Virtually every theologian of note agrees that the most influential voice in the 1980’s was:
STEVE TAYLOR
I might be overstating his importance.
But I’m not.
If you’re reading these words and asking, “Who is Steve Taylor?” – I envy you!
It means you are about to discover the phenomenon for the first time.
I submit that there has never been a more clever lyricist…ever.
You may not be a fan of the musical genre, but you just gotta appreciate those witty lyrics!
You’ll want to look up the following songs specifically: Meltdown, I Want To Be A Clone, This Disco, Whatever Happened To Sin, Guilty by Association…and you should be sufficiently hooked.
In other words, “You’ll only drink milk from a Christian cow.”
In the meantime, here’s one of his more obscure tunes.
Lyrics are below the video.
One man’s grinning from behind the net
Waits ’til the camera’s adjusted
Don’t you worry ’bout the flak you’ll get?
Aren’t you scared of getting busted?
The ball gets booted
It hits the crossbeam
Up goes the banner
“JOHN 3:16”
He don’t worry ’bout the critics
They tow the line
He don’t worry ’bout the cynics
They live to whine
He ain’t gonna change the world
But he knows who can
Bannerman
Prime time football in the Buffalo snow
Freezing his little epidermis
Lifts that banner at the first field goal
Drinks clam chowder from a thermos
He’s never missed a game
He never spells it wrong
He never talks back when they tell him “Move Along”
He don’t worry ’bout the critics
They’ll howl for days
He don’t worry ’bout the cynics
They navel-gaze
He ain’t gonna change the world
But he knows who can
Bannerman
Sports fans everywhere dying for a drink
But they’ve gotta find the well first
One man’s ready with a banner and a wink
A whole lotta souls are getting well-versed
Every time I see him
I smile a little more
I can’t help praying for another high score
He don’t worry ’bout the critics
They’ll howl for days
He don’t worry ’bout the cynics
They navel-gaze
He ain’t gonna change the world
But he knows who can
Bannerman
He don’t worry ’bout the critics
They’ve met their match
He don’t worry ’bout the cynics
They sniff and scratch
He ain’t gonna change the world
But he knows who can
Bannerman
5 Responses
Thanks for that. It’s always nice to find some “new” stuff to listen to.
I was always partial to “Sock Heaven” myself.
I’m sure Steve Taylor felt the same way as BannerMan, that he ain’t gonna change the world, but he knows who can. Heck! Even I’ve felt that way before!
The good news is that as our walk grows, we should start to see the way Christ wants to work through us. Yes! We get to be part of that change!
It may be in ways as large as a Billy Graham crusade, or as simple as a testimony at the local football game.
I’m sure that even some obscure music videos from the 80’s might have even had some kind of impact.
What I’m sure of is that today, I know I will belt out “BannerMan” throughout the day, because it has locked itself on repeat in my mind.
Thanks John!
Bannerman’s heart seems to be in the right place, but I am not convinced that a “John 3:16” banner is very effective. I expect the message is properly understood only by those who already know the message.
Right. But he don’t worry ’bout the critics…
*Passes John the clam chowder thermos*