Secular Music That Mentions God

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"Jesus: Bigger Than the Beatles" or "Pop Go Songs of Faith" 1963-2016

Jesus: Bigger than the Beatles 5.0 - YouTube

Thought you might be interested in my eclectic YouTube playlist of songs of faith, written and/or recorded by artists who appeal primarily to secular audiences. These songs comprise the spiritual soundtrack of my own faith journey during the past half century or so, and my choices undoubtedly betray my age (61) as well as my musical tastes.

The culture and social consciousness of my generation--the tail end of the Baby Boom, was profoundedly influenced by popular songs of faith. In my youth, Jesus was cool: I just assumed at the time that would always be the case.

But times and attitudes were a-changin. For example, socially influential Beatle John Lennon would morph, from the activist who implored people of faith and goodwill to "give peace a chance," into a "dreamer" who wished us to "imagine" a world with "no religion."

Thus, when his hero, Bob Dylan, embraced Christianity and declared his faith on his 1979 album "Slow Train Running," Lennon was horrified, and indignant. How could Dylan be so "stupid" as to declare each of us has a choice to "serve somebody ... whether that be the Devil or the Lord." Lennon's response: "Serve Yourself!"

Dylan's song won a Grammy and would be widely covered by other artists (including the great Etta James on this playlist). Lennon's record stiffed, but his admonition to "Serve Yourself" would become THE pop culture ethos of 80s, and beyond.

Dylan's "Slow Train Running" was, in retrospect, something of a high-water mark for faith-based popular music. During the '80s, pop radio stations ceased to add any "religious" songs to their playlists. Likewise, insular "Contemporary Christian Radio" programmers would only play songs from thoroughly vetted artists on approved "Christian" recording labels. Obviously faith-based songs by otherwise "worldly" pop artists were thus scorned by all radio formats.

That's a shame, because some of the most compelling songs of faith have been those written and recorded by prodigal sons and daughters from the rock and pop world. Folks who had once blindly embraced Lennon's ethic, and found their way back home, to the Truth.
 
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RDKirk

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Excerpt from Dylan's "Slow Train"

Sometimes I feel so low-down and disgusted
Can't help but wonder what's happenin' to my companions
Are they lost or are they found?
Have they counted the cost it'll take to bring down
All their earthly principles they're gonna have to abandon?
There's a slow, slow train comin' up around the bend
....

All that foreign oil controlling American soil
Look around you, it's just bound to make you embarrassed
Sheiks walkin' around like kings, wearing fancy jewels and nose rings
Deciding America's future from Amsterdam and to Paris
And there's a slow, slow train comin' up around the bend


"slow train running" - Google Search
 
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Excerpt from Dylan's "Slow Train"

Sometimes I feel so low-down and disgusted
Can't help but wonder what's happenin' to my companions
Are they lost or are they found?
Have they counted the cost it'll take to bring down
All their earthly principles they're gonna have to abandon?
There's a slow, slow train comin' up around the bend
....

All that foreign oil controlling American soil
Look around you, it's just bound to make you embarrassed
Sheiks walkin' around like kings, wearing fancy jewels and nose rings
Deciding America's future from Amsterdam and to Paris
And there's a slow, slow train comin' up around the bend


"slow train running" - Google Search

I challenged myself to choose one song per artist, which in Dylan's case was exceedingly tough. "Serve Somebody" was the big hit, though, and it fit with my premise. But the title track to "Slow Train Running" is awesome, as well.

It was frustrating to find that most of Dylan's catalog was deleted from YouTube, for some reason, right after it was announced he was being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. But I really like Etta James's take on the song, as well.

I'll confess that it was just impossible for me to pick just one song by Glenn Hughes: The story of his desent into drug-addled madness, and his faith-based recovery, is just too compelling. The fact that he and Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath collaborated on an album replete with songs about that journey speaks volumes.
 
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Here is one that is sure to upset lots of people.

If one believes, as I do, that trafficking in illicit narcotics is an evil enterprise that preys on the least and lost, then it's not extreme to declare that "the pusher" who gets unfortunate souls hooked on heroin, et. al., is hell-bound. God has already pronounced His righteous sentence for such sinful behavior. Absent repentence, the drug dealer has condemned his soul to eternal damnation.

But it is always possible that a drug dealer may choose to clean up his act, repent of his/her evil ways, acknowlege that Christ died for his/her sins and was resurrected to life eternal to provide the pathway to salvation. But then he/she will still have the lost souls of his victims on his conscience.
 
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If one believes, as I do, that trafficking in illicit narcotics is an evil enterprise that preys on the least and lost, then it's not extreme to declare that "the pusher" who gets unfortunate souls hooked on heroin, et. al., is hell-bound. God has already pronounced His righteous sentence for such sinful behavior. Absent repentence, the drug dealer has condemned his soul to eternal damnation.

But it is always possible that a drug dealer may choose to clean up his act, repent of his/her evil ways, acknowlege that Christ died for his/her sins and was resurrected to life eternal to provide the pathway to salvation. But then he/she will still have the lost souls of his victims on his conscience.

Tragically, quite a few of the musicians included on my playlist, avowed Christians all, were nevertheless unable to resist the siren song of the pusherman:

Jimi Hendrix (died)
James Taylor (survivor)
Glenn Hughes (survivor)
Derek Frigo/Enuff Z'Nuff (died)
Eddy Shaver/Shaver (died)
Whitney Houston (died)
 
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Or this one from the 60s...
Great song, for which props must b paid to songwriter Hamilton Camp. I'm more partial to the folky cover recorded by Tony Rice, although Gordon Lightfoot's version is fine, too.

Quicksilver Messenger Service must have been in an awful hurry to get their version down on tape and out the door. Apparently they didn't have time to get those guitars in tune (or they were all too stoned to notice). Of course, they didn't sound much better live, either. In the 60's music scene in San Francisco, it was mostly the thought that counted anyway. :)
 
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Lyrics in part:

Each man's a country in his own right
Oh, everybody needs a friend
One friend, one God, one country
No man need defend, yeah


Good lyrics, but might be mistaken for "What About Love?" by Heart. ;)
 
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Ada Lovelace

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Indeed. And the song that brought my wife and I together.

What was the song? :) I'm getting an error message on the video so it's not revealing the title.
 
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Ada Lovelace

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This isn't a jubilant song about God, so please don't click on it expecting for it to be. It is one that resonates with me because of the songwriter's willingness to have bare honesty about how he feels:
 
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Dave-W

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What was the song? :) I'm getting an error message on the video so it's not revealing the title.
I get the error message also. Apparently that video has been pulled. Oh well.

It was Kris Kristofferson's "Why Me Lord?"

The denomination my wife grew up in (Assy of God) has a "talent contest" for high school students. Winners at various levels get $$ scholarships to A/G colleges.

I was in my freshman year of college and she was a senior in hs. While trying to find a congregation to attend, I was at her congregation several times during the year and some how it got out that I played guitar. Sharon picked Kristofferson's song; and the wife of the youth pastor (who usually played piano behind the vocals) said her song needed a guitar backup - and she "knew JUST the guitarist," - me.
The rest is history.

 
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This is a cover of Kiera Knightley's song "Lost Stars" from 'Begin Again.' Personally, I like Pristin's Minkyung's version better because her voice is just amazing and colorful. The chorus mentions God and it has a very philosophical question as to why youth is wasted on the young. Love it <3
 
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