I’m putting together a list of modern songs that mention Jesus, God or Biblical themes. They have to be by artists who release their work in the secular music world (ie not songs that you can only buy at your local Christian bookshop). The aim is to have one big list that people can go to when looking for secular songs about Jesus etc. It’s also one big list of article ideas for me. The song doesn’t have to revolve around Jesus – a single mention will do.
Jesus
- Tori Amos – Mrs Jesus
- Black Grape – Kelly’s Heroes
- Cake – Jesus Wrote A Blank Check
- Choir Boys – Run To Paradise
- Leonard Cohen – Suzanne
- Concrete Blonde – Tomorrow Wendy
- Crocodiles – I Wanna Kill
- Crocodiles – Neon Jesus
- Depeche Mode – Personal Jesus
- Eve 6 – Jesus Nitelite
- Everlast – Black Jesus
- Ben Folds – Jesusland
- Ben Folds – Not the Same
- Frenzal Rhomb – Jesus
- Fuel – Jesus or a Gun
- Greenday – Jesus of Suburbia
- Incubus – Megalomaniac
- The Killers – When You Were Young
- King Missile – Jesus Was Way Cool
- MGF – Summer
- Ministry – Jesus Built My Hot Rod
- Powderfinger – JC
- Queen – Bicycle Race
- Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet With Butterfly Wings
- Soundgarden – Jesus Christ Pose
- Spiderbait – Jesus
- Ray Stevens – Would Jesus Wear a Rolex
- System of a Down – Chop Suey
- TISM – Honk If You Love Fred Durst
- Tool – Muhammad My Friend
- Tool – Sober
- U2 – Tomorrow
- Velvet Underground – Jesus
- Tom Waits – Chocolate Jesus
- Kanye West – Jesus Walks
God
- Lily Allen – Him
- Tori Amos – God
- Bon Jovi – God
- David Bowie – Modern Love
- Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Into My Arms
- Alice Cooper – Disgrace Land
- Alice Cooper – I Just Wanna Be God
- Alice Cooper – It’s Much Too Late
- Cowboy Mouth – God Makes The Rain
- Crash Test Dummies – God Shuffled His Feet
- Depeche Mode – Blasphemous Rumours
- The Fray – You Found Me
- INXS – God’s Top Ten
- Janis Joplin – Mercedes Benz
- KISS – God Gave Rock and Roll To You
- Lady Gaga – Born This Way
- Pete Murray – Better Days
- My Chemical Romance – Destroya
- Randy Newman – God’s Song (That’s Why I Love Mankind)
- Nine Inch Nails – Capital G
- Joan Osborne – What If God Was One Of Us?
- Pink – God is a DJ
- Prince – My Name Is Prince
- Queen – Innuendo
- Radiohead – Paranoid Android
- Smashing Pumpkins – Zero
- Regina Spektor – Laughing With
- TISM – Honk If You Love Fred Durst
- U2 – 40
- XTC – Dear God
Biblical Themes
- ACDC – Hells Bells
- Bryan Adams – Heaven
- Tori Amos – Crucify
- Tori Amos – Muhammad My Friend
- Bad Religion – Better Off Dead
- The Beatles – Let It Be
- Justin Bieber – Pray
- Blue Beats – In Heaven There Is No Beer
- Cake – Sheep Go To Heaven
- Belinda Carlisle – Heaven is a Place on Earth
- Leonard Cohen – Hallelujah
- Alice Cooper – Brutal Planet
- Alice Cooper – Cleansed by Fire
- Alice Cooper – Gimme
- Alice Cooper – Nothing’s Free
- Alice Cooper – Vengeance Is Mine
- Alice Cooper – You’re My Temptation
- Crash Test Dummies – MMM MMM MMM MMM
- Dandy Warhols – Godless
- Gorillaz – White Flag
- Green Day – Church on Sunday
- Hooters – All You Zombies
- INXS – Devil Inside
- INXS – Original Sin
- Billy Joel – Only The Good Die Young
- Elton John – Tiny Dancer
- K’s Choice – Something’s Wrong
- John Lennon – Imagine
- Live – Heaven
- Living End – Raise The Alarm
- Madonna – Like A Prayer
- Mamas & The Papas – California Dreamin’
- Matisyahu – Refuge
- MC Lars – The Roommate From Hell
- Meatloaf – Bat Out Of Hell
- Meatloaf – Original Sin
- Mighty Mighty Bosstones – Holy Smoke
- Alanis Morrissette – Forgiven
- My Chemical Romance – Welcome To The Black Parade
- NOFX – Happy Guy
- NOFX – Leaving Jesusland
- NOFX – No Fun in Fundamentalism
- Heather Nova & Graeme Revell – Believe In Angels
- The Offspring – Mission From God
- OPM – Heaven Is A Half Pipe
- Queen – One Vision
- Pixies – Monkeys Gone To Heaven
- Regurgitator – Black Bugs
- Rolling Stones – Sympathy For The Devil
- Skunk Anansie – Weak
- Smashing Pumpkins – Cherub Rock
- Smashing Pumpkins – Today
- Stabbing Westward – Save Yourself
- Stone Temple Pilots – Church on Tuesday
- TISM – !UOY SEVOL NATAS
- U2 – Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
- U2 – Peace on Earth
- U2 – The Wanderer
- Ugly Kid Joe – Goddamn Devil
- Urthboy – Hellsong
- Vandals – People That Are Going To Hell
- Kanye West – Stronger
- Wilco – Theologians
[...] The Master List [...]
Hallo! I m thinking about a booknook for church, and having comics in there, specially coz we have a bunch of boys. But im a bit stuck on where to get them, and what in particular to get…im thinking for between 7-10yr olds. (they dont have to be xn) do u have any recommendations or hints for me Joel?
I’m sure I can offer up some suggestions! It all depends on what you’re after. Your best bet is to aim for some all ages comics – ones that are targeted at the younger age and are less likely to have over the top violence or adult themes. I’d suggest books like Bone (which is like if Lord of the Rings was funny and featured a couple of cartoon-y characters) or the comic book versions of the Wizard of Oz books. Boom Studios have a whole stack of comics based on Disney/Pixar properties such as Cars and the Muppets which are worth picking up. Both DC Comics (the guys who make Superman and Batman etc) and Marvel Comics (Spider-Man, X-Men, etc) have all ages ranges that feature the popular characters but at a more age appropriate level. And there’s always the old school classics like Asterix, The Smurfs, and Tintin.
I recommend heading into the city and visiting Kinokuniya and Kings Comics. Both stores have sections for kids comics. I’ve found the staff at both stores to be really helpful.
If you want a heads up on specific titles, shoot me an email and ask away. I just downloaded a stack of free kids comics off the Comixology store and there’s some here that I flat out love :)
NOFX – Leaving Jesusland
Soundgarden – Jesus Christ Pose
Fuel – Jesus or a Gun
Added the first two. Fuel was already on there :)
Me no bother read good, just skim read, tis the Carlisle lazy way :P
Stone Temple Pilots – Church on Tuesday
Hey mate, love the idea. Whenever I hear a song that could be on your list i’ll let you know
Eurythmics – Missionary Man
Lilly Allan – Him
better days – pete murry
hmm…out of curosity…why would you put up songs that deface the name of God? Alot of those songs trash talk Jesus and God. lol…can’t figure out if your for or against God.
I’m very much for God. I love his Word and I love serving him. One of the aims of this site is to explore what the world of pop culture has to say about Jesus, good or bad. When a song says something good about the Lord, then I explore why it is good. When a song says something bad, I explore how that view is present in our world and then counter act with a Christian reply. It’s all part of engaging with our culture.
sorry, didn’t look thru your website before i replied. But was wondering if wouldn’t it be better if you say which ones are good and bad….or maybe you have it somewhere in this site..sorry if you do..but then it would be nice to tell the kids some of the world’s godly songs…they already know the bad ones.
The aim is to write an article on each song. It’s a long and time consuming job, but I’ll get there. You’ll notice that some songs have a hyperlink. They are the ones I’ve written up so far.
Terrific site! Have always loved XTC’s “Dear God” and was just surfing around tonight wondering if anyone else reads it the way I do. Noticed some atheists think the narrator is on their side. I hear what you do — the narrator is in pain and wants to believe. (Why would he be talking to someone he doesn’t believe in, atheists?) Anyway. Cool site. Please write about Sympathy for the Devil next. : )
Blessings to you!
Thanks for the comment Christine! Just for you I’ll bump Sympathy for the Devil up on the list :)
Morrissey – I Have Forgiven Jesus
Live – Heaven
Concrete Blonde/Andy Prieboy – Tomorrow Wendy
Thanks Greg. They’re great additions
St. Vincent – Jesus Saves, I Spend
David Bowie – New Killer Star
O.M.D. – Sister Marie Says
Roxy Music – Psalm
Hot Chip – No More Master
There are many many more…
Oh, I forgot a big one:
Spacemen 3 – I walked with Jesus
I keep remembering more as I do other things, I’ll try to just include songs that I think are good music:
Bruce Springteen – Jesus was an Only Son
Modest Mouse – Jesus was an Only Child
Judee Sill – Jesus was a Cross Maker
Page France – Jesus
Club 8 – Jesus, Walk With Me
Kurt Vile – Jesus Fever
Big Star – Jesus Christ
Nick Cave – Jesus met the woman at the well, The mercy seat
Neutral Milk Hotel – The King of Carrot Flowers
Regina Spektor – Baby Jesus
Eels – Novocaine for the soul
Low – If You Were Born Today
Blink 182 – Anthem 2
Bright Eyes – Ladder Song, Arc of Time
Flaming Lips – Plastic Jesus (they’ve got a bunch that randomly mention Jesus)
Nirvana – Jesus don’t want me for a Sunbeam (Vasalines cover)
Velvert Underground – Heroin
Tom Waits as a bunch more about Jesus, and for Wilco, you’ve got “Theologians”, but missed “Jesus, etc.” and “I’ll fight”.
And since you have Dandy Warhols – Godless, you might as well have the final song off that album too “the Gospel”.
I really could go on a lot lot more, but for now try out these on youtube and see which you like.