Transmission

When I was in my late teens, I was introduced to alternative Christian music, which began my “descent” into what I would call the alternative church.

Different than Isaac’s definition of the Emerging Church, this type of church may have had an authority figure at the top, but from where it stood it was changing the notions of convention. It wasn’t the dress-up-and-look-your-best-shop-talk type of church. Rather, to give an example, it was about 6-7 people dressed in all black, makeup covering their faces, looking edgy, some might say gothic, in a dark basement lit by candlelight, singing gothic worship songs (to this day I am not even sure I can describe that!), and talking about a particular passage in the bible. It was a place where people like this could feel safe and could meet God where they were in their lives without the criticisms of those whom were more “conservative” in style. This church and it’s corresponding music reached out to a generation of young people whom weren’t being touch by “conventional wisdom”.

The musicians - bands like Delieverance, Vengence Rising, Tourniquet, the Violet Burning, Echoing Green, and others - were ridiculed and called demon worshipers dressed in sheeps’ clothing. Yet I couldn’t tell you the number of people they reached. It has always stuck out in my mind. They stood out because they were different and in some form were an image of Christ on this earth. They were the outcasts who were reaching out to other outcasts and providing a spiritual form of healing through music.

One song in particular, which had a great influence on my life, was Steve Taylor’s “I Want to be a Clone”. Steve Taylor’s comments and criticism about the estabilished church reach out to the disillusioned and challenge those who “clothe themselves in righteousness” but forget the very foundations of Christ - His love. Thus, without further ado, the lyrics:

I’d gone through so much other stuff
that walking down the aisle was tough
but now I know it’s not enough
I want to be a clone

I asked the Lord into my heart
they said that was the way to start
but now you’ve got to play the part
I want to be a clone

chorus:
Be a clone and kiss conviction goodnight
cloneliness is next to Godliness, right?
I’m grateful that they show the way
’cause I could never know the way
to serve him on my own
I want to be a clone

They told me that I’d fall away
unless I followed what they say
who needs the Bible anyway?
I want to be a clone

Their language it was new to me
but Christianese got through to me
now I can speak it fluently
I want to be a clone

(chorus)

Send in the clones
Ah, I kind of wanted to tell my friends and people about it, you know
What?
You’re still a babe
you have to grow
give it twenty years or so
’cause if you want to be one of his
got to act like one of us

(chorus)

So now I see the whole design
my church is an assembly line
the parts are there
I’m feeling fine
I want to be a clone

I’ve learned enough to stay afloat
but not so much I rock the boat
I’m glad they shoved it down my throat
I want to be a clone

Everybody must get cloned

From “Now the Truth Can be Told” by Steve Taylor © 1994 Sparrow Records

Posted in: musings, tunes