Musical Musings: The Power of Song Lyrics

I wanted to expand more on music/songs and their power. Imagine that? Haha… if you haven’t read what I first wrote, probably a good idea to check it out first here. 

If you haven't noticed, I am a deep thinker. For those who follow Myers Briggs, I identify as an INFJ. Even though the first test I took was when I was only 16, I didn’t even realize the rarity of this until last year (explains a lot 🤪). I came across an article recently that outlined 10 secrets of INFJs, and let me tell you, it was incredibly accurate. Read it here.

Back to the music. I do think music is healing. I’ve always said that, but blogging about the topic earlier made me contemplate if healing is the right word in some cases. Maybe what I should say is “music is validating”. The question should be what is it validating? 

I tried to make this point with the song I discussed in the post, Harmonizing Faith, in which I talked about how a song could influence us to indulge in behaviors that obscure our perception of sin. The song’s perspective of sin obscures the sin itself already, by taking a prideful stance on sinful behaviors. That’s exactly what the enemy wants. He seeks to normalize sin to the point where we're blind to its presence. Like I said in that article, even if a song sounds appealing, without spiritual maturity, we risk internalizing toxic messages. 

Every decision we make brings us closer to the Lord or takes us further. It’s as black and white as that and yet at the same time there is still some grey. A lot of times we just aren’t willing to look into that. 

I am going to give you an example I thought of after writing the last post. Less than a month ago my ex-husband sent me a screenshot of the song, Sin So Sweet by Warren Zeiders, telling me that my son liked it and wanted it on his playlist. My reply was “Yea I am not playing that for him.” It seems pretty black and white like I said before, right? But as with most things, there is some grey there. The truth is I know the song, it’s a good song. Okay, maybe not “good” - definitely not good, but you know what I mean. I’m not going to lie, the lyrics are terrible now that I think about it - in terms of holiness, there is nothing good, right, or true about them, but I admit that overall I like the song. At the same time, my son is 5! He does not have the maturity to process the implications of the words and allowing him to listen to it will influence his interpretation of sin and how it is to be handled.

My son has always loved music the way I do - I remember him floating on his back in ISR when he was barely a year and a half, in the background a Van Morrison song came up and he tilted his little head back and said “Morrison” in the cutest little voice that others could barely decipher, mainly because they didn’t expect an 18-month-old to recognize Morrison with just a few lyrics sung, yet he always did when he heard that familiar voice. I recall his instructor being shocked when she realized what he had said. I was impressed by his memory from an early age and when it came to music I recognized immediately that it would be a form of expression for him in his life just as it had been for me. 

Growing up I dreamed of dancing in my kitchen holding my baby to Van Morrison songs, and we did. That dream came true and still almost every night, we dance in our kitchen - mainly because that is where my HomePod is located, but also because we can connect and express ourselves in a fun and loving way. Also, I am the influence behind him singing Blinding Lights at an early age every chance he got. As he has gotten older 😢 and understands more, I am more careful of what is going into that brain of his. The disclaimer here in saying all this is that my ex-husband would never want to put anything negative in our son’s life or mind. Mentioning that scenario above was not meant to bash him in any shape or form, but to point out that for the most part, we just don’t think about these things. And maybe the answer for my son isn’t just a straight “no” next time (to that song the decision remains when he is with me), but maybe it’s that a conversation needs to ensue to make certain that he understands the difference between entertainment and moral principles. 

Songs can cloud truth. They can also validate things to us as being true that just aren’t. I just had a thought, they also can promote pride or selfishness in our lives. For some reason, the one coming to mind is Religiously by Bailey Zimmerman. I do love this song. There is no direct correlation or instance where I have been in the position from the singer’s point of view. However, if I listen to it and insert myself on the receiving in, being the one he is singing of - I can find myself in a particularly prideful position thinking I am better than another human being and that I have no flaws surrounding a particular relationship, etc. That would be my own vanity allowing this. 

In all honesty, I do desire to be a person as he sings of, but not to a person as he depicts he is. I don’t want someone singing that about me, it’s a pretty sad scenario. Reflecting on this now, I realize it's an opportunity to identify the characteristics and qualities I desire to cultivate, as well as pinpoint areas where I may fall short. Where could I improve in my next relationship? One lyric that stands out to me now makes me realize that I do hope I am a person who helps lead someone to God in a relationship and I admit that I need to improve my own thinking surrounding this. Remember that statement about the sun - the same sun that melts ice cream can harden clay? Just because I may lead someone towards God doesn't guarantee success if they solely seek that connection through me rather than the guidance of the Holy Spirit. As the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.

This could be a terrible illustration and plain stupid to write, but this is my thought process in the moment. Hopefully, you understand what I am getting at here. When I mentioned how listening to a song could lead me to prideful thinking or some vainness, I am able to admit that when I do listen to some songs it has done that. I remember sending someone many years ago three songs: Stupid Boy by Keith Urban, Mine Would Be You by Blake Shelton, and She’s Everything by Brad Paisley. How incredibly embarrassing and vain of me now looking back on it. At the same time, I haven’t heard those in a while, and right now want to hear She’s Everything - one sec, brb. 

Ah, see now I hear it from a different place and it’s beautiful. I want someone to think of me like that, organically and in their own words. And it actually sounds like a pretty Biblical and healthy partnership, how a man should think of his love. NOT how a girl should be begging a man to think of her or to keep someone from making a decision that I found (subjectively) stupid. 

I want to clarify that I'm not suggesting that individuals who sing songs promoting unrighteous lifestyles are demons, nor am I implying that by listening to such music you will be possessed. I've listened to some pretty unquestionable music myself. However, songs can have demonic influence. I don't believe that true Christians who have surrendered to Jesus can be possessed, but they can most certainly be oppressed. Let's not dismiss music as being just entertainment. The music industry is a massive business, with billions of dollars at stake. That is a powerful influence! One that holds significant sway over culture. We are pretty apathetic about this topic surrounding music, I have been for the majority of my life. I'm inviting you to consider it more deeply. Just think about it, that’s all. Like you, I haven't always paused to think about the specifics. I hadn't placed God at the center of this issue and viewed it as His heart would.

I’m going to wrap it up now. You don’t need another 3-part series. Here’s a place to start when thinking about this topic. It's highly likely that you take the time to read the ingredients of the daily vitamins you consume - at least I hope you do.  Imagine if you discovered something toxic listed on the label; would you still be comfortable ingesting it? Or thinking about food. There are foods that have the ability to purify the body. Take onions, for example, known for purifying your blood and improving your heart health. Then, there are greasy fried foods that have the opposite effect, potentially causing weight gain, high blood pressure and other heart-related problems. Most of us still enjoy some tasty French fries at times, but if our diet constantly consisted of things like this we could have irreversible effects on our health. 

Now, consider music. Have you ever thought about its impact? Just as our diet affects our physical health, consistently consuming music that promotes a certain lifestyle can significantly influence our overall well-being and spiritual life.

Both vitamins and food serve the purpose of fueling and nourishing our bodies. What I have come to realize is that we feed and fuel our brains, our hearts, and our souls too. We nourish them by reading the Bible, praying, spending time with spiritually-minded friends, etc. Just as food can either nourish or harm us, we must be mindful of what we feed our minds, hearts, and souls—whether it's music or other influences—since they too act as fuel.