How is Chandler's reference to Hymn 253: "His Eyes are on the Sparrow" funny?
Ross and Rachel just broke up. Rachel invites guys to a free event she has tickets to. They reject the invitation, because Ross had them reserved for that same night earlier. Rachel says that it's not a big deal and leaves. Everyone is upset especially Chandler. He lights up a cigarette even though he wasn't smoking for a year already. Someone knocks on a door and Chandler says:
Chandler: That's great. With my luck, that's him.
Phoebe: Him? Ross?
Chandler: No, Hymn 253: "His Eyes are on the Sparrow."
What is that with this hymn?
Thank you for all your comments below! You guys were a true help. Let me sum all the ideas about this sparrow joke meaning up and maybe add an extra bit I found out just recently for myself.
Let's start from the top. The scene that plays out above is pretty intense. By this time into the show the pack of six friends feels like a true family to themselves, to the audience and to us, the screen-watchers. And when Ross and Rachel break up it is painful not just in the moment, but in the episodes and episodes to follow.
So when Chandler on behalf of the group refuses Rachel's invitation to some fashion show because Ross has engaged them first, it is assumed that others do listen to that conversation extra closely. Rachel leaves closing the door behind herself and a few moments later somebody knocks again. Chandler, who is by now having all the memories of his own parents breaking up rushing in, can't refer with his "With my luck it is him" to anyone, but Ross.
But we all know how unconventional Phoebe's way of perceiving information and the world in general is. Phoebe has lived through so many crazy, irrational and insane experiences, so she's better make sure "Him? Ross?"
For Chandler who is now simply overwhelmed, Phoebe's questions are just too much. So he blows up at her "No, Hymn 253: "His Eyes are on the Sparrow."
The words hymn and him do sound very similar. But Chandler's reference to hymn here is so far from the context of what is going on in boys apartment right now, that it makes a perfect joke. In other words Chandler shouts at Phoebe "where were your minds? why can't you follow the conversation this important?!"
As you guys who commented here and the rest of the Internet agrees, Chandler doesn't really refer to anything specific in that "His Eyes are on the Sparrow" hymn. Even the real number of the hymn Chandler mentions is not 253, but 2146. By saying a random number Chandler only mimics the way hymns are called out in a Gospel Church during the services, so everyone in attendance could quickly find them in a book and join the singing.
It is time to share the promised extra bit of meaning that I found. I am a strong believer of symbolics. So I dug into the lyrics of the hymn "The Eyes are on a Sparrow". Look at that:
Why should I feel discouragedWhy should the shadows comeWhy should my heart feel lonelyAnd long for heaven and home
When Jesus is my portionA constant friend is HeHis eye is on the sparrowAnd I know He watches over meHis eye is on the sparrowAnd I know He watches me
Isn't that funny how fitting those words of encouragement for Chandler, who is the middle of despair, are? This hymn seems to be consoling Chandler, telling him that he is going to be okey, even if his adapted parents Ross and Rachel have also broken up.
Also do you guys remember another Chandler's joke from s01e02 about Dinah?
The curious thing is that both songs Chandler refers to, "The Eyes are on a Sparrow" and "Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah", got popularized by a signer Ethel Waters. The first one "The Eyes are on a Sparrow" even became a name for Ethel Waters' autobiography. And talking about personal stories, just like Chandler Ethel Waters has had a tumultuous start in life. Probably it is part of the reason Chandler is so familiar with Ethel Waters art, that he can refer to her even when feeling utterly distressed.
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What I do know it is that this hymn is a popular Gospel Song. And it was written in 1905. I doesn't help in me getting the joke any better. Matbe it is just a simple similarity of words "him" and "hymn" Chandler is playing with?
ReplyDeleteyes it is the similarity, see the next sentence he says may explain why he had to do that even though it may sound meaningless ..
DeleteChandler: Nope, hymn 253, His Eyes Are On The Sparrow! When my parents got divorced is when I started using humor as a defense mechanism.
So since the whole explanation is in similarity of the words, would you say that the Hymn 253 is something every American knows? Even the ones who have never been to a "gospel church"?
DeleteThe number is supposed to be the number of the hymn in the church.
Deletecheck this out: https://www.lds.org/music/index/hymns/number?lang=eng#d
Although the number he gave is not correct, but that's not the point anyway.
So all of the hymns have a number. And people acustomed to say both the number and a name of a hymn, so it would be easier to find them quickly for a sing along in a special gospel book.
DeleteI think he just tossed out a random number and a name of a hymn that HE knew regardless of whether anyone else did.
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Yes, it's the similarity of the words that's the joke. Chandler could just as easily have said "Hymn 471, Love Lifted Me" and the joke would be the same.
ReplyDeleteThank's Marko! Here is one for not overthinking jokes)
DeleteAll day with this line from chandler in my head... Great joke, though ahahah
ReplyDeleteIt's unfortunate the subtitles say him not hymn.
ReplyDeleteHaha they do i noticed this
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt's hymn number 253 (plus the name of the hymn) in a popular hymnal in the north east United States. (A hymnal is a book of hymns.)
ReplyDeleteThis reference is like all references and allusions: it's not meant for everyone who hears it. It's only meant for those who know what it means. If you know the meaning, then the joke is significant to you and has the richness of recognition behind it. If you don't know the meaning, then the joke means nothing to you, but in this instance, with this type of reference, it doesn't ruin your enjoyment of the episode.
(I deleted my original comment. There was an obvious mistake in punctuation.)
I'm an American, English my first language. I'm also a huge reader and FRIENDS superfan. This line is simply NOT funny, it isn't a reference almost anyone would know in the US. And that makes a terrible line/joke. It's not anything to think too hard on, the joke was just a hard to understand bad joke. I'm a writer too btw. FRIENDS often makes references that are from too long ago also. That's because the creators are older (my guess), and i consider it a huge flaw in the show. but they waste a lot of joke opportunities by referencing older things that the characters (and the main viewing audience) wouldn't have likely said or even known about. It's a real waste of joke opportunities. This one is a good example.
ReplyDeleteThe joke here isn't really about the specific hymn. The joke is making fun of Phoebe for asking the question. Of course "him" means Ross in this context. Chandler is basically proposing the most ridiculous and incorrect interpretation of "him" as if to say "is this how lost you are Phoebe? That you'd believe that "him" could mean almost anything?"
ReplyDelete