Secular rock songs that have Catholic themes

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What are your favorite rock songs that express Christian themes, intentionally or unintentionally? And please - don’t mention Christian bands, because… well… they’re Christian bands, by default. 😛
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 One song that I have recently gotten into is a little ditty "Bargain", by The Who (it's not really a ditty, more of a musically EPIC piece). The basic premise is about going through any suffering and pain in order to reach God and enlightenment.
You could argue that Pete Townshend was writing this for Meher Baba. However, I believe Townshend did not take part in Maher Baba’s religion, and merely drew influence from him - much like Martin Luther King, Jr. with Gandhi (I have no idea what religion Townshend was back in '71, or is). Here is a cool article about the subject:

beggarsbread.org/2013/02/04/bargain-recontextualized/
And then there are other rock standards, like "Stairway to Heaven", "Let It Be". Any other additions?
 
Wakko9001 said:
What are your favorite rock songs that express Christian themes, intentionally or unintentionally? And please - don’t mention Christian bands, because… well… they’re Christian bands, by default. 😛
Code: 
 One song that I have recently gotten into is a little ditty "Bargain", by The Who (it's not really a ditty, more of a musically EPIC piece). The basic premise is about going through any suffering and pain in order to reach God and enlightenment.
You could argue that Pete Townshend was writing this for Meher Baba. However, I believe Townshend did not take part in Maher Baba’s religion, and merely drew influence from him - much like Martin Luther King, Jr. with Gandhi (I have no idea what religion Townshend was back in '71, or is). Here is a cool article about the subject:

beggarsbread.org/2013/02/04/bargain-recontextualized/
Code: 
 And then there are other rock standards, like "Stairway to Heaven", "Let It Be". Any other additions?
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It’s soft Rock but Carole King’s (and James Taylor’s)** “You’ve Got a Friend”** could be Jesus as the singer given the lyrics.

**“Bridge over Troubled Water” **by Simon and Garfunkel was another one that could allude to Him.

"Fire and Rain" also sung by James Taylor, about a plane crash has a lyric in it where a heartbroken person confesses his need for Jesus.
Won’t you look down upon me, jesus
You’ve got to help me make a stand
You’ve just got to see me through another day
My body’s aching and my time is at hand
And I won’t make it any other way …
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Tourniquet by Evanescence. Its about hope for salvation for a suicide.

Many of Simon and Garfunkel’s songs seem to have Christian themes, and some, like A Poem On An Underground Wall, have overtly Catholic themes. Blessed is an interesting and sometimes poignant take on the Beatitudes.

U2, of course, has many Christian (though not Catholic, for shame) songs. Yahweh, One perhaps, 40, Pride In The Name of Love mentions Jesus.
 
Peter Gabriel’s “Solsbury Hill” from back in the 70’s remains the quintessential spiritual/secular hit in my opinion.

A more obvious one would be Richard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”. Never gets any less poignant, as evidenced by the numerous covers by relevant artists (most notably Rufus Wainwright’s from a few years ago- ended up in a Shrek movie I’m fairly certain) and continual appearances on TV shows.

"Turn, Turn, Turn" by The Byrds is literally Ecclesiastes put into lyrics.
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep
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To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven
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[BIBLEDRB]Ecclesiastes 3:1-4[/BIBLEDRB]
 
As if Paul had no clue people would think he was referencing the Blessed Mother. I think it may have been a double entendre. There is some debate about that,and at one time Paul said it was about Mary. Then he said, no, it was about his mom.
 
DaddyGirl said:
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Sorry to disappoint, but Townsend really did follow and write “Bargain” as an homage to his spiritual advisor, Meher Baba.
The first line (‘I’d gladly lose me to find you.’) is taken from directly from Baba’s teachings.
Townsend said in an interview:
“The song is simply about losing one’s ego as a devotee of Meher Baba. I constantly try to lose myself and find him. I’m not very successful, I’m afraid, but this song expresses how much of a bargain it would be to lose everything in order to be at one with God.”

He’s been a devotee of Baba since 1968…and continues his devotion to Baba today.

And just an fyi re “Stairway to Heaven”…a lot of the lyrics were based on the book Robert Plant was reading at the time–The Magic Arts in Celtic Britain, by occult scholar Lewis Spence…it’s a book about the spells, charms, black magic, Arthurian cults, banshees, leprechauns, etc.
The book makes specific references May Queens, pipers, and bustling hedgerows.

“Let it Be”…what a beauty. As you know, he wrote it about his own dear mother, Mary McCartney, whom he had a dream about while he and the other Beatles were not getting along.

Says Paul:
"Then one night, somewhere between deep sleep and insomnia, I had the most comforting dream about my mother, who died when I was only 14. She had been a nurse, my mum, and very hardworking, because she wanted the best for us. …she was just a very comforting presence in my life.
And when she died, one of the difficulties I had, as the years went by, was that I couldn’t recall her face so easily. That’s how it is for everyone, I think. As each day goes by, you just can’t bring their face into your mind, you have to use photographs and reminders like that.
So in this dream twelve years later, my mother appeared, and there was her face, completely clear, particularly her eyes, and she said to me very gently, very reassuringly: “Let it be.”
It was lovely. I woke up with a great feeling. It was really like she had visited me at this very difficult point in my life and gave me this message: Be gentle, don’t fight things, just try and go with the flow and it will all work out.
So, being a musician, I went right over to the piano and started writing a song: “When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me”…
Mary was my mother’s name… “Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.” There will be an answer, let it be.”…

They’re all great tunes–classics!
What would school dances have played for two decades as the last dance of the night…if we didn’t have* Stairway to Heaven*!!!

.
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For “Bargain”, I probably should have worded it better… :rolleyes: I meant to say that, yes, I know Townshend wrote it for Meher Baba. However, there is no concrete evidence that Townshend is, say, Hindu (although, if you have any information, that would be appreciated). Even then, I believe that if you can interpret the message as something beneficial and worthwhile, you can go ahead and freely listen.

As for “Stairway to Heaven” and “Let It Be”, again, it’s mostly how you take in the lyrics. Even in the film, The Song Remains the Same, Robert Plant says as the song kicks off, “I think this is a song of hope”. Also, in reference to your Lewis Spence comment, the great St. Paul the Apostle (:cool:) even quoted the ancient Greek religion:

‘For in him we live and move and have our being’, as some of your poets said, ‘We are his offspring’. - Acts 17:28 (I believe this was originally from a Greek poem).

Feel free to correct my thoughts, if needed. And I agree with your last comment - these songs are KILLER.
 
Dust in the Wind by Kansas has always been a favorite of mine. Right out of Genesis!
 
Interesting thread topic, to be sure! Thanks, Wakko.

There are several I can think of, but I’ll stick to:

Someone Else by Queensryche: about the will to change one’s life and let go of an uncomfortable past; it could easily be taken as dealing with repentance and conversion. (Geoff Tate, who wrote the lyrics, is a “lapsed Catholic”).

In The Presence of Enemies, Pt. 1 and 2 by Dream Theater: uses a fantasy story (warrior selling his soul to the devil, then repenting) to explore our inward struggle with sin, which is explicitly spelt out in Part 2. (John Petrucci, who wrote the song, is a practicing Catholic.)

Force of Nature by Pearl Jam: about standing by one’s spouse/significant other “for better or worse”, “in good times and bad”. (Eddie Vedder, who wrote the lyrics, is an atheist / secular humanist.)

Full of Grace by Sarah McLachlan: a bittersweet love song, but one with obvious religious overtones, starting with the title. (Not sure about Sarah McLachlan’s religious beliefs, though many songs suggest that she’s a “seeker”.)
 
Speaking of Kansas, ‘Wayward Son’ has obvious biblical resonances.

And soeakin
 
Im convinced OneRebulic’s “Feel Again” is christian at it core
 
Speaking of Kansas, ‘Wayward Son’ has a strong prodigal son theme going.

And speaking of Evanescence, ‘Wake Me Up Inside’ could be addressed directly to God.
 
Softly said:
How about Sarah Mclachlan’s “In The Arms Of An Angel”?
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That’s a fascinating example.

It’s actually based on an acquaintance of hers who died of a heroin overdose, and the lyrics are about people who use drugs to escape from issues with low self-esteem, or the troubles of their lives.

But the “angel” imagery suggests something quite different. I think that, being Canadian, Sarah McLachlan uses a lot of Catholic imagery in her songs, even when the subject matter is quite different. (See also: “Sweet Surrender”, “Building a Mystery”, “Fallen”.)

Of course, she’s also sung the Prayer of St. Francis. It’s pretty awesome: youtube.com/watch?v=0VSyuar6oF8
 
‘maybe i maybe you’ of scorpions is about existential questions and maybe…changing the world. apart from many songs on peace like ‘wind of change’, ‘humanity’, ‘new generation’. 'daddy’s girl has a strong child abuse theme too. all great scorpions stuff
 
jonathanlaferla said:
‘maybe i maybe you’ of scorpions is about existential questions and maybe…changing the world. apart from many songs on peace like ‘wind of change’, ‘humanity’, ‘new generation’. 'daddy’s girl has a strong child abuse theme too. all great scorpions stuff
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Hey, I like Scorpions too. “Wind of Change” is great music to play while reading Pacem in Terris, but that’s just my opinion.
 
I always liked “All You Zombies” by The Hooters. Definitely Old Testament.

Holy Moses met the pharaoh
Yeah, he tried to set him straight
Looked him in they eye
“Let my people go.”

Holy Moses on the mountain
High above the golden calf
Went to get the Ten Commandments
Yeah, he’s gonna break them in half.

All you zombies, hide your faces
All you people in the street
All you sitting in high places
It’s all gonna fall on you.

No one ever spoke to Noah
They all laughed at him instead
Working on his ark
Working all by himself

Only Noah saw it coming
40 days and 40 nights
Took his sons and daughters with him
Yeah, they were the Israelites.

Holy Father, what’s the matter?
Where have all your children gone?
Sitting in the dark, living all by themselves
You don’t have to hide anymore.
 
Special mention must be made for “Requiem for the Masses” by the Association

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51+9CVAMSXL.SY300.jpg < NOT the album the song is on. 😃 But nice album cover.

youtube.com/watch?v=jah4eqzYjvQ

elyrics.net/read/a/association-lyrics/requiem-for-the-masses-lyrics.html < lyrics

Which included real Gregorian chantlike “Classic Catholic Mass” choral interjections in Latin.

Beautifully done. And controversial on many fronts. Which kept people listening to the song that addressed three big issues in 1967 in such a way as to make people wonder “which side are they (The Association) on?” on the polarizing issues of: Vietnam, Civil Rights, Change in the Catholic Church.

Per Vietnam: Some thought the reference to the soldier dying in Vietnam was evidence they were against the war. Others thought they were honoring the soldier and criticizing the

“matadors who turned their backs to please the crowd … and all fell before the bull”

as those politicians who would make his sacrifice for naught by abandoning free South Vietnam to the “bull” (Communist propaganda). And perhaps being abandoned too by the secular press which was alluded to in the “black and white” section of the song as opposed to the “red, white, and blue” segment. The Vietnamese Vets were not getting the “hero treatment” their fathers got in World War II by the press and movies.

Per Race Problems: No one knows if the soldier was black or white per the song … but it was the question on his mind when they buried him. The days of “Mississippi Burning” were less than three years gone, and after Martin Luther King had been assassinated in 1968. Race riots had broken out all across America one after another - as they had in 1965 in Los Angeles. When Robert Kennedy in June 1968 died too, and music like THIS was played at his funeral mass (then in Latin) – some thought they heard a reference to the event. But the song came out in 1967. JFK’s funeral in 1963 had such music though. Race was an unsolved problem getting better - then getting worse - in the US at the time.

Per the **Church: ** A wave of new things came into the Church around that time. Big changes to the way Mass was celebrated. Obligatory Friday abstention from meat lifted (still suggested). And the traditional beauty of these (long sung in Latin and cherished) hymns and Mass responses were making way for new folk-style masses, especially “youth masses” in the vernacular (language of the nation the mass was said in - rather than the Universally Latin Mass, uniform across the Catholic world.

Give it a listen.

Kyrie Eleison = Lord Have Mercy.
Requiem Aeternam = Rest in Peace (eternally).
Rex tremendae majestatis = Lord King of great majesty.

The chants are haunting and beautiful. The color-coded poem is reminiscent of the apocalyptic literature of the Book of Revelation or Daniel. And is left (intentionally and masterfully?) to the interpretation of the listener to decipher – while alluding to the BIG issues of the late 1960s/early '70’s.

When representatives from Warner Brothers Records spoke with newly installed President Nixon about the song; the Commander in Chief asked the company not to promote the song specifically, due to the reference to a soldier being killed becoming a morale problem for the troops. Warner complied. Except:

The song was included in the Association’s “Greatest Hits” Album and …

It was already the flip side of the 45 rpm single that was a much bigger hit:

(the not controversial at all) “Never My Love”.
 
I have a few secular songs off the top of my head that inspire me or remind me to focus on living out a particular value in my life…

Aerosmith - “Amazing” (Thankfulness, grace, perseverance, courage, deliverance)

Hootie & The Blowfish - “Hold My Hand” (the power of love and forgiveness, dedication and commitment. I really like the way the video shows “all kinds” of love - Mother for unborn child, Father and children, romantic love, friendship, etc.)

Iron Maiden - “Wasted Years” (Channeling regret for positive purposes instead of negative purposes, thankfulness)

Manowar - “Courage” (Well, courage obviously…), Manowar - “Father” (Love of parents), Sarah Brightman & Manowar - “Where Eagles Fly” (Love of spouse), Manowar - “Blood Brothers” (Love of friends) (Sorry, I couldn’t pick just one)

Michael Jackson - Man in the Mirror (Hope, faith, responsibility, courage, compassion)

Scorpions - Winds of Change (Freedom, peace, justice)

Emciii - Can I Fly?(Hope, courage)

Kenny Chesney, “The Good Stuff” (Marital love and fidelity)
 
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