In January of 2023, R&B artist SZA released an extremely popular song that, from a Christian point of view, could be considered “clean.” The song didn’t contain any swear words or sexual references. It was, however, about plotting to murder an ex—which, oh yeah, is technically a violation of the 6th commandment.
“Kill Bill” by SZA is a not-so-subtle example of how, while things like profanity and sexual content do matter, they are only part of what Christians should care about when it comes to music literacy. And even though probably no-one was inspired to murder their ex after listening to this song, music still has the capacity to shape our worldview and outlook on life, in sometimes subtle ways.
One thing that makes music literacy really important is the fact that, when we listen, we often don’t focus our entire attention on it. We don’t actively listen; we passively listen. On top of that, music has a special connection to our emotional state. Music can become the soundtrack to our lives. It can define it, match it, or shift it to a different place.
Music literacy begins with asking “Why am I listening to this specific song?” “Because it’s catchy” or “Because I like the way it sounds” are not bad answers, but it is important to at least examine the role that music plays in our lives. And yes, that also includes the lyrics of the song.
Different songs will have more or less “lyrical prominence.” In some songs, the lyrics are very prominently featured—in other songs they’re slurred or swallowed up by the beat, and so harder to understand. In general, music can affect your mood, but lyrics (particularly in songs with lyrical prominence) can affect your worldview.
The words we surround ourselves with matter. A student of Augustine, Prosper of Aquitaine, is attributed as saying, “lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi,” which translated from Latin means: “The law of prayer is the law of belief is the law of life.”
The idea here is that the words we repeat to ourselves shape the things we believe, which, in turn, shape our very lives. The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius concluded something similar when he said, “The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts.”
A century before Aurelius, the Apostle Paul encouraged the Philippians: “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things.”
In our modern times, it’s not a stretch to say that the lyrics from our favorite songs often become the words we repeat to ourselves, the words we think on. It’s not all doom and gloom if those words aren’t something you’d sing at church, it is worth remembering to ask the five questions:
- What’s good?
- What’s bad?
- What’s missing?
- What’s confused?
- What does the Bible say about the music we’re engaging with?
And if we passively take in all the ideas of the music we listen to—if the words we repeat to ourselves become our beliefs which become our very lives—what sort of life will we be living?