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The Deception of False Geography in Song Lyrics

S

saturneptune

New Member
If you were ever depending on song lyrics to get somewhere, you better think again. Here are two examples that could have you way off course.

1. In the song "Them Old Cotton Fields Back Home" one of the lyrics says, and I quote, "it was down in Louisiana, just about a mile from Texarkana." If you look it up in an atlas, you will see Texarkana is at least fifty miles from the Louisiana border.

2. In the song "Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves" by Cher, one of the lyrics says "met a boy just south of Mobile, gave him a ride, filled him with a hot meal." Mobile is on the Gulf of Mexico, so are they saying the gypsies took their wagon out into the middle of the Gulf to meet her boyfriend?

This must stop. If you can think of any other examples, it would be great for you to shed some light on them.
 
J

JMSR

New Member
South of Mobile, down the east side of the Mobile Bay is VERY nice, especially Fairhope/Point Clear.
 
Crabtownboy

Crabtownboy

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
I have never cared for the song, "There is a Fountain Filled With Blood."
I do not like the line.
It is not a true line.
It gives a terrible picture to a person not already versed in Christianity.

I realize this is not a geographical mistake.

There are hymns containing pretty bad theology. Perhaps we should start a thread on hymns with bad theology.

IMHO
 
Last edited by a moderator:
HankD

HankD

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Crabtownboy said:
I have never cared for the song, "There is a Fountain Filled With Blood."
I do not like the line.
It is not a true line.
It gives a terrible picture to a person not already versed in Christianity.

I realize this is not a geographical mistake.

There are hymns containing pretty bad theology. Perhaps we should start a thread on hymns with bad theology.

IMHO
Click to expand...
I understand what you are saying Crabby.
Theologically it has its flaws.

Personally I have trouble getting through this hymn as well,
but for a different reason.

It's hard to sing while you weep.

There is a fountain filled with blood
drawn from Emmanuel's veins;
and sinners plunged beneath that flood
lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains,
lose all their guilty stains;
and sinners plunged beneath that flood
lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see
that fountain in his day;
and there may I,
though vile as he,
wash all my sins away.
Wash all my sins away,
wash all my sins away;
and there may I,
though vile as he,
wash all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, thy precious blood
shall never lose its power
till all the ransomed church of God
be saved, to sin no more.
Be saved, to sin no more,
be saved, to sin no more;
till all the ransomed church of God
be saved, to sin no more.

E'er since, by faith, I saw the stream
thy flowing wounds supply,
redeeming love has been my theme,
and shall be till I die.
And shall be till I die,
and shall be till I die;
redeeming love has been my theme,
and shall be till I die.

Then in a nobler, sweeter song,
I'll sing thy power to save,
when this poor lisping, stammering tongue
lies silent in the grave.
Lies silent in the grave,
lies silent in the grave;
when this poor lisping, stammering tongue
lies silent in the grave.

HankD
 
J

jaigner

Active Member
Wow, this is actually one of my favorites. I'm a big fan of Cowper in general.

And it's a song for those who have already experienced it. At least, the theology rings true to me.

But we can start the thread on hymns with bad theology. Would make for an interesting discussion.
 
P

Pastor Larry

<b>Moderator</b>
Site Supporter
Crabtownboy said:
I have never cared for the song, "There is a Fountain Filled With Blood."
I do not like the line.
It is not a true line.
It gives a terrible picture to a person not already versed in Christianity.
Click to expand...
Sorry to disappoint you, but it is actually right out of Zechariah 13:1: "In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity.

The whole context there is about the piercing of the Messiah (12:10) that provides forgiveness for sinners, which John says was fulfilled when Christ was pierced with the spear and blood flowed out.

Far from giving a terrible picture, it indeed presents a beautiful picture of the atoning work of the Messiah for Israel. It is beautiful both for believers and unbelievers.

So while there is a lot of bad theology in songs, this is not an example of it.
 
A

Alcott

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Since the Red River runs north of Texarkana, into Arkansas, then turns south into Louisiana, maybe that line should read:
"It was down in Lou'siana, on the river that runs by Texarkana..."
 
A

Alcott

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
As for bad theology in hymns and songs, quite a number come to mind, including in the psalms-- like the 139th is a 'favorite' of many, but it intensely advocates hating those who do not worship the Lord.

Let's see... "The Roll is Called Up Yonder"... are they really gonna do a roll call? If you don't answer, where will you be? If it's somewhere you can get out of to get "up there," then there is a purgatory. For that matter, is it "up yonder?" Heaven and earth will disappear and there will be a new heaven and a new earth, and it's on the earth that eternal kingdom will be set.

Well, songs and humns are works of art. I don't think we can draw theology from them, as we can't from the parables, or we inevitably get 'bad' theology.
 
S

saturneptune

New Member
Alcott said:
As for bad theology in hymns and songs, quite a number come to mind, including in the psalms-- like the 139th is a 'favorite' of many, but it intensely advocates hating those who do not worship the Lord.

Let's see... "The Roll is Called Up Yonder"... are they really gonna do a roll call? If you don't answer, where will you be? If it's somewhere you can get out of to get "up there," then there is a purgatory. For that matter, is it "up yonder?" Heaven and earth will disappear and there will be a new heaven and a new earth, and it's on the earth that eternal kingdom will be set.

Well, songs and humns are works of art. I don't think we can draw theology from them, as we can't from the parables, or we inevitably get 'bad' theology.
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How about oh glory I'll fly away, or in the sweet by and by? What is by and by?
 
A

Alcott

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
"I'll fly away..." I don't know; the scriptural langauge is "meet the Lord in the air." Seems accurate enough. But this does bring to mind that I was once informed that in the hymn, "Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross," the phrase, "...till my ransomed soul shall find..." used to be "...till my raptured soul shall find...", indicating that liberal theology forced this change of a word.

As for "by and by," that seems to be only an expression for times continuing, or for an undetermined point in time. Whether it means the unkown time of one's death or (to us) the unknown time of the end, or when "we" (whomever it concerns) meet again in an afterlife, I don't see anything wrong with the expression.
 
Z

Zenas

Active Member
I suppose changing the words or omitting a stanza you don't like is fairly common. Susan Boyle, in her huge album "I Had A Dream", does Amazing Grace. Imagine my surprise as I listened for the first time, when she left out the second stanza--"Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, etc. . . ." Why would she do this? Probably because she didn't like the theology it contains.
 
John of Japan

John of Japan

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
saturneptune said:
How about oh glory I'll fly away, or in the sweet by and by? What is by and by?
Click to expand...
"By and by" is an old Southern idiom for "after awhile." I might call up a friend and say, "I'll be over to see you by and by," and then drop in before the day is over.:type:
 
S

saturneptune

New Member
Zenas said:
You mean songs like "Nothing But the Blood"? It's about as snappy as any I know.
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I have no problem with that hymn, but have a huge problem with secular songs, usually country style, such as "Drop Kick Me Jesus Through the Goal Posts of Life."
 
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