The Petra Zone

I mentioned in this thread that I seem to just not really get Kevin Max's lyrics. They play him on ChristianRock.net from time to time, and this song that they play is a good example of the kind of thing that just makes me scratch my head:

Kevin Max wrote:If angels were men, well then they couldn't fly
If birds had souls, they would forever glide
If people would love, then more of us would be alive
Oh my my oh my
If you were me, you wouldn't sleep at night

...yeah, buddy, and if frogs had wings they wouldn't bump their rear ends when they jumped. What kind of bizarre circular thinking is "If angels were men, well then they couldn't fly"? If angels were men, they wouldn't be angels. That's like saying, if this telephone was a doughnut, I wouldn't be hungry any more. If I spent my time thinking stuff like that, you're right, Kev... I wouldn't sleep at night. I'd be busy thinking, "If this pillow were a python, I'd be a DEAD MAN right now! If my mattress were a marshmallow, drooling in my sleep would get me in a sticky situation! If my car were a tank, I would REALLY make that dog quit barking! If my television was a pineapple mochachino..."

And what makes a songwriter put "Oh my my oh my" into his lyric? Does Kevin actually TALK like that? I'm not being critical to be a jerk; as a songwriter myself I continually strive for better, MORE meaningful lyrics, and things that confuse me, as a fairly well-read, intellectual, Biblically educated grown-up, can't POSSIBLY make any real sense to your average 14-year-old kid. I'm not the smartest guy in the world, but I should be able to figure out a pop song lyric, for goodness sakes.

I'm not the smartest guy in the world, but I should be able to figure out a pop song lyric, for goodness sakes.

Well when I was young (back in the dark ages) we used to blame not being able to understand song lyrics on drug use (by the composer )

In this case, I don't know what to tell ya.

If angels were men, well then they couldn't fly -because they wouldn't have wings

If birds had souls, they would forever glide -once they are dead I guess they would fly in Bird heaven?

If people would love, then more of us would be alive -If more people loved I guess there would be less murders & wars that kill inocent people?

Oh my my oh my -ok this once sounds like a old man

If you were me, you wouldn't sleep at night -Having these things on your mind why would you sleep?

*scratches head* Weirdness. Never did like the guy.

I realized last night that the first verse might make better sense in context and it was a little unfair to focus just on that, so here's the entire lyric.

Kevin Max wrote:Confessional Booth

If angels were men, well then they couldn't fly
If birds had souls, they would forever glide
If people would love, then more of us would be alive
Oh my my oh my
If you were me, you wouldn't sleep at night

I take back everything I said
That ever caused you pain or stress
I take it back - just like that
I take it back - just like that

If trees weren't chairs, they'd all give us life
If the truth didn't hurt so much, then I wouldn't lie
If you could trust me, maybe we could have a try
Have a, have a try
If you were me, you'd see the light

I take back everything I said
That ever caused you pain or stress
I take it back, just like that
I'd take you back - just like that

You know justice is so blind
So help me tip the scales back tonight

I take back everything I said
I take back everything

I take back everything I said
That ever caused you pain or stress
I take it back - just like that
I take it back - just like that

I take back everything I said
I take back everything I said
Take back everything
Everything ... everything I said

"If trees weren't chairs, they'd all give us life" ??? whattheheck?!?!?

And where the hoo-ha is the gospel in these lyrics?? Are any of K-Max's songs even Christian at all?

It reads to me like a regret filled lament of a person unable to live with present reality created by their own transgressions. Yet things are what they are, a simple turn of phrase does nothing to alter it. One can't make amends for his wrongs no matter how hard he may wish he could.

Personally I think the Dylan family has the market on wonderfully odd and obscure lyrics cornered.

yamasaaaki har har wrote:"If trees weren't chairs, they'd all give us life" ??? whattheheck?!?!?

Life depends on trees. Specifically because they produce oxygen from CO2 (which we breathe out). It's hard for a chair to do that, not having any life of its own.

And where the hoo-ha is the gospel in these lyrics?? Are any of K-Max's songs even Christian at all?

Until Kevin says that he's using the album to proclaim the gospel, I think I'd reserve judgment. Personally, I think the song's fairly decent poetry. He's a better singer than writer, IMHO, but nonetheless produces some interesting lyrics. I wouldn't listen to it for Biblical edification, but I frankly wouldn't listen to CCM for that anyway (Petra is the only band that I listen to for that purpose; I confess that I am not well traveled in musical things, so take that for whatever its worth).


Debating the theology of the song is perhaps a little pointless when it isn't trying to be theological. Whether it should or not is another thing entirely--but I'd stop and ask what the intention is first.

g�od p�int Winterlensd�de

Anecdotal maybe, but not everything a Christian does is steeped in theology. Not all the art they make, or the words they write, or the gas they put in their limos.

Good or bad, this example is just poetry. Written by a self-proclaimed Christian. Does a Christian have to explicitly proclaim Christ in order to validate his faith?

Petra has spoiled a lot of people when it comes to Bible-based theological lyrics.

I think before we sound the alarm again that CCM is running away from Jesus, we need to understand that Christians must be allowed to be artists, to express their lives and their faith in the way they are led, with God's truth at the center. My personal filter is that "Christian" music should magnify or supplement scripture, not contradict or replace it.

I wouldn't let your hearts be troubled, there are still bands out there whose lyrics are steeped in the gospel tea. There are Christians in bands choosing to express their faith walk through non-traditional language.

For some odd reason my wife likes his music. I've never liked anything he has done solo wise. I've also heard that he is a pretty unusual individual. There were times out on Tour with DCTalk he would show up only minutes before the show and then right after the show leave once again. Also at some of the concerts for DC Talk when he wasn't the main part of the song he would be back stage doing his backup vocals instead of being on the stage; His excuse for that was he didn't want to show up the other members in the group. He did an interview over at sporknews.com about all this stuff about 2 years ago. The weirdiest interview I've ever read

I dunno... they seem to make sense to me when you have them all right there in front of you. A little repetitious though.

Sometimes when listening to a song it's best not to think then it makes sense.

Or sometimes a song will be based on a book or poem or something and not make sense if you are unfamilar with tthe source "context" that inspired it.

I think kevin is a good write, not all he writes is christian but the writing is good. not everything we write has to be christian, maybe you can write a poem to your girlfriend, or read a novel about mistery, we can watch a painting , like the monalisa which is not christian and enjoy it, we can listen beethoven which is not gospel music and think is beautiful, i think the song is very good.

in my career we made a lot of poetry analysis and the explanations you guys have given are very good, poetry is to enjoy it and SOMETIMES to find a meaning

epdc wrote:in my career we made a lot of poetry analysis and the explanations you guys have given are very good, poetry is to enjoy it and SOMETIMES to find a meaning

I agree... but when people pull out a CD from an artist that calls him or herself a "christian" artist, I think there is a need for that music to have some significance to the listener. It's like marketing raisin bran with no raisins in it. If the lyrics aren't going to have some significance to Christian listeners other than being fun to listen to and from a person who is a professing Christian, why call it "Christian?" Market it to a mainstream audience and make a lot better money with it. And then people don't gripe about it on message boards about a completely different band. hehe

With a new artist, maybe. But Kevin has been around a while and has his fans (I'm guessing). So they probably understand his particular brand of writing.

Anyways... I know what you mean, but I think that era of christian music is mostly gone. Record companies have changed hands so much it's ridiculous. I think the entire christian music industry has just completely lost it's focus.

With the recent Servant re-issues I was perusing the website which had somehow eluded me all these years. One interesting comment in the quotes there is that when Amy Grant went crossover that Servant was literally dumped by myrrh (I think it was them). I guess the cost of supporting Amy was getting to much so they drop a group who's primary focus was ministry. (Her music videos costed a pretty penny from the way it sounded).

Interestingly enough after viewing Amy Grant's new live concert release, sometime after the release of "Behind The Eyes" her record company had changed hands. Seems she was having trouble getting anyone to return her calls. Some may recall that this was around the time of a certain amount of publicity. Needless to say if you look at her releases around that time they seem to reflect the situation.

My point? Well actually I don't have one. I suppose what I'm saying is the CCM industry just aint what it used to be and it's would take some revolutionary changes to do so. Another interesting sidenote while viewing the concert I found it interesting that most of the audience DID NOT consist of teenagers.

I guess Amy still has a market afterall..