80s Simple Gifts: Lyrics and Music History Explained

Written by Joseph Brackett in 1848, the Shaker hymn “Simple Gifts” experienced an unexpected resurgence during the maximalist 1980s as a counterweight to the decade’s booming consumer culture, neon aesthetics, and electronic production. Its minimalist lyrics celebrating humility and a return to roots found new life through ambient synthesizer adaptations, classical radio airplay of Aaron Copland’s arrangements, and its massive adoption as the melody for Sydney Carter’s Christian hymn “Lord of the Dance.”