|
 |
|
|
|
A few days before penning this column, I was one of about 3,000 fans crowded into the Bangor Auditorium to see rock act Third Day, a band with a very clear Christian message. Of course it’s no big surprise when a Dove Award-winning group like Third Day proclaims its faith from the stage. But spiritually powerful music can also come from artists who don’t necessarily market themselves to religious audiences. Performers such as Bob Dylan or Johnny Cash spring to mind.
Recently, when a friend shared a list of his 15 favorite albums – one of which was U2’s The Joshua Tree – it prompted me to think about just how profoundly spiritual U2’s music really is. You’re not likely to hear U2 (or Dylan or Cash) in a church anytime soon; nevertheless, there is an undeniably spiritual dimension to their music. U2 has released 12 studio albums and 7 live albums, to date (including their 2009 effort, No Line on the Horizon), but the one that has made the single greatest impact on me is Rattle and Hum.
The year was 1988. U2 were rising stars in the music world, and I was a lonely teenage kid. Though The Joshua Tree is often considered U2’s greatest work, Rattle and Hum was my first introduction to the group. A mix of both live and studio tracks, it appealed to me immediately: the jangling guitar, the gritty, emotionally charged lyrics and Bono’s raw, almost primal vocal performance on several of the live cuts. It was edgy, and yet at the same time as comfortable as an old pair of jeans. To this day, it remains one of the few albums from that era that I can listen to without wondering “What was I thinking?”
But what affected me most wasn’t the music – it was the amazing spiritual content of the songs. At that young age I’m not sure I could have articulated exactly what those songs meant, but as an adult, I now see that the strength of U2’s songwriting is in its vivid Biblical imagery. Take, for instance, When Love Comes to Town, a song that Bono wrote for blues great B. B. King and performed with him on one of the live tracks on Rattle and Hum. The last verse in the song says “I was there when they crucified my Lord/I held the scabbard when the soldier drew his sword/I threw the dice when they pierced his side/But I've seen love conquer the great divide”.
And that’s just one song. Who can forget some of the other powerful moments on the album – the intense spiritual yearning expressed in songs like I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For and Love Rescue Me, or the thirst for social justice captured in Silver and Gold and Bullet the Blue Sky? Though these are popular songs by a “secular” rock band, all of them contain references to faith. In addition to When Love Comes to Town, both I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For and Bullet the Blue Sky make explicit mention of the cross and Christ’s crucifixion.
U2’s music, look, and stage show have definitely evolved since the 1980’s, but I was pleased to discover upon purchasing their latest, No Line on the Horizon (released 3/03/09), that they haven’t abandoned their original lyrical vision. Spiritually themed songs from the new album include Magnificent, which was inspired by Luke 1:46-55 (known as the Magnificat) and Unknown Caller, which cites Jeremiah 33:3 (“Call unto me, and I will answer thee”). For me, the spiritual crescendo of No Line is the hauntingly hymn-like White as Snow, in which the vocalist plaintively asks, “Where might we find the lamb as white as snow?” It’s clear that faith, love and the cross of Christ continue to thread their way through U2’s work.
I don’t claim that Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen are angels. No doubt they’ve lived a few of the excesses that we’ve come to expect of rock stars. Nevertheless, it’s no small thing that the biggest rock band in the world makes faith such a central part of their music. Personally, I will always look fondly on U2 as a band that inspired an awkward 13 year old with their unique energy and vision. Over 20 years later, I can still remember what it felt like to listen to Rattle and Hum for the first time. Though I would not encounter U2’s God for myself until I was much older, it was enough for me at the time just to know that love is real, redemption is possible and spiritual awareness rocks.
|
Over the last the year I've often played "All I Want is You" from Rattle & Hum; what a powerful song. It was 1985 that I discovered U2...that year I was recovering from Post Full time Christian Service syndrome. Was inspired by tracks like Gloria and I Will Follow and I remember listening to "Bad" and just being re-inspired to lift my head up and keep following God. (thanks guys if you read these posts) U2 are a very special band who just make me want to follow God and use my talents for Him like they do
we do U2, Dylan, and Cash in church (and Leonard Cohen and others) on a regular basis. We did a U2charist on Pentecost last year as well.
|
|
|
|
(3)
Over the last the year I've often played "All I Want is You" from Rattle & Hum; what a powerful song. It was 1985 that I discovered U2...that year I was recovering from Post Full time Christian Service syndrome. Was inspired by tracks like Gloria and I Will Follow and I remember listening to "Bad" and just being re-inspired to lift my head up and keep following God. (thanks guys if you read these posts) U2 are a very special band who just make me want to follow God and use my talents for Him like they do Posted by Rob W in Godzone | Posted at 04/01/2009 5:53 PM
we do U2, Dylan, and Cash in church (and Leonard Cohen and others) on a regular basis. We did a U2charist on Pentecost last year as well. Posted by Christopher | Posted at 04/04/2009 11:44 AM