# Best religious songs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 21, 2009, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-religious-songs/493835 "2009-04-21T13:48:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-religious-songs/493835/21 "2009-04-21T18:11:29Z")
> [@PerditaX](#): > > Ummm…I’m pretty sure George was singing about Lord Krishna (listen to the chorus singing “Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna” etc) So? It’s still a great religious song; and I get the impression George believed that all religions essentially worship the same Lord. [QUOTE=George Harrison] They call you Christ, Vishnu, Buddha, Jehovah, Our Lord You are Govindam, Bismillah, Creator of All [/QUOTE] From [Life Itself](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86PGnk9jK84), which is also a good religious song by George Harrison, as are [Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M0VmlPHXUI) and [Awaiting on You All](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54JoJ0QQMUU). ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-religious-songs/493835/22 "2009-04-21T18:18:09Z")
> [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](#): > > I was also quite entertained by _The Devil Went Down to Georgia_. He was in a bind ‘cause he was way behind and he was willin’ to make a deal. 😃 [The Devil Went Down to Newport (totally Rockin’)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN4V8w23fUc). They were surfing for souls To the beat of rock & roll (all right!) ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-religious-songs/493835/23 "2009-04-21T19:14:45Z")
_Burlap to Cashmere_ has some good stuff, like **Digee Dime** and **Good Man**. Also, I like a lot of _Third Day_’s stuff, but that may be more mainstream than you’re looking for. RR ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-religious-songs/493835/24 "2009-04-21T19:25:13Z")
Being raised in a “born again” household, I’ve definitely had my share of glurgy religious music piped through the house, through church, in the car, ad nauseum. Even though I’m not religious, “Mary, Did You Know?” still gives me gooseflesh when I hear it. I also greatly enjoy “Old Rugged Cross”, although I believe that’s because I can almost smell the wooden pews in a tiny Baptist church where I used to spend my Sunday mornings as a child (without my parents, oddly enough). ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-religious-songs/493835/25 "2009-04-21T19:38:50Z")
Kinda like, “I saw the Light” by Hank Williams. ---
**Author:** ![tds1273](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@tds1273](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tds1273)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-religious-songs/493835/26 "2009-04-21T19:49:41Z")
Of more traditional or gospel-sounding songs… \*\*Harry Stewart \*\*- [End Of My Journey](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMre6qM9TrU); Maybe my favorite traditional-ish hymnal, from the movie [Cadence](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101531/) \*\*Afroman \*\*- Hush; Yeah I know- Afroman? But he can sing on this one. \*\*Soulsavers \*\*- Revival; Has sort of a Tom Wait-ish, smokey western sound, would be right at home on a Tarintino soundtrack. Some other stuff, not all necessarily Christian, or even pro-theistic, but speak of God in one sense or another… \*\*Alias \*\*- Divine Disappointment; Really a bit of a downer song, but still well done. \*\*Arrested Development \*\*- Fishing 4 Religion, Give a Man a Fish, [Raining Revolution](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TexI3TXV_E); Taking it back old school. I love these guys. \*\*Atmosphere \*\*- [Woman With the Tattooed Hands](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMTVvEvCO8E)"…a glimpse of religion, a piece of coming closer to understand more about what intrigues me most. I didn’t get turned on I just got turned…" \*\*Brother Ali \*\*-[Rain Water](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgJQJesMs9s)"God’s rain water flows through the same gutters that we walk today" \*\*DMX \*\*- [Angel](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJihMIF1E94), [The Convo](http://enyce7017.vodpod.com/video/499677-dmx-the-convo); Always puts at least one religious song on his albums. \*\*Gnarls Barkley \*\*- Go Go Gadget Gospel; Could have maybe gone up with the first songs, try and sit still on this one. \*\*K-OS \*\*- [Ballad of Noah](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1lTjA852RI), [Hallelujah](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae--CkoohMA&feature=related%20-); An original, not the Cohen song. Sunday Morning, [Valhalla](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzrnYk4Haks&feature=related); One of two sons of preachers on this list, from wiki:" raised by Trinidadian Jehovah’s Witness parents. His father was a minister at two congregations in the Greater Toronto Area." \*\*Mr Lif \*\*- [Iron Helix](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSUlS3w82Po&feature=related); Similar to the next song(conversational in tone), I suppose you could say it is about Man realizing his creative powers; its unclear who exactly the other side of the conversation is- god, devil, man, all? \*\*Ras Kass \*\*- [Interview With A Vampire](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAtKWRgyyNE&feature=related); A very neat song involving a conversation between Man, God, and the Devil. \*\*Roots Manuva \*\*- Colossal Insight, Evil Rabbit, Sinny Sin Sins, Thinking; From wiki: “His parents were from a small village in Jamaica called Banana Hole where his father was a preacher and tailor. Spending much of his early years in poverty, this and his strict Pentecostal upbringing clearly had an influence on his music” \*\*Sage Francis \*\*- Climb Trees; Supposedly told from the perspective of the antichrist, I dunno, still a good song though. Hoofprints in the Sand;“my higher power doesn’t need to be thanked. Thanks anyways, that from him - to me - to you. I don’t mind being a middle man someday I might need one too” \*\*Saul Williams \*\*- 5 Senses(a poem); [Children of Night(a poem)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5cOJjlyh7w&feature=related); [DNA](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSz2ix4Fi7U); “Hail Mary Mother of God, got a whole host of Angels shuffling in my Ipod”. Tao of Now; Perhaps my favorite song of his, I hope that link works. [Wine (verses at: 3:50, 7:58)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LEdGIcBheM); What more can be said about Saul Williams? Over his entire body of work I don’t think there is a better lyricist around when it comes to the spiritual and metaphysical. Also, most of the lyrics should be easily found via Google. There is quite a bit of clever word play in some of those so it might help to read along; especially with the quicker deliveries. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-religious-songs/493835/27 "2009-04-21T19:58:18Z")
One that I really like I don’t know the name of it but we used to sing it at mass before football games: I will celebrate Sing unto the Lord I will sing to him a new song I will praise him And we will triumph victoriously One of the nice things about going to a Catholic high school was know that God would punish our opponents for daring to step foot on the field against us. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-religious-songs/493835/28 "2009-04-21T20:10:11Z")
Leonard Cohen, “Hallelujah” Johnny Cash, [“When the Man Comes Around”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXMV9DzPnWw&feature=PlayList&p=DCE59F9790B47E54&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=7) The Beatles “Let It Be” (maybe it’s just my interpretation, but I always thought this was about religion) ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-religious-songs/493835/29 "2009-04-21T20:31:09Z")
I’m with **Rubystreak** on Cohen’s Hallelujah. Much of Kris Kristofferson’s work, including “Why Me Lord?”, "Jesus Was a Capricorn (a quite serious song despite the title), “They Killed Him”, etc. One oddity: George Strait’s “Love Without End” is a song about a father and a son, but with a twist at the end that is purely at the heart of what Christianity is all about. ---
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Potato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Stealth\_Potato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Potato)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-religious-songs/493835/30 "2009-04-21T21:05:05Z")
Five Iron Frenzy, full stop. I generally don’t like Christian music (precisely because of how preachy, glurgy, and/or unimaginative it so often is), but I’m a huge fan of Five Iron Frenzy – they manage to make their religious songs at once musically beautiful, lyrically interesting, and deeply sincere. Even though I’m not religious myself, their music is just so heartfelt and uplifting, it makes me feel like I can really understand and even share their faith. My personal favorite is [Dandelions](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWTgFHCw2RM). Just a wonderful, beautiful song in so many ways. I couldn’t possibly do it justice with words, so just listen to it! 🙂 Other favorites: [Every New Day](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNmTa8iwLlA) [Far, Far Away](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j962_A0fxYU) [Cannonball](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bqAEA_3_sE) [Oh, Canada](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QgSuVJ7Jpg) … 😃 ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-religious-songs/493835/31 "2009-04-21T21:16:55Z")
there are a lot of great spirituals that I think non-religious folks can enjoy - from “When the Saints go Marching in” to “Deep River” and “I’ll Fly Away” and “How Can I Keep from Singing”. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-religious-songs/493835/32 "2009-04-21T21:27:40Z")
[Untitled Hymn](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_hV8L65Rqo) - my nieces sang it at my uncle’s funeral. [Here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HkXmOIwpkQ) is a novel approach to sacred music - a reframing of a classic, as it were. On Easter we sang my favorite hymn - #382 in the LBW, “Christ is Risen! Alleluia!” Can’t find it on the Internet, but that is the hymn where I pretend I can sing, and hit the high note as loud as I can, while my daughter dies of embarrassment and everybody looks around to see who the oddball is. My mother says when you sing in church, to God it sounds as good as you intend it. I hope so. [This](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkWn69VBslw&feature=related) is another good one. _O Brother, Where Art Thou?_ has [several.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naOz_uXstO8&feature=related) Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-religious-songs/493835/33 "2009-04-21T21:57:03Z")
Threads like this have me wondering if I’m the only Christian who dislikes Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”… Anyway! **Sufjan Stevens** “To Be Alone With You” **Blindside** “All of Us” **Augustana** “Dust” **Toad the Wet Sprocket** “Little Buddha”, “Pray Your Gods” **Jars of Clay** “Flood”, “Liquid” **DC Talk** “Jesus Freak”, “Supernatural” **Apologetix** “Look Yourself”, “Boulevard of Both Extremes”, “Smooth Grandmama” \*\*Flyleaf \*\*“Cassie” **Red** “Breathe Into Me” **Jennifer Knapp** “Undo Me” \*\*Tori Amos \*\*“God” **Twothirtyeight** “Modern Day Prayer” **38th Parallel** “Turn The Tides” ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-religious-songs/493835/34 "2009-04-22T04:03:44Z")
Pro-Evolution, Anti-YEC religious song: [The Word of God](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-vDhYTlCNw) sung by Kathy Mar, song written by Catherine Faber. \*\*\* Ponder ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-religious-songs/493835/35 "2009-04-22T04:24:03Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Threads like this have me wondering if I’m the only Christian who dislikes Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”… I like it, but I don’t consider it a religious song, so don’t worry, you’re not the only one whose mileage varies. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![tds1273](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@tds1273](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tds1273)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-religious-songs/493835/36 "2009-04-22T04:40:46Z")
Huh, to be honest, this is the first time I’ve ever seen that Soulsavers’ “Revival” video. Forget Tarantino, that is a quality film in its own right. It seems a couple of those links were old, so if may indulge with a few corrections and a couple more songs… Arrested Development - [Raining Revolution(album version)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAyfCPN74cg&feature=related) Atmosphere - [Woman With Tatooed Hands](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG8_yTgNvxQ&feature=PlayList&p=3034FD9CC44302F1&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=51) DMX - [The Convo](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHg-RGH_v4w&feature=PlayList&p=2DAE5E0C569D899A&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=42) Gnarls Barkley - [Go Go Gadget Gospel](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ene2q5pm8H4); [Who’s Gonna Save My Soul](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lomNiMATjk)-Live On Abby Road (very good video) Stevie Wonder - [Have a Talk With God](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQVeCxtuP14) ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-religious-songs/493835/37 "2009-04-22T04:46:38Z")
Being brought up an RC choir kid and later a sub cantor, a couple of my favorites were one of several versions of the 119th Psalm and _Morning has Broken_. As an organist, _Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desire_ and \*Ode to Joy \*top the list. During the year that I spent on the gospel tour around the Chicago area, we played in many AME, Baptist and Pentecostal churches with very spirited music. _I’ll Fly Away_, _O Happy Day_ and the Jennifer Holliday arrangement of _His Eye is on the Sparrow_ remain on my playlist. In the folk, bluegrass and country genres that I’ve been part of in the past few years, _Will the Circle be Unbroken_ and \*Amazing Grace \*(most verses don’t even mention God) are two that I would like to have played at my memorial, even though I am no longer a believer. Kris Kristofferson’s _Why Me, Lord?_ and Dolly Parton’s version of _What a Friend We Have in Jesus_ are also favorites for personal reasons. Probably the number one on my list, though, would have to be _Jesus Loves the Little Children_. I think that the idea of children being worthy of love, regardless of circumstances of birth, is touching. I love \*Silent Night \*for the same reason. ---
**Author:** ![fifty-six](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fifty-six](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fifty-six)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-religious-songs/493835/38 "2009-04-22T05:31:48Z")
**Slayer** “Altar Of Sacrifice” **unknown artist** “The Lord Told Noah” (The Lord told Noah to build him an arky, arky,) \*\* ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-religious-songs/493835/39 "2009-04-22T05:47:44Z")
“Heaven is a Halfpipe” -OMP Black Jesus- Everlast Blue Jeans and a Rosary- Kid Rock 😛 Not really religious. But I still liked it quite a lot for its sentiment. ---
**Author:** ![Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petrobey_Mavromihalis)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-religious-songs/493835/40 "2009-04-22T07:57:21Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Threads like this have me wondering if I’m the only Christian who dislikes Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”… It’s debatable whether it’s even a religious song, but it is certainly not a Christian one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-religious-songs/493835.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-religious-songs/493835.md?page=3)