I have noticed in my short time as a Christian, that churchianity likes to rebrand worldly things and “Christianize” it. I have noticed in the realm of music, they will take a secular song, have it sung in a Christian setting and somehow the godless lyrics are transformed. Consider the following examples:
Monkies, I’m a Believer. This song has absolutely, positively nothing to do with God. It is a song about being in love with a girl. Well, a few years back at a vacation bible school performance they changed the female pronouns to male, so instead of ” I saw her face” it become “I saw his face,” which I can only assume was supposed to mean Christ.
I thought love was only true in fairy tales
Meant for someone else but not for me.
Love was out to get me
That’s the way it seemed.
Disappointment haunted all my dreams.
Then I saw her face, now I’m a believer
Not a trace of doubt in my mind.
I’m in love, I’m a believer!
I couldn’t leave her if I tried.
I thought love was more or less a given thing,
Seems the more I gave the less I got.
What’s the use in tryin’?
All you get is pain.
When I needed sunshine I got rain.
Then I saw her face, now I’m a believer
Not a trace of doubt in my mind.
I’m in love, I’m a believer!
I couldn’t leave her if I tried.
Nope, no God in those lyrics.
Also, at the same event, they performed the song, Soul man but only sang the main chorus:
I’m a soul man. I’m a soul man.
I’m a soul man. I’m a soul man.
I guess this is some sort of hidden allusion to being a Christian, I am not sure. Maybe we can figure out why they skipped most of the song:
Comin’ to ya on a dusty road. Good lovin’ I got a truck load.
And when you get it you got something so don’t worry cause I’m coming.
I’m a soul man. I’m a soul man.
I’m a soul man. I’m a soul man.
Got what I got the hard way and I’ll make it better each and every day
So honey don’t you fret ’cause you ain’t seen nothing yet.
I’m a soul man. I’m a soul man.
I’m a soul man. I’m a soul man.
Listen. I was brought up on a side street. I learned how to love before I could eat.
I was educated from good stock. When I start lovin’ I just can’t stop.
I’m a soul man. I’m a soul man.
I’m a soul man. I’m a soul man.
Well grab the rope and I’ll pull you in give you hope and be your only boyfriend
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I’m a soul man. I’m a soul man.
You’re a soul man. I’m a soul man.
I’m a soul man. I’m a soul man.
Seems to border on sex to me. Many people seems to think that the songs from the 50′s and 60′s are harmless, but I was shocked when I actually starting listening to the lyrics of many popular songs. My wife, who used to be a die hard oldies fan, said that sex was sung about alot in music back then too. I guess we know why it was called Rock ‘n Roll from the beginning…
Another song, In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel.
love I get so lost, sometimes
days pass and this emptiness fills my heart
when I want to run away
I drive off in my car
but whichever way I go
I come back to the place you are
all my instincts, they return
and the grand facade, so soon will burn
without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside
in your eyes
the light the heat
in your eyes
I am complete
in your eyes
I see the doorway to a thousand churches
in your eyes
the resolution of all the fruitless searches
in your eyes
I see the light and the heat
in your eyes
oh, I want to be that complete
I want to touch the light
the heat I see in your eyes
love, I don’t like to see so much pain
so much wasted and this moment keeps slipping away
I get so tired of working so hard for our survival
I look to the time with you to keep me awake and alive
and all my instincts, they return
and the grand facade, so soon will burn
without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside
in your eyes
the light the heat
in your eyes
I am complete
in your eyes
I see the doorway to a thousand churches
in your eyes
the resolution of all the fruitless searches
in your eyes
I see the light and the heat
in your eyes
oh, I want to be that complete
I want to touch the light,
the heat I see in your eyes
in your eyes in your eyes
in your eyes in your eyes
in your eyes in your eyes
I can’t confirm this, but this seems to be your typical love song as Peter Gabriel’s site doesn’t go into detail about the reason behind his songs. Nichole Nordeman is the artist who rebrands the song, if you have iTunes, go here.
I guess we can take any secular vague love song, sing it in a Christian setting, and automatically the lyrics change meaning! Of course, the same could be said for most CCM today. Some of the lyrics only contain vague references to a pronoun which, if a Muslim were to sing the song, they would think it was to allah.