mix 3: Songs for (Non-)Believers

I'm not a religious person. Sure, I was an altar boy for a while, and I was confirmed, and I've traded in my former militant atheism for a kinder, gentler holding pattern of agnosticism, but my past and present relationship -- or lack thereof -- with a higher power really warrants its own post (or series of posts, or short series of books). For now, I'll just say that religious devotion, to me, is never more palatable than when it's expressed in song. Since the whole subject is supposed to be about transcendence, and since music seems like arguably the only truly transcendent art form to me, it's a good fit.

Luckily, many modern musicians take a more subtle approach than, say, Stryper -– who, if memory serves, believed strongly in God, and believed strongly that He wanted His children to dress like bumblebees. Or Carrie Underwood, the most recent American Idol winner, whose first single -- if I heard this right -- is sung from the perspective of a woman ceding control of her steering wheel to Jesus as her car careens out of control. Wise move.

(OK, wait, I found the lyrics. These are too classic not to share:

She was driving last Friday on her way to Cincinnati
On a snow white Christmas Eve
Going home to see her Mama and her Daddy with the baby in the backseat
Fifty miles to go and she was running low on faith and gasoline
It's been a long hard year
She had a lot on her mind and she didn't pay attention
She was going way too fast
Before she knew it she was spinning on a thin black sheet of glass
She saw both their lives flash before her eyes
She didn't even have time to cry
She was sooo scared
She threw her hands up in the air

Jesus take the wheel
Take it from my hands
Cause I can't do this all on my own
I'm letting go

Um, me again -- does anyone else think this CD should come with some kind of disclaimer? I’m imagining something like this: “All songs about Carrie Underwood’s savior, Jesus Christ, should be taken metaphorically. In all cases of vehicular danger, particularly those involving infants and not just those occurring on the outskirts of Cincinnati, experts strongly advise that human hands should be kept on the wheel at all times.”)

It turns out that many singers I like incorporate fairly fervent, but much-much-much less strident Christian sentiment in their music. Off the top of my head, and based on various sources, the list includes Rosie Thomas, Denison Witmer, The Innocence Mission, Pedro the Lion, Damien Jurado, Sufjan Stevens -- oh, and then there's Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Stevie Wonder. So, here's a group of songs that do more for my spiritual side than a thousand sermons. I'd love suggestions for this list, because I know it's a brief one (and doesn't include more traditional fare), and because my soul can use all the help it can get.

Some of these only qualify because of a line or two. And the Lyle Lovett song is a bit of a red herring to get things started. It does prominently feature God, but only as a counterpoint to the prevailing sentiment. Here's a sample of the lyric, which is great:

Who keeps on trusting you, when you’ve been cheating
and spending your nights on the town?
And who keeps on sayin’ that he still wants you
when you’re through running around?
God does, but I don’t
God will, but I won’t
And that’s the difference between God and me.

OK, I'm babbling. Here's the list:

God Will - Lyle Lovett
God Loves Everyone - Ron Sexsmith
Little Flowers - Denison Witmer
Promise - Pedro the Lion
In the Lord’s Arms - Ben Harper
Full Force Gale - Van Morrison
In the Sun - Joseph Arthur
You and Me - Rosie Thomas
Angel Doves - Mindy Smith
Spiritual - Spain