When Christian Rock titans D C Talk sang about Jesus, it wasn't surprising at all. This list cites references that are surprisingly Jesus-centric from bands you would assume would be singing about the "other guy."
10. Jesus Loves Me by the Ginger Baker Trio
Ginger Baker is a bad, bad, bad man. The song has no lyrics, but naming a jazz instrumental Jesus Loves Me is quite ironic for Ginger Baker....
It would be like if Satan himself came back to Earth and recorded a single and called it Jesus Loves Me.
9. Show Me the Way by Styx
Lyrics: THE WHOLE SONG
Maybe I shouldn't be surprised, but let me tell you a few things about Styx. First of all, the band is named after the River Styx which is the boundary between our world and that of the realms of Hell. And, second of all, I learned in my Sunday School Class that the song Snowblind from 1981's Paradise Theatre album was chock full of Satanic messages, including the (backwards) ominous chant "Oh Satan, Move in our Voices."
Styx vehemently denied the backwards masking, especially lead singer Dennis DeYoung....
We're going to take a short pause here. Styx was a very curious band. In the early 70's the band was a run of the mill rock band, scoring minor hits while releasing albums yearly. In 1975 Guitarist Tommy Shaw joined the band and that infusion of talent catapulted the band into superstardom. In 1979, the band released two of it's biggest hits, Shaw's Renegade and DeYoung's Babe. Renegade was a hard rockin' jam about life on the run. Babe was a syrupy ballad that caused many American suicides. Babe was also such a terrible song, it helped to ignite the punk revolution with young Americans.
Like a stereotypical Behind the Music Episode, the band was ripped apart by success, DeYoung wanted a softer path and the rest of the band wanted to rock out (by 80's Standards.) By 1984, the band had lost its way and they briefly thought they were Oingo Boingo. If you re-watch the Music Time video, it's almost like they were mocking Boingo-Style productions. Poor band leadership drove Tommy Shaw from the band.
Shaw returned and then the rest of the band eventually threw DeYoung overboard....
If you think DeYoung and his crappy hits were the heart of Styx, you're banned from the Blog.
Seriously.
Get out.
8. The Cross by Prince
Lyrics: No love, no hope in sight
Don't cry for he is coming
Don't die without knowing the Cross
Prince's credo: Orgy on Saturday, Church on Sunday?
This wouldn't have been a surprise for a mature Prince, the surprise here is that the song is on the same double album as U Got the Look.
You remember Prince's hit from the very same Sign O' the Times release where he sang:
Your body's heck-a-slammin' If love is good Let's get to rammin'
7. Shine on Sweet Jesus by the Flaming Lips
Lyrics: Jesus is at my side Wondering what he will find (Shine on, sweet Jesus, on me)
When I think of the Flaming Lips, I think of Drugs, Flashing Colors, and Experimentation,
I do not think of religion. But 1990's In a Priest Driven Ambulance is exactly that, Wayne Coyne's concept album about Jesus and religion in general.
6. I'm Not Jesus by the Ramones
Lyrics: Father, son and Holy Ghost
Say your prayers-it's your only hope
Trust me, I'm as surprised as you are. Written by Richie Ramone, it was the very next song written by Richie after 1986's minor hit Somebody Put Something in My Drink.
Despite all of the original Ramones being dead, you can still catch music of the Ramones as Richie and his band continues to tour the world.
5. Slavestate by Godflesh
Lyrics: Jesus, Weeping Hold on to me
I had listened to this song about a hundred times before I read the lyrics. Still have no idea what the song is actually about, there are very few words to go by.
4. Jesus Built my Hotrod by Ministry
Lyrics: Jesus was an architect
Previous to his career as a prophet.
Though delivered tongue-in-cheek, the lyrics are factually accurate. Written by Al Jourgensen, Paul Barker, Michael Balch, Bill Rieflin, and Gibby Haynes, I suspect that it was Haynes that sarcastically threw Jesus lyrics in a Ministry song.
3. C11 H17 N2 Na O2 S (Sodium Pentathol) by Anthrax
Lyrics: Where there's truth in the Trinity
You gotta 'fess up.
People forget that when Anthrax recruited John Bush he was playing with the Christian Metal band Armored Saint. Though not as Satanic as their peers in Slayer, Anthrax was far from Armored Saint on the Metal Spectrum. [Extra surprising reference considering certain Jewish members of Anthrax.]
2. Bullet With Butterfly Wings by the Smashing Pumpkins
Lyircs: Jesus was an only Son for You
Back when Billy Corgan had hair, he was the darling of indie rockers everywhere. Somehow, someway, in 1995. he slipped the line above into his #1 hit (in Canada). Even though Corgan is derided as a "Conservative" today, religious is not the word I would use to describe him.
1. Duality by Slipknot
Lyrics: Jesus it never ends....
Slipknot is (angrily) asking for strength in an insane world.
Seriously.
8 prophets from Iowa witnessing to the disenfranchised youth.