Secular rock songs that have Catholic themes

[littlenothing]

Speaking of Moses, there’s Border Song by Elton John. Peter, Paul and Mary have several, including Man Come Into Egypt. Don McClean’s Babylon is wonderful. “We lay down and wept, and wept, for thee Zion”

 

[Robyn_p]

Mumford and Sons seems to have a lot of Christian themes in their songs. Like grace and conversion and forgiveness. Especially their song “Roll away your stone”.
Anyone else get that feel from their songs?

 

[Wakko9001]

I think I can add one more, and it might be surprising to some - “Sympathy for the Devil”, by The Rolling Stones.

Mick Jagger carries the case that the Devil is present in all of these horrific, historic events (Russian overthrow, World War II, Kennedy deaths, etc). Even if the Devil sets the base for and tempts us to commit all of these sins, though, we are ultimately the ones who choose to fall into the Devil’s temptations. Plus, the fact that Jagger sings this from the Devil’s perspective makes the case even more effective. Again, here’s another cool article on the matter:

catholic-skyview-tremblay.blogspot.com/2012/10/what-is-confusing-you-is-nature-of-my.html

Let me add that the woo-woo’s in the background, Keith’s guitar solos, and his bass line are incredibly superb, as well.

 

[LilyM]

I think I can add one more, and it might be surprising to some - “Sympathy for the Devil”, by The Rolling Stones.

Mick Jagger carries the case that the Devil is present in all of these horrific, historic events (Russian overthrow, World War II, Kennedy deaths, etc). Even if the Devil sets the base for and tempts us to commit all of these sins, though, we are ultimately the ones who choose to fall into the Devil’s temptations. Plus, the fact that Jagger sings this from the Devil’s perspective makes the case even more effective. Again, here’s another cool article on the matter:

catholic-skyview-tremblay.blogspot.com/2012/10/what-is-confusing-you-is-nature-of-my.html

Let me add that the woo-woo’s in the background, Keith’s guitar solos, and his bass line are incredibly superb, as well.

To an extent - although the line ‘all the cops are criminals and all
the sinners saints’ is a worry - umm, no they’re not, and saints at the most are ex-sinners.

Worse, the line about having ‘a general’s rank’ (ie high rank but not total command) in WWII (on whose side by the way?) seem to be meant to imply that the devil is not the prime mover as far as evil goes (which is not true even though we play a big part) and that both sides of the conflict were as evil as each other.

 

[Arizona_Mike]

I think I can add one more, and it might be surprising to some - “Sympathy for the Devil”, by The Rolling Stones.

Mick Jagger carries the case that the Devil is present in all of these horrific, historic events (Russian overthrow, World War II, Kennedy deaths, etc). Even if the Devil sets the base for and tempts us to commit all of these sins, though, we are ultimately the ones who choose to fall into the Devil’s temptations. Plus, the fact that Jagger sings this from the Devil’s perspective makes the case even more effective. Again, here’s another cool article on the matter:

catholic-skyview-tremblay.blogspot.com/2012/10/what-is-confusing-you-is-nature-of-my.html

Let me add that the woo-woo’s in the background, Keith’s guitar solos, and his bass line are incredibly superb, as well.

I think the song was actually inspired by Mikhail Bulgakov’s novel, “The Master and Margarita.”

Mumford and Son’s song “The Cave” was inspired by a chapter from G.K. Chesterton’s biography of St. Francis.

 

[Wakko9001]

To an extent - although the line ‘all the cops are criminals and all
the sinners saints’ is a worry - umm, no they’re not, and saints at the most are ex-sinners.

Worse, the line about having ‘a general’s rank’ (ie high rank but not total command) in WWII (on whose side by the way?) seem to be meant to imply that the devil is not the prime mover as far as evil goes (which is not true even though we play a big part) and that both sides of the conflict were as evil as each other.

You have to realize, Jagger definitely is not refering to the literal, canonized saints. In fact, 99% he is referring to “saint” - the term used to describe just a very, very well-behaved, virtuous person.

As for the Just as every cop is a criminal/and all the sinners saints, the article put a nice interpretation to it. Remember, back in the 60’s, the counterculture was emerging, and the “new morals” were becoming more popular. The rebel youths and hippies probably saw the cops, and authority and general as “criminals” against their new methods, as now these same youths and hippies, who were once considered “sinners”, are now considered “saints” of the generation. Nowadays, modern society is having a battle on who the true “saints” are - the people who keep the Christian morals, or the new progressive generation of so-called “love and peace”?

In each chorus, Mick Jagger sings But what’s confusing you is just the/nature of my game. Not only does he simply make us fall into his temptations, but he has to add so much confusion and unclarity to what is deemed right and wrong. I think that chorus line goes very well with the cop/criminal/sinners/saints verse.

Jagger and Richards definitely were not siding on whether the “cop” or “sinner” is the “saint” (in this certain song, at least), but they were probably observing and reflecting the clash between the “cops” and the “sinners”.

 

[CaptFun]

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSKjQIHvZdBDvGmu6YcW2H4gPcvezz11N9C49B3Dicu09gkkF7c

In their quest to push the envelope and win the title of the quintessential “bad boys” of Rock - the Rolling Stones went beyond their music to include edgy themes like: “Their Satanic Majesty’s Request” as the name of an Album, Album covers that were censored due to (good taste? pornography) and so blank - Beggar’s Banquet.

Then came “Sympathy for the Devil” just as FM radio was coming out of the shadows as the American car companies included FM receivers along with AM in their top models.

The song was a big hit on FM especially … and Beggar’s Banquet with overtly sexual songs (not new for the Stones back then) was too.

The song started to creep Mick Jagger out as weird things were happening at the concerts when they played it. He was especially disturbed about the way things were going at a
concert at Altamont, California (which was supposed to be the West Coast version of Woodstock).

During the Stones’ performance of “Sympathy” fans rushed the stage (not unusual for the Stones) but the concert organizers had hired the “Hell’s Angels” Motorcycle gand to be “security” for the event. As they played onstage, members of the “Angels” beat a man to death before their eyes. I always think about that (and the movie that recorded the incident) when I hear the song now.

I suppose the fact that there IS a devil agrees with Catholic theology. And the lyrics might make a person WITH faith already get something out of the song that a person without faith would never come up with. But for the most part - not uplifting. At best, a cautionary tale and a warning.

I will confess to using “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” as the opening attention getter for a talk to Catholic Young Adults once. THAT song serves as the perfect anthem for the people without God in their lives.

To which a perfect counterpoint was this quote:

You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you. … Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient and ever new! … Thou hast made us for Thyself, and the heart never resteth till it findeth rest in Thee. – St. Augustine of Hippo

And this song (What a Difference You Made in My Life) Amy Grant or Ronnie Milsap:

youtube.com/watch?v=6eMl5EQtFgU

As a love song it’s good – the lyrics lend themselves MORE to a person thanking GOD for the difference He’s made in the singer’s life if you listen close.

Anyway the juxtaposition of the two songs (both great songs but SO different from each other) made a great point/counterpoint for the talk. You should have seen the shock on the audience’s face when I started the talk (without an explanatory intro) with “Satisfaction” and the “Stones”.

But it was in keeping with the “principles of persuasion” and the AIDA method, which stands for: ATTENTION. Interest. Direction. Action. < As its four steps. :tiphat:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41F8lQ5goBL.SL500_AA300.jpg

 

[Wakko9001]

In their quest to push the envelope and win the title of the quintessential “bad boys” of Rock - the Rolling Stones went beyond their music to include edgy themes like: “Their Satanic Majesty’s Request” as the name of an Album, Album covers that were censored due to (good taste? pornography) and so blank - Beggar’s Banquet.

Then came “Sympathy for the Devil” just as FM radio was coming out of the shadows as the American car companies included FM receivers along with AM in their top models.

The song was a big hit on FM especially … and Beggar’s Banquet with overtly sexual songs (not new for the Stones back then) was too.

The song started to creep Mick Jagger out as weird things were happening at the concerts when they played it. He was especially disturbed about the way things were going at a
concert at Altamont, California (which was supposed to be the West Coast version of Woodstock).

During the Stones’ performance of “Sympathy” fans rushed the stage (not unusual for the Stones) but the concert organizers had hired the “Hell’s Angels” Motorcycle gand to be “security” for the event. As they played onstage, members of the “Angels” beat a man to death before their eyes. I always think about that (and the movie that recorded the incident) when I hear the song now.

I suppose the fact that there IS a devil agrees with Catholic theology. And the lyrics might make a person WITH faith already get something out of the song that a person without faith would never come up with. But for the most part - not uplifting. At best, a cautionary tale and a warning.

I will confess to using “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” as the opening attention getter for a talk to Catholic Young Adults once. THAT song serves as the perfect anthem for the people without God in their lives.

To which a perfect counterpoint was this quote:

And this song (What a Difference You Made in My Life) Amy Grant or Ronnie Milsap:

youtube.com/watch?v=6eMl5EQtFgU

As a love song it’s good – the lyrics lend themselves MORE to a person thanking GOD for the difference He’s made in the singer’s life if you listen close.

Anyway the juxtaposition of the two songs (both great songs but SO different from each other) made a great point/counterpoint for the talk. You should have seen the shock on the audience’s face when I started the talk (without an explanatory intro) with “Satisfaction” and the “Stones”.

But it was in keeping with the “principles of persuasion” and the AIDA method, which stands for: ATTENTION. Interest. Direction. Action. < As its four steps. :tiphat:

Really good points about all of those songs. I never imagined using “Satisfaction” in such a way. xD

 

[Wakko9001]

The following question is a bit off-topic, but since it still relates to rock, might as well.

Another song that I’ve been enjoying is “Who are You” (I’m sort of turning into a Wholigan…). Part of one of the verses goes, I stretched back and I hiccupped/And looked back on my busy day/Eleven hours in the Tin Pan/God, there’s got to be another way. However, nonconsecutively in one of the choruses, Daltrey sings, “Who the f— are you?”.

Could this be considered as blasphemy, even though the swear and mention of God are not strictly related in context?

 

[CaptFun]

"Pride of Man" by the Quicksilver Messenger Service (later just called Quicksilver).

CaptFun horror story: In 1980 I dined at the 105th floor restaurant of the World Trade Center. Going to the window I took some photos of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island below … they were sooo “teeny tiny” from up there. I joked to my relative "This is like a “God’s Eye view!”

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTWGt5oy2bsSxEeD-XBzQMojP37wmtd-M_Eht8B84N4lEkXh3aLjw

And THIS song came to mind! (See the video and match with the lyrics to make the connection). Call it a premonition or something, but I suddenly wanted OUT of there.

I took the long elevator ride DOWN … feeling queasy. UNDERNEATH the towers, I waited for the subway train with the weird feeling I was beneath a man made mountain that could bury me. A silly thought as these were VERY well built towers. But when the subway train pulled away I regained a bit of peace.

In 1993 when the towers were truck bombed many people were hurt and some killed. I remembered the premonition. In 2001 on 911 - I again remembered the premonition with horror. And also the many times in the Bible God had punished evil countries and people.

There! Now you are set up for the scary story. As a Catholic theme, repentance and realizing (as the final lyrics attest) some things only God can do!

This song can be a little spooky. Old Testament warnings to Babylon. Other images from the Apocalypse. The lyric wanders away from intelligible perhaps (or am I too thick to “get” all of it somehow).

But there is the warning to “Proud Man” and the cry to turn to God for only HE can …

well, listen for yourself.

youtube.com/watch?v=fgcB4dPSbj0 < best video of song. Not best sound

youtube.com/watch?v=fG6A6G9uzsQ < better sound. No video

lyricsmode.com/lyrics/q/quicksilver_messenger_service/pride_of_man.html <lyrics

Quicksilver Messenger Service – "Pride Of Man"

lyrics

Songwriters: CAMP, HAMILTON

Turn around,
Go back down,
Back the way you came,
Can’t you see that flash of fire ten times brighter than the day?
And behold a mighty city broken in the dust again,

Oh God, Pride of Man, broken in the dust again.

Turn around,
Go back down,
Back the way you came,
Babylon is laid to waste, Egypt’s buried in her shame,
The mighty men are all beaten down, their kings are fallen in the ways,

Oh God, Pride of Man, broken in the dust again.

Turn around,
Go back down,
Back the way you came,
Terror is on every side, lo our leaders are dismayed.
For those who place their faith in fire, their faith in fire shall be repaid,

Oh God, Pride of Man, broken in the dust again.

Turn around,
Go back down,
Back the way you came,
And shout a warning unto the nation that the sword of God is raised.
Yes, Babylon, that mighty city, rich in treasures, wide in fame,

Oh God, Pride of Man, broken in the dust again.

The meek shall cause your tower to fall, make of you a pyre of flame,
Oh you who dwell on many waters, rich in treasures, wide in fame.
You bow unto your God of gold, your pride of might shall be a shame,
For only God can lead His people back unto the Earth again.

Oh God, Pride of Man, broken in the dust again.

Our Holy mountain be restored?
Have mercy on that people,
– that people LORD !

(Chorus notes played without the words to crescendo!)

 

[Joe_5859]

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.)

Perhaps it’s not a “Catholic theme” per se, but I have always liked Pain of Salvation’s “Trace of Blood.” It’s a heart-string-pulling story of a couple who have lost a child through miscarriage. I think it’s a great demonstration of the humanity of the unborn.

Another one I like is Skyclad’s “Cancer of the Heart”. They are pretty explicitly a neo-pagan band and have anti-Christian themes (and well, pretty much anti-everything except nature) in some of their songs. But I think this song in particular is a pretty good description of original sin and its effect on the human family: “It seems we made our greatest error when we named it at the start / For though we called it ‘human nature’ it was cancer of the heart.”

 

[Arizona_Mike]

Rock critic Lester Bang on Black Sabbath: “[they were] probably the first truly Catholic rock group, or the first group to completely immerse themselves in the Fall and Redemption: the traditional Christian dualism which asserts that if you don’t walk in the light of the Lord then Satan is certainly pulling your strings, and a bad end can be expected, is even imminent.”

bywayofbeauty.com/2013/05/black-sabbath-get-nietzschean-on-godor.html#more

 

[SurrenderAT20]

How about Sarah Mclachlan’s “In The Arms Of An Angel”?

I heard this was actually a reference to cocaine.

 

[SurrenderAT20]

**Thrice **is a great mainstream band and they use a plethora of scripture references.

Dust of Nations references Matthew 6:19 and the snake from Genesis and is about how ephemeral and passing are the powers of the world.

Put your faith in more than steel, don’t store your treasure up with moth and rust where thieves break in and steal.

Come all you weary directly references Matthew 11:28.

Come all you weary who bear heavy loads, lay down your burdens find rest for your souls.

**Beggars **refers to James 1:17 where all things in life are pure gift and we cannot profess to own anything. We are beggars dependent on the providence of God.

Don’t you know that all things hang as if by a string over darkness, poised to fall, if there’s one thing I know in this life, we are beggars all.

 

[BroomWagon]

"Pride of Man" by the Quicksilver Messenger Service (later just called Quicksilver).

There! Now you are set up for the scary story. As a Catholic theme, repentance and realizing (as the final lyrics attest) some things only God can do!

This song can be a little spooky. Old Testament warnings to Babylon. Other images from the Apocalypse. The lyric wanders away from intelligible perhaps (or am I too thick to “get” all of it somehow).

But there is the warning to “Proud Man” and the cry to turn to God for only HE can …

well, listen for yourself.

youtube.com/watch?v=fgcB4dPSbj0 < best video of song. Not best sound

youtube.com/watch?v=fG6A6G9uzsQ < better sound. No video

lyricsmode.com/lyrics/q/quicksilver_messenger_service/pride_of_man.html <lyrics

“Get Together” “Let’s Get Together”, that famous song performed by the Youngbloods was of course written by Chet Powers, Dino Valenti in the Quicksilver Messenger Service, what a great song and often played still. I would urge people who are really fans of the song to check out Jefferson Airplane’s version recorded even earlier, more of a “folk song” version.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_Together_%28Chet_Powers_song%29

Apologies if this song was already mentioned in this thread. Hard to say it isn’t an outright religious song.

Bridge over Troubled Water, You’ve got a friend, a lot of songs seem to follow the title of this thread.

 

[BroomWagon]

“If I had a hammer”, I’d have to say a good amount of the “folk songs” movement were secular songs with Catholic/Christian themes, that song performed by Peter Paul and Mary and Trini Lopez.

Not sure if the famous song “Tom Dooley” has a Christian theme but it is always interesting that the name of Tom Dooley was the name of a real Doctor who treated children in South East Asia.

Thomas Anthony Dooley III (January 17, 1927 – January 18, 1961) was an American who, while serving as a physician in the United States Navy and afterwards, became increasingly famous for his humanitarian and political activities in South East Asia during the late 1950s until his early death from cancer. He authored three popular books that described his activities in Vietnam and Laos: Deliver Us From Evil, The Edge of Tomorrow, and The Night They Burned the Mountain. These three were later collected into a single volume and published as “Dr. Tom Dooley’s Three Great Books.” The book jacket of “The Edge of Tomorrow” states that Dooley traveled "to a remote part of the world in order to combat the two greatest evils afflicting it: disease and Communism.[1]

Dooley’s legacy continues through the work of the Dooley Foundation-Intermed International, which has carried on the work of Dr. Dooley for the past 50 years. Its headquarters are based in New York City and headed by Dr. Verne Chaney, President and Founder. Dooley-Intermed is a non-profit, non-governmental, non-sectarian, non-political, private voluntary organization receiving its financial support entirely from private contributions. It neither seeks nor receives government grants or contracts. The purpose of the foundation is to provide medical assistance to refugees, children, and villagers in the less privileged parts of the world with emphasis on self-help projects in the areas of preventive medicine, public health, family planning and health worker training. Dooley-Intermed presently supports medical aid projects in four countries: Laos, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Thailand.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Anthony_Dooley_III

Dooley is memorialized at the University of Notre Dame’s Grotto of Our Lady, with a statue as well as an engraved copy of a letter he wrote to former Notre Dame president Ted Hesburgh.[6]

http://vnafmamn.com/untoldpage/Dooley0.jpg

I don’t know his story well but he looks like a Saint here, I once had a book by him or about him.
So, I’d say a lot of the folk songs around 1960 had a general Christian theme, see artists like Joan Baez, etc.

 

[Bill_Martin]

Let It Be is one of my favorites of all non-religious songs. The lyrics have more than once been just what I needed.
I’m So Glad* originally recorded by Skip James (and made popular by Cream) is another good one. It always reminds me of coming back to God after a period of a darkness, depression, or spiritual stagnation.

 

[BroomWagon]

Of course my signature song “He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother”, in fact, these are more popular songs, there are probably a number of songs on albums we might not know about.

Too there is that song “Reach out in the darkness”, that’s a pretty cool song "I think it’s so groovy now that people are starting to get together, think it’s wonderful and fine "

 

[CaptFun]

“He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother” - The Hollies < Thanks Broomwagon!

While Catholic heroes (like Dr. Tom Dooley!) are being mentioned on the thread. The above song comes from a true incident that happened to the famous Fr. Edward J. Flanagan who founded the Boys Town orphanage in Nebraska.

Story goes the old priest was walking down the halls of the dorm after lights out when he heard a rustling on the stairs. There was a little 9 year old boy with a heavy load burdening him down and struggling to climb.

“Here young man, let me help you with that …” The priest offered. To his surprise the “burden” turned out to be an even smaller 6 year old boy! And the 9 year old declined the priests help with the explanation:

“He ain’t heavy Father. He’s my brother!”

That many faceted and deeply revealing quote became a sort of motto for Boys Town. And doubtless, the inspiration for a very good song by the Hollies.

http://thelizzypad.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/flanagan.jpg

Other versions of the story have Fr. Flanagan just finding a line drawing that fit the sentiment and bought it. I like the previous version a bit better.

 

[BroomWagon]

I know the Grateful Dead’s music fairly well but even at that, they recorded so many, quite a number of their songs have a religious feel to them.

Ripple, easily, Uncle John’s Band for starters and they’d nearly always end their shows with that religious song “We bid you goodnight”.

And this probably opens up that some songs by Dylan or Woody Guthrie and other folksters may well have these religious themes.

Grateful Dead have that song called the “Eleven”, I vaguely know of, it seems loosely molded around the Apostles it seems.

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/_cb20110416131346/lyricwiki/images/thumb/a/a9/Grateful_Dead-Wake_Of_The_Flood.jpg/180px-Grateful_Dead-_Wake_Of_The_Flood.jpg

Did not get a huge image of this record cover, “Wake of the flood”, self-explanatory. So, some of their music does have a religious feel.

Besides the obvious ones like “St. Stephen.”