When Derek Webb came out with his latest CD Mockinbird, he was not afraid of a little controversy, and one of the most prominent songs on the CD is “New Law.” In the spirit of that song, here are some lyrics which I guess could be considered as verse three and verse four. What do you think?
Verse 3:
don’t teach me about sin and church discipline
just add me to your membership
don’t teach me about sovereign election
just give me my free will
don’t teach me about baptism and how to pray
just give me your endorsement
don’t teach me about dividing the Word of Truth
just give me your rhetoric
i don’t want to know if the answers aren’t easy
so bring it down from the valley to me
i want a new law
so just give me that new law
Verse 4:
don’t teach me about Jesus is God alone
just let us all get along
don’t teach me about truth and regeneration
just give me a prayer to pray
don’t teach me that God’s Word is holy
just give me a Biblezine
don’t teach that truth doesn’t matter
just give me a new law
i don’t want to know if the answers aren’t easy
so bring it down from the valley to me
i want a new law
so just give me that new law
what’s the use in trading a law you can never keep
for one you can that cannot give you anything
do not be afraid
do not be afraid
do not be afraid
I’m not sure that that’s too controversial for Webb. After all, this is the same artist that wrote these lyrics on the song “The Church”:
i have long pursued her
as a harlot and a whore
but she will feast upon me
she will drink and thirst no more
And these lyrics in “Wedding Dress”:
(chorus)
i am a whore i do confess
but i put you on just like a wedding dress
and i run down the aisle
i’m a prodigal with no way home
but i put you on just like a ring of gold
and i run down the aisle to you
so could you love this bastard child
though i don’t trust you to provide
with one hand in a pot of gold
and with the other in your side
So this sounds like the usual stuff he has been writing over the last few years.
I think Webb was viewing the fact that his endorsement of a “missional” gospel message, along with a call to social action in the Evangelical community, would be the controversial effect of [i]Mockingbird[/i].
CM,
When I said “controversy,” I was not speaking in light of Webb’s lyrics, but in light of the controversies covered at P&P
Verse 3:
Line 1 – Church discipline
Line 2 – Unconditional election
Line 3 – IMB, baptism, and prayer language
Line 4 – Ergun and Emir Caner
Verse 4:
Line 1 – Religious pluralism
Line 2 – Decisional regeneration
Line 3 – Biblezines
Line 4 – Biblical truth in light of emerging ecumenism
I hope that helps. The lyrics therefore were “controversial” as it is a sort of chronicling of the things I have written about in the year.
The lyrics therefore were “controversial” as it is a sort of chronicling of the things I have written about in the year.
Yes, but the problem in getting that kind of response to your post is that you did not specify what controversy you were referring to. Being a listener of Derek Webb, I thought you were referring to Webb’s work in general being controversial. Had I known that the lyrics you posted were related to promoting your blog content, I would have not responded.
cm,
My bad for the generalization. yeah, I listen to Derek Webb myself too, and for what it’s worth, there are some songs/lyrics which are clearly controversial. However, that was not the intent of the post as indicated, but was intended to be “in light” of the nature of the song. Next time I will try to include such a caveat.
Feel free to post whenever you like, regadless if it is promoting my blog content or not. 🙂