A few days ago, I cam across an interesting homepage on the Internet about Music which was very sobering to me (I strongly recommend it to all who profess to worship the Living God Yahweh Elohim - see http://www.av1611.org). Our Pastor has always detested Rock 'n Roll music - even before he became a Christian - and he has been able to convey enough about his reasons for not liking it to make his congregation stay pretty much clear of it. But only after reading the home page has it sunk into my heart - and now, whenever I hear music, especially beautiful Christian praises, and a rock beat is added to make it more "interesting" I can feel my heart sink, and I sense how the clean melody of pure worship is being degraded into worldly trash - and I mourn.

This revelation in my life, has caused me to think back on where I started my interest in this kind of music - and one of my earliest encounters was when I was 7 or 8 years old. It was the Melody Grand Prix musical competition of Europe and the winners were Norway's Bobbiesock (two ladies - one half Swedish half Norwegian, the other Norwegian) with the song "La det svinge", meaning "Let it Swing".

A female classmate, her younger male friend and I put on our own show in her garden with this song - we being the two ladies singing and somersaulting and so on, and him coming out of the bushes to frighten us now and then - and had our parents pay a small sum as an entrance fee.

When I now think back on the text of that song (I still know it by heart - even if I didn't comprehend what I sang then) - it amazes me to see what it reveals about the effects of Rock'n Roll. Yet it was written by one who embraces that kind of music and was sung by two enthusiasts!

Translated into English, the text goes:

Old melodies are streaming out of a radio
and I wake up and wonder what is going on.
Is it only dream and fantasies,
when I feel that it is swinging more and more (and more)?

Refrain

Let it swing, let it Rock'n Roll
Let it swing until you loose all control.
oooh hey ho!
Let it swing, let it Rock'n Roll

Do you feel how much you want to dance? (oh oh oh)
Do you notice that your heart beats and beats (and beats)?

Refrain
+ a few repetitious variations

When I looked carefully and honestly at the text, I discovered that it made quite a few claims on how rock music works - either willingly or to some extent unaware of it the author says:

1. Rock'n Roll wakes your sleeping body (verse 1 line 2)
2. You go into a trancelike state (not knowing whether it is real or fantasy) (verse 1 line 3)
3. It makes you follow your feelings and makes your body move (verse 1 line 4)
4. The author/singer encourages you to let it happen (Ref. line 1)
5. You are also encouraged to let go of all control(Ref. line 2)
6. Again you are coaxed to let it happen (Ref. line 3 = line 1)
7. Again you are told to follow (meaning trust) your feelings (verse 2 line 1)
8. And as a climax you are asked let your heart follow the beat (verse 2 line 2)
9. Finally when you are completely in the power of the music the refrain is repeated to keep you there!

I am discovering it as I write now. I had already realized that the song encouraged loss of control, but I was not aware that it was systematically built up like this. The only thing I can compare it with is hypnosis or meditation where one is building oneself up into demonic trances!

I wish I had never listened to it now - let alone promoted it! Lord Yah'suah haMashiach (Jesus Christ) please forgive me, and please bless whoever reads this so that they too can come to understand You better in this matter. The founders of Rock 'n Roll have a lot of souls on their conscience. In Matthew 18:6-7 we read what Yah'shua (Jesus) said: But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!

As his servant I walk by faith and He blesses me with knowledge and I am truly grateful! Thank you Father for your loving mercy..

Comments From Readers

[1] "I can't remember the exact date but I was approximately 31 when I destroyed aöö my LPs and 7 Singles. I beat them with a hammer. Nobody else would be able to listen to it again. I can assure you it wasn't even real rock - at that stage I couldn't discern like now" (AMN, South Africa, 1 December 2016)

[2] "Most modern Christian music feels very soulish to me and I rarely listen to it. I hate the jazz, blues, rock and pop vibes they bring into it. I couldn't force this on others though without solid proof that it was wrong. Some people are really blessed and touched by this music. I wonder though, do they like it because it has a soulish, emotional effect rather that spiritual?" (LP, USA, 1 December 2016)

This page was created on 12 May 2001 Last updated on1 December 2016

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