Blessed Easter
"Blessed Easter" is a 1987 musical single by Holger Czukay, from his album Rome Remains Rome (1987). The song is notable for sampling the voice of Pope John Paul II.{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/holger-czukay-mn0000088122/biography|author=Jason ANkeney|title=Holger Czukay|publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=July 4, 2018}}[https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/der-osten-ist-rotrome-remains-rome Holger Czukay - Der Osten Ist Rot/Rome Remains Rome] Retrieved July 4, 2018.
Lyrics
The song features a musical sample of Pope John Paul II's sermon during the Easter celebrations.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BDkDAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT151|author=Martin Powert|title=David Sylvian: The Last Romantic|publisher=Omnibus Press|year=2012|orig-year=2004|page=151|isbn=978-0-85712-820-1}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ctjc6UWCm4C&pg=PT268|editor=The Rough Guide to Rock|title=The Rough Guide to Rock|publisher=Rough Guides|edition=3rd|year=2003|page=268|isbn=1-85828-457-0}} Parts of the speech are in Latin, English and German. Czukay added a lounge beat and some odd effects.
Czukay happened to watch the broadcast on television and recorded it from his TV set.{{cite news|url=http://www.thefader.com/2014/07/09/holger-czukay-can-interview}|author=Michael Sugarman|title="We Never Felt the Pressure of Making Money." Can Co-Founder Holger Czukay Looks Back on an Extraordinary Career|work=The Fader|date=July 9, 2014|accessdate=July 4, 2018}} He mentioned the pope in the liner notes of his album Rome Remains Rome as Popestar Wojtyla and his swinging nuns.{{cite web|url=http://www.78s.ch/2012/04/05/obskuradio-holger-czukay-blessed-easter/|author=Ralph Hofbauer|title=Obskuradio: Holger Czukay – Blessed Easter|date=April 5, 2012|accessdate=July 4, 2018}}
Music video
The song was released with a music video which features archive footage of Pope John Paul II during public appearances. The video closes with trick footage of the pope kneeling down to pray while Czukay kneels in front of him and takes out the pope's wallet, after which he quietly walks away.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Hymns and songs for Easter}}
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Category:Songs about Pope John Paul II
Category:Cultural depictions of Pope John Paul II
Category:Religious controversies in music
Category:Songs based on speech samples
Category:Sampling controversies