There is no shortage of places that songwriters can go to when they are looking for a subject to write about. Falling in love, being in love and falling back out of love again seem to be the main themes for a good number of lyricists. But nothing is off limits.
The Beatles successfully sang about life under the sea in Yellow Submarine, the garden of a Salvation Army children’s home in Strawberry Fields and loneliness & separation in Eleanor Rigby. Mind you, they also sang a great deal about love as well.
The bible has provided inspiration for a surprising number of well known artists over the years. Stephen ‘Tin Tin’ Duffy scored a number 5 hit in 1985 with the song ‘Kiss Me’, which in part took its lyrics from the Song of Solomon. Seventies favourites Boney M quoted extensively from Psalm 137 for their multi platinum number one smash ‘Rivers of Babylon. And on their album War, long lasting rockers U2 titled the final track ’40’, after Psalm 40.
What is it about the bible that makes it a book that people turn to time and time again to get those creative juices flowing?
The answer is most clear in the book of Psalms, the collection of 150 works of praise, thanksgiving, wisdom and lament, that sits right in the middle of the bible. Although now more often viewed as a collection of poetry, these were the hit songs of their day, many of them thought to be authored by King David.
Not just a musician. Not just a poet. This man was chosen by God to be King. But he was in no way perfect. He listened to God, he obeyed God, he rebelled against God, and he reaped the consequences. The Psalms record his response to his situation – good or bad.
They describe very real human reactions. It’s not just about an awesome God who sits on a far off throne, although sometimes the writer of the Psalms sees it like this. They also deal with pain and suffering and loss.
And that’s why contemporary musicians, and in turn us too, can turn to the bible when we look to understand the human condition and God’s relationship with us.
Let’s leave the last word to the writer of Psalm 40
“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.”
(April 2016)