A Legend Is Dead
One of the first Christian rockers, Larry Norman passed away Sunday morning.
I'm not sure there has ever been anyone as fresh as Larry. Jesus really made a difference in his life and he knew Jesus could change the lives of his friends.
Larry grew up in a religious home and started making rock music to reach out to people. If they wouldn't come to church, Larry would bring church to them. He was quite a revolutionary, offending both Christians and non-Christians.
At this time there wasn't anything in the Christian bookstores like it... actually anywhere like it... you should check out his lyrics, they are pretty bold and very fresh... nobody in the Christian music world writes songs like his anymore. He wrote "I wish we'd all been ready" and "Why should the devil have all the good music?". One of my favorite songs, "Why dont you look into Jesus?", is posted below.
I grew up loving Larry Norman's music (His first solo album debuted the year I was born), and was really excited a few years ago when I spoke at the Cornerstone festival following his performance. Watching him from side stage is a memory I will not soon forget.
Here's the lyrics
Sipping whiskey from a pager cup.
You drown your sorrows till you can't stand up.
Take a look at what you've done to yourself.
Why don't you put the bottle back on the shelf.
Yellow fingered from your cigarettes.
Your hands are shakin' while your body sweats.
You work all night, you sleep all day.
You take your money and throw it all away.
CHORUS:
Why don't you look into Jesus,
look into Jesus, look into Jesus,
You know He's got the answer.
-2-
H.I.V. * on Valentines Day.
And you're still lookin' for the perfect lay.
You think that rock and roll will set you free.
Honey-you'll be deaf before you're 33.
Shooting junk till you're half insane.
A broken needle in your purple vein.
You say you're gonna be a superstar,
but you never really found out who you really are.
(Chorus)
-Solo-
Thinking back when you were a child.
Your soul was free and you heart ran wild.
Things have changed, you're older now.
If you're unhappy and you don't know how.
(Chorus)
-Outro-
* originally "gonorrhea" but updated with the AIDS crisis
I'm not sure there has ever been anyone as fresh as Larry. Jesus really made a difference in his life and he knew Jesus could change the lives of his friends.
Larry grew up in a religious home and started making rock music to reach out to people. If they wouldn't come to church, Larry would bring church to them. He was quite a revolutionary, offending both Christians and non-Christians.
At this time there wasn't anything in the Christian bookstores like it... actually anywhere like it... you should check out his lyrics, they are pretty bold and very fresh... nobody in the Christian music world writes songs like his anymore. He wrote "I wish we'd all been ready" and "Why should the devil have all the good music?". One of my favorite songs, "Why dont you look into Jesus?", is posted below.
I grew up loving Larry Norman's music (His first solo album debuted the year I was born), and was really excited a few years ago when I spoke at the Cornerstone festival following his performance. Watching him from side stage is a memory I will not soon forget.
Here's the lyrics
Sipping whiskey from a pager cup.
You drown your sorrows till you can't stand up.
Take a look at what you've done to yourself.
Why don't you put the bottle back on the shelf.
Yellow fingered from your cigarettes.
Your hands are shakin' while your body sweats.
You work all night, you sleep all day.
You take your money and throw it all away.
CHORUS:
Why don't you look into Jesus,
look into Jesus, look into Jesus,
You know He's got the answer.
-2-
H.I.V. * on Valentines Day.
And you're still lookin' for the perfect lay.
You think that rock and roll will set you free.
Honey-you'll be deaf before you're 33.
Shooting junk till you're half insane.
A broken needle in your purple vein.
You say you're gonna be a superstar,
but you never really found out who you really are.
(Chorus)
-Solo-
Thinking back when you were a child.
Your soul was free and you heart ran wild.
Things have changed, you're older now.
If you're unhappy and you don't know how.
(Chorus)
-Outro-
* originally "gonorrhea" but updated with the AIDS crisis
Posted by MarkM on at
8:56 AM
1 Comments:
Larry was a special kind of missionary, visionary and christian. He spoke the truth even if it was unpopular. He broke out of the "safe" christian world and took the message of a hope in Christ to people who would not have listened to a traditional evangelist. Larry was far ahead of his time.
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