It is nearly 1 am and I am trying to write up some responses for a video interview. *ugh* But I am keeping up the juices with some good ol’ King’s X! Man, I have not listened to this in a LONG time. For those not in the know, this group was very popular in the late 80’s and early 90’s. They were out of Houston and the members were/are Christians. (Some notes on that are here.) Their faith can be heard throughout their music and even seen on their cover art. (Check out “Faith, Hope, Love” on the right, trust me, each letter has bas relief-type pictures from the Jesus narrative.) Their first album was called “Out of the Silent Planet.” OK, you get the idea. Their song is a mix of heavy driving guitars and drums with tight, almost Beatlesque harmonies. Well, the song that brought me to write now is Mission. This is a complete romp and some great lyrics (and you need to listen to it to hear the “preacher man” preach). Here are the lyrics:
broken body its joints at war
religious vipers sucking royal blood
the price is paid
the final score
the truth exists even through pious mud
who are these people behind the stained glass windows
have they forgotten just what they came here for
was it salvation or “scared of hell”
or an assembly of a social get-together
what’s the mission of the preacher man?
some are true some do lie
what’s the mission of the preacher man
yeah! yeah! yeah!
a threat of justice the lazy judge
the governess teaches his son to scream
adopted child
true path to trudge
no minor plot to undermine his dream
(preacher: bless god! the more i think about it the more i think i was preaching the truth i went down to the cadillac agency and one hour later i drove out a new cadillac hallelujah say praise the lord bless god i’m gonna drive that cadillac down here and get it dusty and dirty and use it for god hallelujah! thank you jesus)
I actually put their music on because I had been trying to track down a lyric. I thought it was U2, but a quick search led me back to this old favorite. I guess I had never realized that “Legal Kill” (from “Faith, Hope, Love”) was about abortion. But it is not a simple “abortion is bad” kind of song.
i only know what i believe
the rest is so absurd to me
i close my eyes so i cant see
but the picture just gets clearer everyday
i read somewhere to learn is to remember
and ive learned we all forgot
there was peace in her before
but that was yesterday
but i can see the beauty that is here for me
the chance to live and walk free
from a legal kill
i know your side so very well
it makes no sense that i can tell
the smell of hell is what i smell
and you hand it out with handshakes everyday
i have trouble with the persons with the signs
but i feel the need to make my own
yes there are two ways to be
and truth does not depend on me
but i can feel the fight for life is always real
i cant believe its no big deal
its a legal kill
The line that has been rattling in my head is “i have trouble with the persons with the signs but i feel the need to make my own.” That about says it all for me right now. On politics, religion, and religious politics. The inner conflict, the struggle with both the issues and the response. Do I speak? If I do, what do I say?
