Rock and Roll Scripture Chase Johnny Cash, Bob Marley, U2 and The Hooters? (Updated May 9th, 2015)

Hello,

These are songs that directly quote Bible verses or refer to religious topics. I'm not including songs like Soundgarden's "Jesus Christ Pose" or Elton John's "Levon", although it mentions a Jesus. These are songs that feel in touch with religious belief by a variety of beliefs.

U2's "Pride (In The Name of Love)":

This song references Jesus, Judas Iscariot and Martin Luther King. I think Martin Luther King would have been perfectly comfortable as an Old Testament prophet. As for the line "One man betrayed with a kiss". 

Thirty pieces of silver was the price for which Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, according to an account in Matthew 26:49 in the New Testament. Before the Last Supper, Judas is said to have gone to the chief priests and agreed to hand over Jesus in exchange for 30 silver coins, and to have returned the money afterwards, filled with remorse. (Judas identified Jesus with a kiss to the soldiers that came to get the Savior. Ultimately Judas committed suicide.) (Copied, pasted and adapted from Wikipedia.)

"Pride (In The Name Of Love)"

One man come in the name of love
One man come and go
One man come, he to justify
One man to overthrow

In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love

One man caught on a barbed wire fence
One man he resist
One man washed on an empty beach.
One man betrayed with a kiss

In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love

(nobody like you...)

Early morning, April 4
Shot rings out in the Memphis sky
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your pride

In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love...

U2's "Until The End of The World":

Judas Iscariot from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the New Testament

"Until The End Of The World"

Haven't seen you in quite a while
I was down the hold just passing time
Last time we met was a low-lit room
We were as close together as a bride and groom
We ate the food, we drank the wine
Everybody having a good time
Except you
You were talking about the end of the world

I took the money
I spiked your drink
You miss too much these days if you stop to think
You lead me on with those innocent eyes
You know I love the element of surprise
In the garden I was playing the tart
I kissed your lips and broke your heart
You...you were acting like it was
The end of the world

(Love...love...)

In my dream I was drowning my sorrows
But my sorrows, they learned to swim
Surrounding me, going down on me
Spilling over the brim
Waves of regret and waves of joy
I reached out for the one I tried to destroy
You...you said you'd wait
'til the end of the world

Joan Osborne "One of Us":

If God had a face, what would it look like?
And would you want to see
If seeing meant that you would have to believe
In things like Heaven and in Jesus and the saints
And all the prophets? And...

From Daniel 1-3 come Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego in this Wanderers song:

James Taylor's "Fire and Rain":

Won't you look down upon me, Jesus, You've got to help me make a stand.
You've just got to see me through another day.
My body's aching and my time is at hand and I won't make it any other way.
Oh, I've seen fire and I've seen rain. I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end.
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend, but I always thought that I'd see you again.

Johnny Cash "Were You There (When They Crucified My Lord):

Cat Stevens "Jesus":

Def Leppard's "Women":



Paraphrased lyrics from Genesis for "Women":

In the beginning
God made the land
Then He made the water and creatures, then He made man

Stevie Wonder "Higher Ground":



Till I reach my highest ground 
No one's gonna bring me down 
Oh no 
Till I reach my highest ground 
Don't let nobody bring you down (they'll sho 'nuff try) 
God is gonna show you higher ground 
He's the only friend you have around 

Byrds "Turn Turn Turn":

The verses from Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 are paraphrased for the song "Turn Turn Turn":

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. 

A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest.A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.A time to embrace and a time to turn away.A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. 

A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace 

Judy Collins with the Boys Choir of Harlem "Amazing Grace":

1. Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
   That saved a wretch like me!
   I once was lost, but now am found;
   Was blind, but now I see.
2. ’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
   And grace my fears relieved;
   How precious did that grace appear
   The hour I first believed.
3. Through many dangers, toils and snares,
   I have already come;
   ’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
   And grace will lead me home.
4. The Lord has promised good to me,
   His Word my hope secures;
   He will my Shield and Portion be,
   As long as life endures.

Hooters "All You Zombies":

Holy Moses met the Pharaoh

Yeah, he tried to set him straight

Looked him in the eye, let my people go

Holy Moses on a mountain

High above the golden calf

Went to get the Ten Commandments

Yeah, he's just gonna break them in half

All you zombies hide your faces

All you people in the street

All you sittin' in high places

The pieces gonna fall on you

No one ever spoke to Noah

They all laughed at him instead

Working on his ark, working all by himself

Only Noah saw it coming

Forty days and forty nights

Took his sons and daughters with him

Yeah, they were the Israelites

All you zombies hide your faces

All you people in the street

All you sittin' in high places

The rain's gonna fall on you

Three more songs loosely related to religion and spirituality:

The Script's "If You Could See Me Now":

The Eurythmics "Missionary Man":

And this one is a real stretch Madonna's "Like A Prayer":

Lauryn Hill's "Forgive Them Father":

Bob Marley and the Wailers "Exodus":

Bob Marley and the Wailers "Redemption Song":

The start of "Feels So Different"  O'Connor quotes The Serenity Prayer,

Johnny Cash's "God's Gonna Cut You Down":

Johnny Cash's "The Man Comes Around":

Parenthesis in the lyrics are my comments. All scriptures quoted come from the King James Version of the Bible.

And I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder:

One of the four beasts saying: "Come and see." And I saw.

And behold, a white horse. (Paraphrased from Revelations 6: 1-2"):

There's a man goin' 'round takin' names.

An' he decides who to free and who to blame.

Everybody won't be treated all the same.

There'll be a golden ladder reaching down.

When the man comes around.

The hairs on your arm will stand up.

At the terror in each sip and in each sup.

For you partake of that last offered cup,

Or disappear into the potter's ground. 

(Judas was buried in the Potter's field.)

When the man comes around.

Hear the trumpets, hear the pipers.

One hundred million angels singin'.

Multitudes are marching to the big kettle drum.

Voices callin', voices cryin'.

Some are born an' some are dyin'.

It's Alpha's and Omega's Kingdom come.

And the whirlwind is in the thorn tree.

The virgins are all trimming their wicks.

The whirlwind is in the thorn tree.

It's hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Till Armageddon, no Shalam, no Shalom.

(Armageddon is located in Syria. Armageddon is a great and final battle happening 

at the second coming of the Lord.)

Then the father hen will call his chickens home.

The wise men will bow down before the throne.

And at his feet they'll cast their golden crown.

When the man comes around.

Whoever is unjust, let him be unjust still.

Whoever is righteous, let him be righteous still.

Whoever is filthy, let him be filthy still.

Listen to the words long written down, When the man comes around.

Hear the trumpets, hear the pipers.

One hundred million angels singin'.

Multitudes are marchin' to the big kettle drum.

Voices callin', voices cryin'.

Some are born an' some are dyin'.

It's Alpha's and Omega's Kingdom come.

(Revelations 22:13: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.)

And the whirlwind is in the thorn tree.

The virgins are all trimming their wicks.

(This refers to Jesus' parable of the ten virgins.)

The whirlwind is in the thorn tree.

It's hard for thee to kick against the pricks. (Referring to Paul.)

In measured hundredweight and penny pound.

When the man comes around.

And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts,

And I looked and behold: a pale horse.

And his name, that sat on him, was Death.

And Hell followed with him.

(More imagery paraphrased from Revelations)

Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit In The Sky":



Never been a sinner I never sinned
I got a friend in Jesus
So you know that when I die
He's gonna set me up with
The spirit in the sky
Oh set me up with the spirit in the sky
That's where I'm gonna go when I die
When I die and they lay me to rest
I'm gonna go to the place that's the best
Go to the place that's the best
 

themusicaddict