Depeche Mode - John The Revelator

I didn't mean to revisit Depeche Mode this soon, but, I can't stop listening to this song. It's a perfect Freethinker's anthem. There's only one line that might be called into question. It's the line "There is only one god through and through". However, this line doesn't have to be interpreted as the protagonist advocating monotheism. In fact, I don't think that it does. I think that in the context of the rest of the song, the protagonist is mocking any themes of monotheism that might be present in the book of "Revelation". This song is catchy and it points out something that is one of the worst sins of Christianity, namely, all the problems that have been and are being caused by the stupid doomsday-ist predictions contained in that godawful book of the Judeo-Christian Bible. Revelation is a horrible book. More of these believing people should read Ecclesiastes and just skip Revelation altogether.

John The Revelator by Depeche Mode John the Revelator Put him in a elevator Take him up to the highest high Take him up to the top where the mountains stop Let him tell his book of lies John the Revelator He's a smooth operator It's time we cut him down to size Take him by the hand And put him on the stand Let us hear his alibis By claiming God as his only rock He's stealing a god from the Israelite Stealing a god from a Muslim, too There is only one god through and through Seven lies, mulitplied by seven, multiplied by seven again Seven angels with seven trumpets Send them home on the morning train Well who's that shouting? John the Revelator! All he ever gives us is pain Well who's that shouting? John the Revelator! He should bow his head in shame Bye-bye Bye-bye Bye-bye Bye-bye Seven lies, mulitplied by seven, multiplied by seven again Seven angels with seven trumpets Send them home on the morning train Well who's that shouting? John the Revelator! All he ever gives us is pain Well who's that shouting? John the Revelator! He should bow his head in shame Bye-bye Bye-bye John the Revelator Bye-bye John the Revelator Bye-bye John the Revelator

Depeche Mode - Blasphemous Rumors

Show me a Mormon kid that didn't get the shit scared right out of them the first time they heard this song and you'll be showing me one of those lucky bastards that was smart enough, or indifferent enough, to survive the whole upbringing without taking so much of it literally- wish I'd been one of those kids. Because, this song literally used to scare me. I'd skip over it when listening to "Some Great Reward" or "Catching Up With...", but, then, sometimes, the infectiousness of it would keep me listening. Then I'd have this internal dialog that went something along the lines of, "well, he's singing 'that god', he's saying that a certain idea of god has a sick sense of humor, not the god." Ah, those were simpler times. (Oh, and remember kids, when you use one of those Amazon links below to buy merchandise, all proceeds go to help keep me posting these great songs.)

Blasphemous Rumors by Depeche Mode Girl of sixteen Whole life ahead of her Slashed her wrists Bored with life Didn't succeed Thank the Lord For small mercies Fighting back the tears Mother reads the note again Sixteen candles burn in her mind She takes the blame It's always the same She goes down on her knees And prays I don't want to start Any blasphemous rumours But I think that God's Got a sick sense of humor And when I die I expect to find Him laughing Girl of eighteen Fell in love with everything Found new life in Jesus Christ Hit by a car Ended up On a life support machine Summer's day As she passed away Birds were singing In the summer's sky Then came the rain And once again A tear fell From her mother's eye I don't want to start Any blasphemous rumours But I think that God's Got a sick sense of humor And when I die I expect to find Him laughing