Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Peter White on June 6, 2009 at 11:39am

I find myself shocked at times when I hear religious references that I hadn't noticed previously. I am a big fan of Don McLean but I just noticed a few religious references in his music. At first I was surprised and now I find myself slightly uncomfortable hearing those references. I still love his music and the the poetry of the lyrics.
I may have ignored the religious lines before because my atheism was not quite as militant as it is now. The more I learn about religion the more militant I become. Thanks to the internet I am no longer alone in my beliefs and I have access to good information that used to be suppressed by the religious majority.

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Permalink Reply by Angie Jackson on June 6, 2009 at 11:52am

I still love the soundtrack from O Brother Where Art Thou. But I listen to enough Tori Amos to balance out the message :)

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Permalink Reply by Angie Jackson on June 6, 2009 at 11:54am

Oh, and my new favorite has that beautiful folksy bluegrass sound, but is one of the most delightful pieces of blasphemy I've ever come across

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Permalink Reply by Woody Bass on June 6, 2009 at 2:31pm

Wow... some excellent responses... and SO many! Never would have expected this topic would have done that.

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Permalink Reply by Billy Deaton on June 6, 2009 at 9:41pm

Hey Roy, I also love crowded house, and I think someone else on AN professed their neil finn obsession recently.

Have you guys heard this hilarious number by the way?

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Permalink Reply by Roy on June 7, 2009 at 7:01am

Billy:

Never heard of Roy Zimmerman before, and now I have coffee running out of my nose because I had breakfast while listening. Oh, man, was that funny! I love people who can play with words like that in song. Reminds me of a more pointed Tom Lehrer, although Tom did help push the envelope (http://www.tomlehrer.org/).

Thanks for the link!

To be honest, I actually began as a Split Enz fan back in the late 1970s. By that time, the band was following the lead of Neil Finn, at least when it came to compositions.

Cheers!

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Permalink Reply by Gecko, Seth...brother of Richie! on June 6, 2009 at 10:12pm

I listen to a huge variety. And most of what has been mentioned here is music I grew up with and love. From today's music, I'm a big fan of underground rap that refuses to censor itself foe a larger audience.
ICP ( Insane clown Posse) and all there offspring are at the top of my list currently. If your familiar with these hash performers its all horror rap. ICP put out 5 albums through the 90s leading to the six which would reveal their whole purpose for the violent content. They called these jokers cards. The 6th said the reason was God??? Its to complicated and not worth the space try to explain if your not into horror rap you wont be familiar with any of these acts. Bottom line I still love ICP, and do consider myself a Juggalo. Sorry didn't mean to ramble.

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Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on June 6, 2009 at 11:01pm

On several comments in this thread -

1. Roy Zimmerman rocks. I like him ALMOST as much as I like Edward Current and Betty Bowers.

2. I hate "Amazing Grace", whether on bagpipes, or sung soulfully with feeling, or sung by Unitarians, or converted to rap. It's because it's overdone and forces the listener, to accept a fictional and oppressive tenant. Maybe someone can re-write it as "Amazing Crust" and sing it about a fantastic pizza, but I still wouldn't like it. Well, maybe I would... amazing crust, how sweet the bread, that raised a dough, like thee.... It once was flat, and now is soft, and filled with yummy cheese... OK, I digress.

3. I suppose that if I can still like "Puff the magic dragon", and "Jeremiah was a bullfrog", I could like songs about other fictional characters like Jesus. But mostly, I can't get over the religious intent.

I do like Eric Schartz singing "Keep your Jesus off my Penis".... does that count as religious content?

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Permalink Reply by Jo Jerome on June 7, 2009 at 12:09am

"Spirit in the Sky" is one that I still love the music but the lyrics have driven me away. I do love it though in a context such as the end of "Jesus Camp."

Always loved Andrew Lloyd Weber musicals and can probably still recite every lyric from "Jesus Christ Superstar" beginning to end. First time I saw the road show of it, the leads of Jesus and Judas were played by the guys from the film, Irene Cara as Mary and Dennis DeYoung from Styx as Pilate. Far more rock concert than musical theatre and I'd see it again in a heartbeat.

Actually, the edgier/trippier plays like Superstar and Godspell ultimately did more to plant the seeds of Atheism than to keep me in the church. From Godspell, still one of the cooler pieces of music ever written: "When wilt thou save the people? Oh god of mercy when? The people, Lord the people, not thrones and crowns but men?" As a child, my take on this is, "Yeah, if our god is all-knowing/all-powerful, why isn't he saving us? Why the thrones and crowns and not the little guy? Either god's not at home or not the god we think he is."

And finally, a song that will make me love bluegrass again:

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Permalink Reply by damian on June 7, 2009 at 7:25am

Haven't read the replies yet, and don't know if this was mentioned, but i really dig pipe organs. I remember on sunday, i'd watch this show where this woman traveled to different churches and played the pipe organ. As for listening to religious music, there are probably too many for me to list; can't avoid it i guess. "The Long and Winding Road" comes to mind. I never really thought about the lyrics. Is Paul singing about heaven?

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Permalink Reply by Jo Jerome on June 7, 2009 at 3:19pm

Jezzy writes: "What I hate, though, are hymns that actually sound good. I'd much rather them not be hymns so I could enjoy them."

I second that. Used to have a gospel group meet at someone's house down the block from me to rehearse. I loved being just far enough away to hear the music and melody without having to hear the words!

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Permalink Reply by qıƃ ɟ ǝıɔɐɹʇ on June 16, 2009 at 6:01pm

Love me some religious songs. Songs About Religion

Spirit in the Sky and Jesus is Just Alright can both be appreciated as perfect portraits of religious attitudes. "I'm gonna go to the place that's the best..."

I had this exact conversation over twenty years ago with Garth (Jon Murray).

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