The Bottom Line, Ministries Christian News, Articles, & Poetry Clean music is hard to find. So hard in fact many songs like this we hear every day on the radio.
Bad Example: One More Night by Maroon 5
Yeah, but baby there you go again, there you go again, making me love you.
Yeah, I stopped using my head, using my head, let it all go.
Got you stuck on my body, on my body, like a tattoo.
And now I’m feeling stupid, feeling stupid, crawling back to you.
So I cross my heart and I hope to die
That I’ll only stay with you one more night
And I know I said it a million times
But I’ll only stay with you one more night
Try to tell you “no” but my body keeps on telling you “yes”.
Try to tell you “stop”, but your lipstick got me so out of breath.
I was shocked when I heard my sister sing the lyrics to this song. She knew every single word and I could tell within two seconds of listening to it that this song wasn’t appropriate. (Not the worst song ever heard but still not good)
I’ll admit that I didn’t used to make the wisest music choices and sometimes I still don’t but that occasional song still creeps into my ITunes library or on my IPod.
Sometimes I don’t seem to realize how bad the song is until I hear my 3 year old or 6 year old sisters are walking around the house singing it. It’s then that I realize the words behind the song and what they mean.
Why?
It’s because I love my siblings and don’t want them singing songs or doing anything that has to do with something bad but then I realize… What’s the difference between them and me? Why should I poison my mind as well as theirs?
What are we poisoning our minds with exactly? I think this song below is a good example:
Bad Example: Scream by Usher
I see you over there, so hypnotic
Thinking ’bout what I’d do to that body
I’d get you like
Ooh baby baby, ooh baby baby,
Ah-ooh baby baby ooh baby baby
Got no drink in my hand
But I’m wasted
Getting drunk of the thought of you naked
I’m both repulsed and sickened by the lyrics of this song. Not only is this giving people a very bad image on how women are seen these days. (As sex toys as it comes across) but it’s also just sick.
But I am NOT going to lie when I say this… I found it hard not to sing along!
There. I admitted it. It’s a catchy tune and has a pretty funky beat.
Also, by listening to things like this we are poisoning our minds and we are also giving the Devil a foothold (Ephesians 4:27 “and do not give the devil a foothold”.) for certain ways he can tempt us and turn us away from God. For me, music is definitely one of the ways the Devil tries to turn me away because I listen to it all day, but think of anything and take it in to account. The Devil will do whatever he can to turn us away from God which can give him a foothold if we aren’t careful. In some ways everything we say, do and watch is trying to be turned against us.
Now, I get that we can’t control what’s comes on the radio either but there are things we can control when it comes to music. (or other Media) We might not be able to control what comes on the radio, be we can control the power button on our radios or switch the channel, we can control what we listen to on YouTube and we can also control what songs appear on our IPods/IPhones/Phones (or any sort of mobile device that plays music.)
There is still clean music out there but it is oftentimes harder to find, especially on the radio, so what can you do to locate it or control what you hear? What are ways you can destroy the opportunity of giving the Devil a foothold?
Thanks for writing this Adriana. I hope a lot of teens read it. The type of “entertainment” people listen to and watch is a reflection of what is in their heart and character. The secular songs that talk about “love” today don’t reflect biblical unconditional love. What can we expect, however, when these songs are being written and performed by non-Christians? You are correct, a person needs to be very selective in what he or she listens to and ask the question as to whether or not it lines up with biblical truth. A pre-requisite to that, though, is knowing what the Bible teaches, and that means a person needs to spend time reading it. In addition to that, when a person knows that certain radio stations are airing songs that are not godly, you know what stations to NOT listen to. All that has been said can also apply to television and all other media.
K Love is an excellent choice for radio station! Also Pandora can be also used for good, it just depends on our selection. There are actually some great gospel stations on Pandora.
But I agree Adriana, being in a public place and hearing the unhealthy tunes, it’s kind of contagious and I sometimes mindlessly start nodding or humming along! We just have to admit when we are being carried away, instead of being in denial. That way we can stop and do something about it.
K Love is amazing. I always love to listen to that station 😀
And it really is hard when in the public or especially when with friends and family who listen to those said tunes.
I love your honesty!
Interesting how the ones with the worst lyrics often have the catchiest tunes…and they stick in your mind. As you’ve written, we all have a choice in everything – the music we listen to, the TV shows we watch, the thoughts we dwell on and the more we give in to what we know to be wrong, the easier it is to give in next time. Your siblings are blessed to have you as a big sister, willing to guide them on the way. They may not know that or show that now but, trust me, they are watching you and one day will thank you for your influence in their lives. – Grammie
It is AMAZING to hear my little ones repeat the songs they heard on the radio (usually B-93) while we run errands….SOOOOOO convicting! Just like you said, I find them catchy and it’s easy to overlook the actual words, even when you find yourself singing them! But to hear them come out of my 4 yr olds mouth….they sound entirely ‘different’ and I realize how inappropriate it is to be filling my mind AND theirs with these lyrics.
Frankly, I think clean music is very easy to find…. as long as you don’t pay attention to the lyrics! Let’s face it, music is an art form and people will say what they want. Some good, some bad, but it is the music or the melody that makes you listen.
Take for example; A Perfect Circle: Judith. I loved this song! Listened to it constantly. For years I sung along with it because I liked the tune. Nothing to do with the lyrics, just liked the tune. Then my brother screwed that up telling me what the lyrics meant.
Even though I know what they mean, still like it and still listen to it. It is not the lyrics that entice me, it is the tune itself and I think most people think this way as well.
Sometimes you just hear a tune/melody that you like and it is very hard to stop listening to it due to the lyrics. So in that sense, any music you hear that you like is, in fact, clean.
😀