The Master List
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
46 responses to “The Master List”
Trackbacks / Pingbacks
- - May 6, 2009
- - January 17, 2014
Pop Culture Christ 
NOFX – Leaving Jesusland
Soundgarden – Jesus Christ Pose
Fuel – Jesus or a Gun
Check out Cross Connection Radio
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.
Bad Religion — American Jesus
Pretty much all of Sinead O’Connor’s work, especially Theology double album (99% based on Psalms), and the song Take Off Your Shoes from her latest offering, as well as The Lambs Book of Life from Faith & Courage. Also, Eurythmics Angel, Annie Lennox Oh God (Prayer), plus much of Annie’s A Christmas Cornucopia (Traditional Christian Carols)…Tori Amos Father Lucifer, Concrete Blonde Jesus Forgive Me (For The Things I’m About To Say), Tom Waits Jesus Gonna Be Here, a lot of stuff by Danzig, Evil Thing, Son of the Morning Star, Brand New God to name a few. Lady Gaga Black Jesus, George Michael Jesus to a Child, Vowel Movement Jesus, Jay Brannan Goddamned, Marilyn Manson (again, lots) but Lamb of God for starters…Prince Act Of God and And God Created Woman, Ghostland w/Sinead O’Connor Guide Me God, Tracy Chapman Save Us All, lots by Derek Webb and early Sufjan Stevens, The Sugarcubes Deus, Nick Jonas Dear God, Kate Bush Running Up The Hill, Grace Jones Inside Story, Madonna and Prince Act of Contrition…
A lot of material by Sinéad O’Connor, including her double album, Theology, which centers around the Psalms, Also, on Faith and Courage, The Lamb’s Book of Life, and Universal Mother’s Thank You for Hearing Me, to name a few more – as well as her collaboration with Ghostland on Guide Me God. Also, a cover of Bob Dylan’s Property of Jesus.
In addition to Eurythmics Missionary Man, as noted above, also There Must Be An Angel (Playing with my Heart), Angel, I’ve Got an Angel, and Heaven.
Annie Lennox has Oh God (Prayer) on Bare, as well as a b-side of the Psychedelic Furs, Heave (not the same as the version noted above for Eurythmics. Her A Christmas Cornucopia album contains 99% traditional Christian Carols.
Dave Stewart and the Spiritual Cowboys have a song called Heaven and Earth. And Dave Stewart solo has God Only Knows You Now, with Jessie Baylin.
Tom Waits also has Jesus Gonna Be Here and God’s Away on Business.
Prince has Act of God, and And God Created Woman.
Derek Webb and Sufjan Stevens have a bunch, especially their earlier works.
Jay Brannan has Goddamned.
Tracy Chapman has Save Us All, from Our Bright Future.
Danzig has a ton – for starters, Evil Thing, Brand New God and Son of the Morning Star.
Ditto for Marilyn Manson, check out Lamb of God, Get Your Gunn, and Antichrist Superstar (and they do a cover of Personal Jesus).
Vowel Movement has a song called Jesus.
Lady Gaga has Black Jesus + Amen Fashion, and a track called Judas.
Nick Jonas has a song called Dear God (early Nick, under the name Nicholas Jonas).
Madonna also has Act of Contrition (w/ Prince).
Grace Jones has Inside Story.
Bananarama has Preacher Man.
Concrete Blonde also has God is a Bullet and Jesus Forgive Me (For the Things I’m About to Say).
N’SYNC – (God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time on You.
David Archuleta has Be Still, My Soul
Alice in Chains – God Smack
Coldplay – God Put A Smile on Your Face
Blind Melon – Car Seat (God’s Presents)
Color Me Badd – God Is Love
Escape Club – God’s Own Radio
Kate Bush – Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)
Johnny Cash – God’s Gonna Cut You Down
Keith Urban – But For The Grace of God
Live – Love Shines (A Song For My Daughters About God)
Miranda Sex Garden – Sure There Is No God Of Love
Metallica – The God That Failed
The Moffatts – When God Made You
Natalie merchant and Billy Bragg – Party of God
New Order – Touched by the Hand of God
Nine Inch Nails – Closer to God and God Given
Paula Cole – God Is Watching
Pearl Jam – God’s Dice
Wang Chung – Praying to a New God
Tear’s For Fears – God’s Mistake
Suzanne Vega – The Man Who Played God
Everlast – Even God Don’t Know and God Wanna
George Michael – Jesus to a Child
Billy Idol – Plastic Jesus
Donna Summer – I Believe in Jesus
Genesis – Jesus He Knows Me
Skid Row – Quicksand Jesus
Temple of the Dog – Wooden Jesus
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – I Find Jesus
ZZ Top – Jesus Just Left Chicago
**I apologize if any of the above are duplicates or already stated and I missed…
Found this after listening to James Taylor ‘Fire and Rain’, Won’t you look down upon me Jesus . . .’ And wondered if any one was making such a list. It may be on the list somewhere but I didn’t catch it. Thanks for the list.
Katy Perry (daughter of a minister/former Christian pop singer) has a song about religion on each of her latest two albums: “Who Am I Living For?” (Teenage Dream) / “By the Grace of God” (Prism)
Jill Scott’s song “Hear My Call” is a prayer to God.
Bette Midler – “From a Distance”
Stevie Wonder – “Higher Ground”
Natalia Kills – “If I Was God”
Solange (Knowles) – “God Given Name”
Boy George recently released a song called ‘My God’ with the lyric “Jesus loves you, don’t you know?”
Wooden Jesus by Great White
The Script-Hall Of Fame
Science and Faith- does not mention Godbut some of the lyrics are you cant find faith or hope down a telescope you wont find heart or soul in the stars.
If you could see me now has a lyric that says i hope your up there with God saying thats my kid. It does have a cuss word in it but there is a clean version.
OneRepublic- Preacher
The Script Superheros-doesnt mention God or Jesus but is a great song to listen to because it spreads a positive message with lyrics like every day every hour turn that pain into power. It also says shes got a lion in her heart a fire in her soul and it is all around a beautiful song.
every creed song ever lol
Stevie Wonder: “Just Go Have a Talk with God”
The Pretenders: “I’ll Stand by you”.
Stevie Wonder: “Just go have a talk with God”
The Pretenders: ” I’ll Stand by You”
Joan Osborne – One Of Us
Emmylou Harris – Jerusalem Tomorrow
Country Joe McDonald – Hold On It’s Coming
Sha Na Na – Top 40 Of The Lord
Van Morrison – “Whenever God Shines His Light”
Pink Floyd – The Hero’s Return
Jesus is Just Alright with Me by the Doobie Bros.
Avenged sevenfold – dear God
My sweet Lord
You forgot the thousands of songs about the Son/Sun. Symbolism is a beautiful thing. Have a great day
Turning John Lennon’s immortal claim on its head, I created the YouTube playlist, “Jesus: Bigger Than the Beatles” (or “Pop Go Songs of Faith 1963-2016”). This ecclectic selection of songs comprise the soundtrack of my own spiritual journey over the last half century or so.
I spend a great deal of my waking hours in bed, coping with the excruciating pain of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, which is a chronic, untreatable disorder. Initially, I assigned myself the job of compiling this playlist as a distraction, just to give myself something to do. But the task has truly inspired me, and listening to this playlist has proved to be very therapeutic. I’ve even heard from folks whose loved ones have listened to it on their deathbeds. Reports like that are truly heartwarming.
Note: “People Get Ready,” “Amazing Grace,” and “Oh, Happy Day” are included on The National Recording Registry of sound recordings that “are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States.”
1. “Amen” (Traditional/Arranged by Jester Hairston) from the Academy Award-winning motion picture “Lilies of the Field” (1963).
2. *“People Get Ready” Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions, from “People Get Ready” (1965).
3. ”Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season)” The Byrds, from “Turn! Turn! Turn!” (1965).
4. ”Get Together” The Youngbloods, from “The Youngbloods” (1967), debut album re-issued as “Get Together” (1971).
5. *“Amazing Grace” Judy Collins, original version from “Whales and Nightingales” (1970). This re-recorded, sans-choir version appeared on the UK-only release “Amazing Grace” (1985) and the US-only album “Trust You Heart” (1987).
6. “Thank You Master (for My Soul)” Donny Hathaway, from “Everything Is Everything” (1970).
7. *”Oh Happy Day” Northern California State Youth Choir (re-christened “Edwin Hawkins Singers”) featuring Dorothy Combs Morrison, from “Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord” (1968). Commercially released as a single, then as the title track on “Oh Happy Day” (1969).
8. “Message to Love” Band of Gypsys (Jimi Hendrix), from “Band of Gypsys” (1970).
9. ”Fire and Rain” James Taylor, from “Sweet Baby James” (1970).
10. ”Day By Day” from the off-Broadway musical “Godspell,” by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak (1971), sung by Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, Broadway revival (2011).
11. ”Gethsemane” (I Only Want to Say)” Ian Gillan, from “Jesus Christ Superstar” (1970).
12. ”After Forever” Black Sabbath, from “Master of Reality” (1971).
13. ”Morning Has Broken” Cat Stevens, from “Teaser and the Firecat” (1971).
14. ”That’s the Way God Planned It” Billy Preston, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Leon Russell, et. al., from “The Concert for Bangladesh” film and soundtrack album (1972).
15. ”Jesus is Just Alright” The Doobie Brothers, from “Toulouse Street” (1972).
16. ”Jesus” Queen, from “Queen” debut album (1973).
17. ”Rocky Mountain High” John Denver, from “Rocky Mountain High” (1973).
18. “For the Love of Money” O’Jays, from “Ship Ahoy” (1973).
19. ”Jesus is Waiting” Al Green, from “Call Me” (1973).
20. ”Higher Ground” Stevie Wonder, from “Innervisions” (1973).
21. “Operator” The Manhattan Transfer, from “The Manhattan Transfer” (1975).
22. “Great Gosh A’Mighty” (Great God Almighty) Little Richard, from “Lifetime Friend” (1986).
23. “People Get Ready” Jeff Beck w/Rod Stewart, from “Flash” (1985).
24. “Kyrie” Mr. Mister, from “Welcome to the Real World” (1985).
25. ”Until The End of the World” U2, from “Achtung Baby” (1991).
26. ”Runaway” Blue Murder (John Sykes), from “Nothin’ But Trouble” (1993).
27. “I Don’t Want to Live That Way Again” Glenn Hughes, from “Addiction” (1996).
28. “You Just Can’t Beat Jesus Christ” Billy Joe Shaver w/son Eddy Shaver (guitar), from “Salt of the Earth” (1987), live at Farm Aid 1994. Re-recorded version appears on “Everybody’s Brother” (2007).
29. “Has Jesus Closed His Eyes?” Enuff Z. Nuff, from “Tweaked” (1995).
30. “God Help the Outcasts” Heidi Mollenhauer, Cornell University Chorus, (Music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz) from Disney’s “Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1995).
31. “I Love the Lord” Whitney Houston and the Georgia Mass Choir, “The Preacher’s Wife” Soundtrack (1996).
32. “You Gotta Serve Somebody” Etta James, “Matriarch of the Blues” (2000).
33. “The Hand Song” Nickel Creek, from “Nickel Creek” (1999).
34. “The Man Comes Around” Johnny Cash, from “American IV: The Man Comes Around” (2002).
35. “Come to Jesus” Mindy Smith, from “One Moment More” (2004).
36. “Jesus Take the Wheel” Carrie Underwood, from “Some Hearts” (2005).
37. “Slow Train” Leon Russell, from “A Mighty Wave” (2006).
38. “Mercy On Me” Christina Aguilera, from “Back to Basics” (2006).
39. “What Love Really Means” JJ Heller, from “When I’m With You” (2010).
40. “Forgiven” David Ramirez, from “The Rooster” (2013).
41. “Grace” Tony Iommi w/Glenn Hughes, from “Fused” (2005).
42. “Paradise Lost” Symphony X, from “Paradise Lost” (2007).
43. “Brutal Planet” Alice Cooper, from “Brutal Planet” (2000).
44. “The Catalyst” (“God Bless Us Everyone”) Linkin Park, from “A Thousand Suns” (2010).
45. “Lift” Poets of the Fall, from “Signs of Life” (2010).
46. “The Beginning of the End” Judas Priest, from “Redeemer of Souls” (2014).
47. “Broken Sky/Long Day (Reprise)” Neal Morse Band, from “Similitude of a Dream” (2016).
48. “Forevermore” Jesus Culture, from “Live from New York” (2012).
49. “Be Thou My Vision” Eden’s Bridge, from “The Best of Celtic Praise and Worship Vol. 1” (2002 remastered)
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?
How about XTC – The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead (also covered by Crash Test Dummies) and The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army?
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 :)