Messages, Metal, and Maiden

I was thinking the other day about messages in music (i.e., the song lyrics) and how some Christians blame the failure of  “Christian music” to make it big in the world on its lyrics. In other words, the world doesn’t like our message so it rejects our music.

A couple of counterexamples lept to mind. First, there are successful bands with Christian members (Switchfoot, Lifehouse, etc.). I have also heard bands more strictly labeled “Christian” (such as Jars of Clay and DC Talk) played on the hardest rocking station in my ultra-liberal college town. It seems that if the music is good enough people will listen to it regardless of the lyrical content.

Then I thought of a sort of reverse-example: a secular band with unlikely lyrical content that made it big. And not just any secular  band – it was a heavy metal band. In fact, not only was it a secular heavy metal band – at the time it was THE heavy metal band. I am referring to the great ones – Iron Maiden.

Here is a band that was required listening for headbangers everywhere. They wrote metal standards such as The Number of the Beast, Flight of Icarus, The Trooper, and 2 Minutes to Midnight. They rocked, they rocked hard, and everyone knew it. But what did they sing about? Sex? Drugs? Partying? Drinking?

Not so much.*

Instead, the top act of the golden metal era (early to mid-80’s) sang about historical events, epic poetry, literature, film, war, prophecy, and a host of other seemingly non-metal subjects. Why did we listen? Because they freakin rocked! Between Dickinson’s soaring vocals, Harrison’s galloping basslines, McBrain’s thundering drums, and the twin guitar attack of Murray and Smith . . . it was just too good. So when Maiden wrote a 13 minute long song called The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner did we care that we were learning British poetry whilst our heads banged? Not a bit. (I astonished my biology class when the teacher put up a famous line from the poem on the board in correct scientific terminology and asked if anyone could name the source. “How did Beaumont know that???”  Ha!).

Given that most song lyrics are not clear enough (either in discernability or in reference), and that good music overshadows most of them anyway, I think we should not use them as an excuse for the failure of music to get played or become popular. If Maiden could sing to the metal heads about the very books we refused to read in class, then Christians can sing truth to the masses if they can write music that people will listen to.

–

*For an interesting (though unofficial)  list and assessment of Iron Maiden’s songs, see the Iron Maiden Commentary.