What Are You Belting Out?

Ever listen to the radio and a familiar song comes up and you just start belting it out?

Ever think about what you are saying?

I have totally been there.

Well, that has been really our theme all year in youth group and today was no different. I decided to blog about this week’s lesson because I am assuming that many of us have been there.

We looked at Luke Bryan’s song “Country Girl.” If you are at all up to speed in the country music world, this song will definitely ring a bell. The jist of the song is about these country girls, shaking it for the guys, and shakin’ it wherever and whenever. When you sing the song, really it doesn’t sound that bad – it’s country, right?

Wrong.

Dan had a good point tonight. If you were to take the lyrics and put them to a rap/hip-hop beat, it would completely change the song. But since country has more of that innocent connotation to it, it just doesn’t “sound” as bad. But really, the song is all about shaking your body to draw attention to yourself, do it wherever, and it’ll most likely lead to sex (the main goal). One of the lines in the song is “shake for the birds, shake it for the bees” – well, translated? Shake it for sex. Pure sex. Nothing else.

Another few lines say: All I wanna do is get to holdin’ you, and get to knowing you, and get to showing you, and get to lovin’ you ‘fore the night is thru, baby you know what to do.

Dan asked: so don’t you think that is moving a little fast? I think so! Lovin’ you ‘fore the night is thru – translated? Better have sex before the night is over!

So what did we decide about this song? Be a mindful critique – be careful of how much these lyrics get in your head because it can be dangerous. The Bible clearly says that beauty comes from a “gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” Yes the Bible also talks about dancing – but what and whom are you dancing for? I have to say I bust a move sometimes in our house at random – but I’m not doing it to get attention (thank goodness no one else is there to see my pathetic moves anyways!). I think of our teens though in high school, going to all these dances – come on, we all know what goes on there. People are “shakin’ it” for more than just pure enjoyment – there is a whole mentality behind the shakin’.

Am I saying that all country is bad? No. Am I saying you can’t ever listen to secular music? No. I listen to it myself. But WHAT are we listening too and how are we letting it influence us? When we hear a song that is morally so wrong, what do we do with it? Do we just say, “oh well, it’s culture these days” or do we say “I know God would not be pleased with this right now.” It’s a struggle. A daily struggle.

For me too.