It’s weird how the songs that hit me the hardest are songs about God and faith because I tend to call myself a nonbeliever. At this point in my life I realize that I could never truly know the answer and its songs like this that eat away at me, the idea of it all, how real it all is to Christians, just how they put it. Anathallo will forever be a favorite. They have a sense of perception that amazes me.
For days and weeks I made the parting call.
I cupped my hands, my mouth an “O.”
I shouted saying,
“Brothers, hold my fading arms in the air, I am weak!”
They just faded there,
My voice was gone.
Who will rescue me from this body, not the arms, the fingers still? yes,
They feel what they touch as well,
Cut the cords.
Let the ancient Adam go.
I’ve been dancing with this corpse for nineteen years.
And when I said,
“Who will shave my head, and on that might, reveal me in my skin?”
All the secrets of fitness:
all the fitness He requires is to feel your need for Him.
In my room, in my room,
in this gospel I have made, salvation is a broken cistern in a handmade frame.
I cut the sheets into a flag,
paint it red,
self-pity hangs over the doorway in. From seven times seventy scraping knees,
blood lets, deficiencies,
these are the layers of bandages, protection from the sting.
In this great lacking,
I’ve found a way.
And when I said,
“Who will shave my head, and on that might reveal me in my skin?”
All the secrets of fitness:
All the fitness He requires is to feel your need for Him.
Who will rescue me from this body, not the arms, the fingers still? yes,
they feel what they touch as well,
cut the cords.
Let the ancient Adam go.
I’ve been dancing with this corpse for nineteen years.
But most of the time I have confidence in my beliefs and can’t truly imagine a creator living somewhere waiting for us to join him after our deaths. Many artists I listen to express my same beliefs or non-beliefs if you will. To me, if someone is open enough to share their opinions on this subject is truly someone who is not afraid of sure criticism. Lets be honest most people view atheist as a word with a bad connotation and to me that is not the case at all. Musicians who are not afraid to stand up for their beliefs and are still successful are the people I strive to be most like. I tend to find myself being weary about writing lyrics that I think people will use as a “judgment call” against me. Staying true to your own beliefs is something I struggle with whenever I want to write a song about religion and its effects on our world, but staying true is what makes a musician.
As Cities Burn is another one of my favorite bands and after a loss of a best friend their faith is challenged and I think they say it just right in their song entitled “Timothy” after their dead friend…
It’s not the cold making my legs shake,
It’s Timmy’s ghost taking his place in our hearts forever.
It’s not the sound keeping me from sleep,
It’s what Jesus said about hell underneath.
I think I’d rather believe it’s some imaginary place,
Made up to make children behave,
So our souls are safe to wander off,
Wherever they might please.
Your soul is safe wherever you might be.
Come now, sleep.
Come, now sleep.
Tell me I’m only dreaming.
Tell me he’s just sleeping.
And when morning comes,
We’ll both wake up to see the sun,
And love that’s enough to keep our friends alive.
Phone call.
I pull my car to the side of the road.
No, it’s not the cold making my legs shake,
It’s someone I love being taken away.
A ghost taking his place in our hearts.
Where inside he moves from room to room.
But sometimes he climbs our spines,
To remind our grieving heads,
That in this way he hasn’t left.
Tell me I’m only dreaming.
Tell me he’s just sleeping.
And when morning comes,
We’ll both wake up to see the sun,
And love that’s enough to keep our friends alive.
The lines that I think describe the Christian religion as well as most religions perfectly is the first real verse where he talks about it all being put in place to make children behave and to make us feel better about dying. Most people can’t just accept being buried and nothing happening to our bodies after except rotting so Heaven really is a great alternative.
