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| Readers recommend: songs about faith – results | Readers recommend: songs about faith – results |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Faith and all its layers and nuances have shown up this week in an extremely rich thread, which could have easily made 10 playlists. "I don't believe in an interventionist God" is probably not the best message for a start, but it has to be one of the most arresting opening lines in any song, as barbryn says. Nick Cave pours his soul out with this soft piano song, which he wrote in a church in Surrey, to twist the trappings of faith to serve what he does believe in: love. | Faith and all its layers and nuances have shown up this week in an extremely rich thread, which could have easily made 10 playlists. "I don't believe in an interventionist God" is probably not the best message for a start, but it has to be one of the most arresting opening lines in any song, as barbryn says. Nick Cave pours his soul out with this soft piano song, which he wrote in a church in Surrey, to twist the trappings of faith to serve what he does believe in: love. |
| Björk confronts "the void" every morning, imagining she’s falling off her cliff, confronting the possibility of a horrible death, as a means to affirm life and accept reality as it is. It is through the construct of faith that she maintains her sanity, explains nilfpferd. It is easy to plunge into her spirit thanks to the voice, the strings, the synth; and it is impossible not to feel exhilarated by the song in its ecstatic second half. | Björk confronts "the void" every morning, imagining she’s falling off her cliff, confronting the possibility of a horrible death, as a means to affirm life and accept reality as it is. It is through the construct of faith that she maintains her sanity, explains nilfpferd. It is easy to plunge into her spirit thanks to the voice, the strings, the synth; and it is impossible not to feel exhilarated by the song in its ecstatic second half. |
| Personal Jesus is a song about being a Jesus for somebody else, someone to give you hope and care, according to Martin Gore. Depeche Mode were inspired by Elvis and Priscilla Presley’s relationship and mentorship, and by how “everybody’s heart is like a god in some way”, and that’s not the most balanced view of someone, said the songwriter. Johnny Cash’s rendition of the song gives it a very different, more soulful, blues tone but it wasn’t up for grabs. | Personal Jesus is a song about being a Jesus for somebody else, someone to give you hope and care, according to Martin Gore. Depeche Mode were inspired by Elvis and Priscilla Presley’s relationship and mentorship, and by how “everybody’s heart is like a god in some way”, and that’s not the most balanced view of someone, said the songwriter. Johnny Cash’s rendition of the song gives it a very different, more soulful, blues tone but it wasn’t up for grabs. |
| Violent Femmes’ Faith is a sort of punk rock creed for people who can't trust anything, according to steenbeck. “I don't believe in General Motors/ I don't believe in the president/ (...) I don't believe in these things/ All these things might fail.” They do believe, almost because they have to, that “there’s a spirit for everyone” – very pertinent lyrics for the present, indeed. | Violent Femmes’ Faith is a sort of punk rock creed for people who can't trust anything, according to steenbeck. “I don't believe in General Motors/ I don't believe in the president/ (...) I don't believe in these things/ All these things might fail.” They do believe, almost because they have to, that “there’s a spirit for everyone” – very pertinent lyrics for the present, indeed. |
| Malian Super Rail Band’s Dounia is an exhortation to keep the faith even if we have “no faith, nor gold”. The combination of instruments, including the sax solo in the final part, is the perfect complement for the hopeful lyrics. | Malian Super Rail Band’s Dounia is an exhortation to keep the faith even if we have “no faith, nor gold”. The combination of instruments, including the sax solo in the final part, is the perfect complement for the hopeful lyrics. |
| George Harrison declares his total communion with, his absolute belief and sincere love for – in his case – Krishna, as suggested by suzi. As some said in the thread, it distils such a passion and glory that it can make the atheists among us want to believe in God. He is completely united to his beliefs, so much so that he is desperate to see his deity to share his gift with him. | George Harrison declares his total communion with, his absolute belief and sincere love for – in his case – Krishna, as suggested by suzi. As some said in the thread, it distils such a passion and glory that it can make the atheists among us want to believe in God. He is completely united to his beliefs, so much so that he is desperate to see his deity to share his gift with him. |
| Sufjan Stevens distils faith in many of his songs (his Christmas album is a treatise about it). Chicago, an idealistic road trip and one of his most hymn-like songs, is part of his exploration of the state of Illinois as a way to investigate his own interior and beliefs. | Sufjan Stevens distils faith in many of his songs (his Christmas album is a treatise about it). Chicago, an idealistic road trip and one of his most hymn-like songs, is part of his exploration of the state of Illinois as a way to investigate his own interior and beliefs. |
| I’ve Got a Name is brimming with commitment and faith in oneself, says littleriver, and its poetics chime perfectly with Jim Croce’s poetic voice. | I’ve Got a Name is brimming with commitment and faith in oneself, says littleriver, and its poetics chime perfectly with Jim Croce’s poetic voice. |
| New Order’s 80s classic True Faith is an ironic recalling of a lost childhood and the sense of awareness and randomness that comes with adulthood, as “the value of destiny comes to nothing”. A bitter tale of lost faith. | New Order’s 80s classic True Faith is an ironic recalling of a lost childhood and the sense of awareness and randomness that comes with adulthood, as “the value of destiny comes to nothing”. A bitter tale of lost faith. |
| Flamenco is a genre that it can be hard to get into – in part, because it is so heartfelt and always tangled with faith at a very deep, sometimes almost uncomfortable, level. Diego el Cigala’s Undebel – “my friend above” in Gypsy, explains Makinavaja – is an expression of his faith in Jesus. | Flamenco is a genre that it can be hard to get into – in part, because it is so heartfelt and always tangled with faith at a very deep, sometimes almost uncomfortable, level. Diego el Cigala’s Undebel – “my friend above” in Gypsy, explains Makinavaja – is an expression of his faith in Jesus. |
| “No one laughs at God when the doctor calls after some routine tests”, or in a war, or “when their airplane starts to uncontrollably shake”. How true are Regina Spektor’s lyrics for this powerful song which strength lies in its directness, like a punch to the kidneys, says exiledMan. | “No one laughs at God when the doctor calls after some routine tests”, or in a war, or “when their airplane starts to uncontrollably shake”. How true are Regina Spektor’s lyrics for this powerful song which strength lies in its directness, like a punch to the kidneys, says exiledMan. |
| And the Beach Boys’ All This Is That is a very spiritual number from a less well-known album (Carl and the Passions – "So Tough") and recorded during a tricky time (indeed, their new record company had so little faith in it that they packaged it with a "free" copy of Pet Sounds to try and boost sales, says Pairubu. | And the Beach Boys’ All This Is That is a very spiritual number from a less well-known album (Carl and the Passions – "So Tough") and recorded during a tricky time (indeed, their new record company had so little faith in it that they packaged it with a "free" copy of Pet Sounds to try and boost sales, says Pairubu. |
| The playlist | The playlist |
| 1. Into My Arms - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds | 1. Into My Arms - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds |
| 2. Hyperballad - Björk | 2. Hyperballad - Björk |
| 3. Personal Jesus - Depeche Mode | 3. Personal Jesus - Depeche Mode |
| 4. Faith - Violent Femmes | 4. Faith - Violent Femmes |
| 5. Dounia - Super Rail Band | 5. Dounia - Super Rail Band |
| 6. My Sweet Lord - George Harrison | 6. My Sweet Lord - George Harrison |
| 7. Chicago - Sufjan Stevens | 7. Chicago - Sufjan Stevens |
| 8. I've Got a Name - Jim Croce | 8. I've Got a Name - Jim Croce |
| 9. True Faith - New Order | 9. True Faith - New Order |
| 10. Undebel - Diego el Cigala | 10. Undebel - Diego el Cigala |
| 11. Laughing With - Regina Spektor | 11. Laughing With - Regina Spektor |
| 12. All This Is That - Beach Boys | 12. All This Is That - Beach Boys |
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