As long as something isn't directly opposed to the gospel I would say it's worth consideration.
I could go through example after example. Not just songs I've heard but hearing others sing them. Even people that I consider to be pretty consistent followers of Christ. If I point it out they are usually like "oh, I see
" #songruined. But I typically don't because my first thought it to assume they know what they are doing. Second that maybe they have a natural protective barrier and since they don't know
Borrowed from
https://www.christianforums.com/
It is undeniable that secular music had an important influence on hymn music. The entire genre of classical music (including opera & classical hymns) would not exist without the contribution of secular music. The old gospel hymns of the 19th Century and early 20th Century, owes much to the popular parlor ballad style of the day, often drawing on other influences such as marches, waltzes, and operetta. Even ragtime rhythms found their way into some old gospel hymn compositions, such as the 1914 hymn "Since Jesus Came Into My Heart".
Many hymn tunes have been borrowed from secular songs. This has been especially true of Salvation Army hymns and folk hymns. Some of the old gospel hymns and Sunday school songs also borrow secular tunes. It is also true that the hymn text "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling"" by Charles Wesley, was partially based on the lyrics of a secular operatic air "Fairest Isle" by John Dryden. (The Dryden song makes a reference to the pagan love goddess Venus).
However, very few of the secular melodies used are actually drinking tunes or "bar room songs". The only two examples I'm aware of were taken from music hall and changed into Salvation Army hymns. This includes the tune of
"Champagne Charlie" which became Captain William Baugh's
"Bless His Name, He Set Me Free" and
"Here's To Good Old Whiskey" which was transformed into
"Storm The Forts Of Darkness" (nor sure of the author). These two examples are apparently the exception to the rule. Most of the secular tunes used had nothing to do with drinking, and many of them had clean wholesome lyrics in the first place.
There is also a very large group of hymn tunes that were original and not borrowed from any previous source (however influenced in style by the secular). This is true for example, for most Fanny Crosby hymns. Additionally you have many hymns from British writers like Isaac Watts, that were written with no music at all. They simply composed the lyric of the hymn, and allowed others to chose their own melody that would fit the lyric. A lot of the text for these hymns were written in so called "ballad meter", which easily fit the melodies of secular ballads and other available songs