In this episode I invite you to listen to tracks about believes and life expectations and attitudes. You will hear popular, some spiritual, rock, pop, soul, funk and gospel songs that will prick up your ears.
| Title | Artist | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| One of Us | Joan Osborne | “One of Us” is a song by American singer Joan Osborne written by Eric Bazilian, released on November 21, 1995. The song is about the personification of a God and how you would deal with it. Hence the many questions in the song. The lyrics end by “Nobody callin’ on the phone ‘Cept for the Pope, maybe, in Rome” – I wonder which number she dialled? |
| Superstar | Murray Head & Jesus Christ Superstar Original Cast | Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera written by Tim Rice and composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber about the psychology of Jesus and other characters. In 1970 they released it as a concept album featuring Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) singing as Jesus. In 1971 it came on-stage on Broadway and eventually in 1973 a movie was filmed in the Holy Land itself (in Israel) featuring Ted Neeley playing Jesus and Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdalene. Jesus Christ Superstar was initially considered by some as ultimate blasphemy. Eventually it became a spiritual “Sesame Street” used to teach children spirituality since children can relate to the story and the music. For many it was their first theatre production to see. |
| I don’t know how to love him | Yvonne Elliman | Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdalene in the rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar” was one of the few cast members to have performed on the original record, original Broadway production and the movie. Both, Helen Reddy and Yvonne Elliman released the single “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” in 1971 and concurrently reached the Top 40. |
| Are you gonna go my way | Lenny Kravitz | Maybe some of you are too young to have known Lenny Kravitz. However, this was one of his greatest hits. “Are You Gonna Go My Way” is one of the biggest anthems of the 1990s and also appears in video games like Gran Turismo and Guitar Hero. In the song, Lenny refers to Jesus Christ, as “the ultimate rock star.” It’s about how God gives choice to man about where to turn. |
| Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) | Kate Bush | The song “Running up that hill” was originally titled “A Deal with God”. British singer-song writer Kate Bush considered making “a deal with God” was more powerful than “a deal with the Devil” and can create a greater understanding between men and women. The song was first released in 1985, it got a remix in 2012 for the London Olympics and re-entered the UK Singles Chart as #1 in June 2022 after its appearance in an episode of the BBC series “Stranger Things”. It made Kate Bush at age 63 the oldest female artist to top the UK singles chart. |
| Laughing With | Regina Spektor | Regina Spektor is a Russian Jew immigrated to New York. Sometimes she is really positive about religion and sometimes she can really be sarcastic about it. “Laughing With” she wrote a couple of years before she released the song on her album “Far” in 2009. |
| Whenever God Shines His Light | Van Morrison | Whenever God Shines His Light is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and released on his 1989 album Avalon Sunset as a duet with Cliff Richard. the most manifest example of Morrison’s Christian commitment, it works as a testament of faith. Have I Told You Lately is a romantic ballad written and recorded by Northern Irish singer and songwriter Van Morrison in 1989. “Van the Man” wrote it as a prayer and relationship with God. |
| Reverence | Faithless | ‘Reverence’ is the title song of the debut album of Faithless, released in April 1996. Frontman Maxi Jazz, born Maxwell Fraser, introduces himself as the Grand Oral Disseminator, or GOD … two years later he claimed GOD is a DJ. Jazz peacefully passed away on 23 December this year at age 65. Rest in peace Maxwell. |
| Lift Me Up | Moby | “Lift me up” by Moby in 2005, singing the chorus line: “Lift me up, higher now, Ama.”. God names such as Buddha, Jehovah, Allah, and Krishna, all have an ‘ah’ sound in common that Moby was trying to emulate. It’s about how religious leaders and political leaders play upon people’s willingness to lose themselves in said atavistic, tribal, collective, irrational behaviour. |
| Life | Des’ree | “Life” from and by Des’ree with lyrics and rhymes voted as the “worst ever pop lyric” in a 2007 BBC poll. |
| Stairway To Heaven | Led Zeppelin | “Stairway To Heaven” is a legendary song from British band Led Zeppelin, featuring on their fourth studio album from 1971. Written by frontman Robert Plant with music composed by their lead guitarist Jimmy Page. It is one of the most famous rock songs of all time. Rumour has it “to have hidden messages” but maybe Plant was only inspired by books like “Magic Arts in Celtic Britain” and “The Lord Of The Rings” or recent events like the death of Janis Joplin. And then there was also the controversy about the song’s opening riff compared to the instrumental song “Taurus” from the band “Spirit”. |
| Mercedes Benz | Janis Joplin | “Mercedes Benz” by Janis Joplin, one of the last tracks she ever recorded as she died three days later, on October 4, 1970. |
| Sympathy for the Devil | The Rolling Stones | “Sympathy for the Devil” by the Rolling Stones. Mick Jagger wrote it inspired by the novel “The Master and Margarita” where the devil shows up in Stalinist Russia. He gives everybody what they want but no one believes he’s real. The Rolling Stones muses Marianne Faithfull and Anita Pallenberg played also a role in the conception of the song and not only for their backing vocals. |
| Personal Jesus | Depeche Mode | Depeche Mode and “Personal Jesus” is from 1989. The lyrics are inspired by Priscilla Presley’s book about Elvis, her man and her mentor. Founding member, singer and guitar player, Martin Gore wrote the song. |
| Beautiful Day | U2 | ‘I’’s a beautiful day’ written by U2’s frontman Bono in 2000 is about losing everything but still finding joy in what one has. The lyrics were inspired by Bono’s experience with Jubilee 2000, which was set up with the sole aim of urging politicians to drop the Third World Debt. R.E.M.’s frontman Michael Stipe wished he had written it. |
| Everybody Hurts | R.E.M. | “Everybody Hurts” was written by R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry before he left the band to become a farmer. The “ultra melancholic ballad” from 1993 is an anti-suicide song reaching out to people who feel they have no hope and especially aimed at teenagers. Michael Stipe stated to be proud that R.E.M. created a song that actually saved lives. |
| Don’t Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down | Eiric Bibb, Rory Block & Maria Muldaur | “Don’t Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down” is co-written by Eric Bibb and Charlotte Höglund. Songwriter Eva Charlotte Höglund, born (on June 9, 1964) in Sweden these days serves as pastor in a missionary community. In 2018, Eric Bibb recorded in Sweden with his wife Ulrika an album ‘PRAY SING LOVE’. |
| Human | Rag’n’Bone Man | “Human” was released as a digital download on 21 July 2016 and won a Brit Award for British Single of the Year in 2018. Rag’n’Bone Man being “only human after all” and only the “Lord in heavens above” can resolve some of the issues people face. |
| We’re Only People (And There’s Not Much Anyone Can Do About That) | Father John Misty | Joshua Michael Tillman (born May 3, 1981), better known by his stage name Father John Misty, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. “We’re Only People” is the closing track of his 2018 album “ God’s Favorite Customer” Father John Misty is known for his satire he puts in his songs. |
| Creep | Vega | I am not a Radiohead fan, so forgive me to present you a cover song by Vega Choir from Malmö in Sweden. Here’s looking at you Mark Zuckerburg! The original 1992 song “Creep” from Radiohead written by Thom Yorke, is supposed to be a happy song about “recognizing what you are” but it is also about social alienation. Yorke based this on a song called “The Air That I Breathe” which was written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood in 1972. After “Creep” was released, Radiohead agreed to share the songwriting royalties, so this is credited to Yorke, Hammond and Hazlewood. |
| The Air That I Breathe | Albert Hammond | “The Air That I Breathe” written and performed by Albert Hammond shortly after he moved to Los Angeles in 1972. Co-writer Mike Hazlewood stated it referred to the smog, for Hammond it referred to a girl that gave him shelter. Hammond recorded a Spanish version in 1976 called “Necesito poder respirar.” The Hollies recorded the song in 1974 with success. |
| He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother | The Hollies | “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” is a ballad written by Bobby Scott and Bob Russell. It was recorded in June 1969 at the Abbey Road Studios, with Allan Clarke on lead vocals and Elton John playing the piano. The title phrase goes back to “The Parables of Jesus” a book of 1884 and the story of a little girl carrying a big baby boy. Seeing her struggling, someone asked if she wasn’t tired. With surprise she replied: “No, he’s not heavy; he’s my brother.” |
| Run Shaker Life | Voices of East Harlem | The Voices of East Harlem was an African-American energetic young vocal ensemble of black adolescents (aged between 12 and 21). Founded as a community initiative in 1969, the group performed with top soul and R&B musicians and recorded four albums in the early and mid-1970s. Issachar Bates is the composer of this original Shaker dance song: “Come Life, Shaker Life” which has nearly identical lyrics as Richie Havens version (1967) “Run, Shaker Life”. This recording is of the band’s performance in Ghana at the “Soul to Soul” soul and gospel music concert in 1971. |
| Brand New Christmas | Hot Chocolate | Hot Chocolate probably made the most funky Christmas song so far with “Brand New Christmas”, a song from their 1980 album “Class”. |
| I’m going all the way | The Sounds Of Blackness | “I’m Going All the Way” by Sounds of Blackness was released in 1993, a year before their very successful album “Africa to America: The Journey of the Drum “. |
Sources
The information sources of the song facts include, but are not limited to, Wikipedia, songfacts.com, discogs.com, secondhandsongs.com, YouTube and artists’ related websites.
