The day after rock music icon David Bowie died, his death led the news nearly all day. Such unabashed fawning! On one newscast I heard a piece of audio from Talking Heads front man David Byrne which captivated me.
An online search revealed the sound bite was taken from a speech Byrne gave in 1996 when Bowie was inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame. The quote says…
“…And like all rock and roll, it was tasteless, it was glamorous, it was perverse, it was fun, it was crass, it was sexy, it was confusing.”
Did you catch the mix of negative and positive adjectives? Have you ever heard a more accurate description of rock music? It’s absolutely brilliant.
Keep in mind, Byrne was praising Bowie. But it’s really an indictment. And from one of rock culture’s own, too. Of course, who better to understand?
Let’s face it. That which is glamorous and fun appeals to our fleshly human nature.
But how many times have you really listened to rock lyrics and considered how perverse and confusing they are?
As a believer in Christ, I realize our worldly system is what it is. The world is going to do what it does best.
We all grew up with rock as part of our cultural background. It’s woven into the fabric of our lives. That’s why it’s thrilling to me to see a worldly wise man define the nature of rock music better than any preacher I’ve heard who’s ever preached against it.
Christians would do well to pause and remember the admonition given in 1 John 2:15-17 which says…
15. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.