SONGS TO LIVE BY

There’s a lot you can learn from the lyrics of a song.  Well not EVERY song.  There are some new church songs that leave me scratchin’ my head...

“Glory, glory, praise, praise, glory, wonderful, gloriness, praisey, praisey, praise joy.”

I have no idea what these words are trying to say, and frankly I don’t even care anymore.

Some of the best tunes, with some of the best lyrics I’ve EVER heard were tunes I learned while still a child in Sunday School:

“Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

I feel better already.

“Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world.”

Think I’m covered in this one too.

“If the devil’s in the way I will run right over him AND I won’t tag a long behind.” 

Which makes sense.  If you ever run over the Devil, you don’t really wanna hang around afterwards to see what happens next. It’s really best to high tail it out of there.

The grown up church songs were pretty good too.

“And he walks with me and he talks with me and he tells me I am his own.”

I should sing this one more often.  I should also walk more.

“Turn your radio on...”

Between you and mean I haven’t turned on my radio in 3 years.  I’m an IPOD guy.

“We will come rejoicing bringing in the sheaves.”   

Hey, whatever a “sheaves” is, I’m glad you brought it in and that it made you happy.

Of course church songs aren’t the only tunes with good things to say.  One of my favorite Rap Songs has proved to be both practical and wise.  The great Jay Z raps...

“If you shoot my dog, I’ma kill your cat.”

Personally, I appreciate this straightforward, no nonsense information.  I’m also glad I don’t currently own a cat.

“Doo Doo Doo, dah, dah, dah -  is all I want to say to you.”

I think Sting must have heard me preach a time of two before.

But when it comes to just flat out life lessons being told I have to turn to the great Johnny Cash who sang these powerful words...

“In the garbage disposal of you dreams I’ve been ground up dear

“On the river of your plans I’m up the creek

“Up the elevator of your future I’ve been shafted

“On the calendar of your events I’m last week

“I’ve been washed down the sink of your “conscience

“In the theater of your love I lost my part

“And now you say you’ve got me out of your conscience

“I’ve been flushed from the bathroom of your heart.”

There’s really nothing to say to that one.  When you hear a song like “I’ve Been Flushed From The Bathroom Of Your Heart” you’ve really said it all.

As together we stand and sing.

BP