Below are the lyrics to three songs from King's X most recent CD Ogre Tones, two of which I used as a discussion tool in our college life group last night. I post the lyrics here to see what response they generate from the blog world. The two songs I used in life group were Freedom and Get Away. If the songs spur some thoughts, please post them.
Alone
No one should be made to feel...ALONE!
No one should be made to feel rejected, and to feel the pain
No one should be made to feel unwanted, and to feel the hate
Sticks and stones, breaking bones
Names and words they hurt you...effecting everything
No one should be made to feel alone...nobody...nobody should
No one should be made to feel alone...alone...alone
No one should be made to feel their heart break, and to feel unloved
No one should be made to feel they're ugly, and to feel ashamed
Sticks and stones, breaking bones
Names and words they hurt you...effecting everything
No one should be made to feel alone...nobody...nobody should
No one should be made to feel alone...alone...to feel alone
No one should be made to feel alone...nobody...nobody should
No one should be made to feel alone...alone...to feel alone
Alone...Alone...Alone
Freedom
Freedom, to have two mothers and all be men
Freedom, to terminate Jay Phebus if he don't fit in
Freedom, to kiss my brother right on the lips
Freedom, to make my own concoction and take a sip
What a trip.... blame it all on God
Freedom... Freedom... Freedom... Freedom...
Freedom, to pay for a killer to have TV
Freedom, to get elected and set my own salary
Freedom, to go out and join the KKK
Freedom, to get in trouble for everything that I say
What a day.... blame it all on God
Freedom... Freedom... Freedom... Freedom...
Freedom, to scam everybody and make a buck
Freedom, to get your credit card number and press my luck
Freedom, cut down the forest, make new disease
Freedom, and throw everything we got into the seas!
And would you please... blame it all on God, we can blame it on God!
Freedom... Freedom... Freedom... Freedom...
Get Away
Hey God, I watched the news tonight, why are your people so f&%$ing mean?
Hey God, that kid was locked up for 3 years, why do the innocent suffer?
Where do you go....to get away....away
Hey God, they say your perfect and in control, and I am falling apart
Hey God, the god of so many names, but who can I blame, what the hell are you thinking
Where do you go...to get away...away
Where do you go...to get away...away
We're standing here and we're couting our fears ... Abraham
Live in a desert, there's nothing there ... Abraham
Where do you go...to get away...away
Where do you go...to get away...away
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What feelings and thoughts do these lyrics arise in you?
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Gethsemani Homilies by Matthew Kelty, O.C.S.O.
8 comments:
It's sad that so many people feel the way that is described in the song Alone. Every now and then I feel that way.
I'm still processing the songs, but "Freedom" struck me the most. I thought about the paradox of freedom. Basically I guess there's two kinds of freedom: wordly freedom and spiritual freedom. Worldy freedom may allow us to do whatever we want, but then we live in bondage to a guilty conscience and/or a darkened heart. Spiritual freedom prompts us to be a slave to Christ, but it sets our spirits free and softens our hearts.
This song is describing worldly freedom and it very boldly and poetically points out the problems with this kind of freedom. Worldly people think they are free, but they are actually living in bondage to sin (even if that's not the language they would use to describe the problem.)
I also thought all of these songs painted a rather dim/dark picture of the world and they reminded me of my responsibility to be a minister of hope (and to be aware of what the people around me are thinking.)
The first line of Get Away reminds me of something I heard McLaren say like--lots of people think when someone converts to Christianity they become a worse person because they become so judgemental and mean. Well, McLaren probably actually said it much better--but the thought has certainly made an impact on me.
It was good to see you, A, and M--what a precious family you have--and we could probably chat a really long time--I don't think we ever gave JMG time to warm up!!!
Crittermer, great comments. Lee Camp said very much the same thing you just did in his Sunday AM class.
Freedom doesn't seem so dark if you hear the song. It comes across as somewhat a sarcastic comment to those who want to exercise their worldly freedom and then blame God for the results of their own execution of that freedom. I think you really got the song, but I say that because I interpreted it the same was as you.
The other songs do paint a bleak outlook, but I think we all struggle with these thoughts and feelings. Too many Christians shove them down deep, trying to ignore them, rather than dealing with them in the light of Christ, both for themselves and for others.
I truly love Alone as a challenge to Christians of how to minister to the world--alleviate pain. I firmly believe Christians can stand morally firm while not healing rather than making others feel more alone.
I look forward to further comments you have on the songs.
JB, I know we could chat a very long time and it would be great to do so. Well will just have to set aside more time on your next visit.
Dear Friend Tony,
I'm sorry that you have been so busy and have had little time to blog. However, with every post you stir up the grey matter and provoke the heart to examine such important matters. The discussions that resulted from your allusions to MERE DISCIPLESHIP really resonated with me and made me examine myself and my beliefs.
The song "Freedom" also led to many hours of contemplation and inner wrestling. I have no worldly freedom, as people think of it today, but my spiritual freedom in Christ is deepened and made more precious and meaningful through that absence. Ironically, I've found that the walk with Christ is more committed by Christian inmates with whom I come into contact. I can understand the author's sarcastic description of worldly freedom. It does bring us many of the things we are not searching for. Freedom in Christ, though, allows us to go beyond self and really appreciate His commands to us to care for His children.
There are so many, many thought-provoking issues in your last two posts that we, your readers, could spend weeks analyzing and discussing them. I will try to address more of these issues in further posts.
As you might have noticed, the blog has been stagnant over the last few weeks. We're back now and hope to have something you would like to read. Please visit me again at www.purgatorypenman.blogspot.com
Penman, those are awesome thoughts to read!
I have definetly been out of touch in blog land. Things are going well at work but I am traveling a lot more the job demands a lot my energy.
Penman, and to all my blog friends, I am not commenting as much, but I do read.
Tony and friends,
This is Penman's mom.
My life, too, has been terribly stressed and out of my control lately, but when I've had a moment free, I've been reading a book that is disturbing. In fact, it is so disturbing and stirring that I have vacillated between outrage and fear.
The book is AN INNOCENT MAN: MURDER AND INJUSTICE IN A SMALL TOWN by John Grisham. A quote from the jacket of the tome captures Grisham's message in this, his first attempt to write a nonfiction book: "If you believe that in America you are innocent until proven guilty, this book will shock you. If you believe in the death penalty, this book will disturb you. If you believe the criminal justice system is fair, this book will infuriate you."
The protagonist Ron Williamson's story is so very much like the tale of my son's life that I wept bitter tears (that sounds like THE NATIONAL INQUIRER, but they really bordered on bitter) to be reminded that such a talented young man could experience abominable mistreatment in our society today.
Our givernment and, specifically, our so-called justice system is corrupt. Grisham's telling of this straight-forward story with starkness and simplicity should move us all to continually pray that God will convict the authorities and move them to conduct their responsibilities with integrity--or that Christ will return soon.
Please read this book.
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