Songs that dare to dip into religion will always draw the ire of some. That tune is still killer after all these years. The Band had us believing they "pulled into Nazareth, was feelin' about half past dead." Really? Either way, can't argue with the song. I've changed my tune a bit now, though, as I think back to many great songs. My initial take was you can't riddle you song with faith-related phrases and then tell us the song isn't about that at all. Hozier offers an explanation of "Take Me to Church" on a YouTube video. And Prince told us way more than we may have needed to know about a good friend named "Nikki." Jefferson Starship told us all about "Sarah." KISS introduced us to "Beth." The Police filled us in on "Roxanne." Toto's famous ode to Rosanna Arquette was popular in the 80s. And some of that we can take quite literally. Women, love and heartache-filled-angst has made the best music over the years. Still, we sometimes go a little overboard.īell Biv Devoe didn't literally mean that girl was "Poison," did they? It does diminish the music or dampen the integrity of the art to discuss lyrics. With lines like "I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies," how can we not wonder aloud? Thomas More, even weighed in on that topic during a VH1 special.Īnd like R.E.M., Hozier encourages the religious discussion and our natural tendency to break down the music. The theologians had a heyday with R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion," probably due to as much of the visual images of that video as the lyrics itself. For as long as music has been around, there are those that feel compelled to break down and understand the true meanings behind our favorite songs. Of course, the messaging of music is nothing new in pop culture. When Hozier laments that he will "tell you my sins so you can sharpen your knife," among other obvious religion-themed verses, the song takes on a new meaning to some. My recent fascination with Hozier's haunting "Take Me to Church" got me thinking about the power of music lyrics.
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