Musings on Pop Music

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Some ten or twelve years ago, I had a playlist of tunes that helped pump me up while jogging. Recently I decided to listen to it again while on the treadmill. Here’s a sampling of lyrics I heard:

This world keeps spinning faster
to a new disaster
so I run to you

And suddenly we all got our hands up
No control of my body
…..Dance dance like it’s the last last night of your life.

This is your life
Are you who you wanna be
This is your life
Is it everything you dreamed that it would be
when the world was younger
and you had everything to lose

Sometimes I play a little game of mentally applying a spiritual meaning to secular lyrics. When my world is in disaster, who do I run to? Could I sing that line by Lady A to God? In fact if you change “Baby,” to “Jesus,” throughout that song, much of it could be sung to Him.

Usher? Not so much. I don’t think he had “lifting up holy hands,” a la 1 Timothy 2:8 in mind. Even less can I think of a way to put a Christian spin on “no control of my body.” Self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23). Even prophets have control over when they prophesy (1 Corinthians 14:27-33). (And really— if you knew it was the last night of your life, would you honestly choose to spend your final hours dancing at the club??!) If you know any more of that song’s lyrics, you’ll understand why I say there are just some songs we probably shouldn’t listen to as Christians, even though I have to admit this one does make me run faster.

So often that’s what pop music (and other musical genres as well) are focused on— just pumping us up to feel good in the moment, encouraging us to seek fulfillment in things that will never provide it.

But the song by Switchfoot encourages self-reflection. Maybe your life isn’t “everything you dreamed that it would be.” If you’re old enough to look back and say that, what do you have to lose now? There are still dreams to be pursued, though they might look a little different. They might be better dreams than what you envisioned in your youth. It’s never too late to consider “who you want to be.”

Another perhaps surprising source for songs where you might apply Christian meaning is Disney’s Frozen 2. Brush back all the movie’s pagan references to “spirits,” and listen some time to the song “Into the Unknown” with the Holy Spirit in mind. See if it doesn’t mirror your feelings about those times when God seems to be calling you into something you don’t want to do or don’t think you can do. I can also imagine Mary or Peter singing “Do The Next Right Thing” on the Sabbath after Jesus was crucified.

Then there are Christian pop songs that cross over into the mainstream, like Lauren Daigle’s “You Say.” Its lyrics also address feelings of regret and fear:

I keep fighting voices in my mind that say I’m not enough
Every single lie that tells me I will never measure up
…..You say I am loved when I can’t feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am weak

Psalm 19:14 says, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” We may not think of song lyrics as words that we meditate on, but we all know how they get stuck in our heads. Isn’t that a form of meditation? I would rather have a reminder of God’s love running through my mind than a story about a hustler dancing at the club.

Music is powerful. Whether you need pumping up for that workout or deeper encouragement for more important work, the right song can probably do the job. If you’re like me and you’re going to be listening to music anyway, I think there’s wisdom in seeking out lyrics that are worth dwelling on.

Dear God, I’m so thankful for the gift of music. Help me to choose music with words that are acceptable in Your sight and that encourage me to live in harmony with Your word. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

by Christie Cole Atkins

BONUS: Next time you go for a walk or a jog, I invite you to listen to my (roughly) 30-minute “Running for Inspiration” playlist on youtube: