Tueday's Musical Notes - "Let's Go Crazy" (Prince)

Welcome to Tuesday!  It's time for The Notes!  We're glad you're here.  Are you ready?  Today's Notes may be  something you aren't truly expecting as was the artist we write about today..."Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..."

"Let's Go Crazy" by Prince and The Revolution from the 1984 Motion Picture Soundtrack Purple Rain

With the advent of radio, television, and the internet, popular artists are given far much greater exposure than the days when you had to physically travel to hear your favorite musician or buy their latest recording on a thick platter of vinyl to get exposure to what was new and trendy.  The night clubs of the world largest cities were sites to see and hear, up and coming artists and on occasion get to witness a hit maker in their prime.  Motion pictures were also an avenue by which the "talented" artists of the day could get their records and tour tickets sold.  Such was the music business in an earlier age.  It took a very special and heavily covered career to get days worth of newspaper coverage at the passing of the icons of a bygone era.

Every generation Experiences the death of iconic figures that are specifically unique to their generation.  In the last few months, you have probably heard someone say, "it sure seems like many of my favorite, singer/actor/band are dying off!"  While this expression is true for the current generation, it is not something that is endemic to just our age.  It is however, something we experience at a much more media energized pace as we have more knowledge regarding our generations icons, as opposed to Doris Roberts (the Matriarch on Everybody Loves Raymond, who passed away recently with a long movie and television career).  The Notes wonders how the passing of singer/actress, 92 year old Doris Day will be covered when she passes.  We suspect it won't be covered for 3-5 days in the news cycle as was the case for the death of the 57 year old Artist Formerly Known As Prince who is at the heart of today's Notes.

Prince Rogers Nelson was an incredibly gifted musician.  He had no musical training past high school, yet played many of the instruments on all of his solo (sans The Revolution, or New Power Generation bands) albums.  He was what many in our generation consider a musical genius.  

"Let's Go Crazy" was Prince's second #1 hit on the Billboard 100.  It followed on the heals of "When Doves Cry" which also appeared on the soundtrack to Purple Rain.  "Let's Go Crazy" was the song that opened the movie as well as the song Prince used to open many of his concerts during the decade of the 80's and beyond.  Some musical historians even claim the lyrics to "Let's Go Crazy" to be an encouragement to follow Christian principles.  The lyric "Are we gonna let De-eleveator bring us down", "De-elevator being a metaphor for the Devil.  Tuesday's Musical Notes is somewhat skeptical based on the "fruit"of Prince's labor, however we leave it for you the reader to make the determination.  (Caution:  if you go to read the lyric contained in "Let's Go Crazy" there may be some items you consider offensive.  As with many of Prince's lyrics, read with this in mind)  "Let's Go Crazy" lyrics by genius.com

Tuesday's Musical Notes confesses that we are like millions of other music listeners that only appreciated Prince for the singles that made the top 40, the Batman Soundtrack, and the Purple Rain Soundtrack.  This makes us "casual" fans we suppose.  This  sampling of his music is small in comparison to his overall music library and the obvious league of adoring fans.  He sold an impressive 100 million + albums and is listed at #27 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time listing.  He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on the first year of his eligibility and in 1984 had the #1 single, #1 album and #1 film simultaneously, marking the first time any artist had ever achieved such a feat.

On the flip side, Prince had his share of trouble and tragedy.  He had repeated disagreements with his record label, Warner Brothers, over the release of his music.  In 1993, these disagreements finally resulted in change of his name to an unpronounceable symbol, , or the easier "Artist Formerly Known As Prince" (easier, really? Radio eventually went to calling him simply, The Artist, yup much easier!) in protest of the treatment he was getting from the label. 

In 1996 Prince became the father of a son who was born with Pfieffer Syndrome, a terminal bone disease.  The child would die a week after he was born.  Prince's wife at the time and the mother of the child would divorce him in 1999. 

The vast majority of Prince's music is sexually charged.  So much so that Democrat Al Gore's wife, Tipper formed the Parent's Music Resource Center after hearing her daughter listening to the Prince song "Darling Nikki".  This center advocates for the black and white "Explicit Material" and "Parental Advisory" labels on all albums judged to contain material that is unsuitable for minors.  Al Gore was at the time the Vice President of the United States and record labels "voluntarily" complied with the request.  This label had the opposite effect in making the albums much more popular to music fans who would purchase the labeled albums over the "bleeped out" versions in protest. 

Tuesday's Musical Notes suggests that followers of Jesus read ALL of the lyrics to their favorite music and allow Holy Spirit to guide them in their musical selections.  In that regard, it is incumbent on believers to do their homework before engaging media of ANY type in our culture. This would include audio, visual or print media.  Temptations abound in all of them.    There is a children's hymn that begins, "Oh, be careful little eyes what you see...".  It then segues into other sensory activities that as created beings we get to enjoy.  All the while remembering that..."The Father up above is looking down in love..."  Note that He is looking down in love.  Not disappointment. Not anger.  Not disgust.  But love.  You see my friend, as a child of God, we require a loving discipline from God when we blow it.  And of course, we will blow it.  Paul reassures us in this way as he was writing about God's loving discipline in his letter to the church of the Hebrews:

Hebrew's 12:1-11 New International Version of the Bible/The Message Paraphrase of the Bible parallel

Conviction of the heart comes to the believer as Holy Spirit guides us away from the sin that so easily over takes us.  We must gauge all media that we consume with the barometer of Holy Spirit as He guides us to living a life that becomes more like Jesus.  

The music of Prince Rogers Nelson,, The Artist Formerly Known As Prince, The Artist, and finally again, Prince, will be remembered as being equally brilliant, while being boundary pushing.  It will be remembered as poingnant, "When Doves Cry", "Nothing Compares 2 U" (made popular by Sinead O'Conner).  It will be remembered as fun, "1999, "Manic Monday" (recorded by The Bangles (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Walk Like An Egyptian")" and today's feature song "Let's Go Crazy".  For the follower of Jesus, it must also be remembered and viewed through the lens of Holy Spirit.  With his guidance, it's ok to use the euphemism of going crazy to have some fun, it's one of the ways we "get through this thing called life...so...let's go crazy"

"Crazy" from the 2008 aponymous album Worth Dying For

 

Matthew 5:14-16 NIV/The Message parallel

"Those Crazy Christians" by Brad Paisley from the 2013 album Wheelhouse

 

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving you,

Randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "All I Wanna Do" (Sheryl Crow)

Good Tuesday to ya friend?  Need more fun in your life?  I suspect everyone does! Well, you've come to the right place to discover how music, ministry and The Message can all combine to make your life more fun!!!  It's Tuesday's Musical Notes coming to you live, or email delayed, from the palatial second story offices of The Notes headquarters. Where we boldly proclaim..."This "ain't no disco, and it ain't no country club either", it's Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!

There is a misconception in our world that we should all be happy most of the time.  This is a confusing message in the fact that it is totally not impossible to ever achieve.  There are days that will be littered with challenges.  You say you've experienced them?  So have I.  The challenge lies in what we do, how we act, and the way we handle ourselves when our lives seem to be in "that" moment, facing yet another "brace for impact" time in our lives.  In these instances we find it very difficult to be happy.  In reality, at those junctures in our lives we may want to step on down to the Tuesday Night Music Club and join the sing along with Sheryl and William or Bill, maybe Billy or Mac or Buddy...'cause all we wanna do is have some fun...

"All I Wanna Do" from the 1993 album Tuesday Night Music Club by Sheryl Crow

Since the mid 80's the music industry has known of the singer/songwriter/actess Sheryl Crow. She was a backup singer for music icons Tina Turner, Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks, and Don Henley.    But it wasn't until 1994 as a part of consortia of artists called the Tuesday Night Music Club, that she became known by the world outside of the music universe.  She skyrocketed to fame with the #2 cut, "All I Wanna Do", from her 1993 solo album named for the aforementioned creative collective that got together on the ABSOLUTE best day of the week, Tuesday.  The song was taken from American poet Wyn Cooper's "Fun" (The Country of Here Below) and stayed at its #2 position for 6 weeks.  

Based on the strength of "All I Wanna Do", Tuesday Night Music Club would catapult to #3 on the Billboard 200 chart.  At the 1995 Grammys "All I Wanna Do" was nominated for 3 awards (winning for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance) and it garnered Sheryl Crow a Best New Artist win.  Her music would continue to resonate with fans around the world as she would see an additional 6 Grammy wins added to her accolades over the years.  


While mostly known as a pop artist, Crow's most recent album was 2013's country flavored Feels Like Home, her 9th top 10 album. It debuted at #7 on the Billboard 200.  In 2014, she was one of the opening acts for George Strait's The Cowboy Rides Away tour, expanding her fan base to Country/Western listeners. 

The sentiment expressed in "All I Wanna Do" is one that most of us experience.  We get so frustrated or bored with the tedium that can be our formulaic lives, that we want something to come along and shake us up a bit. The difficulty comes when that shaking it up isn't good for us, even though at the time it may seem fun.  

Christianity has gotten an unfair reputation of being a religion that doesn't promote fun.  God is often seen as some cosmic killjoy that wants to keep his thumb on us and keep us from having any "fun". Christianity is viewed by many as being a religion of "dont's".  This is far from being the case.  Christian musician Keith Green put this ideology of "dont's" into perspective once by saying, "If your busy doing all the do's in the Bible, you won't have time to do any of the dont's."   

Dictionary.com defines fun as "something that provides mirth or amusement".  That seems like it would encompass many things that we can experience in our lives.  It also seems to be a definition without boundaries.  "Fun" can be good things or bad things, much is left up to the person who is attempting to have fun.  On one extreme it may seem fun to sit on a mountainside and contemplate the extremities of the universe (let's be clear...this is an extreme case, not one suggested by Tuesday's Musical Notes).  On the other hand, to a serial killer, taking another person's life in the most cruel way possible can be construed to that person as fun (ditto the previous disclaimer). Your definition of fun will be defined by the view you have of the world.  

We have discussed world views here at The Notes on several occasions.  What we have concluded is that there really are only 2.  A Biblical world view and a worldly world view. Everyone chooses one of the other.  Let's be very plain, not choosing one is to choose the other.  There is NO in between.  The historical figure who is equated with being the most wise person ever, said this about fun...

Proverbs 10:22-24 The Message Paraphrase of the Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel

He also said this regarding a "beer buzz"...

Proverbs 20:1 The Message/KJV parallel

as well as this regarding having fun all of the time...

Ecclesiastes 2:1-3 The Message/KJV parallel

The difficulty lies in the fact that our world perceives fun and happiness in the wrong way.  The filter of their world view won't allow them to see what Solomon was attempting to say.  We don't need to strive to have fun.  We don't need to struggle to become happy.  What we need is joy.

The apostle Paul wrote to a church who needed to hear about joy...

Galatians 5:19-23 The Message/KJV parallel

According to Paul, your life will be perceived by others as joyful as your heart and mind continue to transform more into the likeness of Jesus.  That is our struggle as followers of Jesus.  How do we continually put off the things of this world that might make us happy in the moment and embrace the things in Him that bring about an eternal joy.  The fun that comes from being joyful is much more rewarding than any other activity in which we may find ourselves engaged. The activity of building relationships with others, Christian and pre-Christian, and serving them as Jesus would have served them is sure a fun place to start. It is the kind of fun that I want in my life..."I've got a feelin, I'm not the only one..."

Speaking of fun, here's a little with Toby...

"Feel It ft. Mr. Talk Box" from the 2015 album This Is Not A Test by Toby Mac


'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving you,

Rand

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Mama Tried" (Merle Haggard)

Welcome to Tuesday!  It's time for the Notes!  Much to do today and like mama always used to say, "There's no better time than the present!" So here we go with some other things another mama said...

"Mama said..." quotes from the 1995 movie Forrest Gump

 

It really is difficult to think of the award winning 1994 film Forrest Gump without thinking about what some of the things Forrest's mama said.  "Stupid is as stupid does", "Miracles happen every day.  Some people don't think so but they do", "Dyin' is a part of life.", "You've got to put the past behind you before you can move on." and "There's an awful lot you can tell about a person from their shoes.  Where they're goin', where they've been." are all memorable moments in the film.  It seems that there was much wisdom to be shared from Forrest Gump's mama.  The older I get, the more I realize there is much wisdom to be shared from my mama as well.  

Most would agree that their adult lives are a reflection of the influence that their parents had on them.  Even those who have gone a harder way in their life admit to the fact that their mama tried...

"Mama Tried", the title track from the 1968 album by Merle Haggard

Released in 1968, "Mama Tried" became Merle Haggard's 5th #1 song on Bilboard's Hot Country Singles chart where it spent 4 weeks at the top position, Haggard's biggest hit to that time.  Somewhat semi-autobiographical in nature, "Mama Tried" was one of the most enduring hits from this country music legend and cultural icon, who had served time in San Quentin prison in 1957.  It is so highly regarded as a part of American culture that it was selected to be included in the National Recording Registry on March 23, 2016.  This would be the last accolade that Merle Haggard would receive before his death on April 6.  We remember 2 of his previous honors in tribute:

Tribute To Merle Haggard - American Music Awards - 1991
33rd Kennedy Center Honors - 2010

There is a very familiar saying regarding the rearing of children.  It comes from Proverbs 22 King James Version Of The Bible/The Message Paraphrase Of The Bible parallel.  This passage instructs parents to raise children in an upright and godly manner.  It suggests that when the child becomes older they won't stray from those teachings.  What an incredible responsibility for parents!  Sometimes, however,  I wonder if we don't recognize the responsibility of the children in this passage. 

As Merle sang, "Mama tried to raise me better, but her pleading I denied...", upon reaching adulthood, we take the mantle of being responsible for our own actions.  This is a great deal of authority we take on at that stage of our lives.  Regardless of our upbringing, our behavior as adults is all on us.  Many in our world would have you believe that your deficiencies or successes are a result of how you were raised. While there is much truth to this, it does not release us from being culpable for our actions and reactions to the stimuli that creates the occasion for us to make decisions.  Our goodness or badness, while being a reflection of our folks, is not on them once we become cognizant adults.  The blame game, while seemingly an easy way out, is a lie from the pit of hell to convince us that we are not liable for our own actions.  This is diametrically opposed to what the Bible teaches.

Return to chapter 22 of Proverbs.  Read that entire chapter.  There is much wisdom in Solomon's instruction that is incredibly relevant to the culture in which we live.  YOU decide how you will live your life.  YOU can make the decision to change if your environment or "village" as a child was tainted in in an evil way.  YOU are the only one who God will judge for your actions when you die.  YOU are the only one who can choose what your eternal destination will be upon that judgement.  

You can begin to make the change that you desire today by realizing that:

 

everybody sins -  Romans 3:23 KJV/The Message parallel

 

the Bible says that because we sin we deserve to die apart from God - Romans 6:23 KJV/The Message

 

God didn't create us to die apart from Him, He Loves Us! - John 3:16 KJV/The Message

 

He made a way for us to be with Him when we die - 2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV/The Message

 

This is how we accept God's grace and get on His pathway - Romans 10:9-10 KJV/The Message.

How can we be sure of this? God promised it - Romans 10:13 KJV/The Message

 

So you see friend, you decide.  Regardless of how hard your mama may have tried, she is not how you will get to heaven one day.  Only by believing in Jesus do you get to heaven.  You must decide what you will do with the man Jesus.  You make that determination, you accept the responsibility, so ultimately, "...that leaves only me to blame, cause mama tried." 

'Til  Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving you,

Randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "HELP!" (The Beatles)

Welcome to Tuesday April 5th, 2016!  Time for another "Turn back the page" Tuesday with a reprint of an email version of The Notes.  Today's reimagineering comes from June 14th, 2011 and features THE Band from the sixties.  The lads from Liverpool, the dudes with the dos (hairdos, that is)The brigadiers of the British Invasion,  here's Tuesday's Musical Notes with the Beatles and the title track from their album and movie theme from their 1965.   




     If you were to write a great song, here are some things for which you would hope:
 

 1) The song would be the title track from an album that goes to #1 on the  Billboard charts

 2) The song would become a single that hits #1 and stays for 3 weeks on Billboard's Hot 100 chart
  3) The song would be the title and part of the soundtrack for a major motion picture featuring the hottest musical group on the planet
  4) The song would become iconic in the music industry by being covered countless times and featured in television ads
  5) The song would become the subject of a weekly devotional that features popular music from all decades


     In fact, that song WAS written.  It is HELP! by the Beatles.   Que the flashback music.....

"Help!" the title track from the 1965 album by The Beatles

or maybe your in the mood for a more animated version:

 The Beatles Cartoon - "HELP!"

     Let's face it, The Beatles are known for good lyrics, good hair, and music that brought about change in their time.  They are not however,  necessarily known for being followers of Jesus.   John Lennon even went so far as to say of the band that, "We're more popular that Jesus right now".  This quote appeared in an article written for The London Evening Standard on March 4, 1966.  In context, he was making a statement on the decline of Christianity in England and the rise in acclaim of The Beatles.  He later realized, after the article went to press in the United States, that particular quote was not a very popular thing to say when you want to sell records, or promote a US tour, and Lennon, under press pressure lamented, "if you want me to apologise, if that will make you happy, then OK, I'm sorry".  ("More Popular Than Jesus" - wikipedia.com)  The US tour was a success and The Beatles have become THE representation of the British Invasion,  the quintessential example of Rock-n-Roll gods, and the group that assisted in defining the word "iconic" . 
    
     But the Beatles were not gods, or even god like.  John Lennon was shot and killed outside his apartment and George Harrison succumbed to cancer.  Paul McCartney has had good success, however his personal life has been the subject of constant court cases and marital distress.  Of the four Beatles, only Ringo Starr has been able to sustain a modicum of success that came about from the persona that he had in the 60's.  He has continued in the music industry (Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band)  and even appeared post Beatle's on the big screen.  His last movie appearance would be in the 1981 movie "Caveman" (where he met wife Barbara Bach).  

     "Help!" in the context of this song, is an interjection.  It is used as an exclamation to call for assistance or to attract attention.  I have had many times in my life when I used this exclamation to call for assistance.  Most of those times I should have asked for the assistance prior to starting the task, but like so many of us, I thought I could do it all on my own. Why do we do that with our lives?  Do we think that after God allows us to be created we don't need Him anymore?  Or do we fully depend on him everyday?  If we were honest with ourselves, I think many of us would fall somewhere in the middle of those two extremes.   We depend on God for some things but in others we use a popular phrase that I hear from the younger set...."I Got This".......  oh, you've heard it too?

The NIV translation of the Bible uses the word "help" or a derivative in a variety of ways.  Help, helped, or helper are found 287 times according to  "Help" in the New International Version of the Bible.  On occasion, the Bible uses "help" as a negative, but the vast majority of references are positive, asking God for help and it being provided.  Psalm 28:7 NIV/King James Version of the Bible parallel, refers to God's strength and presence when help is needed and then celebrates the help that He provides.  What potential there is in the life that adopts this attitude!  God's strength and His help is all sufficient for any situation in which we find ourselves.  God provides help to us and through us to others.  Can you be that conduit to show God's love by providing God's help? 

Many followers of Jesus are seeking that "ministry" in which they can participate.  While these "official" ministries are wonderful ways God is glorified and the Gospel is promoted, there are ministry opportunities that abound everyday if we will take the time to invest in other people.  Several years ago, a small book called Random Acts Of Kindness became very popular. It listed easy/seemingly small things that you can do for your fellow man.  Many embraced this book and went about doing some of the items listed in its covers.  As Christians, this should be our lifestyle.  God provides countless situations whereby we can be a help to someone in need.  He uses that moment to show His love to others through us.  We can literally be His hands and feet as we minister to others by helping them. 

"Hands And Feet" - Audio Adrenaline from the 1999 album Underdog


As we develop relationships with all people, not just the  folks that are exactly like us, God provides the impetus for us to show His love by being there when folks around us cry out...

Help!  I need somebody! 

Help!  Not just anybody!

Help!  You know I need someone!

Help!!!


"Help" by Erica Campbell (featuring LeCrae) title track from the 2014 album

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving you,
Randy