| Ellie Goulding – Burn Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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Although Ellie Goulding’s “Burn” may at first appear to be a standard party song, its imagery of fire and light and its theme of fearless love raise it far above its putative genre. Through its many Biblical allusions, “Burn” celebrates the fire of the Holy Spirit, the mission of evangelization, and the choice to be spiritually wide-awake rather than “sleeping” in a life of meaningless self-gratification. Ever since the first Pentecost, when, as the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, there “seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them” (Acts 2:3), the Spirit’s presence has been symbolized by fire. “Burn”’s use of fire is its most obvious reference to the action of the Holy Spirit, but close examination of the lyrics reveals many more. From that beginning on Pentecost the church spread throughout the world, from the city of Jerusalem to the country of Israel to the whole Roman empire to, today, every corner of the globe; if there is anyone further out to hear the message, they will indeed “hear us from outer space.” Those who preach the good news in this way are “giving love to the world” by showing sinners the way of salvation. Being filled with the Spirit transforms us into “the stars of the human race” because, as Paul says, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation Christians “shine among them like stars in the sky” (Philippians 2:15). But this glory depends on our continued inspiration by God; Paul warns the church, “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire” (1 Thessalonians 5:19), just as Goulding sings, “We can light it up … so they can’t put it out.” Finally, “We don’t have to worry about nothing” expresses confidence in the help of the Advocate, who intercedes for us with the Father, so that Paul says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but … present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). The lines, “When the light started out they don’t know what they heard” have a double reference that adds further depth to the song. First, in the Pentacostal context, those who witnessed the descent of the Holy Spirit and heard the apostles speaking in tongues were confused about what they heard; “amazed and perplexed, they asked each other ‘What does this mean?’” and some even thought that the apostles were drunk (Acts 2:12-13). Secondly, the reference to light recalls John’s description of Jesus’s incarnation: “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world … though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him” (John 1:9-10). When Jesus started out his ministry, no one knew what they were hearing; only gradually did they recognize that he was the Light of the world. Those who love darkness because of their evil deeds still refuse to understand or accept his message. The lines “Everybody’s on the floor acting crazy, getting loco til the lights out” might seem to undermine my argument by indicating that the song is simply about the party scene. But immediately after these lines and juxtaposed with them, Goulding says, “I’m waking up” and “no sleeping now.” This contrast suggests that those who are “acting crazy” in a lifestyle of parties and drinking are actually asleep and oblivious to the more truly exciting possibilities of the spiritual world. They don’t know about the fire of the Spirit that the song celebrates-- nor do they realize that a final “lights out” will bring the Last Judgment at which we must answer for our deeds. Paul sets the example, directly contrasting the two lifestyles: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). This realization leads Goulding to say of the old life of “getting loco,” “it’s over now,” precisely because “we’ve got the love” that offers true meaning, purpose, and fulfillment. When “Burn” is placed in a Biblical context, it is transformed from a superficial, stereotypical pop song into an inspiring affirmation of the power and mission of the Holy Spirit. In a similar way, the Spirit transforms ordinary people into shining stars, “on fire” with love for Christ and shouting the gospel to the skies. If we truly walk in the power of the Spirit, through us he will effect a radical transformation for the entire world. Let’s “strike the match”! |
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| Capital Cities – Safe and Sound Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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Intentionally or unintentionally, Capital Cities’ “Safe and Sound” is full of Christian imagery and Biblical allusions. Read in a Christian context, it positions Jesus as the song’s speaker or narrator, using his voice to powerfully express the faithful promises of God. The song’s speaker assures the listener of safety in three circumstances: “if the sky is falling down,” “in a hurricane of frowns,” and “if we’re six feet underground.” “If the sky is falling down” refers to Jesus’s second coming, when, according to John’s vision, “the sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place” (Revelation 6:14). The song’s speaker therefore asserts that neither the war, famine, plague, and natural disasters that accompany the end of the world nor the punishments of the Last Judgment will harm the listener. The “hurricane of frowns” is the opposition that believers face in this world. Whether it takes the form of being “exposed to insult and persecution” (Hebrews 10:33) or the brutal deaths of the martyrs, the Bible teaches that such opposition is an unavoidable consequence of faith: Jesus says, “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (John 15:20). Even if a believer dies under persecution, though, he is still “safe and sound” in the assurance of eternal life. Death and the grave have been defeated by Jesus, who is the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25); “neither death nor life … nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). Against all of these frightening possibilities, the listener is urged, “Hold your ground.” The absolute certainty of salvation, expressed by the frequent repetition of “safe and sound,” allows the believer to stand firm and not be moved by judgment, persecution, or even death itself. The joyful trumpet instrumental further reinforces these lyrics in a nonverbal Biblical allusion. At the end of the age the Son of Man “will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other” (Matthew 24:31). As Paul describes it, “The trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52). The trumpet of “Safe and Sound” looks forward to this moment of victory, when all the faithful, even those “six feet underground,” will be gathered together in heaven and take full possession of the salvation we are promised now. “Safe and Sound” primarily emphasizes the assurance of salvation and the believer’s safety from evil and death. However, the verses also describe other promises from God that give the song a broader scope. These statements are made in the conditional tense (“I could”) rather than the future tense (“I will”) because each person can choose whether to accept these gifts; the song thus invites its hearers to receive what Jesus desires to give them. In the first verse, the song’s speaker offers to lift the listener up to heaven. “What you want to see” refers to the Beatific Vision, that is, the direct revelation of God himself; “where you want to be” is in the divine presence. Whether we realize it or not, we were made for God and our hearts are restless until we find our rest in him; he is our deepest desire, the place we truly want to be, although we chase illusory happiness in all kinds of other places. In the second verse, “I could fill your cup” obviously refers to Psalm 23, in which the psalmist, praising God’s abundant provision and care for his people, says, “My cup overflows” (Psalm 23:5). The lines about the river follow naturally, continuing the same imagery of drink. Both Ezekiel and Revelation describe a marvelous life-giving river that flows out of the city of God, turning salt water to fresh and nourishing fruitful trees whose leaves have healing powers (Ezekiel 47:1-12, Revelation 22:1-2). By saying that “my river won’t evaporate / this world,” Capital Cities asserts that God intends not to destroy our world and begin anew, but to heal, restore, and recreate a world that still has many positive qualities to appreciate. The third verse’s “tidal wave” echoes a beautiful verse in Psalms: “Deep calls to deep / in the roar of your waterfalls; / all your waves and breakers / have swept over me” (42:7). The mysteries of God, although not frightening in the same way that persecution and bodily death are, nevertheless can be overwhelming and awe-inspiring in their unfathomable profundity. In these matters too great for human understanding, like those too great for human strength, Jesus will “still be standing next to me” to help. He can “show [us] love,” giving us power “to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge” (Ephesians 3:18-19). Jesus is the Word, that is to say, the self-revelation, of God. “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known” (John 1:18). By his life, and supremely by his sacrificial death on the cross, he demonstrates and makes tangible for us the staggering and incomprehensible love of God. Drawing on a wide variety of Biblical sources, “Safe and Sound” combines multiple scriptural images to create a rich picture of the blessings offered through Christ. Its insistent repetition drums in the certainty that God will fulfill his promises and keep those who love him “safe and sound” through worldly troubles, the judgment, and death; its infectious beat and stirring trumpet show the joy with which we should respond to this assurance of salvation. Although produced and consumed in a secular context, “Safe and Sound” strikes me as even more Christian than many songs explicitly in the “Christian music” genre; whenever I hear it, my thoughts lift to God. |
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| OneRepublic – Counting Stars Lyrics | 10 years ago |
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This song places in opposition two worldviews: the materialistic, self-centered, pragmatic vision of “counting dollars” that dominates our world and an alternate vision of “counting stars.” “Counting dollars” implies that all value can be quantified, bought, and sold; in this paradigm, things that cannot be reduced to a matter of investment or profit, like love and beauty, can be disregarded. “Counting stars,” on the other hand, evokes a child-like sense of wonder. Gazing at the night sky invites reflection on infinity and eternity; those who count stars do not expect to ever account for the full number, much less to possess the stars or gain some material benefit from them. The speaker of “Counting Stars” finds himself profoundly at odds with his society but uncertain about how to live in a more truly satisfying way. Surrounded by people obsessed with “counting dollars” and told that he ought to “make that money,” he submits to societal norms and behaves as he’s expected to; he hasn’t fully bought into the dominant paradigm—he says, “I don’t think the world is sold”—but up to this point is still just “doing what we’re told,” fitting in with the world around him. He’s neither old enough to have completely assimilated to a dull, realistic, pragmatic acceptance of life as it is nor bold enough to defy and change it. This tension creates cognitive dissonance between his outwardly conforming actions and his true values: “I feel something so wrong / doing the right thing.” The “right” thing here has nothing to do with morality; instead, it is “common sense,” worldly wisdom, the practical business of getting ahead and looking out for number one. It is the deeply ingrained principles of the world, our assumptions about what will make us happy and thus about “the right thing” to do to achieve happiness, that the speaker defies, throwing away the possessions and material success that most people value with the lines “watch it burn” and “sink in the river.” Even though he may still “make that money,” he will not give his heart to it, regarding worldly success with a detachment that allows him to “watch it burn” without being devastated by the loss. In the midst of his dissatisfaction with the paradigm of “counting dollars,” the song’s speaker gropes toward an alternate vision of life, “dreaming about the things that we could be” if we chose different values and lived according to a different sense of “the right thing” to do to find happiness. Surprisingly, the alternative he envisions subtly but unmistakably draws on Christian spirituality. His thoughts about his situation take the form not only of “dreaming” about the future but “praying hard,” looking to God for help as he attempts to step into a new world and assume a new identity. The line “Seek it out and you shall find” makes the Christian element clear with a direct quote from the gospel: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). In the song’s context, it promises that the speaker’s dissatisfaction and desire will ultimately lead to the genuinely meaningful and abundant life he is searching for. “Counting Stars” also refers to another important verse: “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:25). Trying to save your own life is the essence of the world’s “common sense”; it expresses our natural, instinctive selfishness and self-centeredness. But a life of selfish ambition, focused only on achieving success in the form of power or pleasure, is in the end empty and meaningless. A life of sacrificial love for others, on the other hand, appears (by worldly standards) to be a loss, but leads in the end to purpose and joy. It is for this reason that “everything that kills me makes me feel alive.” As Christian monks, nuns, missionaries, and martyrs through the ages attest, the suffering that the world hates and fears—in the form of poverty, privation, persecution, torture, and even death—can be embraced as “the fellowship of sharing in [Christ’s] sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection of the dead” (Philippians 3:10-11). In the dazzlingly countercultural value system of the gospel, even what kills us only makes us alive in a new way; death on earth is the entrance to life in heaven. The hope of heaven reverses all our values and priorities; for who live by “counting dollars,” hope for something greater truly is a “four-letter word,” foreign to the accepted wisdom and destabilizing to societies built on greed and power. The lines “sink in the river / the lessons I learned” provide an especially interesting allusion that reinforces these meanings. In an ancient method of reading the Bible called typology, events in the Old Testament can be interpreted on multiple levels—not only as literal history but also as foreshadowings of future events and symbols of spiritual realities. For example, the crossing of the River Jordan, by which the Israelites entered the Promised Land, can be read typologically as both the sacrament of baptism, by which a person enters the Church, and death, by which a believer enters Paradise. “Crossing Jordan,” “crossing the river,” or just “crossing over” are therefore English idioms for dying. Lessons, rules, and principles oriented toward “counting dollars” only apply in this life; after death, money and worldly success will be worthless, and the very skills and habits that helped us store up treasures on earth may actually harm our prospects of receiving treasures in heaven. The lines “Sink in the river / the lessons I learned” acknowledge that worldly wisdom cannot cross over to the heavenly country, but must be left behind in the river of death. Indeed, in order to prepare for that day, we ought to deliberately sink those old, materialistic, self-centered attitudes in the river of baptism. Here is another meaning of the verse “Whoever loses his life for [Christ] will find it” (Matt 16:25); by choosing to put the old self to death with Christ in baptism, we also share in the power of Christ’s resurrection and his new and eternal life (see Romans 6:3-10). “Counting Stars,” then, presents a choice between two systems of values: the dominant, accepted, common-sense attitude that, obsessed with money and material success, seeks to advance selfish desires above all else, and a radically countercultural spirit in which burning love, the hope of heaven, and joy greater than all the number of the stars make sacrifice and even death a pathway to eternal life. The speaker has discovered experientially what Christianity has taught from the beginning—that the things worldly people chase after do not truly satisfy. “Praying hard,” he prepares to “swing [his] heart across the line” and take a decisive step, renouncing the world and choosing Christ. Symbolically drowned in baptism, leaving behind his old values sunk in that river, he will rise again to reach the stars. Against all expectation, this apparently secular song contains a powerful Christian conversion story and a beautiful expression of the dramatic choice that baptism entails. |
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