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Post by woolebull on Jan 21, 2023 15:37:48 GMT -5
Of all songs, I was listening to "Ghetto Superstar" the other day and was reminded that King Solomon was referenced. Which sparked my thoughts on how many other different Biblical figures have also been mentioned in top 40 hits?
Some are rather obvious: God has been mentioned multiple times as well as Jesus. Others have been named but maybe just once or a handful of times (Moses comes to mind in, "Man On The Moon", Peter in the aforementioned song as well as Coldplay's, "Viva la Vida"). I was curious how many different figures from the Bible you all have noted over the years listening to AT/CT?
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Post by dth1971 on Jan 21, 2023 17:49:18 GMT -5
Natalie Cole's "Pink Cadillac" (originally done by Bruce Springsteen) has a line mentioning the first 2 people in the Bible - "They said Eve tempted Adam with an apple".
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Post by mga707 on Jan 21, 2023 17:55:44 GMT -5
Aretha Franklin, "Border Song (Holy Moses)", #37 in December 1970. Elton John wrote the song, but Elton's original version only reached #92 in August 1970 (his first U.S. chart appearance).
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Post by mga707 on Jan 21, 2023 18:02:05 GMT -5
Murray Head's "Superstar", #14 in June 1971, is sung in the voice of the Apostle Judas in "Jesus Christ Superstar". Likewise, "I Don't Know How To Love Him" (two 1971 top 40 versions by Helen Reddy and Yvonne Elliman) from the same 'rock opera' is sung from the perspective of Mary Magdalene.
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Post by 1finemrg on Jan 21, 2023 18:15:30 GMT -5
Levon - Elton John: "When the New York Times said God is dead."
Jesus Is Just Alright - Doobie Brothers cover of a song that peaked at #97 by the Byrds
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Post by at40nut on Jan 21, 2023 18:26:51 GMT -5
"Samson and Delilah" were mentioned in the 1979 Pointer Sisters hit "Fire".
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Post by OldSchoolAT40Fan on Jan 21, 2023 18:28:09 GMT -5
* Speaking of Delilah...
"Modern Day Delilah" by Van Stephenson (1984)
And of course, "Hey There Delilah" by Plain White Ts (2007)
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Post by slf on Jan 21, 2023 19:35:18 GMT -5
And don't forget Huey Lewis and the News' #1 song "Jacob's Ladder", referring, of course, to the Biblical patriarch Jacob.
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Post by mga707 on Jan 21, 2023 20:26:37 GMT -5
And don't forget Huey Lewis and the News' #1 song "Jacob's Ladder", referring, of course, to the Biblical patriarch Jacob. Good one! |
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Post by mga707 on Jan 21, 2023 20:28:47 GMT -5
"Samson and Delilah" were mentioned in the 1979 Pointer Sisters hit "Fire". 'The Boss' is an Old Testament scholar, I tell ya!  If one delves into his albums, there's even more--"Adam Raised a Cain", for example. |
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Post by mga707 on Jan 21, 2023 20:32:56 GMT -5
Of course, there's Dylan. Covering both ends of the spectrum in 1980's "Gotta Serve Somebody": "...it may be the devil, or it may be the Lord..."
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Post by at40petebattistini on Jan 21, 2023 20:42:12 GMT -5
If you tuned into this week’s AT40 from January 23, 1971, you may have heard Jerry Reed’s character “named after a man of the cloth”, Amos Moses.
And most likely there will be an upcoming AT40 show that features a song with lyrics mentioning God, The Bible, and the Trinity, “the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost.” Of course, that’s Don McLean’s American Pie.
A couple of pre-AT40 hits with biblical references…
…Tennessee Ernie Ford mentioned St. Peter in “Sixteen Tons”
…The Irish Rovers sang about Noah in “The Unicorn”
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Post by LC on Jan 21, 2023 20:49:32 GMT -5
Joan Osborne asked what if God was "One of Us."
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Post by mga707 on Jan 21, 2023 20:56:08 GMT -5
Trying to think of a top 40 song mentioning Abraham. All I've got is Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited": "God said to Abraham 'Kill me a son', Abe say 'Man, you must be puttin' me on...", etc. Not a single, though.
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Post by Rodney on Jan 21, 2023 21:35:25 GMT -5
I got nothing I can think of right now, but I love the thread :-)
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