Exploring Godly Themes in the Music of Australian Singer/Songwriters.

Andrew Murray

A110791

Alphacrucis College: Online Campus

THE315

Major Essay

Due date: 06/02/2017

Submission date: 03/02/2017

Final word count: 2782

Plagiarism Quiz Score: 10/10

Plagiarism Quiz Completed: 29 Feb 2012

I hereby declare that the following work in this assessment is my own, except where
indicated through due referencing. This assessment has not, in full or part, been
submitted for another class or course at AC or any other institution.

Signed: Date: 03/02/2017

Abstract 3

Definitions 4

Music 4

Music Within the Canon of Scripture 6

Australian Artists' Expression of Godly Themes 7

Conclusion 10

Bibliography 12
 Exploring Godly Themes in the Music of Australian Singer/Songwriters.

Abstract

This essay analyses contemporary Australian Singer/Songwriters' music and the inclusion of Godly

themes in their work. The essay defines the term singer/songwriter and gives boundaries for what are

Godly themes. The themes explored include social justice, love, pain and suffering, and hope. The

artists examined include Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Urthboy, Paul Kelly, Missy Higgins, and Kate

Miller-Heidke. A brief history and discussion on music and its place in human culture gives a platform

to explore its use within the canon of scripture and the themes raised within. The essay then looks at

the artists' works and concludes that music is an invaluable tool for theological analysis and

exploration.
Definitions

Before beginning we must have an agreed basis of discussion. It is useful to define the term

singer/songwriter. For this discussion we can describe this as a person that plays or produces their

own instruments (including computers to produce electronic music) to create the majority of their own

music and also creates the majority of their lyrical content. This definition allows for a broad scope of

analysis, not limiting us to the particular genres or eras that that term singer/songwriter engenders.

Secondly, we can indentify that the singer/songwriters (artists) do not publicly promote the Christian

faith, nor is their music (work) identified as being targeted for a Christian audience. Third, it is

important that these artists are primarily Australian so as to reflect Australian culture, which is often

described as apathetic towards faith. Changing veins, we must also agree that as God (as revealed in

the Christian canon) is Creator of all things, music, as a creative expression, ultimately has its origin

in the divine, regardless of its intended purpose when created by humans. We will also avoid the term

"biblical" when referencing themes as described ahead due to the connotations this term implies. 1 The

themes discussed are the domain of God and humanity in its entirety, which is why they are found

within the canon of Scripture, not the reverse.2 With this foundation we can move ahead.

Music

Music has accompanied human culture throughout history. The earliest evidence of humans

producing musical instruments dates from 41,000BC; a flute made from bone.3 Other bone flutes have

been discovered but date to 35,000BC. Music has perplexed philosophers and scientists alike for

millennia as to its purpose and place in human culture and history. 4 Perlovsky states that "music is the

1
The term biblical is somewhat overused and tends to imply a moral standard that is not referenced in the
canon of scripture. The term "biblical marriage" to describe the position held by opponents of marriage
equality is an example of this term. Similarly, various doctrines such as pre-destination or subsequence are
referred to as being biblical in order to add weight to the authority of these doctrines. Space limits the
discussion around this term, suffice to say it will be avoid for more descriptive and suitable terms. Its use in
this paper will be limited to describing something that exists or is described within scripture, not the authority
or weight of the issue at hand.
2
Similar to the above footnote. Inclusion within the canon of scripture does make that thing the sole domain
of Christianity, rather the canon includes many issues because those issues are human issues.
3
C. Tuniz et al., "Did Neanderthals Play Music? X-Ray Computed Micro-Tomography of the Divje Babe 'Flute'",
Archaeometry , Volume 54 Issue 3 (Jun 2012), online at http://bit.ly/2kkxsmF [accessed January 2017], 588.
This flute is subject to debate over its origin, this article examines microscopic features of the flute to
determine that its hole are not produced by animals.
4
Leonid Perlovsky, "Cognitive Function of Music. Part I.", Interdisciplinary Science Reviews, Volume 37 Issue 2
(Jun 2012), online at http://bit.ly/2jMuOpf [accessed January 2017], 132.
most mysterious of human abilities, appealing directly to our primordial emotions, while connecting

them to language and cognition". 5 Today, music is divided into genres that describe the style the

music is portraying; common genres include pop, rock, hip hop, country and western, blues, jazz,

electronic, and classical. Each of these genres can be further broken down to describe nuances within

each genre. Musical genres will often overlap too, but a common unifying theme with modern music is

that of structure. Musical productions will often follow a format of an introduction exclusively of music

(without vocals), a sung verse, then a sung chorus (usually with a different musical composition than

the verse) which is repeated later, a second verse, the chorus again, a third verse, then the chorus

again, then a musical period till the song ends. This is not a fixed format and is designed to give a

brief overview of modern song structure rather than an analysis of musical composition. Songs will

often play with this format for creative reasons and will often include other elements as well.

Nonetheless the vocal components of a song for are an important feature as they are the vehicle

which artists will often utilise to convey their messages. The musical component is also quite

important in conveying messages and cannot be overlooked in this regard; however, similar

messages can be conveyed throughout a variety of musical elements. If we compare Paul Kelly's

From Little Things Big Things Grow6 with Urthboy's Empire Tags7 we see two very different songs

stylistically but very similar songs in the message they are conveying, in this case Australian

Indigenous peoples' land rights.

Music is an important tool for cultural reflection and evolution. It not only reflects the culture it is

created within but also connects others within that culture and pushes it towards change. A

comparison of modern music and ancient Greek music draws parallels between the two in that they

both reconcile culture with basic conceptual and linguistic needs; reconnecting emotional needs within

the music with cultural concepts in the lyrics. 8 This is an apt description of the function that

singer/songwriters play within contemporary Australian society: connectors of emotional needs with

cultural concepts through the medium of music.

5
Ibid, 140.
6
Paul Kelly, Songs From the South: The Best of Paul Kelly, Mushroom Records MUSH33009.5, 1997.
7
Urthboy, Smokey's Haunt, Elefant Traks ACE077, 2012.
8
Leonid Perlovsky, "Cognitive Function of Music. Part II.”, Interdisciplinary Science Reviews, Volume 39 Issue 2
(Jun 2014), online at http://bit.ly/2kacDbi [accessed January 2017], 179.
Music Within the Canon of Scripture

At this point it would be wise to briefly review music from the perspective of the people of God. The

book of Psalms contains the words of Hebrew songs across seven different genres and is intended as

a connection for the people to their God and to each other as they worship God. Although each psalm

was likely written with a specific incident that spurred its creation, their wider use is intended for

fostering community both towards God and other people. 9 Similarly, we see examples in the New

Testament of believers singing songs in various situations. 10 It is demonstrable through scripture that

singing and playing music is done to facilitate connection to God and to community. This is congruent

with Perlovsky's articles that music is a cognitive and cultural function that has escaped rational

explanation for millennia. It is not essential for survival but appears everywhere there exists

community. Its prevalence and prominence in human culture cannot be escaped.

Understanding the above, it is not unlikely that modern Australian music references Godly themes

despite having no intention to glorify God or highlight biblical concepts. Some key themes that reoccur

often are social justice, pain and suffering, love, community, and identity.

As created beings we reflect the image of our creator. While the bible does not detail what the content

of song should be; we do have the psalms which show what the content of some selected songs are,

nowhere does the canon of scripture describe what should be included or excluded from song. What

we do see is the bible addressing things like community and what should and should not be included

in community, social justice and moral and ethical issues pertaining to other people, pain and

suffering and the response from people and God to this, love and how this functions between people

and between people and God, and hope and striving for better things, to name a few. These issues

are familiar to humanity in general, but especially so to those who have an understanding of, and

relationship with, God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Since these issues are important to God's creation,

we can conclude that they are important to God also.

9
Tremper Longman III, How to Read the Psalms, (Nottingham: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 47.
10
Cf. Matt 26:30; Acts 16:25; 1 Cor 14:15; Eph 5:19; Col 3:16.
Australian Artists' Expressions of Godly Themes

Expression of these themes is not unique to the bible, or to music. They occur throughout humanity's

wide expression of arts but we will now look at some Australian artists and the exploration of some of

these themes in their work. Paul Kelly, Urthboy, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Missy Higgins and Kate

Miller-Heidke are a small selection of Australian artists whose work include these themes.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds are an example of a group whose association is Australian, although not

all members are Australian. Their song The Ship Song11 is an example of the relationship between

Christ and the Church. While the song itself has sexual implications (not explicitly stated), the author

is speaking to his love and asking the lover to enter into a place of safety and refuge in the author.

The picture of Christ as a safety and place of refuge for the Church comes to mind. The lyrics'

imagery is that of the lover letting loose their dogs upon, and sailing their ships (in a war like pattern)

around the author, as if to say that the author is able to deal with what the lover can throw at them, as

Christ has suffered for the Church. The author asks the lover to burn their bridges down, as Christ

would ask his followers to forsake their former lives and live for Him. Cave's personal faith is

somewhat ambiguous but acknowledges publicly that the Psalms, "...teeming with all the clamorous

desperation, longing, exultation, erotic violence and brutality that I could hope for" 12 have been a

source of inspiration in his own song writing. Cave's own definition of a love song is that it addresses

God and is only a love song if it deals with the joys and the sorrows, the heights and depths of human

emotion, that a song without these elements is a hate song disguised as a love song. 13 In this Cave

captures a difficult concept but one that is deeply rooted in Christian theology. His efforts to not

separate love and despair, hope and hopelessness, joy and sorrow are well described in the Psalms

and the eschatology of the New Testament.

Paul Kelly, as an artist, is quite different stylistically to Nick Cave. Paul Kelly is well-known for his

portrayal of Australian life and themes through his work. One of his most poignant pieces is They

Thought I Was Asleep.14 This song deals with the emotions he felt as a child after witnessing his

11
Nick Cave &The Bad Seeds, The Best of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Liberation Records MUSH33103.2, 1998.
12
Nick Cave, "The Secret Life of the Love Song" (lecture presented at the Vienna Poetry Festival 1998, Vienna,
Austria), transcript online at http://everything2.com/title/Nick+Cave%2527s+Love+Song+Lecture [accessed
January 2017].
13
Ibid.
14
Kelly, Songs From the South.
parents fighting. The music of the song carries the somewhat ambiguous lyrics. The work is clearly

conveying the pain and hurt, and confusion of the young artist as he recalls witnessing something he

wasn't supposed to have seen. The song does not give details about the cause of the event or the

outcome of the situation but skilfully draws its listeners into the midst of the pain and anguish of the

entire scene. It is very much like a biblical lament in this sense. This piece is a great example of pain

and suffering found within the biblical texts. In the song the artist is left somewhat paralysed by the

event, unable to move out of the way of the tragedy despite not wanting any part of it. We all

encounter events that bring pain into our lives; how they occur and what causes them differ as much

as there are people in this world. They Thought I Was Asleep clearly indicates that this event has

stayed with the artist for a significant period of time, from childhood into adulthood. Sometimes there

is no resolution or explanation for these events, they happen and stay with us. In our lives, and in the

song, sometimes the only thing we can do is cry out to God for help in learning to live with the impact

that these events have on us.15

Urthboy (Tim Levinson), is an Australian Hip-Hop artist from Sydney. His work is produced via

computers using samples of other music. In this he is not a picture of a traditional singer/songwriter

but since his work is original (in that he creates and crafts the samples to form music and writes his

own lyrics) he is worthy of being included under the singer/songwriter banner. His work is heavily

focused on social justice and inclusion. Notable examples are Megaphone Stallone, 16 which

challenged the Howard government and their complicity in the treatment of David Hicks among other

things, and the aforementioned song, Empire Tags, which calls for a new Australian flag in light of

treatment of Indigenous Australians by the Colonial British and White Australian peoples. Yet another

of his pieces, Little Girl's Dad, 17 reflects the nature of the New Testament in causing its readers

(hearers originally) to view culture differently and challenge elements that are not congruent with the

Kingdom of God. The hook (or chorus) says "You ain't daddy's little girl, he's a little girl's dad." In this

Urthboy challenges the notion that women are less in status and value than men. His challenge to

society is a fundamental one. He challenges fathers to remember that they are instrumental in raising

healthy and whole members of society and that their actions directly affect the self-esteem and self-

15
Shane Clifton, "Theodicy, Disability, and Fragility: An Attempt to Find Meaning in the Aftermath of
Quadriplegia", Theological Studies (Online), Volume 76 Issue 4, online at http://bit.ly/2kq1INp [accessed
February 2017], 782.
16
Urthboy, The Signal, Elefant Traks ACE032, 2007.
17
Urthboy, The Past Beats Inside Me Like A Second Heartbeat, Elefant Traks ACE140, 2016.
worth of their daughters. He places the responsibility squarely back on fathers to act in a way that

creates healthy humans and healthy relationships, not to act in a way that perpetuates the

stereotypes of women as the lesser gender or that women are the property of men.

The New Testament is a phenomenally inclusive document.18 It does contain sections that read as

somewhat archaic by contemporary standards without understanding of the socio-historical context

surrounding the texts but given that this document was written in the first century A.D., in a Roman

dominated culture, we can be sure that the texts call for radical inclusion and empowerment of those

on the fringes of society, including women. These challenges to society are common in Jesus'

parables. The work of Christ created a paradigm shift where all are equal in Him.19 The parable of the

great banquet in Luke 14 is a challenge to be radically inclusive despite society's expectations.

Urthboy will often challenge the norms of Australian culture regardless of expectations.

Missy Higgins is another Australian artist that is more than capable of dealing with themes that are

found in the bible. Her song Steer20 is a hopeful piece that fills its audience with joy and the prospect

of new things. The song speaks of letting things that have held the artist back fall away and stepping

into something new; a change in direction. The song is full of hope and its recognisable feeling is

something that God fills His people with upon their re-connection with Him. Missy Higgins captures

and expresses the joy and empowerment of making a choice that leads to freedom. Yet there is a

hope that raises its arms despite the circumstances, In The Dark21 by Kate Miller-Heidke explores this

kind of hope. It is a song that walks the depths of loss while looking forward. The song is about the

death of a family member and being around their possessions, in this case a car that no longer starts.

The song closes with a burst of strength and hope for healing despite the rawness of the wounds left

by the loss and the heaviness of every step. It is this kind of hope that we see in the bible through the

laments in the Psalms and the weariness of Christians in the New Testament looking forward to the

return of Christ in the face of persecution. This kind of hope moves beyond fleeting moments of

18
Ben Witherington III, New Testament History: A Narrative Account, (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2003),
282.
19
Lisa P. Stephenson, "A Feminist Pentecostal Theological Anthropology: North America and Beyond", Pneuma
Volume 35 Issue 1 (March 2013), online at http://bit.ly/2jupJn0 [accessed February 2017], 39.
20
Missy Higgins, On A Clear Night, Eleven: A Music Company ELEVENCD70, 2007.
21
Kate Miller-Heidke, Nightflight, Sony Music 88691974412, 2012.
happiness and sets itself deep in the heart. It serves as a foundation to continue on in the face of

fierce opposition.22

Conclusion

While these are just a few artists and a selected sample of their work, Australian singer/songwriters

are well versed in Godly themes. This is not at all surprising given that these themes are common to

humanity, not simply those who have entered into relationship with Christ. These themes are also

common throughout the biblical canon, which is the record of God interacting with His creation

throughout a vast period of time. It is not unexpected then to see these themes throughout the texts,

especially within the Psalms which are the recorded songs of Israel, used for community with God

and other people. Themes like love, hope, grief and loss, and justice have been recorded in the

biblical texts since there were people; our emotions and feelings are reflections of our Creator. As His

creation we therefore are experiencing things that God also feels. As a creative expression, that is to

say something able to be created by humans, music is often chosen to express these themes (and

more) as a way of sharing these experiences with each other. Music is an important expression of

community. Its accessibility to its (modern) audience is another factor in its popularity and its wide

form, stylistically and compositionally, mean that there are musical genres available for almost any

preference.

The human journey is one where these themes are experienced in different ways and at different

times. Community is more often than not the setting in which these experiences take place and music

is a very popular expression of these experiences. It has the ability to carry the emotion and

experience of these themes by the artist to the audience, although as discussed the mechanisms for

this is still unknown by modern science. As such the vehicle of music is an extremely important tool

for theologians when exploring these themes and human experiences. Music is a mirror for culture

and humanity, able to reflect emotion and experience, and transfer these from person to person. It is

an intimate and open expression of the soul and explores God given emotions, thoughts, feelings,

and experiences and reflects the common attributes God has put in each of His creations. The ability

to feel and describe those feelings and experiences, to be able to share and explore the themes

22
Tremper Longman III, "Getting Brutally Honest With God", Christianity Today, Volume 59 Issue 3, online at
http://bit.ly/2kQnOcK [accessed February 2017], 56-59.
discussed, makes music a most valuable tool for theological insight, exploration and expression. The

exploration of these themes by Australian singer/songwriters shows that even though God may not be

explicitly referenced in the work from these artists, Godly themes are being explored throughout

contemporary Australian music. This is because these themes are part of a common experience of

humanity and God is not absent from these experiences whether He is acknowledged or not along the

way.
Bibliography

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January 2017].

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