Dear Dr. Christian: Where you were trained by paternalistic surgeons who said you needed to like the Beatles, in one case, or smoke, in the other....I was 'trained' by my teen-age daughter in the '90s, and her tribe, whom I used to drive to school every morning, on the joy and rhythm of Salt n Pepa, a female hip hop group and have had a strange affection for some hip hop and the rhythms of hip hop ever since.
A Christian artist, Dax, brought out "God's Eyes" a while ago, and it has now evolved into a Re-mix with a growing number of artists contributing their own verses.
Dax's chorus is:
I never seen God's eyes, but I seen the devil's
He walks with man on Earth at different levels
He knows the King we serve, so he hates and meddles
And prays that we all burn and turn to rebels
He tried to get my soul, but I'll never settle
I'll walk this lonely road from the 'burbs to ghettos
I'll take the gift bestowed and return the vessel
I am the one they chose, yeah, yeah, yeah...
and then each artist contributes a different verse with Dax' chorus following each one.
They are all really moving, but my favorite by The Mediery :
Let me take a second put myself in Satan shoes
If it was my goal to bring you down
And I knew it was a still small vote I had to overpower
I'd flood your head with the thousand voices a lot louder
Like anxiety, oh that one's pretty loud
How about depression? That one tends to shout
Throw in a little self loathing, little shame and doubt
And now we got ourselves a crowd....
But what knocked me over was the music and lyrics -- so powerful! Perhaps because this music speaks so directly about confronting evil, and I have never felt clearly that I was battling evil but now I do.
I agree with you regarding some of the shallow and repetitive lyrics of current praise music. My older friend used to call it 7/ 11 music. Seven words repeated eleven times. I'm fortunate that a bimonthly rousing hymn sing service is held an hour's drive from my home. For the most recent service we were treated to accompiament by a grand piano, organ and trumpet. Some of hymns were from the 18th century with the theme of thanksgiving.
For the most part I agree. However, I am 64 and my husband 60 and he has always listened to heavy metal. Before anyone quits reading, we have always been faithful church goers. Over time I have listened to many of the words of the songs he listened to. There are some bands that I have come to appreciate their lyrics. Some of those bands are Shinedown (simple man), five finger death lunch (I know, I know!), disturbed’s remake of Sound of Silence, and many others (even Papa Roach,example, We we’re born for greatness). My husband taught alternative high school students. Many of these lyrics speak to someone struggling. I’ve come to appreciate the good in them. Not all are to my taste, but there is some good out there.
Dr. Christian, thanks for sharing this article. So much of the music today is garbage. I never used to like country music as much but I have come to appreciate many artists because of the songs written that touch my heart. A lot of the famed singers get the attention because of the 'display' they put on and therefore listeners aren't necessarily listening to their empty or evil words but watching the 'display' of half-dressed performers.
Dear Dr. Christian: Where you were trained by paternalistic surgeons who said you needed to like the Beatles, in one case, or smoke, in the other....I was 'trained' by my teen-age daughter in the '90s, and her tribe, whom I used to drive to school every morning, on the joy and rhythm of Salt n Pepa, a female hip hop group and have had a strange affection for some hip hop and the rhythms of hip hop ever since.
A Christian artist, Dax, brought out "God's Eyes" a while ago, and it has now evolved into a Re-mix with a growing number of artists contributing their own verses.
Dax's chorus is:
I never seen God's eyes, but I seen the devil's
He walks with man on Earth at different levels
He knows the King we serve, so he hates and meddles
And prays that we all burn and turn to rebels
He tried to get my soul, but I'll never settle
I'll walk this lonely road from the 'burbs to ghettos
I'll take the gift bestowed and return the vessel
I am the one they chose, yeah, yeah, yeah...
and then each artist contributes a different verse with Dax' chorus following each one.
They are all really moving, but my favorite by The Mediery :
Let me take a second put myself in Satan shoes
If it was my goal to bring you down
And I knew it was a still small vote I had to overpower
I'd flood your head with the thousand voices a lot louder
Like anxiety, oh that one's pretty loud
How about depression? That one tends to shout
Throw in a little self loathing, little shame and doubt
And now we got ourselves a crowd....
But what knocked me over was the music and lyrics -- so powerful! Perhaps because this music speaks so directly about confronting evil, and I have never felt clearly that I was battling evil but now I do.
Here is the music video: https://youtu.be/1TyLXShB9DU
~ Ginger
I agree with you regarding some of the shallow and repetitive lyrics of current praise music. My older friend used to call it 7/ 11 music. Seven words repeated eleven times. I'm fortunate that a bimonthly rousing hymn sing service is held an hour's drive from my home. For the most recent service we were treated to accompiament by a grand piano, organ and trumpet. Some of hymns were from the 18th century with the theme of thanksgiving.
For the most part I agree. However, I am 64 and my husband 60 and he has always listened to heavy metal. Before anyone quits reading, we have always been faithful church goers. Over time I have listened to many of the words of the songs he listened to. There are some bands that I have come to appreciate their lyrics. Some of those bands are Shinedown (simple man), five finger death lunch (I know, I know!), disturbed’s remake of Sound of Silence, and many others (even Papa Roach,example, We we’re born for greatness). My husband taught alternative high school students. Many of these lyrics speak to someone struggling. I’ve come to appreciate the good in them. Not all are to my taste, but there is some good out there.
“Just as I Am” is one of my favorite hymns and probably one of the first ones I had memorized as a child.
You speak so very well with heart centered words. Thank you. I hear the echoes of GOD speaking through you.
Dr. Christian, thanks for sharing this article. So much of the music today is garbage. I never used to like country music as much but I have come to appreciate many artists because of the songs written that touch my heart. A lot of the famed singers get the attention because of the 'display' they put on and therefore listeners aren't necessarily listening to their empty or evil words but watching the 'display' of half-dressed performers.