We continue our look at the music of 50 years ago….
Rock & Roll and religion have always had a diametric relationship…dating back to Elvis and his swiveling hips…to the Beatles record burnings in the 60’s by Christians upset with John Lennon…to Tipper Gore and her followers in the 80s…up until two weeks ago and the backlash over the Grammys. Rock musicians in the 1970’s took a hard look at the religion they grew up with and wrote songs about the hypocrisy they saw. One of the albums that came out in 1971 was the Jethro Tull classic Aqualung. It was the 4th Lp for the band and for many was their high water mark. Some called it a concept LP although Ian Anderson says it’s really not. Some of the songs do follow a theme though…as Anderson took a hard look at his religious upbringing. He tried to write about the dichotomy of “God vs Religion” and as one critic put it “it’s one of the most cerebral albums ever to reach millions of rock listeners.” My advice, if you’ve never really listened to the whole album before is to look at the lyrics and delve into songs like My God, Hymn 43 and Wind Up.
Lyrics To “My God”
Locked Him in His golden cage
Golden cage
Him resurrected from the grave
From the grave
If that’s all that you can see
You are the God of everything
He’s inside you and me
And don’t call on Him to save
You from your social graces
And the sins you used to waive
In chains of history
Requests your earthly presence
At the vicarage for tea
You know who
With his plastic crucifix
He’s got Him fixed
Confuses me as to who and where and why
As to how he gets his kicks
He gets his kicks
Confessing to the endless sin
With endless whining sounds
You’ll be praying ’til next Thursday
To all the gods that you can count
Who is busy with his money games – his women and his gun
Oh Jesus save me
And then he made his name in Hollywood to set the white man free
Oh Jesus save me
From the gory glory seekers who use his name in death
Oh Jesus save me
From the gory glory seekers who use his name in death
Oh Jesus save me
His cross was rather bloody, and he could hardly roll his stone
Oh Jesus save me
And taught me how not to play the game
I didn’t mind if they groomed me for success
Or if they said that I was just a fool
So I left there in the morning
With their God tucked underneath my arm
Their half-assed smiles and the book of rules
And by way of firm reply
He said “I’m not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays”
So to my old headmaster and to anyone who cares
Before I’m through I’d like to say my prayers
I don’t believe you
You had the whole damn thing all wrong
He’s not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays
And have all the bishops harmonize these lines
When that was just an accident of birth
I’d rather look around me, compose a better song
‘Cause that’s the honest measure of my worth
In your pomp and all your glory you’re a poorer man than me
As you lick the boots of death born out of fear
And taught me how not to play the game
I didn’t mind if they groomed me for success
Or if they said that I was just a fool
So I left there in the morning
With their God under my arm
Their half-assed smiles and the book of rules
Have all the bishops harmonize these lines
And taught me how not to play the game
I didn’t mind if they groomed me for success
Or if they said that I was just a fool
So to my old headmaster and to anyone who cares
Before I’m through I’d like to say my prayers
And have all the bishops harmonize these lines
You had the whole damn thing all wrong
He’s not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays
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