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Some pop stars have been believers for a very long time and brazenly mentioned their relationship with God of their music, reminiscent of U2 and Dolly Parton. Others have transformed after they hit the large time, together with shock rock star Alice Cooper and boy surprise Justin Bieber. To a better or lesser extent these stars allude to or refer on to their religion of their songs.
But generally pop stars produce a extra out-of-the-blue providing, like the brand new Coldplay single. Here are 5 occasions mainstream pop stars shocked us with their Christian message:
Coldplay: We Pray (2024)
Their new tune was first broadcast at Glastonbury this 12 months and explicitly talks about prayer, hoping for forgiveness, and in search of God. It’s maybe not as a lot of a shock after studying that the band’s lead singer Chris Martin was introduced up in a Christian house in England. However in interviews via the years he has described his expertise negatively, utilizing phrases like “unusual indoctrination” and publicly rejecting the religion.
Is this new tune an indication of a change of coronary heart?
“Pray I judge no one and forgive me my sins…
Praying in your love, we pray with each breath
Though I’m within the valley of the shadow of demise…
And so we pray
For somebody to return and present me the way in which”
We’re but to listen to Martin remark publicly on the story behind the tune, however the lyrics counsel there may very well be extra to return.
Johnny Cash: Man comes round (2002)
Cash’s rocky path via Christian religion and his Christian-themed songs are well-known. But one of many final songs he wrote earlier than his demise, “Man comes round”, was startling due to its underlying message to his followers: repent and consider or face judgement.
He mentioned the lyrics got here from the ebook of Revelation which makes it straightforward to extract the message of the tune. The ‘man’ referred to within the title is Jesus on the day of judgement. “Everyone will not be handled all the identical,” he says, and warns of a coming “terror” in order that the “hairs in your arms will get up.” He additionally affords his listeners an invite: “Will you partake of that final supplied cup?” The complete tune is a transparent warning and invitation to Christ for many who need to hear.
Norman Greenbaum: Spirit within the Sky (1969)
The 1969 launch of this catchy tune about demise and salvation with the chorus “I’ve bought a pal in Jesus” was a shock hit, maybe extra so as a result of Norman was Jewish. However he betrayed his lack of awareness of the Christian message within the lyrics “Never been a sinner, I’ve by no means sinned” and so covers of the tune typically change these phrases. But Greenbaum had intentionally got down to write a gospel tune, and its that means was clear:
“Prepare your self, it is a should
Gotta have a pal in Jesus
So that whenever you die
He’s gonna advocate you to the spirit within the sky”
In the 80s the tune was coated by the glam rock band “Doctor and the medics” which was additionally a shock chart hit.
Candi Staton and The Source: You bought the love (1991)
Florence and the Machine’s 2009 model of this tune wasn’t identified for its Christian that means however the 1986 authentic by singer Candi Staton and The Source was about trusting God via troublesome occasions. Staton’s personal highly effective vocals have been then “sampled” on numerous rave tunes as was widespread through the heyday of the “ecstasy era.” But it was after they have been set to a very catchy 1991 dance observe (Eren bootleg remix) that the tune catapulted into the charts.
Perhaps with out cautious listening it would sound like another love tune, however the that means is evident:
“Sometimes I really feel like saying “Lord, I simply do not care”
But you’ve got bought the love I must see me via…”
“When meals is gone, you’re my every day meat.
When pals are gone, I do know my Saviour’s love is actual.”
It wasn’t the one gospel tune to be heard on the dancefloor of the 90s rave scene, for instance Dr Alban’s “Sing Hallelujah” and Mary Mary’s “Praise you (Shackles)”.
Bob Dylan: Gotta serve someone (1979)
He was rock royalty when he had a shock conversion to religion in Jesus Christ and began to evangelise the gospel to his enormous audiences. It was the tune “Gotta serve someone” that launched his new religion to the world, with it is message to all, together with a “preacher preaching non secular satisfaction”, a “younger turk” and the “wealthy or poor” that they’ve to choose who they are going to serve:
“It often is the Devil or it could be the Lord
But you are gonna need to serve someone”
It was the primary of two and a half albums’ value of express gospel songs. This dramatic change was prompted by a strong encounter with Jesus: “I felt my complete physique tremble. The glory of the Lord knocked me down and picked me up,” he reportedly mentioned.
But after invoking the scorn of critics and even John Lennon himself, Dylan began to mute his public pronouncements about religion and plenty of speculated he had apostatised.
However on the discharge of an album of Christmas carols in 2009 he instructed the Big Issue: “I’m a real believer.” More lately, he instructed the Wall Street Journal: “I’m a non secular individual. I learn the scriptures lots, meditate and pray, mild candles in church. I consider in damnation and salvation, in addition to predestination. The Five Books of Moses, Pauline Epistles, Invocation of the Saints, all of it.”
Heather Tomlinson is a contract Christian author. Find extra of her work at https://heathertomlinson.substack.com/ or through X (twitter) @heathertomli
