Dreams. by The Cranberries

I adore this song. It has begins with standard pop music and moderately thoughtful lyrics which is my favorite formula. Then, it moves into the about-to-run-off-the-rails section musically at the end that is another hallmark of great songs. Of course, actually devolving into utter musical chaos isn't allowed in great music. Any fool can be chaotic. It is in approaching the abyss but in not going over that is the mark of real work.

Lyrically, the song is true to its title. Then, as if it isn't any big revelation, the Muse steps up the lyrics 5 notches with the line:

"there'll come dreams, impossible not to do, impossible not to do."

The singer goes back to the song with some love song implication which tells me that the most important line is perhaps lost on her. Dreams that are impossible not to do? Chew on that while you enjoy this bit of existential brilliance.  

Sometimes by Step. by Rich Mullins.

This enjoyable song by hoosier Rich Mullins gets our place in life almost right. I hope that Rich (Wayne) knew what he was saying when he wrote this, but I can't be sure given some of his statements near to the time of his car accident that toke him to heaven.

"There was so much work left to do
But so much You'd already done"

"You'd" is correctly capitalized to suggest that God is the agent of action. However, the line before it is the key line: there was so much work left to do by whom? 

The answer is God. Not us. We are called to stand at His side. "My burden is light" isn't a pipe dream. It correctly defines our role as well as God's expectations. He know we can't do much. Well, anything, really.

In the end, enjoy this piece of Musical truth, but be clear about Whom is doing all that "work left to do". It isn't you. Just stand and resist the yoke of slavery which is thinking that all (or anything) we do on our own is worthy of God.

(Galatians 5:1)

I Believe in You. by The Kry

This is a curious and troubling set of song lyrics in many ways. It has a great sound and some great platitudes, but is almost completely untrue. But not entirely.

There are many references in this song to people holding on the Christ, fighting with Him, believing from mountain top to bottom of the ocean. We all know that is a complete fantasy. People that live one hundred years here on earth probably believe a total of 4 minutes. And, even that meager belief is a complete gift from God. Still, the bold statements draw me in every listen and are completely redeemed by the inclusion of the actual truth of our state here on earth at the end of the song.

God is the source of strength and belief and the sustainer of our faith. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Brilliant and truer words have never been written. The song is off base in centering on human effort to sustain our relationship with God. And then the Muse got ahold of the lyrics and reminded the song writers to get it right by adding the young child reciting actual truth and not the ridiculous fantasy which is the bulk of the song lyric.

So, listen with the understanding that the humanism of the entire song (minus the Romans 8:38-9 reference at the end) is a nice thought and completely devoid of reality. The reality is completely in the words of the four year old at the end.

Goodbye to love. by The Carpenters.

The prototype of the power ballad? Mayhaps.

A song about ungotten love? Sure.
A song about found love? Arnie says yes.

Is it possible that the entire text of the song is on depressing prelude to the love forlorn FINALLY finding love in the fuzz guitar solo at the incredible end of the song?

Consider the feeling and tone of the guitar solo at the end. It isn't anything like being depressed at being loveless. In fact, Richard Carpenter told the guitarist to "rip it up" after sticking to the melody for 5 bars. Who is going to feel energized by the universe enough to "rip it up" if you are loveless?

The text of the song stands. Fine. The protagonist is lonely and headed south. Then, guitar at the end reveals an entirely new page to the story. A heroic moment. A power moment. A moment of strength. A moment of … love.

Did Richard intend this additional "chapter"? Probably not. The Muse decided to include it anyway. Listen and see if you agree. The guitar begins 2:55 in.

We Are Young. by Fun.

We - Humans, as saved by grace
Are - Exist in a state that we are barely aware of
Young - Just starting out on the human learning experiment. Being young will not last forever. In this moment of our youth, we are uniquely (angels don't get God's interest in us, nor does Satan as a angel) empowered with God's indwelling even while surrounded by a world defined by His antithesis: imperfection. Only in this moment here on this current earth can we live with God's grace as well as with a broken and chaotic world. Chaos is perhaps the most opposite of God. We live chaos daily. Though God is the only help within the mess of our young lives.

Through our own death or through some other titanic change, we will soon not be young. When that time comes, we will know God in a different way, within the confines of perfection everywhere. Knowing both the imperfect and the perfect with then raise us above the angels, since they only really "get" perfection.

Lyrically, the song plays to the standard desire of guys to come to the aid of women when Janelle adds her plea for someone to "Carry me home".

This song is popular for a reason, though the music video illustrates that the artists fail to see the bigger picture of what they have stumbled on to. Today, being popular often means you have touched something existential in all of us. That is the case here. This song is really about much more than a bar brawl and touching emotions. It is about where emotions start. In addition, it is singable and has a major-key melody. Both are important for broad acceptance.

This is an amazingly insightful muse that the video artists just didn't understand. But then, they seldom do. We are all, indeed, young, and it has nothing to do with our length of earthly days. And even less with bar hijinks. Bars? Please. That's like War and Peace being about Russia.