http://youtu.be/UcmnOPJYfxQ

I was sick when I posted this. (That’s where I’ve been the last couple of days, down with bronchitis and a sinus infection.)

That’s the only excuse I have for overlooking another of my all-time fav’s, REM’s “Losing my Religion”. Yeah, I know they recanted and said it wasn’t about that but I’m not buying that. I mean, have you seen the video. I think they were just running scared of the nutters.

Also, my only excuse for not giving Incubus (thank you, Claudette, and, yep, we get the same thing from the lyrics) and John Lennon credit above for “Drive” and “Imagine”.

Oh, and Claudette, I’ll have to check out that album for my six year old grandson.

And there’s also Blood, Sweat and Tears “And When I Die” which is a great tongue in cheek mockery of the fear of hell and judgment.

God, there’s just too many. This is, really, nothing new.

Imaginary gods could never save you
But I didn’t want to tell her, I didn’t want to tell her..

With the threat of hell hanging over my head like a halo
I was made to believe in a couple of beautiful truths
That eventually had the effect of completely unraveling
The powerful curse put on me by you

When you set the table
When you chose the scale
Did you write a riddle that you knew they would fail
Did you make them tremble
So they would tell the tale
Did you push us when we fell

If my mother cries when I tell her what I discovered
Then I hope she remembers she taught me to follow my heart
And if you bully her like you done me with fear of damnation
Then I hope she can see you
for what you are

When you set the table
When you chose the scale
Did you write a riddle that you knew they would fail
Did you make them tremble
So they would tell the tale
Did you push us when we fell

What am I afraid of?
Who did I betray?
In what medieval kingdom does justice work that way?
If you knew what would happen
And you made us just the same
Then you my Lord can take the blame

More about Bazan here. Great article.

http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-passion-of-david-bazan/Content?oid=1169181

Lyrics from the first song “Science is real”:

“Science is real
From the Big Bang to DNA
Science is real
From evolution to the Milky Way
I like the stories
About angels, unicorns and elves
Now I like the stories
As much as anybody else
But when I’m seeking knowledge
Either simple or abstract
The facts are with science“

Seriously, I love this album and I love listening to grown folks sing children’s music! Lyrics for “Meet The Elements”:

“Hey, who let in all these elephants?
Did you know that elephants are made of elements?
Elephants are mostly made of four elements
And every living thing is mostly made of four elements
Plants, bugs, birds, fish, bacteria and men
Are mostly carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen”

Okay, I’m done. I could quote lyrics forever.

Jenny Lewis’ first solo album “Rabbit Fur Coat” (chill, she’s a vegan) is absolutely fantastic. It’s got a lot of great secular songs, but she’s not ripping religion. She’s being honest and does so beautifully. I highly recommend it!

Neon Bible is the second album by the Arcade Fire and it’s got a lot of great secular themes.

Like I said, I’m shaking and crying with joy thinking about how much secular music has changed my life. (Much more than people arguing back and forth about the ontological argument). I love music with depth that touches on issues of atheism even if they don’t come right out and scream “I HATE RELIGION” or “GOD SUCKS” or something lame like that.

I’ve ALWAYS ALWAYS loved Incubus’ song “drive” (heck, I love a lot of their music). The lyrics about choosing water over wine and holding the wheel and driving always seemed like a tongue in cheek rejection of Christianity. Lyrics:

“So if I decide to waiver my
chance to be one of the hive
Will I choose water over wine
and hold my own and drive?”

It’s a great song. Also, one last song that I have to post the lyrics to. It’s by Of Montreal and it’s called “Gronlandic Edit” (if you like trippy, fun music then you just might love this band)

“I guess it would be nice to give my heart to a god
But which one, which one do I choose?
All the churches fill with losers, psycho or confused
I just want to hold the divine in mind
And forget all of the beauty’s wasted

Let’s fall back to earth and do something pleasant
We fell back to earth like gravity’s bitches
(Physics makes us all its bitches)”

“But as if to knock me down,
Reality came around
And without so much as a mere touch,
Cut me into little pieces
Leaving me to doubt,
Talk about God and His mercy
If He really does exist
Why did He desert me.
In my hour of need,
I truly am indeed,
Alone again, naturally.”

One of my favorites and there are so many, many more that I love.

A one liner I truly love is:

“Dog eat dog
Every day
On our fellow man we prey”

From Offspring’s “Genocide”

And Godsmack got me through when I was being harrassed on the job.

And, of course, there’s also “Drive” and “Imagine”.