As much as I tend to criticize the Christian sub-culture in America, there are a number of parts of it I enjoy. I may not like all Christian music, and I may completely disagree that there is any one thing that makes one song “Christian” and another one “secular,” I must admit, I do like a good bit of Contemporary Christian music.
I’m particularly fond of the Newsboys. I kind of arrived at that party a little late. I was introduced to them shortly before they broke up, but good music is good even without the band. The music itself isn’t the only thing I like. The lyrics are a special treasure to me, because some of them are funny, sarcastic and incredibly free. They use turns of phrase I would never have thought of. These are not uptight Christians. They actually seem to know that fun exists. Here are some of my favorite examples:
“And try as you may
there is no way
to explain the kinda change
that would make an Eskimo renounce fur
that would make a vegetarian barbecue hamster”
-”Shine”
“Woke up this morning kinda blue,
Thinking through that age-old question:
How to exit a whale’s digestion?
It might behoove me to be heaved.
Head out like a human comet.
Hmmm… I wonder what rhymes with comet.”
-”Belly of the Whale”
“Mom and Dad,
I’m fair, how’s life?
Lent the money you sent me to a clown with a knife,
my career as an acrobat hasn’t begun,
but I’m busy giving blood and shoveling elephant dung.
Send Money…”
-”Reality”
“Oh, none of us knew his check-out time would come so soon
But before his brain stopped waving
He composed this tune.
When the toast is burned
And all the milk has turned
And Capt’ Crunch is waving farewell
When the big one finds you
Let this song remind you
That they don’t serve breakfast in hell.”
-”Breakfast”
“Fearsome like the sag in a fat man’s chair?
Sweeter than a patch of Rogaine hair?
How do you define what you can’t compare?
This is … my God.”
-”Who?”
“It’s not a family trait,
it’s nothing that I ate,
and it didn’t come from skating with Holy Rollers”
-”Spirit Thing”
