Religious expression and beliefs are often found in music, with many popular artists having either a religious background or wanting to explore religion through their music. This Blog aims to investigate religion in music, hopefully it’ll be both interesting and fun! ~ One Love x
One song that I have always found particularly religiously questioning and motivating is ‘Where is the Love’ By the Black Eyed Peas. The song basically looks at the world, all the terrible and upsetting things around us and asks WHY>?This quote from the song is just one of the evil things in the world the song addresses, “Nations droppin' bombs, Chemical gasses fillin' lungs of little ones, with the on goin' sufferin' as the youth die young so, ask yourself is the lovin' really gone?” The song asks the question of ‘Where is the love’ to promote the listener to look at their own actions and the values they hold to see how it might be impacting the effect on the world as a whole. The chorus aims the question of love towards God, “Father, Father, Father help us, send us some guidance from above 'Cause people got me, got me questioning' Where is the love?” The need for guidance from God is clear and one most of us ask during times of suffering, even people who normally would not class themselves as religious. This is a common way of ‘using’ religion in contemporary society. We naturally look to religion in times of suffering for comfort and answers. However many ignore religion in everyday life, when things are fine in our own world.~ One Love x
The logical way to now proceed with this blog is to move on to look at modern urban and chart music. Many modern music artists both in Britain and otherwise continue to see religion and spirituality as a focus and theme in their music. A number of tracks stick out in my mind as significant when I think of fairly recent popular music. Each of these has held a certain religious sense of meaning and importance too many people. The first is from an Artist who is not only a lyrical genius but he’s also someone I’m a massive fan of. Mike Skinner ‘The Streets’ I know from personal experience is amazing live and many of his works are regarded both as cult classics and as some of the most forward thinking musical pieces of this generation.
Many of his tracks offer some form of spiritual guidance or meaning for the listeners as he talks about urban living, struggles and everyday life that many people especially young people can relate too. The songs that speak most about spiritual feelings and religion are ‘Turn the page’, ‘stay positive’ and ‘Never went to church.’
Turn the Page has been described as modern poetry, lyrical master and inspirational. You only have to read the YouTube clip comments to see how many people can relate and respond to lines such as “Actions speak louder than words, Stand by me my apprentice, be brave, clench fists.” “Once more before the Lord judges over all of us, Cos in this place you'll see me.” And “In the afterlife gladiators meet their maker.” One of the comments on YouTube is from a college student who openly admits that they used Mike Skinner’s lyrics from ‘Turn the page’ as his poetry assignment. The student states that they received an A grade and the teacher had tears in their eyes when he read it out to the class. For me this example shows that the song holds relevance for each individual listener and people are clearly moved by the spiritual and emotional lyrics.
Stay Positive is an inspiration track that relates to spirituality and faith by the notion of having hope. One line at is particular relevant is “no-one blames you, it's that world out there that's fucked you, your no less of a person and if God exists, he still loves you.” The Song as a whole is about when your world looks like its crumbing away, hitting rock bottom, to remember to have optimism and that one day things will be better. Mike Skinner is trying to advise that “Positive steps will see your goals.” This is basically a religious thought and particularly a Christian message, good works and positive thinking will bring good into the world. This track is a good tune to play when you feeling down to uplift and help you through your struggles. So as the Song says, “go see your mates, and when they don't look happy, play them this tape.”
Never went to church is an extremely emotional song especially for those that have lost a partner, which is who Mike Skinner is aiming the lyrics towards his decease father. He opens the song with the statement, “Two great European narcotics, alcohol and Christianity.” This introduces the tone of the song, narcotics are traditional drugs to dumb and lose yourself in. Skinner is looking to both alcohol and Christianity as a way of coping with the loss his feeling. He explains that church and religion had never been a part of his life until his father passed died and now he’s found himself looking at faith, “but it's hit me since you left us and it's so hard not to search.” He continues to stress that his search into religion is a way of dealing with his hurt and confusion with the afterlife, “I never cared about God when life was sailin' in the calm.” He ends the song with the crucial statement of “I'm gonna see a priest, a Rabbi and a Protestant clergyman, you always said I should hedge my bets.” To me this ending comment is important as it address the way many people look upon spirituality and religion in the modern world; we are now very anti-intuitional religion and often hold more personal and individual faiths, often with theology based in many different traditional religions.~ One Love x
