“Science” by System of a Down

Toxicity
American Recordings
2001

The Enlightenment generated the twin ideas that progress is inevitable and that science will solve society’s problems. This song rejects those ideas. Regress is just as likely as progress and science, rather than solving society's problems, has sometimes contributed to its decay.

Making two possibilities a reality

Predicting the future of things we all know

Fighting off the diseased programming

Of centuries, centuries, centuries, centuries

Science fails to recognize the single most

Potent element of human existence

letting the reigns go to the unfolding

Is faith, faith, faith, faith

Science has failed our world

Science has failed our Mother Earth

Science fails to recognize the single most

Potent element of human existence

letting the reigns go to the unfolding

Is faith, faith, faith, faith

Science has failed our world

Science has failed our Mother Earth

Spirit-moves-through-all-things

Letting the reigns go to the unfolding

Is faith, faith, faith, faith

Science has failed our world

Science has failed our Mother Earth

Spirit-moves-through-all-things

Science has failed our Mother Earth

Interpretation

Making two possibilities a reality

Predicting the future of things we all know

Fighting off the diseased programming

Of centuries, centuries, centuries, centuries

In this first stanza the narrator describes the Enlightenment’s promise. The prophets of this worldview told us that reason would defeat evil. Science will “[fight] off the diseased programming of centuries” meaning that humanity’s years of ignorance will dissipate in the light of knowledge, technology, and the inevitability of progress.

Science fails to recognize the single most

Potent element of human existence

Letting the reigns go to the unfolding

Is faith, faith, faith, faith

The narrator states that the “most potent” or powerful “element of human existence” is “faith” and “science” ignores this reality. The narrator goes on to describe faith as “letting the reigns go”, which criticizes the attitude accompanying the Enlightenment since it’s based on human control. Faith is letting go (humility), science is holding on (arrogance).

Science has failed our world

Science has failed our Mother Earth

The narrator states that “science has failed” to accomplish what it promised, which is a core tenet of the postmodern critique of the Enlightenment. The horrendous evils of the past one hundred and fifty years (including the destructive toll of progress on "Mother Earth") is cited as an indictment against blind devotion to science.

Science fails to recognize the single most

Potent element of human existence

Letting the reigns go to the unfolding

Is faith, faith, faith, faith

Science has failed our world

Science has failed our Mother Earth

Spirit-moves-through-all-things

“Spirit moves through all things” holds a double meaning. First, it means that though science has failed to deliver on the promises of the Enlightenment, there is still value in its pursuit. Because the “spirit moves through all things” God can work through science. Second, it is a further condemnation of those who go through life on blind faith both in the power of science and in the movement of God in things with obvious natural causes. Both beliefs stem from ignorance and laziness. Faith, on the other hand, is active, potent, and uncontrollable. To the narrator, faith is the greatest aspect of humanity.

Letting the reigns go to the unfolding

Is faith, faith, faith, faith

Science has failed our world

Science has failed our Mother Earth

Spirit-moves-through-all-things

Science has failed our Mother Earth

“Release” by Pearl Jam

Ten
Epic Records
1991

This is a beautiful song telling the story of people who obeyed God including Noah, Abraham, and Jesus. The character in each story struggles with the desire to be released from their responsibility. Noah seeks release from his task of building the ark, Abraham with the command to kill his son, and Jesus from execution.

I see the world

Feel the chill

Which way to go

Windowsill

I see the world's on a

Rocking horse of time

I see the birds in the rain

Dear dad

Can you see me now?

I am myself

Like you somehow

I'll ride the wave

Where it takes me

I'll hold the pain

Release me

Dear Dad

Can you see me now?

I am myself

Like you somehow

I'll wait up in the dark

For you to speak to me

I'll open up

Release me

Interpretation

I see the world

Feel the chill

Which way to go

Windowsill

I see the world's on a

Rocking horse of time

I see the birds in the rain

God commands Noah to build a big boat and he obeys. Noah surveys “the world” around him and “feels the chill” meaning the wickedness of the people as well as the destruction caused by the flood. After the flood destroys the evil of human civilization, Noah wonders where to go since they are floating aimlessly. He then muses about the nature of reality and describes the movement of God in creation as a “rocking horse of time” meaning the tilt from creation to the flood and now back to a fresh start. The “birds in the rain” signifies the birds that brought proof of dry land or, in a veiled way, it could be Noah anticipating the coming of Messiah (the dove at Jesus’ baptism).

Dear dad

Can you see me now?

I am myself

Like you somehow

I'll ride the wave

Where it takes me

I'll hold the pain

Next, is Abraham’s story. The familiarity with which he addresses God exhibits their intimacy. God has just asked him to sacrifice his son Isaac and Abraham is poised to follow through. He describes himself as “like” God comparing his own sacrifice to God’s sending of his only son to be executed. In this way they are similar. Abraham promises to follow God’s order (“ride the wave where it takes me”) despite the fact that it will be hurt. Abraham is prepared to bear this burden (“hold the pain”).

Release me

This line is sung by Noah and Abraham as a request to be excused from the task or (like Jesus on the cross saying ‘into your hands I commit my spirit’) it could be a declaration of complete surrender to God’s will; a statement of readiness to obey God’s commands.

Dear Dad

Can you see me now?

I am myself

Like you somehow

I'll wait up in the dark

For you to speak to me

I'll open up

There are two possible speakers here. The first is Jesus in the garden crying out to God (his “Dad”) to “speak” to him. Jesus prays for the cup, or his impending execution, to be removed from him. Jesus prays in the garden all night, listening for God. The second possible speaker is a generic narrator who is in turmoil over something God calls him to do. He asks if God sees him, understands that the agony he is experiencing is “somehow” like Jesus in the garden. The narrator promises to “wait” patiently throughout the “dark” of the night to hear God “speak. He promises to “open up”, to submit to God.

Release me

Jesus asks God to release him from the responsibility of the cross and the other speaker asks to be released from his painful duty. But all of these speakers when they say, “release me”, are also surrendering to God. Their request is also to be released from their doubt and strengthened as they obey.

“Until the End of the World” by U2

Achtung Baby
Island Records
1991

Sung from Judas’ perspective, this song explores his betrayal of Christ. The sexual images employed throughout the song signify an intimate relationship between Jesus and Judas and imply that Judas’ motive in betrayal is more complex than greed. We are led to consider whether Judas betrayed Jesus for money, love, or religion.

Haven't seen you in quite a while

I was down the hold just passing time

Last time we met was a low-lit room

We were as close together

As a bride and groom

We ate the food, we drank the wine

Everybody having a good time

Except you

You were talking

About the end of the world

I took the money, I spiked your drink

You miss too much these days

If you stop to think

You lead me on with those innocent eyes

You know I love the element of surprise

In the garden

I was playing the tart

I kissed your lips and broke your heart

You, you were acting

Like it was the end of the world

Love

In my dream I was drowning my sorrows

But my sorrows, they learned to swim

Surrounding me, going down on me

Spilling over the brim

Waves of regret and waves of joy

I reached out for the one

I tried to destroy

You, you said you'd wait

Till the end of the world

Interpretation

Haven't seen you in quite a while

I was down the hold just passing time

Last time we met was a low-lit room

We were as close together

As a bride and groom

The opening scene finds Judas greeting Jesus in the garden prior to betraying him. Judas hasn’t seen Jesus recently because he was secretly plotting with the chief priests. He brushes off his absence by saying we was “down the hold just passing time” or simply twiddling his thumbs. Judas reminds him the last time they were together was during the last supper where Judas was seated near Jesus (“close together as a bride and groom”).

We ate the food, we drank the wine

Everybody having a good time

Except you

You were talking

About the end of the world

Judas recalls the last supper where everyone was feeling pretty good about things. Most still had wrong ideas about Jesus and were probably expecting armed rebellion until Jesus started talking about his impending death. Maybe Jesus’ words led Judas to take the route he did. “The end of the world” refers to the disciple’s perception that if Jesus died their hopes for an earthly Jewish kingdom would die as well. Maybe Judas wanted to force Jesus into action or maybe he was furious at the idea of Jesus leaving them.

I took the money, I spiked your drink

You miss too much these days

If you stop to think

You lead me on with those innocent eyes

You know I love the element of surprise

Spiking Jesus’ drink (stealing money from the treasury and/or the betrayal) is retaliation for Judas’ disappointment with Jesus as Messiah. Jesus enticed Judas with “innocent eyes”, like a lover playing hard to get. Messiah was to establish God’s kingdom on earth and Judas avidly believed Jesus could be that person so he followed him like a lover enjoying being flirted with. Judas ultimately felt disillusioned and deceived as if Jesus used his power of attraction to lure Judas into a foolhardy cause.

In the garden

I was playing the tart

I kissed your lips and broke your heart

You, you were acting

Like it was the end of the world

Back in the garden, Judas proceeds with the betrayal. Judas describes himself as a “tart”, or prostitute, in that he approaches Jesus as a friend but had ulterior motives. We aren’t told what that motive could be. There are two possibilities. The first is that Judas is a Zealot who expects Messiah to be a military conqueror. Judas hands Jesus over to the authorities to force this violence to a head. The second possibility is that Judas loves Jesus beyond the normal devotion of a disciple. Judas then went crazy when Jesus started talking about his own death (the “end of the world”) and betrayed him in a fit of anger.

Love

This single word suggests that Judas loved Jesus and didn’t intend for him to be executed. Judas either wanted Jesus to fight or he wanted to get back at him for scorning his love.

In my dream I was drowning my sorrows

But my sorrows, they learned to swim

Surrounding me, going down on me

Spilling over the brim

After the betrayal, Judas regrets his actions. The nightmare he created is overwhelming him; his “sorrows” are crushing him, they’ve “learned to swim”. Judas is highly distressed and once again sexual imagery describes this tremendous agony. The scene depicts a chaotic sort of demonic orgy within Judas.

Waves of regret and waves of joy

I reached out for the one

I tried to destroy

You, you said you'd wait

Till the end of the world

Even in his grief—leading to suicide—Judas realizes that Jesus was more than even he imagined hence the “waves of joy”. At the end of his rope (no pun intended), Judas reaches out for the redemption Jesus offers implying that it’s available even to the person who betrayed Jesus.

“The World I Know” by Collective Soul

Collective Soul
Atlantic Records
1994

This song describes the narrator's awakening from the only world he's known to emerge in the the breathtaking reality of God’s kingdom.

Has our conscience shown?

Has the sweet breeze blown?

Has all the kindness gone?

Hope still lingers on

I drink myself of newfound pity

Sitting alone in New York City

And I don't know why

Are we listening

To hymns of offering?

Have we eyes to see

That love is gathering?

All the words that I've been reading

Have now started the act of bleeding

Into one

So I walk up on high

And I step to the edge

To see my world below

And I laugh at myself

As the tears roll down

'Cause it's the world I know

It's the world I know

I drink myself of newfound pity

Sitting alone in New York City

And I don't know why

So I walk up on high

And I step to the edge

To see my world below

And I laugh at myself

As the tears roll down

'Cause it's the world I know

It's the world I know

Interpretation

Has our conscience shown?
Has the sweet breeze blown?
Has all the kindness gone?
Hope still lingers on
The narrator wonders if society is too far gone to be saved. The world has ignored its conscience so we haven't experienced any "sweet breeze" of friendship, peace, or even "kindness". The story of civilization is hate, warfare, and death. Despite this grim realization, the narrator still has hope that it can be different.

I drink myself of newfound pity
Sitting alone in New York City
And I don't know why

Alone and wallowing in sorrow and self “pity”, the narrator laments the state of the world. He wants to know why the world is in such a state of brutality, but answers escape him; he doesn’t “know why”.

Are we listening
To hymns of offering?
Have we eyes to see
That love is gathering?

Next, the narrator wonders if we as humans (or maybe Christians specifically) recognize the message that Jesus taught; do we have “eyes to see”? A blatant reference to Jesus’ often repeated phrase, ‘he who has ears to hear, listen!’ The narrator calls us to wake up and recognize that “love is gathering”; God’s kingdom is breaking into our world.

All the words that I've been reading
Have now started the act of bleeding
Into one
The “words” the narrator has “been reading” is Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. That amazing oratory is taking shape in the narrator’s mind as a unified force that will renew the world.

So I walk up on high
And I step to the edge
To see my world below
And I laugh at myself
As the tears roll down
'Cause it's the world I know
It's the world I know
This stanza paints two pictures. The first is one of suicide; going up to the roof (“on high”) and stepping “to the edge” as if to jump. The narrator “laughs” bitterly at himself while he’s crying because he realizes he is self-consumed, sick with self-love. The only “world” the narrator knows is this one characterized by selfishness. The emptiness of that world is enough to drive him suicide. The second picture conveys the narrator's spiritual transformation, an experience akin to walking in the clouds ("on high"). He steps "to the edge" of his selfishness ready to throw away his old world and jump into God's kingdom.

I drink myself of newfound pity
Sitting alone in New York City
And I don't know why

So I walk up on high
And I step to the edge
To see my world below
And I laugh at myself
As the tears roll down
'Cause it's the world I know
It's the world I know