So moving. Thank you.
Not that I don’t think XTC has its place, but… how do I explain my intent?
Quick background:I’m a folk Catholic. I was raised to believe in spirits in the ground and the hills and the dirt, but my family went to churches as often as shamans. I think God is everywhere, and I am deeply spiritual, although not in a traditional sense.I do pray, but I experience divinity in beauty, through the arts, usually singing. I was part of a choir for eleven years, moved and haven’t sung for about two years. I let the God out of my throat this way.
I’m not preachy or dismissive of anyone’s faith or lack thereof, but I’m just not looking for songs that don’t reaffirm faith somehow, and XTC’s song is about anger with God. Even at the worst of times, I’ve never been angry. That’s why I’m looking for uplifting, hopeful, transcendent music. It helps my spirit feel light, I sing along, and unburden.
A good (and obvious) one I left out of the original post: Hallelujah.
Haha, that’s fantastic! Any song that can be that postive about death is officially awesome. I was having myself a little revival.
Almost anything my Matisyahu. Some of his songs are overtly Jewish, but not all. I don’t know if you care for reggae, though. In my first post(#10), I mentioned “Orphans of God” by Buddy and Julie Miller. The song was actually written by Mark Heard, a literate Contemporary Christian singer-songwriter. I would recommend any of his songs, but they have bad ‘80’s production values. He’s dead now, so he doesn’t have any songs with modern production. I really like the Millers’ cover version and I recommended it because Mindy Smith and Dolly Parton were mentioned in the OP and Mr. and Mrs. Miller are country-ish.
The Beat Farmers’ God Is Here Tonight
Prince, I Would Die 4 U.
Wait, wait, there’s some dust on the album cover … let me brush it off … the actual title turns out to be “The God That Failed In No Way Whatsoever Because He’s Totally Cool.”
Since you mentioned Live and you mentioned spiritual-type songs, have you heard Heaven? I’m an atheist-leaning agnostic, so the lyrics aren’t exactly my cup of tea, but it’s got a catchy tune and seems to be the type of thing you’re looking for.
The Ruling Class by Loose Fur.
The best “Jesus comes back as a homeless guy” song I’ve ever heard.
*Have no fear
He’s right here
Drinking beer
Just trying to get down
…
Turn your frown upside down
Christ is on his way across town
*.
Ben Harper’s Power of the Gospel and God Fearing Man both from Fight for Your Mind.
Oh my god. I never realized. I was about 10, so there is no excuse. I loved the song. Sang every word including the word ‘messiah’. I must have been the stupidest 10 year old on the planet.
I Don’t Know How To Love Him from JC Superstar came to mind. It may not be what you’re looking for, but it’s a lovely song and when I heard it as a teen, I was mooning over a cute boy with a perfect 'fro.
It betta not had been my crush! Clifton, where ever you are, I miss you and your afro supreme! Jali, I loved that song, too.
I beg to differ: his last three albums (Dry Bones Dance, Second Hand, and Satellite Sky) were more folky and organic, and hold up quite well. And the Buddy and Julie Miller version of “Orphans of God” is the title track of a two-CD trbute album of covers of Mark Heard songs.
http://www.markheard.net/ is a Mark Heard tribute site, which includes lyrics to all his songs. The late, great Mark Heard was a brilliant, poetic, spiritual songwriter.
Aha. Well, that changes things!
Good song, but I’m dancing too much to reflect on anything.
…Genius!
I downloaded Buddy and Julie’s “Orphans of God” because I am a fan of theirs. I then went looking to see what album of theirs this song was on and found out about the tribute album. That is how I first found out about Mark Heard.
I played it for my wife and her reaction was “Whoever told him he could sing lied to him.”
I think it’s cool, but I can understand if the voice isn’t your taste.
Randy Newman, “God’s Song”
“You all must be crazy
To put your faith in Me
That’s why I love mankind
You really need me
That’s why I love mankind”
try these guys, I couldn’t find the tune I really wanted; Peace has Broken Out, but still
No cite, but I’ve heard that the Who’s: Bargain or is that a Townsend solo, is meant to be about a spritual quest, not a romantic one.
ETA: don’t forget to contemplate the question in What if God was one of Us; ‘what would you ask, if you had just one question?’