“The Last Goodbye” by Black Label Society

Shot to Hell
Roadrunner Records
2006

This Passion song depicts Jesus in the garden, at the Last Supper, and then on the cross. Jesus’ execution did not mark the end for him. He was resurrected. Jesus achieved victory over death so he did not have to say any last goodbyes, not to his friends and not to his enemies. By following him, we too can avoid these last goodbyes.

Take me down this road

I've been down here once before

Take me down this road

Once again never again

Forever more

Take me down this road

Once more

Take this love, take this life

Take this blood, it'll never die

Take this love, take this life

Take this blood, it'll never die

This ain’t the last goodbye

Take me down this road

Just to see a smile on your face

Take me down this road

All that is and all that was

Can be replaced

Take me down this road

Once more

Take this love, take this life

Take this blood, it'll never die

Take this love, take this life

Take this blood, it'll never die

This ain’t the last goodbye

Interpretation

Take me down this road

I've been down here once before

Take me down this road

Once again never again

Forever more

Take me down this road

Once more

In the garden Jesus prays to God. He refers the road he’s been traveling; the road of self-sacrifice. That he has been down it before refers to Philippians 2 when Jesus the Son, did not hold onto the special relationship he shared with God but instead chose to empty himself in order to fulfill his work of redemption. Jesus renounced his glorified state with God to come to earth. Now, Jesus is poised to renounce his very life. God is leading him down that road of self-sacrifice again but there will not be a third time (“never again”). Jesus’ second instance of self-sacrifice will complete the work of reconciliation and will be sufficient “forever more”.

Take this love, take this life

Take this blood, it'll never die

Take this love, take this life

Take this blood, it'll never die

This ain’t the last goodbye

At the Last Supper Jesus speaks to his disciples imploring them to remember his “love” (by loving others), his “life” (by preaching his message of redemption), and his “blood” (by celebrating his victory over death). If the disciples do these things, they will not only continue to know and love the resurrected Jesus, but they will also experience victory over death in their own resurrection. Jesus’ death doesn’t mean goodbye.

Take me down this road

Just to see a smile on your face

Take me down this road

All that is and all that was

Can be replaced

Take me down this road

Once more

Jesus is now singing to his killers. Though they are torturing him he longs to see them know joy. He wants them to experience rebirth into a new life outside of the evil empire. The horrible things they’re doing to him (“all that is”) and the bad things they’ve done to others (“all that was”) can be replaced in this new life. The evil that the soldiers currently exhibit will be “replaced” (taken away) by something good and the innocence that they lost will be “replaced” (restored).

Take this love, take this life

Take this blood, it'll never die

Take this love, take this life

Take this blood, it'll never die

This ain’t the last goodbye

Jesus offers his gift to the soldiers. He freely gives them his love and, through his death and resurrection, the soldiers can enjoy an eternity of peace and joy. There are also shades of judgment in Jesus’ words. Few people will accept his offer of life even after his resurrection. Despite this rejection, Jesus will be vindicated. Though they tried to kill him and marginalize his message they failed. Jesus hanging on the cross was not “the last goodbye”.

“Toxicity” by System of a Down

Toxicity
American
2001

This is a song about consumerism pushed by corporations and greedily accepted by the masses. Addiction to consumption has created a toxic existence that only Christ can dispel.

Conversion, software version 7.0

Looking at life through the eyes of a tire hub

Eating seeds as a pastime activity

The toxicity of our city, of our city

Now, what do you own the world?

How do you own disorder, disorder

Now somewhere between the sacred silence

Sacred silence and sleep

Somewhere, between the sacred silence and sleep

Disorder, disorder, disorder

More wood for the fires, loud neighbors

Flashlight reveries caught in the headlights of a truck

Now, what do you own the world?

How do you own disorder, disorder

Now somewhere between the sacred silence

Sacred silence and sleep

Somewhere between the sacred silence and sleep

Disorder, disorder, disorder

Now, what do you own the world?

How do you own disorder, disorder

Now somewhere between the sacred silence

Sacred silence and sleep

Somewhere, between the sacred silence and sleep

Disorder, disorder, disorder

When I became the sun

I shone life into the man’s heart

Interpretation

Conversion, software version 7.0

Looking at life through the eyes of a tire hub

Eating seeds as a pastime activity

The toxicity of our city, of our city

This first stanza sets the tone by mocking AOL and other companies that constantly put out updates with few meaningful changes. These corporate machines hope to create value through mass. The narrator compares these corporation’s myopic focus to watching “life though the eyes of a tire hub”. In other words, these companies are so intent on gaining market share and profit, they are only able to see the blur of the street flashing past rather than a broader scene. Not only do corporations contribute to “the toxicity of our city” through dehumanizing profit-grabbing, but people are believing what the companies tell them. Advertising has convinced us to buy into the health craze whereby we eat “seeds as a pastime activity” in an attempt to lose weight, gain muscle, prevent aging, and achieve and maintain erections. The narrator declares this obsession is toxic.

Now, what do you own the world?

How do you own disorder, disorder

Now somewhere between the sacred silence

Sacred silence and sleep

Somewhere, between the sacred silence and sleep

Disorder, disorder, disorder

In the chorus we see that the narrator’s anger is directed again at corporations. He asks if these corporations think they “own the world”. But how can a corporation own life, which, in the mind of the narrator, is characterized by “disorder”. This is presumably the jumbled up mess that is humanity. At times we do good, other times we do evil. Sometimes we sell our souls to corporate advertising and other times we take the road of self-denial and simplicity. The narrator goes on to say that our lives are marked by “disorder” from our birth (“the sacred silence” of the womb) to our death (“sleep”).

More wood for the fires, loud neighbors

Flashlight reveries caught in the headlights of a truck

This brief stanza builds on the idea in the chorus about the disorder that marks our lives. “More wood for the fires” describes our practice of destroying the environment for our own needs. “Loud neighbors” describes first the selfishness of being obnoxious when in close proximity to others and second the separation that exists between “neighbors” who should be more intimate. “Flashlight reveries” refers to a crime being committed that is “caught” by the authorities (in the “headlights of [their] truck”).

Now, what do you own the world?

How do you own disorder, disorder

Now somewhere between the sacred silence

Sacred silence and sleep

Somewhere between the sacred silence and sleep

Disorder, disorder, disorder

Now, what do you own the world?

How do you own disorder, disorder

Now somewhere between the sacred silence

Sacred silence and sleep

Somewhere, between the sacred silence and sleep

Disorder, disorder, disorder

When I became the sun

I shone life into the man’s heart

This final stanza is an assertion of great hope. The narrator is identified as Jesus (“the sun”, read: “Son”), who shines “life into the man’s heart”. Looking back over the song, Jesus shows anger at corporations for the toxic consumerism that they propagate and at the people who trade their old values for these materialistic ones. The “life” that Jesus shines into our hearts is a light that exposes our greed and toxic selfishness. With the light shining on our evil we can no longer avoid the disorder that corporations try to exploit and that we try to paint as something other than evil.

"In My Place" by Coldplay

A Rush of Blood to the Head
Capitol
2002

This song explores Jesus’ vocation on which God imposed a specific script (described as lines). People in power also had a script in mind for Jesus but he constantly upset those expectations. Jesus’s followers (his disciples and those of us since) also experience the script we are to follow flowing from our vocation. Following the script sometimes brings pain and frustration so we cry out to God asking how long we have wait until the kingdom comes to earth and our hopes are fully realized.

In my place, in my place

Were lines that I couldn't change

I was lost, oh yeah

I was lost, I was lost

Crossed lines I shouldn't have crossed

I was lost, oh yeah

Yeah, how long must you wait for it?

Yeah, how long must you pay for it?

Yeah, how long must you wait for it?

I was scared, I was scared

Tired and under-prepared

But I wait for you

If you go, if you go

Leave me here down on my own

Well I wait for you

Yeah, how long must you wait for it?

Yeah, how long must you pay for it?

Yeah, how long must you wait for it?

Sing it please, please, please

Come back come sing to me

To me, me

Come on and sing it out now, now

Come on and sing it out to me, me

Come back come sing it

In my place, in my place

Were lines that I couldn't change

I was lost, oh yeah

Interpretation

In my place, in my place

Were lines that I couldn't change

I was lost, oh yeah

In this first stanza, Jesus describes his life. The “lines” he “couldn’t change” refer to his vocation as Messiah. Those “lines”, as in a script, would lead Jesus to one result: persecution and death. By remaining obedient to his vocation he would forfeit his life; he “was lost”.

I was lost, I was lost

Crossed lines I shouldn't have crossed

I was lost, oh yeah

There were different “lines” playing out in Jesus’ life though these were imposed by the people around him. Jewish religious leaders drew certain lines in the sand and Roman authorities drew others. Jesus ignored these lines attracting hatred from both groups. He was lost since by physically crossing those lines he surrenders his life, literally.

Yeah, how long must you wait for it?

Yeah, how long must you pay for it?

Yeah, how long must you wait for it?

Jesus cries out asking how long until God is victorious (the first “it”), how long must the burden be carried (the second “it”), and how long until the Kingdom is fully established (the final “it”).

I was scared, I was scared

Tired and under-prepared

But I wait for you

Jesus’ followers are speaking now. They reveal their fear, fatigue, and lack of skill in the hours following the crucifixion. Many have lost hope and yet they continue to wait despite the fact that they don’t clearly know to expect Jesus’ resurrection.

If you go, if you go

Leave me here down on my own

Well I wait for you

After the resurrection, Jesus’ followers are faced with him leaving them again in the Ascension. They lament this separation but resolve to keep hoping and anticipating his return in glory. They begin to understand the grand scheme and though Jesus is going away for a time, they will wait for that time.

Yeah, how long must you wait for it?

Yeah, how long must you pay for it?

Yeah, how long must you wait for it?

Much like Jesus’ cry, his followers ask how long until he returns (the first “it”), how long they must face persecution and disdain (the second “it”), and how long until the Kingdom is fully established (the final “it”). Jesus’ followers wonder what God is waiting for; they are pleading for God to act.

Sing it please, please, please

Come back come sing to me

To me, me

Come on and sing it out now, now

Come on and sing it out to me, me

Come back come sing it

A combined song; Jesus singing to God and the disciples singing to Christ. The song they long to hear is the song of the Kingdom from Luke 4:18-19: good news to the poor, release for the captives, recovery of sight for the blind, comfort for the downtrodden, the year of the Lord’s favor. This is the most beautiful of all songs.

In my place, in my place

Were lines that I couldn't change

I was lost, oh yeah

This is our cry. We who call Jesus ‘Lord’ will face the same “lines” as Jesus and his disciples. We have a script to follow, which will mean stepping over lines other people draw for us. If we pick up our cross we will be hated and persecuted. We can’t change that. Our lives are not our own. We forfeit them when we follow Christ.

“Symphony Of Destruction” by Megadeth

Countdown to Destruction
Capitol
1992

“Symphony Of Destruction” describes the violent history of the United States of America. Beginning with the British Empire, which built its wealth and power on violence the song moves on to the independent USA still drenched in violence. The USA justified our violent reaction against the British and yet, in our freedom, replicated that violent cycle throughout our history.

You take a mortal man

And put him in control

Watch him become a god

Watch peoples heads a'roll

Just like the Pied Piper

Led rats through the streets

We dance like marionettes

Swaying to the Symphony of Destruction

Acting like a robot

Its metal brain corrodes

You try to take its pulse

Before the head explodes

Just like the Pied Piper

Led rats through the streets

We dance like marionettes

Swaying to the Symphony of Destruction

The earth starts to rumble

World powers fall

A'warring for the heavens

A peaceful man stands tall

Just like the Pied Piper

Led rats through the streets

We dance like marionettes

Swaying to the Symphony of Destruction

Interpretation

You take a mortal man

And put him in control

Watch him become a god

Watch people’s heads a'roll

This stanza describes the British Empire led by King George III. He is the “mortal man” that is put “in control” and acquires god-like power. When leaders have unlimited power they are easily corruptible which leads to the sort of violent regime characterized by warfare abroad and capital punishment at home (where “people’s heads a’roll”). The growing dissatisfaction with a king as their leader in the American colonies is one of many causes of the rebellion against the crown.

Just like the Pied Piper

Led rats through the streets

We dance like marionettes

Swaying to the symphony of destruction

Masses of people are deceived by this leader (“the Pied Piper”). We let ourselves become easily manipulated puppets compliantly “swaying to the symphony of destruction”. What is being destroyed in this symphony? Life, first of all, as a result of warfare. The nation’s economic well-being, global goodwill, and moral grounding is also eroded by deranged leaders. We who ignorantly follow the leader lose ourselves as the ship sinks and civil society is destroyed in repression and corruption. In the story of the American Revolution, people came to see themselves as being manipulated by King George III, which gave rise to the rallying cry, ‘Don’t Tread On Me’. They sought freedom from a leader consumed by the death song.

Acting like a robot

Its metal brain corrodes

You try to take its pulse

Before the head explodes

The monarchy is compared to a “robot” with a corroding “metal brain” and no pulse. The King’s savage tendency towards violence occurs like a programmed response. As leaders gain power they become corrupt and inhuman. The final two lines are a revolutionary statement. Why would we need to take the King’s pulse before “the head explodes”? This is an image of a violent demise to a violent regime. The people are rising up to destroy the violent monarchy’s hold on them. We figuratively “take its pulse” to satisfy ourselves that what we are killing is not human—it’s a machine. We want to believe we are not evil like the King and can justify our revolt.

Just like the Pied Piper

Led rats through the streets

We dance like marionettes

Swaying to the symphony of destruction

We’ve stopped “swaying” to the King’s destructive tune. Instead we’ve created our own death song. This chorus makes it clear that the slavery we experience is not to human government but to something deeper and darker. Even though we’ve rid ourselves of an evil despot, we still find ourselves being led “through the streets” like rats; we’re still dancing like puppets to the music of death. The true conductor of the “symphony of destruction” is our own lust for power and violence.

The earth starts to rumble

World powers fall

A'warring for the heavens

A peaceful man stands tall

The scene flashes forward as the United States emerges from its colonial period. Rather than breaking free from the yoke of violence and tyranny, this new country is mired in an endless series of wars, conflicts, and brutality at home and abroad. The culmination of this savagery is evident when the US rises to the level of a “world power”. With our violent song pulling us forward in a trancelike dance, we begin to shake the earth—it “starts to rumble”. We exert our military might in toppling regimes that threaten our safety or corporate interests and justify much of our warfare with religious language (“a’warring for the heavens”—we’re fighting for God). And then the last line turns all of this on its head. “A peaceful man stands tall,” describes Jesus. Jesus stands for everything contrary to the “symphony of destruction”. He “stands tall” because his message is so contrary to the message of the conductors of the death song.

Just like the Pied Piper

Led rats through the streets

We dance like marionettes

Swaying to the symphony of destruction

As long as we remain ignorant and complacent we are complicit in the violence and oppression characteristic of the current US empire, the former British empire, and the long list of evil empires throughout history. The “peaceful man” that “stands tall” offers a way out. Jesus presents a new set of dreams and values in God’s kingdom that will release us from the song of the “Pied Piper” and the strings of the puppeteer. Jesus will teach us a new song that sounds nothing like the “symphony of destruction”.

“Redemption Day” by Sheryl Crow

Sheryl Crow
A&M
1996

This song is a cry for God's Kingdom to come bringing with it an end to evil in our world especially in the area of war and violence.

I've wept for those who suffer long

But how I weep for those who've gone

Into rooms of grief and questioned wrong

But keep on killing

It's in the soul to feel such things

But weak to watch without speaking

Oh what mercy sadness brings

If God be willing

There is a train that's heading straight

To heaven's gate, to heaven's gate

And on the way, child and man,

And woman wait, watch and wait

For redemption day

Fire rages in the streets

And swallows everything it meets

It's just an image often seen

On television

Come leaders, come you men of great

Let us hear you pontificate

Your many virtues laid to waste

And we aren't listening

What do you have for us today?

Throw us a bone but save the plate

On why we waited till so late

Was there no oil to excavate?

No riches in trade for the fate

Of every person who died in hate

Throw us a bone, you men of great

There is a train that's heading straight

To heaven's gate, to heaven's gate

And on the way, child and man,

And woman wait, watch and wait

For redemption day

It's buried in the countryside

Exploding in the shells at night

It's everywhere a baby cries

Freedom

Interpretation

I've wept for those who suffer long

But how I weep for those who've gone

Into rooms of grief and questioned wrong

But keep on killing

The narrator describes her intense sorrow when people suffer but she pities even more those who are wronged and in vengeance inflict harm on others. September 11th 2001, is a perfect example of the narrator's sentiment. She weeps for those who were harmed in the attack but she weeps even harder for the United State's reaction which repaid evil with evil and escalated the violence.

It's in the soul to feel such things

But weak to watch without speaking

Oh what mercy sadness brings

If God be willing

This stanza focuses on each individual's response to evil acts. It’s normal to be horrified when evil things happen but this should not lead us to endorse vengeance. In fact, the narrator states it is "weak" or cowardly not to oppose retribution and endorse mercy. Mercy is the proper response to sorrow though it is only possible through God.

There is a train that's heading straight

To heaven's gate, to heaven's gate

And on the way, child and man,

And woman wait, watch and wait

For redemption day

The narrator longs for a time when evil will not be repaid with evil but when everything will be redeemed. All of us (“child and man and woman”) are waiting and hoping (even if we act on these hopes in wrong ways) for this “redemption day”.

Fire rages in the streets

And swallows everything it meets

It's just an image often seen

On television

The narrator describes real violence (rioting, war, protests) that we see on TV but don’t experience firsthand. Because of that separation we stay passive and unmoved to action.

Come leaders, come you men of great

Let us hear you pontificate

Your many virtues laid to waste

And we aren't listening

Society's leaders have failed to solve the problem of violence. The narrator even states that these leaders are guilty of feeding those destructive fires (their “virtues [are] laid to waste”). They have lost contact with the people they are supposed to be leading—no one hears what they preach anymore because their actions have invalidated their message. This is directed specifically at religious leaders who appear to endorse retribution instead of preaching Jesus' gospel of peace and nonviolence. By adopting the world's way of responding to evil, they have nullified their their message.

What do you have for us today?

Throw us a bone but save the plate

On why we waited till so late

Was there no oil to excavate?

No riches in trade for the fate

Of every person who died in hate

Throw us a bone, you men of great

This stanza is a continuation of the previous one. It condemns governmental leaders for trying to appease people while they continue to enrich themselves, grab more power, and destroy more lives. The three accusations include oil, trade, and war. The average person is excluded from the benefits of trade and commerce and yet subjected to the destruction and pain of violence in war.

There is a train that's heading straight

To heaven's gate, to heaven's gate

And on the way, child and man,

And woman wait, watch and wait

For redemption day

It's buried in the countryside

Exploding in the shells at night

It's everywhere a baby cries

Freedom

Up to this point, the song carried a defeated tone. The narrator uses the inescapability of death ("buried in the countryside") and the lack of choice we have in birth (a crying baby) to illustrate how we've made struggle (exploding shells in warfare) seem inevitable. But that isn't true. We are free. War, violence and retribution are choices we make and are not inevitable. We can choose differently as individuals and as a nation.