Sometimes a pop song comes along that is dreamy, filled with the hope and sheer joy of youthfulness. It makes you feel like the world is a wonderful place, that youth is a passionate, vibrant thing. You sing along to the words without really listening to them, convinced by the positive beat that all is well in the world, and in the song.
The song Forever Young by a band called Youth Group is such a song, a worldwide hit, the video filled with images from my youth in the '80s, skateboards and such-like. I love this song, the lightness, the memories that it evokes.
Then I look at the lyrics, not that I want to, I want it to be celebratory of my youth, of life, but I have to because I suspect there is something a little sinister going on.
There is much that I agree with.
The phrase, Heaven can wait we're only watching the skies - I am completely at one with - I don't want to die yet. I have a living, breathing loving relationship with my God here on earth. God created the earth and said it was good, and I'm completely in agreement with him. I love what he has created, the beauty, the wonder, the endless flow of life living and dying, the tides rising and falling. I don't need heaven yet, it can wait, for as long as possible. I have so much to do here, so much to give, to share, to learn, to enjoy. I would rather sit with my God on earth than die and go to heaven. But I remain certain that the same God who created earth has created heaven, and therefore it will be a place of even greater wonder, even though I find that hard to imagine. And the joy that I experience in worship will be greater in heaven as my Saviour will be there, directly present.
It's hard to get old without a cause
I don't want to perish like a fleeing horse
Youth's like diamonds in the sun
and diamonds are forever
Absolutey, I don't want to just fade into old age. There is a vitality, a recklessness about being young that invigorates and empowers me. But only amongst those youth who have a cause, without a cause young people are not only dull company, but their lives are as desperately meaningless as they are desperately meaningful when they have a cause. All that energy, that passion can be repressed within, a festering poison that leaks out in self destructive ways if there isn't anything positive, life-changing, world-changing cause into which to channel that energy. As desperate as adults who have no cause, no passion, the diamond of youth can easily fade, buried deep within the repressive lifestyles of suburban malaise. But this is, unfortunately, not what the song is saying, it is really saying that there's no point getting old ...
I want to be forever young
Let us die young or let us live forever ...
Some are a melody and some are the beat
Sonner or later they will all be gone
why don't they stay young?
Now we're entering problematic territory. We're no longer merely suggesting that we can stay in the midset of a young person, we have moved beyond that. Now the suggestion is made that it may be better to die young.
Do you really want to live forever?
And now we're querying the truth of Christianity, yes we do want to live forever, there is no question, it is the foundation of our faith that Jesus died so that we may live forever.
And so we end up with a song that sounds happy, positive, full of life, and yet its message is, at the very least, questionnable. At its worst, it is seductively promoting the ideal of youth suicide. I personally wouldn't go that far, but it is certainly an excellent example of where pop music is at, how it can get into one's mind, how you can wander around unintentionally singing words that go against one's faith.
The devil is a clever creature, he continues to fool us through the mass media, through songs and TV etc that seem innocuous. In this case, through a perfectly gentle, pleasant, middle of the road pop song.
wheldon wrote (View Post): ›
Sometimes a pop song comes along that is dreamy, filled with the hope and sheer joy of youthfulness. It makes you feel like the world is a wonderful place, that youth is a passionate, vibrant thing. You sing along to the words without really listening to them, convinced by the positive beat that all is well in the world, and in the song.
The song Forever Young by a band called Youth Group is such a song, a worldwide hit, the video filled with images from my youth in the '80s, skateboards and such-like. I love this song, the lightness, the memories that it evokes.
Then I look at the lyrics, not that I want to, I want it to be celebratory of my youth, of life, but I have to because I suspect there is something a little sinister going on.
There is much that I agree with.
The phrase, Heaven can wait we're only watching the skies - I am completely at one with - I don't want to die yet. I have a living, breathing loving relationship with my God here on earth. God created the earth and said it was good, and I'm completely in agreement with him. I love what he has created, the beauty, the wonder, the endless flow of life living and dying, the tides rising and falling. I don't need heaven yet, it can wait, for as long as possible. I have so much to do here, so much to give, to share, to learn, to enjoy. I would rather sit with my God on earth than die and go to heaven. But I remain certain that the same God who created earth has created heaven, and therefore it will be a place of even greater wonder, even though I find that hard to imagine. And the joy that I experience in worship will be greater in heaven as my Saviour will be there, directly present.
It's hard to get old without a cause
I don't want to perish like a fleeing horse
Youth's like diamonds in the sun
and diamonds are forever
Absolutey, I don't want to just fade into old age. There is a vitality, a recklessness about being young that invigorates and empowers me. But only amongst those youth who have a cause, without a cause young people are not only dull company, but their lives are as desperately meaningless as they are desperately meaningful when they have a cause. All that energy, that passion can be repressed within, a festering poison that leaks out in self destructive ways if there isn't anything positive, life-changing, world-changing cause into which to channel that energy. As desperate as adults who have no cause, no passion, the diamond of youth can easily fade, buried deep within the repressive lifestyles of suburban malaise. But this is, unfortunately, not what the song is saying, it is really saying that there's no point getting old ...
I want to be forever young
Let us die young or let us live forever ...
Some are a melody and some are the beat
Sonner or later they will all be gone
why don't they stay young?
Now we're entering problematic territory. We're no longer merely suggesting that we can stay in the midset of a young person, we have moved beyond that. Now the suggestion is made that it may be better to die young.
Do you really want to live forever?
And now we're querying the truth of Christianity, yes we do want to live forever, there is no question, it is the foundation of our faith that Jesus died so that we may live forever.
And so we end up with a song that sounds happy, positive, full of life, and yet its message is, at the very least, questionnable. At its worst, it is seductively promoting the ideal of youth suicide. I personally wouldn't go that far, but it is certainly an excellent example of where pop music is at, how it can get into one's mind, how you can wander around unintentionally singing words that go against one's faith.
The devil is a clever creature, he continues to fool us through the mass media, through songs and TV etc that seem innocuous. In this case, through a perfectly gentle, pleasant, middle of the road pop song.
I remember the song, it was very popular in the old days sung by alphaville...nice song duh!
for me, i can definitely say that i dont want to live forever in this world imprisoned by time!
i want to live forever in the presence of God where time and space are either powerless, or no more! I want to live in the eternity with God where tears, sadness and pain can no longer hurt...thanks to Jesus who defeated death (and live to tell the story ) i have the ticket to eternal life in my hand and just like Christ has finished His line in this time imprisoned life, i also have to finish mine. He knew it's not gonna be easy, so He gave me the Holy Spirit who accompany me, empower me along the way to finish the line and corresponding to the eternity that I’m going to.
And about that forever young thingy, I love to quote from solomon ‘there is a time for everything under the heaven, time for…time for…’ Christians should not want to 'freeze' one moment in time only (by staying forever young, we freeze ) we spose to enjoy our relationship with God when we are 20, just like we enjoy it at 30, 60 less we miss those other glorious stages in the timeline of our history provided by Him for that just particular moment. Talking about finishing the line, yes like you said we should enjoy the moment!
So that songs have 2 issues 1) I don’t want to stay forever young cuz I don’t want to miss the blessings God has keep in store for every period in my life; 2) I certainly don’t want to live forever in this carnal world imprisoned by time and everything else that entangled with it
Wheldon, your post is really thought provoking ….thanks!
No rating
Lightning
Welcome Team
4657 Points
wheldon wrote (View Post): › Sometimes a pop song comes along that is dreamy, filled with the hope and sheer joy of youthfulness. It makes you feel like the world is a wonderful place, that youth is a passionate, vibrant thing. You sing along to the words without really listening to them, convinced by the positive beat that all is well in the world, and in the song.
The song Forever Young by a band called Youth Group is such a song, a worldwide hit, the video filled with images from my youth in the '80s, skateboards and such-like. I love this song, the lightness, the memories that it evokes.
I kind of know what you mean. Unfortunatly most of memories of my youth have left me. The scary part is that i am only 31 years old. It's like there there at the back of my mind but i just can't force the images to come into full view. If you know hat i mean that is.
wheldon wrote (View Post): › Then I look at the lyrics, not that I want to, I want it to be celebratory of my youth, of life, but I have to because I suspect there is something a little sinister going on.
I hate it when that happens a song you have loved all you're life then you start to detect hints in the lyrics that you have never though of befor. Things that become rather disturbing and it ruins the idea of it in you're own mind.
wheldon wrote (View Post): › There is much that I agree with.
The phrase, Heaven can wait we're only watching the skies - I am completely at one with - I don't want to die yet. I have a living, breathing loving relationship with my God here on earth. God created the earth and said it was good, and I'm completely in agreement with him. I love what he has created, the beauty, the wonder, the endless flow of life living and dying, the tides rising and falling. I don't need heaven yet, it can wait, for as long as possible. I have so much to do here, so much to give, to share, to learn, to enjoy. I would rather sit with my God on earth than die and go to heaven. But I remain certain that the same God who created earth has created heaven, and therefore it will be a place of even greater wonder, even though I find that hard to imagine. And the joy that I experience in worship will be greater in heaven as my Saviour will be there, directly present.
Amen and Amen on this when heaven comes i will be ready and watching and i am wateing but untill then I want this life to mean something, I want to be able to enjoy the creation, and even protect it if nesseary.
What i can't stand is that most of my fellow christians mistake this for worshiping the creation insted of the creator. This could not be further from the truth. I simply want my children and grand children to be able to enjoy the wonders that God has created.
wheldon wrote (View Post): › It's hard to get old without a cause
I don't want to perish like a fleeing horse
Youth's like diamonds in the sun
and diamonds are forever
Absolutey, I don't want to just fade into old age. There is a vitality, a recklessness about being young that invigorates and empowers me. But only amongst those youth who have a cause, without a cause young people are not only dull company, but their lives are as desperately meaningless as they are desperately meaningful when they have a cause. All that energy, that passion can be repressed within, a festering poison that leaks out in self destructive ways if there isn't anything positive, life-changing, world-changing cause into which to channel that energy. As desperate as adults who have no cause, no passion, the diamond of youth can easily fade, buried deep within the repressive lifestyles of suburban malaise. But this is, unfortunately, not what the song is saying, it is really saying that there's no point getting old ...
May be this is becouse they see there elders walking around not realy dooing anything at all, it seems to them that they have no point to there lives, and they don't want to end up like that as well, but at the same time feel helpless to do anything about it, they feel like that they don't have a choice in the matter. That no matter what they try or how hard they try, there lives will become as pointless as the older folk that they see around them all the tile
But none the less this is still an age old problem, there are hundreds if not thousands of things to fight agenst, but so few things to fight for. With out a cause to fight for the you are fighting for nothing makeing the fight meningless. This in turn makes life rather dull.
wheldon wrote (View Post): › I want to be forever young
Let us die young or let us live forever ...
Some are a melody and some are the beat
Sonner or later they will all be gone
why don't they stay young?
Now we're entering problematic territory. We're no longer merely suggesting that we can stay in the midset of a young person, we have moved beyond that. Now the suggestion is made that it may be better to die young.
Now you must relay try to understad the mind of a young one. Espicealy one that dose not know Jesus, and thouse that have no cause to fight for. With out Jesus a lot of the time they just don't understand that growing older dosent mean that they become worthless, if fact they wont learn this till much latter in life when it truly is almost to late to change it.
wheldon wrote (View Post): › Do you really want to live forever?
And now we're querying the truth of Christianity, yes we do want to live forever, there is no question, it is the foundation of our faith that Jesus died so that we may live forever.
And so we end up with a song that sounds happy, positive, full of life, and yet its message is, at the very least, questionnable. At its worst, it is seductively promoting the ideal of youth suicide. I personally wouldn't go that far, but it is certainly an excellent example of where pop music is at, how it can get into one's mind, how you can wander around unintentionally singing words that go against one's faith.
The devil is a clever creature, he continues to fool us through the mass media, through songs and TV etc that seem innocuous. In this case, through a perfectly gentle, pleasant, middle of the road pop song.
The thing you are not seeing is that pop caulture music is desinged to tap into the thoughts and fears of the youth of any given genration giveing them a message of something that they already both know and understand this is why it is so popular becouse it makes the kids feel that there actualy is someone out there that understands what life is like for them and that there are others that think the same as they do.
Truth be told if you want music that taps into this mind set yet is still uplifting and glory fies God and at the same time lets them know that life dose excist after 21that there lives can still have a proupous. Then you need to learn from songs like this, to learn the ways they are made and sung, in other words learn to use the devil's tool agenst him, and give the youth of both today and tomarow something to fight for and not just an enmey to fight agenst.
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Agape May
TCD Staff
7150 Points
what if we change the wording...would it still be nice to listen to?
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HelenPark
1062 Points
I for one love music- I thought this was going to be about the Queen song when I first opened it-- one problem I see is views are different. I not a fan, for example, of music videos, they can put imagery in my head that I never got from the song, and as a result ruin the song for me. I can think of many songs that make me think one way and yet 4 other people have 4 different points of view of the same song. frankly I love putting playlists together that play off each of the songs in that list, this can further change how I feel about a song. I have songs in my collection that have a very spiritual feel and I full well know the writer does not believe in God. I just think it all depends on where your heart is as to what you hear. and whether it's- do you want to live forever, or nobody wants to live forever, or let me die before I get old-- the basic idea has been around for long time, and to be candid I kinda get it, but I do not think it needs to be a bad thing. but then that's just my take on it- and that is the great part of music.
No rating
Lightning
Welcome Team
4657 Points
Agape May wrote (View Post): › what if we change the wording...would it still be nice to listen to?
Unfortunately i doubt it, changing the lyrics of an already existing song also changes the meaning and thus the message is lost, not to mention makes it almost a mockery of the artist that first wrote the work.
A better way would be to write a new one from scratch no need to copy anybody ells or try to use someone else s composition to get through.
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) i have the ticket to eternal life in my hand and just like Christ has finished His line in this time imprisoned life, i also have to finish mine. He knew it's not gonna be easy, so He gave me the Holy Spirit who accompany me, empower me along the way to finish the line and corresponding to the eternity that I’m going to.
) we spose to enjoy our relationship with God when we are 20, just like we enjoy it at 30, 60 less we miss those other glorious stages in the timeline of our history provided by Him for that just particular moment. Talking about finishing the line, yes like you said we should enjoy the moment!
