You ever realize that a secular song is actually about a bible passage?

Jamdoc · Jun 11, 2025

So.. I feel kinda dumb.
I've heard the song for years and years and years, but because I usually don't pay attention to lyrics in music, much less in heavy metal music because a lot of it is.. well.. bad, or at least perceived to be bad/evil

But I got the inkling that I wanted to listen to Creeping Death by Metallica today.. I don't know why.. I just did. That particular song.

and .. I caught lyrics about Pharaoh and slaves and first born, where I normally just let words gloss over without paying attention and.. realized..
it's a song about the first Passover, told from the Angel of Death's point of view.

almost 30 years of hearing that song and never knew that.

but normally I've been conditioned that Heavy Metal is all Anti-Christian and Satan worship music and whatever so I usually just kinda blank it out. I know a lot of the genre in total, is a little misunderstood.. being that the genre is musically supposed to fit the same niche as horror movies. Occult themes and violence are all over heavy metal music, for the same reason that they're in horror movies. Not because they like those things or worship them, but because those themes are scary. An Iron Maiden song "Number of the Beast" gets a lot of flack like it's a devil worship song but it's about the Omen movies (horror movies about the antichrist) and a nightmare that their lead songwriter had after watching one of the movies. He wasn't worshiping the devil or antichrist, he was scared of them.
Though that said a lot of secular musicians in general are anti-Christianity mostly out of ignorance of what Christianity is, because they've been presented it as a means of controlling the masses, Christianity to them is a set of rules that if you don't follow you go to hell forever and God is always angry and petty.

We all know that's not the truth of it, but they basically don't.

But it is interesting when secular music makes biblical reference. In this case I just didn't realize it for decades.

public hermit · Jun 11, 2025

I can remember the first time I heard Black Sabbath's "After Forever," and this was back when televangelists were giving Ozzy a hard time (Swaggart?), and I thought, "This is the opposite of glorifying the devil." That kind of dishonesty (or ignorance, perhaps) made it easy to question "authorities" as a youth.

Reluctant Theologian · Jun 12, 2025

Jamdoc said:
So.. I feel kinda dumb.
I've heard the song for years and years and years, but because I usually don't pay attention to lyrics in music, much less in heavy metal music because a lot of it is.. well.. bad, or at least perceived to be bad/evil

But I got the inkling that I wanted to listen to Creeping Death by Metallica today.. I don't know why.. I just did. That particular song.

and .. I caught lyrics about Pharaoh and slaves and first born, where I normally just let words gloss over without paying attention and.. realized..
it's a song about the first Passover, told from the Angel of Death's point of view.

almost 30 years of hearing that song and never knew that.

but normally I've been conditioned that Heavy Metal is all Anti-Christian and Satan worship music and whatever so I usually just kinda blank it out. I know a lot of the genre in total, is a little misunderstood.. being that the genre is musically supposed to fit the same niche as horror movies. Occult themes and violence are all over heavy metal music, for the same reason that they're in horror movies. Not because they like those things or worship them, but because those themes are scary. An Iron Maiden song "Number of the Beast" gets a lot of flack like it's a devil worship song but it's about the Omen movies (horror movies about the antichrist) and a nightmare that their lead songwriter had after watching one of the movies. He wasn't worshiping the devil or antichrist, he was scared of them.
Though that said a lot of secular musicians in general are anti-Christianity mostly out of ignorance of what Christianity is, because they've been presented it as a means of controlling the masses, Christianity to them is a set of rules that if you don't follow you go to hell forever and God is always angry and petty.

We all know that's not the truth of it, but they basically don't.

But it is interesting when secular music makes biblical reference. In this case I just didn't realize it for decades.

Sometimes in unexpected areas - secular very good song, but several hints of Biblical truths:

Jamdoc · Jun 12, 2025

public hermit said:
I can remember the first time I heard Black Sabbath's "After Forever," and this was back when televangelists were giving Ozzy a hard time (Swaggart?), and I thought, "This is the opposite of glorifying the devil." That kind of dishonesty (or ignorance, perhaps) made it easy to question "authorities" as a youth.

Yeah After Forever is a pretty good example too, I think it was one of the band members was a born again Christian and wrote that and it was as a means of combatting the idea that the band were Satan worshipers, the reality is, the band saw a bunch of people lining up to see an old Horror movie anthology called "Black Sabbath". They got their name from that and the idea that if people will pay to see "scary movies" maybe they'd pay to hear "scary music" so they looked at the themes of horror movies.. started writing songs about the same themes. Because occult themes and Satan are scary.

The exception being Black Metal which at least claims to be actually theistic Satanists and burned churches and murdered people.. that subgenre I've always avoided. Even if they aren't truly believers in these things, the way they write songs isn't "Satan and devils are scary, be scared of our scary music" but they actually glorify those things in direct opposition to Christianity. They may be atheists but they have an Anti-Christian FOCUS. Where a lot of other secular rock bands are often times just atheists and they might make a song or two opposing what they think of as Christianity (particularly if they've had experience with particularly judgmental religious neighbors), it's generally not their focus. Metallica does have some songs that are of dubious themes like "the god who failed" "leper messiah" and so on. This particular song was more .. they had heard the story of the plagues of Egypt and even from a non religious person standpoint.. it's kind of a cool historical tale and having an Angel of Death creeping around killing all the first born children pretty much sounds like a "cool character" and theme for a heavy metal song, regardless of how they feel about the religion, it makes for good subject matter.

There's also times in secular Rock music where I think like, the writer was inspired by the Spirit calling to them, like they weren't Christian when they wrote the song but later became Christian. Kansas' "Carry on my Wayward Son" is an example. Like I feel like that song, which was kind of written during what was writer's block for their songwriter, seems divinely inspired. Not long after the song was written, he became a born again Christian. But at the time he was seeking and I think God was calling to him.

Grafted In · Jun 13, 2025

Dylan's songs often refer to Scriptural matters.
Desolation Row on his 1965 album. Hyway 61 Revisited is a good example of that.
A decade or so later, our Father revealed His Son to him and he became a Jewish born again Christian.

Jamdoc · Jun 13, 2025

Grafted In said:
Dylan's songs often refer to Scriptural matters.
Desolation Row on his 1965 album. Hyway 61 Revisited is a good example of that.
A decade or so later, our Father revealed His Son to him and he became a Jewish born again Christian.

That is always awesome to hear when you can examine someone's life and just watch God call to a lost sheep and they eventually get found.

Lukaris · Jul 8, 2025

Bob Dylan recorded a couple of Christian oriented albums when he became a believer. He had a hit with the song: Serve Somebody from his 1979 album: Slow Train Coming.

Fervent · Jul 8, 2025

While not directly related to a Bible passage, a song that I for a long time heard echoes of my struggles with Christianity in is God Am by Alice In Chains. The title of which is a reference to Exodus 3:14. Though definitely not a pro-Christian song, and crosses the line to blasphemous in a number of ways.

Lukaris · Jul 8, 2025

I remember reading a comment on YouTube for the Beatles song: The Word. The person was wondering if John Lennon might have been beginning to lean towards Christianity. There is definitely some Christian influence within the song itself. This was also around the time when Lennon said something about the Beatles being more popular than Jesus. Lennon definitely made a bad statement but it seems like it got blown way out of proportion in that he was talking more about fads like the Beatles vs a decline of faith in society itself.

I often wonder if instead of burning Beatles albums, someone should have maybe said to John it seems like you & the boys might have been thinking about the Lord in your song. Take another read on the Gospel of John & hope it sinks in because it seems like you were fairly close.

Google Search

The Word
Song by The Beatles ‧ 1965

Overview
Lyrics
Other recordings

Say the word and you'll be free
Say the word and be like me
Say the word I'm thinking of
Have you heard the word is love?
It's so fine, it's sunshine
It's the word, love
In the beginning I misunderstood
But now I've got it, the word is good
Spread the word and you'll be free
Spread the word and be like me
Spread the word I'm thinking of
Have you heard the word is love?
It's so fine, it's sunshine
It's the word, love
Everywhere I go I hear it said
In the good and bad books that I have read
Say the word and you'll be free
Say the word and be like me
Say the word I'm thinking of
Have you heard the word is love?
It's so fine, it's sunshine
It's the word, love
Now that I know what I feel must be right
I'm here to show everybody the light
Give the word a chance to say
That the word is just the way
It's the word I'm thinking of
And the only word is love
It's so fine, it's sunshine
It's the word, love
Say the word, love
Say the word, love
Say the word, love
Say the word, love
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Paul Mccartney / John Lennon

Jamdoc · Jul 8, 2025

Fervent said:
While not directly related to a Bible passage, a song that I for a long time heard echoes of my struggles with Christianity in is God Am by Alice In Chains. The title of which is a reference to Exodus 3:14. Though definitely not a pro-Christian song, and crosses the line to blasphemous in a number of ways.

Yeah.. AIC.... I like their sound but their subject matter is very often tragic, very lost, and very directly Anti-Christian, the song "Get Born Again" in particular...
A lot of times artists reject Christianity because they misunderstand it-they see Christianity as an always angry God "follow these rules or else". They don't hear a message of grace and forgiveness, they hear a message of conviction. While the conviction is important, if it's not followed up with the gospel, a message of forgiveness and grace, it's an ineffective message... and we're all guilty of not delivering "the good news" adequately, at times we all focus on the judgement and conviction of sin... without the good news.
However in that song's lyrics and themes, it's very clear that they HAD at least heard some presentation of the Gospel that included forgiveness and grace.. but they still rejected it.

Clear all your sins
Get born again
Just repeat a couple lies

So from that they at least understand that salvation involves forgiveness of sin, however it seems like they were not told how that really happens, it seems like they're attacking the "sinner's prayer", which in a way is valid, reciting a sinner's prayer does not get one saved.. especially if you think of it as lies.

also the lyrics

Can you protect
Me when I'm wrecked
I'll pretend you're still alive

so they mentally are aware of the Resurrection, but don't believe it, and there's an anger towards God, that God doesn't protect him. It was Layne Staley that wrote the lyrics. Layne was.. in a really bad way, addicted to heroin (and it would kill him in a few years after the song was recorded) and even at the time it was recorded, he weighed 80 pounds, and was sickly pale, he was just slowly dying. It's painful to think about, very talented vocalist, but self destructive and defiantly Christ rejecting.

There are a few profitable takeaways though:

When you present the gospel, especially when you are laying into conviction to cause them to want a way out and that way out is Jesus.... you can't play it like you're holier than thou, people reject when they see hypocrisy. They ESPECIALLY reject when they see hypocrisy. If you're claiming the name of Jesus and you are known to be an alcoholic.. you're not being a good advocate for Jesus, it makes for stumbling blocks. This is btw, the true meaning of "thou shalt not bear the Lord's name in vain" People think it's using profanity, and while that also counts, the real "bearing the Lord's name in vain" is to be known by other people as being a Christian, or worshiping the God of Abraham... but you're still doing things that the people you're witnessing to consider wrong.
Even if God does not have a list of "curse words" in English that He has forbidden, other people do, and if you use them and claim the name of Jesus.. you make Jesus look bad to them, they reject Jesus because of your hypocrisy in their eyes. It is the HARDEST commandment to follow because it has a subjective nature. How does one never make God look bad to an unbeliever?
So we always need grace, because we're violating that command probably daily as we talk to other people who know us as a Christian.

Me? Guilty. People know me as a Christian.. but they also know I like rock and heavy metal music. They know I like video games. They know I sometimes like horror movies. So the only way I can present the Gospel to other people is as a fellow sinner.

Fervent · Jul 8, 2025

Jamdoc said:
Yeah.. AIC.... I like their sound but their subject matter is very often tragic, very lost, and very directly Anti-Christian, the song "Get Born Again" in particular...
A lot of times artists reject Christianity because they misunderstand it-they see Christianity as an always angry God "follow these rules or else". They don't hear a message of grace and forgiveness, they hear a message of conviction. While the conviction is important, if it's not followed up with the gospel, a message of forgiveness and grace, it's an ineffective message... and we're all guilty of not delivering "the good news" adequately, at times we all focus on the judgement and conviction of sin... without the good news.
However in that song's lyrics and themes, it's very clear that they HAD at least heard some presentation of the Gospel that included forgiveness and grace.. but they still rejected it.

So from that they at least understand that salvation involves forgiveness of sin, however it seems like they were not told how that really happens, it seems like they're attacking the "sinner's prayer", which in a way is valid, reciting a sinner's prayer does not get one saved.. especially if you think of it as lies.

also the lyrics

so they mentally are aware of the Resurrection, but don't believe it, and there's an anger towards God, that God doesn't protect him. It was Layne Staley that wrote the lyrics. Layne was.. in a really bad way, addicted to heroin (and it would kill him in a few years after the song was recorded) and even at the time it was recorded, he weighed 80 pounds, and was sickly pale, he was just slowly dying. It's painful to think about, very talented vocalist, but self destructive and defiantly Christ rejecting.

There are a few profitable takeaways though:

When you present the gospel, especially when you are laying into conviction to cause them to want a way out and that way out is Jesus.... you can't play it like you're holier than thou, people reject when they see hypocrisy. They ESPECIALLY reject when they see hypocrisy. If you're claiming the name of Jesus and you are known to be an alcoholic.. you're not being a good advocate for Jesus, it makes for stumbling blocks. This is btw, the true meaning of "thou shalt not bear the Lord's name in vain" People think it's using profanity, and while that also counts, the real "bearing the Lord's name in vain" is to be known by other people as being a Christian, or worshiping the God of Abraham... but you're still doing things that the people you're witnessing to consider wrong.
Even if God does not have a list of "curse words" in English that He has forbidden, other people do, and if you use them and claim the name of Jesus.. you make Jesus look bad to them, they reject Jesus because of your hypocrisy in their eyes. It is the HARDEST commandment to follow because it has a subjective nature. How does one never make God look bad to an unbeliever?
So we always need grace, because we're violating that command probably daily as we talk to other people who know us as a Christian.

Me? Guilty. People know me as a Christian.. but they also know I like rock and heavy metal music. They know I like video games. They know I sometimes like horror movies. So the only way I can present the Gospel to other people is as a fellow sinner.

God Am has a little more depth, though still has anti-Christian elements...which is partly because there was a split between Jerry Cantrell and Layne Staley when it came to Christianity. Layne repeatedly attempted to engage with Christianity, and blamed himself for failing to be a stand up Christian while Jerry blamed Christianity and had a lot of hostility towards it. Since Jerry wrote most of the songs lyrics, or at least did the final edit, the hostility comes through more clearly than the longing and depression when repeatedly falling short that Layne expressed.

Jamdoc · Jul 9, 2025

Fervent said:
God Am has a little more depth, though still has anti-Christian elements...which is partly because there was a split between Jerry Cantrell and Layne Staley when it came to Christianity. Layne repeatedly attempted to engage with Christianity, and blamed himself for failing to be a stand up Christian while Jerry blamed Christianity and had a lot of hostility towards it. Since Jerry wrote most of the songs lyrics, or at least did the final edit, the hostility comes through more clearly than the longing and depression when repeatedly falling short that Layne expressed.

"Get Born Again"'s lyrics were written by Layne, specifically. It, and Died are the last 2 songs Layne wrote for them.
So I guess in the end he gave up..
It's very sad. Though I can understand his struggles, like too often when trying to walk with Christ we think we have to be perfect, and we take our failings as a loss of assurance in Christ, and at times get angry with God thinking He must be rejecting us because we're unable to stop sinning. We put it on ourselves and not on Christ. We constantly have to remember in our failures that our salvation is not because of our attempts at obedience, but because Jesus obeyed and died in our place for our disobedience.

To be honest.. one of the reasons I myself dislike singing hymns, is because I connect singing to pain, Vocalists like Layne are one of the reasons why. Because Layne, Kurt, and many other vocalists I know use singing as an expression of their pain, their struggles, their failures, I can understand belting out powerful vocals as a coping mechanism for pain and angst, singing for joy? Seems foreign.
So what made Layne a very good vocalist was his raw pained expression and power, it gave it authenticity, real emotion.

Do I hope in the end he put away his yoke and put on Christ's? Yeah, absolutely.
But I don't have much confidence that he did.

Fervent · Jul 9, 2025

Jamdoc said:
"Get Born Again"'s lyrics were written by Layne, specifically. It, and Died are the last 2 songs Layne wrote for them.
So I guess in the end he gave up..
It's very sad. Though I can understand his struggles, like too often when trying to walk with Christ we think we have to be perfect, and we take our failings as a loss of assurance in Christ, and at times get angry with God thinking He must be rejecting us because we're unable to stop sinning. We put it on ourselves and not on Christ. We constantly have to remember in our failures that our salvation is not because of our attempts at obedience, but because Jesus obeyed and died in our place for our disobedience.

I didn't realize that...sad. What really complicated the matter is his addiction, because that's apparently what kept him coming back to the church. So when he wasn't magically cured, he lashed out. Though it's hard to blame him, because we set ourselves up for failure too often by taking things we think are promises that aren't promises.

Jamdoc said:
To be honest.. one of the reasons I myself dislike singing hymns, is because I connect singing to pain, Vocalists like Layne are one of the reasons why. Because Layne, Kurt, and many other vocalists I know use singing as an expression of their pain, their struggles, their failures, I can understand belting out powerful vocals as a coping mechanism for pain and angst, singing for joy? Seems foreign.
So what made Layne a very good vocalist was his raw pained expression and power, it gave it authenticity, real emotion.

That makes a lot of sense for me. Though not so much pain and angst, as anger. I cut my chops on bands like Fear Factory, Korn, Slipknot, and Sepultura...so a lot of angry growling.

Jamdoc said:
Do I hope in the end he put away his yoke and put on Christ's? Yeah, absolutely.
But I don't have much confidence that he did.

Yeah...not much cause for confidence, given the way he went. The addiction got the better of him.

Grafted In · Jul 9, 2025

As for songs I've mentioned before, Hyway 61 has, what is clear to me on the song Desolation Row, "Across the Street They've nailed the curtain...: is about Jews in hiding keeping Passover.
And, last verse appears to me to point at the horribly sad event of The Voyage of the Damned.

And again, my opinion, points back at the first verse, an account of the linching of 3 black circus workers, falsely accused of raping a white girl.
Just a couple of blocks from where Bob's dad was growing up.
An estimated 10,000 Duluth citizens took part.

Jamdoc · Jul 10, 2025

Fervent said:
I didn't realize that...sad. What really complicated the matter is his addiction, because that's apparently what kept him coming back to the church. So when he wasn't magically cured, he lashed out. Though it's hard to blame him, because we set ourselves up for failure too often by taking things we think are promises that aren't promises.

That makes a lot of sense for me. Though not so much pain and angst, as anger. I cut my chops on bands like Fear Factory, Korn, Slipknot, and Sepultura...so a lot of angry growling.

Yeah...not much cause for confidence, given the way he went. The addiction got the better of him.

While Layne went to church growing up, his family was Christian Science which is.... fringe almost cult. I think James Hetfield's mom was also involved in that. They refuse medicine believing that God will miraculously heal all their illnesses. Hetfield's mom refused cancer treatment and died, it's what inspired the song "the God who failed"

Dave Mustaine was raised Jehovah's Witness, and that led him astray until the early 2000's, after a hand nerve injury made it so he was likely to never play guitar again, but He did find Jesus and got saved and .. made a full recovery. so sometimes the miraculous does happen. But when it doesn't it can cause people to lash out at God. it's a tough thing, why God will miraculously heal some but not others. I struggle with that too,, I have multiple sclerosis, and .. well. it goes in and out of remission but no permanent cure.

You ever realize that a secular song is actually about a bible passage?

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