Music to My Ears . . . and to My Soul

Art, in and of itself, already has an alluring appeal to the human senses if we give it time to penetrate and permeate our sight, hearing, sentiments, and sensibilities. Words written on several pages of paper captivate a reader’s imagination; paints splattered and combined on canvas pique an onlooker’s curiosity; a musical instrument utilized by a vivacious virtuoso ignites the passion of a listener’s heart.

Something else entirely different happens when two art forms are combined: the impact on the human senses are exponentially increased. We see this in the amalgamation of photography (the art of taking pictures) and the performing arts (dancing, singing, acting), which together have given us the magic of movies and filmmaking. The concepts that one art form conveys seem to be made more crystal clear when expressed in concert with another artistic expression.

To be specific, when the art of writing is mixed with the art of music, it creates a means for a songwriter to express to a greater degree the contents of his soul than mere writing alone can, and for a music lover to look deep into his own soul as he ponders on the words sung while the accompanying sounds tug at his heart strings and converses with his soul.

In my case, it was the this particular interfusion of arts that became instrumental to my spiritual rejuvenation and growth.

A few weeks ago my fiancée asked me which three songs had a great impact on my faith as a follower of Jesus. Actually, I had asked her to give me a writing challenge as I had been stuck in a writing rut in the last few months (a long story, which may be tackled at another blog entry). This was the challenge she threw my way.

It took me a while to nominate three songs that had profoundly impressed me — sonically and spiritually — since I have always been a music lover beginning at the tender age of, I think, eight. Over the years, a plethora of songs from a wide range of genres have been able to penetrate my sense of hearing and permeate through the inner cavities of my soul. It was a tough call to make.

Days later, still trying to answer the question, my mind brought me back to one of my life’s lowest points, spiritually speaking. And right then, I immediately remembered three songs that always spoke to me about the love of God, even for somebody who wasn’t walking in agreement to His ways:

Jealous Kind

Grace

Disappear

All by the band Jars of Clay.

Although these are not the only three songs to ever have an impact on my life, they were the ones that readily came to mind when pondering on the writing challenge.

JEALOUS KIND

Jealous Kind is a piano-driven ballad with a gospel music-inspired second half, which describes the nature of a God Who is so unrelenting in His pursuit of His beloved child, regardless of the numerous infractions and habitual, oftentimes intentional, disloyalties to his professed Lord and Savior.

The song is written in the first-person perspective and is, in my opinion, a heartfelt, genuine confession of a repeat offender who, at this point in his life, has apparently come to terms with the fact that his God has never and will never give up on Him. It is this aspect of the song’s poetry that captured my soul, especially during those times when I, too, was a repeat offender with vacillating loyalties. At the time, I felt like this song was specifically written and sung for me and my condition.

Making the song even more poignant is the predominantly piano instrumentation (on the first half) against the raw emotion of lead singer Dan Haseltine’s vocals. The combination gives Jealous Kind an almost haunting atmosphere. The second half, however, switches gears and brings in the redemptive sound and vibe of the song, as a gospel choir comes in and assists in the song’s ascent from a weeping lamentation to a hopeful declaration.

GRACE

The second of my three selected songs that have had an impact on my life is from Jars of Clay’s third album, If I Left the Zoo. Grace pretty much says the same things Jealous Kind is singing about, but it does it in a way that makes it sound totally fresh. The first and obvious difference is the genre of the song. Dan expresses a similar remorse and repentance through his singing, but this time backed by an alternative rock instrumentation with a lively, hopping tempo.

As with my previous choice, Grace is also a soul-baring confessional that looks into the heart of a man that has come to realize the futility of his foolish actions, while fully acknowledging the source of his ultimate restoration. The writing is simple yet very visual, particularly the opening lyric “God, I admit I haven’t changed; playing card houses, still covering my landscape.” When I listened to this song repeatedly during the aforementioned lowest points of my life, I felt like Dan took a page off of my journal and slapped on some catchy guitar-based music on it. This song might as well have been my own confessional cantata.

Musically, Grace straight away feels a lot more hopeful from the get go, albeit somewhat tentatively welcoming. The chorus sonically and lyrically invites you to finally give in and surrender to the unmerited, unearned, undeserved favor of the Almighty as it completes the cadence of the drum sequence seemingly left off-kilter in the verses of the song.

The lyrics and the music of Grace gave me that light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel positivity that was very much needed by a struggling and confused soul.

DISAPPEAR

By far the most optimistic sounding of three songs on this list, Disappear was the gateway tune that ushered me into a series of events that drew me back and even closer to God. Taken from the band’s fourth album, The Eleventh Hour, this tune is perfectly placed as the opening track; ‘perfect’ because it draws the listener in, captures their sonic senses, and seals the deal with the sincerity of its lyrics.

The words penned by Dan for this song expresses — without being pretentious — a passionate pursuit of one’s object of affection despite the object’s seemingly elusive nature. The object being God Himself, in my evaluation of the song. It also feels like a bold confession — a positive one this time — that of a fervent desire to lay hold of the knowledge of hidden divine mysteries. (Of course, I might just be reading too much into the lyric… but that’s how I feel, at least)

Disappear is a fast-paced, pop-rock tune whose lyrical message is elevated by a symphony of uplifting and undeniably positive riffs, grooves, and drum beats. It gives off a sunshiny ambience evocative of an enthusiastic walking tour around the city of Paris, or an exhilarating eight-hour bus ride through the countryside of East Germany, or a two-week road trip throughout the islands of New Zealand. The song easily paints a picture of freedom, longing, and coming home to one’s true north.

These three are some of the songs that have left an indelible mark on my emotions, mind, and will as a result of the skillful combination of the art of writing and the art of music: powerfully inspiring and relatable words set to alluring instrumentation that does not only appeal to one's sense of hearing, but also convicts the inner being.

And if it’s not at all completely obvious, I am a Jars of Clay fan. Their music has always been there to speak some sense into me, bring consolation to my sorrows, and celebrate my triumphs where and when no person could.

I have even dubbed them “The Band of My Life”. Rightly so, because their body of work has largely become the soundtrack of my life: it’s music to my ears . . . and to my soul.