,
Daughter of Elysium,
We enter fire imbibed,
Heavenly, thy sanctuary.

Thy magic reunites those
Whom stern custom has parted;
All men will become brothers
Under thy gentle wing.

May he who has had the fortune
To gain a true friend
And he who has won a noble wife
Join in our jubilation!

Yes, even if he calls but one soul
His own in all the world.
But he who has failed in this
Must steal away alone and in tears.

This is quite different from the "Song of Joy" lyrics, although the underlying theme of joy and peace in brotherly love may be similar.

ajlafleche

Digging around Google, it appears these lyrics were written by Miguel Rios, who may also have gone by the name Waldo De Los Rios. He was a Spanish rock artist ca. 1970 whom Time credits with the lyrics.

Time Jul. 13, 1970

WhiteS2k

Thank you.

The name Miguel Rios came up a lot as the performer of the song, but no where was the lyrics credited to him directly. Even in this little blurb in Time, all it said was "The singer of A Song of Joy is Miguel Rios, ..." It did not actually credit him with writing the lyrics (unless I missed it). But it is a good find. Thanks.