Singing to God

Mine is not the bedrock faith of a saint; mine is the tremulous faith of a man with weaknesses. I’ve often thought that this might be one of the reasons that I don’t enjoy most popular religious music—it simply seems to come too easy. The questions and fears that I feel aren’t represented.

For me, faith is a hard-fought thing.

When I saw the Music Inspired by The Passion of the Christ CD, I imagined that it would be a boring endeavor. The songs chosen by Mel Gibson, though, are a wide-ranging taste of spiritual songs, not the prefab pap that I expected. Elvis, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, and even Nick Drake are all represented and some of the music is spectacular.

The question that came into my mind as I was looking over the disk was what would my list of religious music look like? I generally don’t buy “Christian” music—but religion being such an important aspect of many peoples’ lives, it’s no surprise that many of my favorite artists have recorded songs with religious overtones.

But the list of songs that came into my imagination is no mere praise music. Some of them are professions of faith; others are questions of God’s existence. Some are prayers; others are angry protests. In a way, the list is a reflection of my faith—heavy in emotion, sometimes exultant, and occasionally angry.

My list:

1. “Hutterite Mile” Folklore, 16 Horsepower

David Eugene Edwards is an alt.country mainstay in Denver. His band, 16 Horsepower, has blended hard, guitar-driven rock with odd traditional instruments and aggressive arrangements. “Hutterite Mile,” and the rest of the Folklore album, abandoned the harder sounds in favor of the traditions of country and folk music. “Hutterite Mile” is a profession of austere faith that is iron and unwavering. There is nothing easy about this view of Christianity; instead, this is a song of sacrifice and the hard choices of the journey.

2. “On Jesus’ Program” I’ll Take Care of You, Mark Lanegan

A filled with gospel sounds and religious imagery as Mark Lanegan’s music is, there is no doubt that he is not a religious man. On I’ll Take Care of You he sings one of the few honestly religious songs of his career—a cover of the Orton Vertis Wright penned “On Jesus’ Program.” Lanegan’s voice is a perfect match for country-gospel, and he sings this song with intensity and passion.

3. “Acrobat” Achtung Baby, U2

U2, with its reputation as a Christian band, has recorded songs about the darker side of faith. “Wake Up Dead Man,” one of the few good songs on Pop was one such song, and “Acrobat” from Achtung Baby is another. The songs questions faith, admits hypocrisy, and yearns for a “church I could receive in.” Edge’s guitar stings and Larry Mullen Jr. is in top form. It would be a mistake to think that this is a typical pretty U2 tune—compelling would be closer to the truth.

4. “Amazing Jane” A Day at the Beach, Sonia Dada

It might seem that a song about the lives that touch our own, death, redemption, and sanity could be overreaching. This song is wide in scope, but the street gospel vocals, precise guitars, and church organ live up to the grand vision. As the song builds, it is almost guaranteed that anyone listening will be moving and shouting their own hallelujahs.

5. “Rock of Ages” Mighty Joe Moon, Grant Lee Buffalo

Grant Lee Phillips sings over the gentle, poignant folk rock sounds of this beautiful hymn. While it is mostly a meditation on the weight of guilt and responsibility, there is a sense of hope buried beneath the lyrics. “Rock of ages, I have gone astray / I heard my brother call, I turned the other way / Now I’m ashamed to face him,” Phillips sings in a vocal style that is straightforward. His beautiful voice, shorn of all histrionics, is all the more powerful and honest. In his lyrics of shame and guilt, he still reaches for the hope of salvation. Quite simply, this is one of the most powerful songs I’ve ever heard.

6. “Sinnerman” Folklore, 16 Horsepower

A traditional song that, stripped to its roots, perfectly suits David Eugene Edwards’ fire and brimstone singing.

7. “Pendulum” Whiskey for the Holy Ghost, Mark Lanegan

This song is not religious (or, at least, it isn’t reverent), but is carries the emotional and musical weight of an old blues spiritual. The lyrics are all resignation and loss with an unspoken prayer for respite. “Jesus Christ been here and gone / what a painful place to leave / with frost on the limbs of a cherry tree / this cold, cold wind is burying me.”

8. “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” Rattle and Hum, U2

I fell in love with the live version of this well-known song. The backing choir gives the lyrics about the desperate search for God and salvation a weight that it didn’t have on the studio version. “ He broke the bonds, loosed the chains, carried the cross of my shame.” Bono may be arrogant and self-important, but the man knows how to write songs that touch on themes that cross political, religious, and cultural boundaries.

9. “Fisherman’s Daughter” Acadie, Daniel Lanois

Warm, ambient music that would have been at home on a Lanois-Eno collaboration moves like waves under the spoken word poetry of the song. The poem is a simple sea tale about the “sailor who asks no questions about the cargo he is carrying” and ends up paying the cost. The current that moves through the telling is one of moral obligation and responsibility.

10. “Testimony” S/T, Robbie Robertson

A fiery declaration of faith—upbeat, exultant, and happy.

11. “Feel Like Going Home” Satisfied Mind, The Walkabouts

A cover of the Charlie Rich song about weariness, this is a petition for strength and release on an epic scale where the singer intones that he is coming home to God after faltering and failing. The first two verses of the song are sung by the talented and capable Carla Torgerson and Chris Eckman, the usual vocalists of The Walkabouts. The third verse is sung by Mark Lanegan. When his low, weary voice joins the song, it would be hard to avoid feeling the weight of years of disappointment and failure. His warm, textured voice brings the song an immediacy that it wouldn’t otherwise have.

12. “Amazing Grace” Spirit of the Century, Five Blind Boys of Alabama

The traditional gospel song that you expect is not what you get from this rendering of the song. Instead, the traditional lyrics are sung to the tune of “House of the Rising Sun”—and come out better for the mixing. It is surprising and powerful, with room for appreciating the sly play on words that the two songs bring to each other. The Blind Boys have seen a lot of press lately, and deservedly so. Their voices and arrangements are far more interesting than most artists not even half the age of these men.

13. “On the Steps of the Cathedral” Here Comes That Weird Chill, Mark Lanegan

An unusual song for Lanegan, this one is layered and dense with his vocals. At its core, though, it is a simple song about not quite making it into the church.

Standing on the steps
The steps of the cathedral
Watching summer fade.

Just trying to get to somewhere
Trying to get just anywhere
But I know it ain’t my day.

Talk about capturing a mood…

14. “40” War, U2

This is the most gentle, basic song of faith on the list. Really, Bono sings a part of Psalm 40 over a quiet arrangement. It’s the perfect song to end the list, and, for years, it was the perfect song for U2 to end their concerts.

He set my feet upon a rock
And made my footsteps firm.
Many will see,
Many will see and hear…

It’s a list that is not a reflection of faith, but a reflection of my faith. I find myself wondering what yours would look like.

Posted by zombyboy at April 24, 2004 11:55 PM | TrackBack