What Song Best Describes Your Religious/Existential Perspective?

[tomspug]

I haven't thought through my own question too much, but the first song that comes to mind is Switchfoot's I Dare You To Move. It definitely defines where I am at this moment and my personal faith.

 

[Charity]

All Consuming Fire by Tina Sadler :bow: Where I want to be in my faith

 

[lunamoth]

Although not written as a spiritual song, Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel captures the transformation I associate with my religious experience.

Climbing up on Solsbury Hill
I could see the city light
Wind was blowing, time stood still
Eagle flew out of the night
He was something to observe
Came in close, I heard a voice
Standing stretching every nerve
Had to listen had no choice
I did not believe the information
just had to trust imagination
My heart going boom boom boom
"Son," he said "Grab your things,
I've come to take you home."

To keep in silence I resigned
My friends would think I was a nut
Turning water into wine
Open doors would soon be shut
So I went from day to day
Tho' my life was in a rut
"Til I thought of what I'd say
Which connection I should cut
I was feeling part of the scenery
I walked right out of the machinery
My heart going boom boom boom
"Hey" he said "Grab your things
I've come to take you home."

When illusion spin her net
I'm never where I want to be
And liberty she pirouette
When I think that I am free
Watched by empty silhouettes
Who close their eyes but still can see
No one taught them etiquette
I will show another me
Today I don't need a replacement
I'll tell them what the smile on my face meant
My heart going boom boom boom
"Hey" I said "You can keep my things,
They've come to take me home."

 

[Smoke]

I don't think this means the same thing to me that it did to Simon & Garfunkel, but anyway:

hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
because a vision softly creeping
left its seeds while I was sleeping
and the vision that was planted in my brain
still remains within the sound of silence

in restless dreams I walked alone
narrow streets of cobblestone
'neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
when my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
that split the night and touched the sound of silence

and in the naked light I saw
ten thousand people, maybe more
people talking without speaking
people hearing without listening
people writing songs that voices never share
and no one dared disturb the sound of silence

fools, said I, you do not know
silence like a cancer grows.
hear my words that I might teach you
take my arms that I might reach you
but my words like silent raindrops fell
and echoed in the wells of silence

and the people bowed and prayed
to the neon god they made
and the sign flashed out its warning
in the words that it was forming.
and the sign said, the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
and tenement halls, and whispered in the sounds of silence

.

 

[McBell]

Can't remember the name or who sings it, hells bells, I am not even sure I got the lyrics exactly right, but here goes:

From our lives beginning on
We are pushed in little forms
No one asks us how we like to be
In school they teach us what to think
But everyone says different things
But they're all convinced that
They're the ones to see

People tell me a and b
They tell me how I have to see
Things that I have seen already clear
So they push me then from side to side
They're pushing me from black to white
They're pushing till theres nothing more to hear
​

 

[lilithu]

We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving


KIDDING, I swear!


Probably this song: Miracles, by Mambo Sauce

Chorus:
Do You Believe In Miracles?
Maybe We Can Change The World
Maybe We Can Make A Better Life
Can You See The Light?

Verse 1:
Hey You Gotta Go forward go forward
man in life you gotta go forward go forward
no matter what you go through to get through it
(hey) they say that we can't do the impossible
and i'm like Damn!!! why cant i try
the only thing capable of stopping you is your pride

Chorus:
Do You Believe In Miracles?
Maybe We Can Change The World
Maybe We Can Make A Better Life
Can You See The Light?

 

[NoahideHiker]

Dido's Thank You. Not to any one person but I know no matter what happens or no matter how bad things seem at the time everything will be OK and today is the best day of my life.

 

[BucephalusBB]

Right where it belongs - Nine Inch Nails.

see the animal in his cage that you built
are you sure what side you're on?
better not look him too closely in the eye
are you sure what side of the glass you are on?
see the safety of the life you have built
everything where it belongs
feel the hollowness inside of your heart
and it's all
right where it belongs

what if everything around you
isn't quite as it seems?
what if all the world you think you know
is an elaborate dream?
and if you look at your reflection
is that you want it to be?
what if you could look right through the cracks
would you find yourself--
find yourself afraid to see?

what if all the world's inside of your head
just creations of your own?
your devils and your gods all the living and the dead
and you're really all alone
you can live in this illusion
you can choose to believe
you keep looking but you can't find the woods
while you're hiding in the trees

what if everything around you
isn't quite as it seems?
what if all the world you think you know
is an elaborate dream?
and if you look at your reflection
is that you want it to be?
what if you could look right through the cracks
would you find yourself--
find yourself afraid to see?

hoo hoo, hoo hoo
hoo hoo, hoo hoo
hoo hoo, hoo hoo
hoo hoo, hoo hoo
hoo hoo, hoo hoo



Although I don't agree with all of it. Like sentences as "You can choose to believe" and there are to many hoo hoo's...
For the rest I don't feel hollowness in my heart, but I can imagine someone following the wrong religion can have. This works both ways so I am not saying others have the wrong religion..
It's mostly about the "what if.." that I like..



I really loved the "and you're really all alone"
Would religious people here really feel "alone" if they would loose their faith?

 

[sandandfoam]

Wish you were here - Pink Floyd.

"2 lost souls swimming in a fish bowl..." I can't think of anything that connects at an emotional and intellectual level like the words and music of that song.

 

[michel]

"Forever young" sung by Joan Baez - written by Bob Dylan (whose lyrics are wonderful, but whose voice was not so good )


May God bless and keep you always,
May your wishes all come true,
May you always do for others
And let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.
​

 

[MysticSang'ha]

Every time I listen to Kermit the Frog, I swear that we have been in the midst of a great spiritual teacher:

The Rainbow Connection

Lyrics:
Why are there so many
Songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side
Rainbow's are visions
They're only illusions
And rainbows have nothing to hide
So we've been told and some chose to
Believe it
But I know they're wrong wait and see

Someday we'll find it
The Rainbow Connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me

Who said that every wish
Would be heard and answered
When wished on the morning star
Somebody thought of that
And someone believed it
And look what it's done so far
What's so amazing
That keeps us star gazing
What so we think we might see

Someday we'll find it
That Rainbow Connection
The lovers the dreamers and me

Have you been half asleep
And have you heard voices
I've heard them calling my name
Are these the sweet sounds that called
The young sailors
I think they're one and the same
I've heard it too many times to ignore it
There's something that I'm supposed to be

Someday we'll find it
The Rainbow Connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me

____________________________________

Seriously. I think this is so poignant and brilliant. :bow:

 

[tomspug]

Every time I listen to Kermit the Frog, I swear that we have been in the midst of a great spiritual teacher:

The Rainbow Connection

Lyrics:
Why are there so many
Songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side
Rainbow's are visions
They're only illusions
And rainbows have nothing to hide
So we've been told and some chose to
Believe it
But I know they're wrong wait and see

Someday we'll find it
The Rainbow Connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me

Who said that every wish
Would be heard and answered
When wished on the morning star
Somebody thought of that
And someone believed it
And look what it's done so far
What's so amazing
That keeps us star gazing
What so we think we might see

Someday we'll find it
That Rainbow Connection
The lovers the dreamers and me

Have you been half asleep
And have you heard voices
I've heard them calling my name
Are these the sweet sounds that called
The young sailors
I think they're one and the same
I've heard it too many times to ignore it
There's something that I'm supposed to be

Someday we'll find it
The Rainbow Connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me

____________________________________

Seriously. I think this is so poignant and brilliant. :bow:

AW! My wife would LOVE you!

 

[Smoke]

We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving

KIDDING, I swear!

I'm so glad. :foryou:

 

[Magic Man]

U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name"

I want to run
I want to hide
I want to tear down the walls
That hold me inside
I want to reach out
And touch the flame
Where the streets have no name

I want to feel sunlight on my face
I see the dust cloud disappear
Without a trace
I want to take shelter from the poison rain
Where the streets have no name

Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
We're still building
Then burning down love
Burning down love
And when I go there
I go there with you
It's all I can do

The city's aflood
And our love turns to rust
We're beaten and blown by the wind
Trampled in dust
I'll show you a place
High on a desert plain
Where the streets have no name

Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
We're still building
Then burning down love
Burning down love
And when I go there
I go there with you
It's all I can do
Our love turns to rust
We're beaten and blown by the wind
Blown by the wind
Oh, and I see love
See our love turn to rust
We're beaten and blown by the wind
Blown by the wind
Oh, when I go there
I go there with you
It's all I can do

To me, it captures a sense of freedom and wild abandon, along with the desire for that something more. I'm not sure whether Bono meant "the streets with no name" to be Heaven, but I just take it more as coming to terms with this life, and that knowledge freeing you.

This is part of the reason it is my all-time favorite song.

 

[doppelganger]

There are many posted in the "Songs of the Mystic" thread, but u2's "One" really stands out for me personally:

Is it getting better
Or do you feel the same
Will it make it easier on you now
You got someone to blame
You say...

One love
One life
When it's one need
In the night
One love
We get to share it
Leaves you baby if you
Don't care for it

Did I disappoint you
Or leave a bad taste in your mouth
You act like you never had love
And you want me to go without
Well it's...

Too late
Tonight
To drag the past out into the light
We're one, but we're not the same
We get to
Carry each other
Carry each other
One...

Have you come here for forgiveness
Have you come to raise the dead
Have you come here to play Jesus
To the lepers in your head

Did I ask too much
More than a lot
You gave me nothing
Now it's all I got
We're one
But we're not the same
Well we
Hurt each other
Then we do it again
You say
Love is a temple
Love a higher law
Love is a temple
Love the higher law
You ask me to enter
But then you make me crawl
And I can't be holding on
To what you got
When all you got is hurt

One love
One blood
One life
You got to do what you should
One life
With each other
Sisters
Brothers
One life
But we're not the same
We get to
Carry each other
Carry each other

One...life

One

 

[Storm]

I can't choose one based on lyrics, but words are overrated anyway. So, based on pure sound, I give you...

Love Song ~ Ofra Haza

Yerushalayim Shel Zahav (Jerusalesm of Gold) ~ Ofra Haza

ETA: oh, cool, Yerushalayim Shel Zahav is subtitled.