Lyric as Liturgy: The Subconscious Hymnals We Hum
The words, “Darling I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream” caption a young girl's Instagram post. This same lyric is used in thousands of other bios. One may laugh at the sheer idea of lyrics shaping the identity of a person, or even holding the power to affect the subconscious, yet the power of habit is undeniable. The image you clicked on that opened up this document is Taylor Swift lyrics tattooed onto a man's chest. Some of the younger generation won't bat an eye to such large ink, but many elders wonder "what on earth could be so important that you must permanently mark your body with it?" Lyrics have that kind of importance. Lyrics have that kind of power.
Lyrics are the modern liturgies, hymnals, and proverbs of the urban American millennial who seeks to find identity, belonging, and meaning from an outer source; whether divine or secular. Lyrics open the opportunity of connection through the “me too” (a moment of commonality) between one human being to another; This opens a unique kind of gateway and responsibility for the “Ministers of Media” to create meaningful content which connects to the wholistic identity of a person.
When talking about lyrics as a form of liturgy, a theology of remembrance is being discussed. The Psalms often talk about meditating on the Word of God, “His praise will always be on my lips” (Psalm 34:1). Some translations say “continuously” (ESV) instead of “always” (NIV) to emphasize the consistent and habitual nature of meditation.
Understanding Liturgy, Hymnals and Proverbs
Liturgy and Habit Building:
Liturgy has deep religious connections. The liturgy of the church is considered the creeds and stylized setting of the service. For a more stripped-down understanding of liturgy, we can say that it is anything that is done habitually. James K. A. Smith, one of the leading experts in the conversation about habit and liturgies discusses the spiritual power of habit in his book You Are What You Love. “We are what we want. Our wants and longing and desires are at the core of our identity, the wellspring from which our actions and behavior flow” (Smith, 2). Furthering this point, he goes on to show how there can be a gap between what you know to do and what you actually do. For example; I know that having a routine bedtime is beneficial to my health in the long run, yet seldom do I follow that advice as I have a bad habit of putting down my phone at night. Suddenly its 12 am and I have to get up fairly early. The knowledge of going to bed early did not break my habit of staying up late. Smith suggests that we don't need more information, nor do we need less thinking to solve this problem, we need to instead recognize the power of habit.
Growing up, my father played Barbra Streisand, Michael W. Smith, and plenty of Disney soundtracks. He also handed down to me songs which his mother sang to him, which I have in turn sung to my siblings, and intend to share with my own children someday. These lyrics raised me and shaped my youth immensely, and I would be a fool to say I was not impacted by the sounds of my youth. Doctors and psychologists alike agree that music and lyrics especially can impact our moods, our physical and mental health, as well as social interactions. For the sake of not rabbit trailing in the paper, here are some links on the psychological effects music has on the body, lyrics and their power on youth {adults too}, behavioral effects of lyrics, specific neurological effects of lyric and music on the brain, and a data pull done in 2018 about Millennials and their use of technology (There is a section specifically about music usage which was very interesting and helpful in my research - definitely worth the read if this is new information for you).
These resources are to show, in this deconstruction process, that lyrics do in fact affect the human subconscious more than most care to acknowledge. Getting a tune stuck in someone’s head has been broken down to a science and is now famously called “earworms.” Earworms focus on the variation between lyric and melody which creates an easy to memorize soundbite. “These songs, often called earworms, are usually faster, with a fairly generic and easy-to-remember melody but with some particular intervals, such as leaps or repetitions, that set them apart from the average pop song” (American Psychological Association). A great example of an earworm is Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance”. Just the opening alone is catchy!
Since science shows that music does impact our subconscious, this will be assumed to be true and no longer discussed further in this paper.
Music surrounds us, and this is uniquely true about the city and its young adults, as everyone and their mother (literally) are wearing a pair of headphones these days. Music is unavoidable. We have our own playlist and soundtracks we listen to constantly. In coffee shops and cars alike, there is music. Since we cannot run away from the mass quantity of lyrics we are surrounded by, we must think about the quality of the lyrics being written and sung to us constantly. Since liturgy surrounds us, let us be mindful of the habits we are forming because of it.
Hymnals and Personal Convictions:
moving deeper into the world of the liturgy, you are bound to stumble upon hymnals. Hymnals are songbooks of churches past. Some may still find these relics in their pews, but the technology of projectors has broken the deep connection once held by the church for its tangible lyrics. The Bible has countless hymnals within it. The book of Psalms was Israel's hymn book. Reverend Brian Castle does a great job explaining the nature of Hymnals. He writes, "Hymns are Christian folk songs: hymns often express what people do believe as opposed to doctrine which expresses what the Church feels people should believe. Folk music at its best has elements of rebellion, criticism and embellishment about it as it reflects and comments upon the past and present. Hymns are no different" (Castle, 3).
We see this exemplified in may Psalms where the writers voice their anger, such as Psalm 137:9 (ESV) where it is written; "Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!" or lyrics of rejoicing such as Psalm 9:2 (NIV) "I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High." This kind of unfiltered truth-telling is something urban millennials long for in their everyday life experiences.
Many millennials cling to artists such as Mumford and Sons, Twenty One Pilots, Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Artic Monkeys, Lana Del Ray, The Killers, and Queen to just name a handful. These artist’s lyrics have become the hymnals, liturgies, and proverbs of the urban American millennial. Their lyrics bring comfort through routine listening, by becoming a personal statement of beliefs and/or feelings, and by the proverbial lessons taught in each song. Whether it be belting at a party with a bunch of friends, or home alone in a small apartment singing the lyrics while crying, these modern hymnals have helped connect internal emotions to outward displays through words that are deeply therapeutic in nature. Being able to put words behind the emotion which ties invisible (yet very real) knots in your throat can be the most liberating feeling in the world as something you believe is being vocalized by another human being. It is the power of the “me too" connection. This connection is one of the most powerful bonds that can transcend cultural backgrounds, gender/gender orientation, and economic status. People that would never meet together will gather in one common location for the common purpose of seeing a musician perform their "hymnal" live. That is the power of 'me too'.
Proverbs and Wisdom:
Within the vein of liturgy and hymnals, you are bound to run into proverbs. Proverbs are, put simply, easy to memorize statements that have truth within them. Some examples that are familiar to the American are “actions speak louder than words”, “curiosity killed the cat”, and “don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” The little phrases we grew up hearing repeatedly of warning or caution were meant to teach us little drops of truth that could be carried with us throughout our lives, long after the original person that spoke these truths, passed. Proverbs are meant to be handed down generation to generation, as a way of catechizing (if you will) the youth and pass on life truths in simple and memorable ways.
Proverbs have been around for as long as humankind can remember. Many cultures have used proverbs to communicate advice, council, and a form of truth to someone who needs guidance and wisdom. The ultimate goal of a proverb is to grant wisdom to the listener.
In Proverbs 1:7, we see that “fearing of the Lord is the beginning of moral knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (NET Bible). In the reality of the urban American millennial world, truth is now relative. Everyone is living out their own truth and as long as your truth isn’t directly harming another person, you are free to believe what you wish. Living in the heart of the LGBTQ+ and young adults community of Chicago (Boystown/Lake View East area) I have come to realize something very important about millennials; truth is now as fluid as gender.
Once again, we can see that lyrics are the modern liturgies, hymnals, and proverbs of the urban American millennial. Furthermore, identity, belonging, and meaning are all things that are discussed and tackled in lyrics. Going back to the analogy of gathering for a concert, we gather to find our identities. We gather behind one common center to identify with, belong to, and find meaning in, someone or something; all of this is done (for the most part) subconsciously by many.
Identity, Belonging and Meaning
Musicians as Icons:
When talking about identity in lyrics, one must look to the performer/singer for an answer. Musicians have become the modern “icons” (patron saint) to the urban American millennial. We are creatures that were made to worship God and enjoy life. Through the fall, there has been a dethroning of God in our hearts, and other things can take up that spot in our hearts. The growth of the pop-culture world with music awards and live performances show that people are willing to pay a high price to gather around the common center of their “saint” to find community, which influences identity. Little gods have been made of human beings who wrote honestly about their life experiences. To clarify; there is nothing wrong with having a favorite artist. My warning to the believer is that we must at least be aware that the human heart is an idol factory. Bringing our subconscious hymnals forward to the conscious mind and analyzing if the habitual things we meditate on are worthy is super important in one’s spiritual life.
Icons giving Counsel:
Going back to the idea of musicians becoming icons to urban American millennials, lyrics have become the hymnals which bring a sense of stability and company (rightly or wrongly) to a very lonely group of people that simply want to be seen, known, understood, and loved for who they are. Many cling to their favorite artists because they seem to “get them” on a level that no one has been able to before. Wisdom, council, and ideas are also communicated within these same lyrics as artists place proverbs within their lyrics to provide a new perspective for situations someone else may also be facing. (Here is a great example of empowering lyrics bringing about identity) Within this deconstruction process, my hope is that you can see how all of this is impacting you the minute you turn on your favorite playlist or get into a lyft/uber/taxi playing music. Lyrics surround us habitually, creating liturgies for the city and hymnals we all learn and sing together when we gather together. A common center, creating a common cause, leading to a community, bringing forth individual identity through a greater community identity. One could even say that this is a form of church. (Musical theater is a great example of community and identity).
Outward, Above, and Beyond for Identity
Looking Out:
Now lyrics aren’t the only avenue of trying to understand or gain identity. The rise of the personality tests such as Myers Briggs, 5 Love Languages, astrological readings, and the enneagram are all attempts to decipher the complications of being human. We are creatures of habit, and these tests are noble attempts to understand why we do what we do. But when the enneagram fails, where do we go? If these tests solved all of our problems, then we would be on the verge of world peace.
Looking Up:
But just like the humans who made these tests, there is only so much humanity can do to fully understand ourselves. We have yet to understand the soul burning within us. What is this hunger for otherness embedded in my being? The Bible is the only book to answer this question: “he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Belief in a higher being/spiritual beings/vibes and/or energy is widely accepted amongst the urban context of young adults. Looking up to the starts, looking up to science and space, looking up to other people, there is this otherness that itches and burns on the human subconsciousness.
Looking Beyond:
Lyrics are an attempt to capture and vocalize those subconscious callings to eternity. The humming of the street, earth rattling under our feet, streetlights lighting up the way as city sirens echo along the walls of skyscrapers. Sound is all around, and words are an attempt to vocalize the messages we see, receive, and believe. Looking beyond the conscious and diving into the subconscious nature of life can be quite terrifying because you begin to realize just how much of life is lived within liturgy (habit), hymnals (code of personal beliefs), and proverbs (little truths) of lyrics.
Where Do The Lyrics Lead?
Now that the deconstruction process is done, what do we do with the bricks we have? How will the house be rebuilt? Let’s begin with the foundation.
Lyrics are the modern liturgies, hymnals, and proverbs ofthe urban American millennial who seeks to find identity, belonging, andmeaning from an outer source; whether divine or secular.
This has been proven through understanding what liturgy, hymnals, and proverbs are in the modern (non-believing) context. This leads to the realization that lyrics open the opportunity of connection through the “me too” (a moment of commonality) between one human being to another. The power of having a common center is undeniable as people from all backgrounds that would not be caught dead together are meeting under the same roof for a specific purpose, which leads me to my final statement within my thesis: This opens a unique kind of gateway and responsibility for the “Ministers of Media” to create meaningful content which connects to the wholistic identity of the urban American millennial.
A “Minister of Media” is someone who is trained in the arts of communication. They have the talent to create community through their common centers, regardless of being a believer or non-believer. Photographers, dancers, social media pros and amateurs, etc. all fall into this category. This would include singer/songwriters. The lyricists of today are Ministers of Media. Now that the power of lyric has been unveiled, it validates that singing/songwriting has a place in ministry media. It further validates the desperate need for theologically trained singer/songwriters to help navigate the understanding of identity and belonging to the self and bigger community.
So What?
There is a ministry field that is ready for a bountiful harvest, and there are few harvesters working in this particular field. Urban American millennials are looking for hope from someone somewhere, and they are willing to go anywhere to find it, one way or another. Theologically trained singer/songwriters are ministers of media and have a direct responsibility to communicate and exemplify God’s love, hope, redemption, and care for all of humanity through the art of lyric. This does not need to be exclusively done through only mentioning His name. The book of Esther doesn’t ever mention the LORD, but He is clearly present within the narrative.
One more day cannot go by without this truth not being declared. There is a whole group of people begging to just be told what to do and how to do it by someone – anyone! So speak! Sing, church! Where are your choirs? Where is your gospel? Look at the beginnings of gospel music. Pain produces genuine hope. Romans 5:3-5 declares, “we also glory in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” There is a dire need for theologically trained and/or equipped artists within the music industry to provide another (better) truth. A better liturgy. A better hymnal to sing. Something which is edifying to the wholistic identity of a human being. Something which promotes dignity, respect, and most of all hope. Let these streets be intoxicated by the subconscious hymnal humming “I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now...Come further up, come further in!” (C. S. Lewis)
There are a handful of believers that are artists who exemplify this well. Andrew Peterson, Colony House, U2, recently converted Kanye who dropped an entire worship album, Selena Gomez’s new music, and Lauren Daigle ar the forefront ministers of media. They lead with their hearts on their sleeve, writing honestly and with discretion about their life experiences that lead to that “me too” bond between listener and lyricist.
Speaking to the Listener; lyrics are the liturgies that shape our everyday lives. Rightly or wrongly, we are picking up countless habits through the rituals we adopt. One must admit that their music does shape their thinking, if not that, at least their emotional state. The power of lyrics must no longer be ignored by the believing musician, and there must be a new-found boldness to proclaim the truth of the good news that the Messiah has come and has brought Shalom now to whoever believes in him. What a wondrous and beautiful thing to meditate on.
Speaking to the lyricists now; there must be a clear consciousness of honoring the listener. In America's western culture, everyone is seen as an individual and communal accountability becomes very challenging, if not impossible sometimes. But this individualism does not align with what the Bible teaches about humanity. We are our brother's keeper. We are responsible for how we influence and guide other people, especially in their emotions. Manipulation must be completely off the table for authenticity to shine through. Urban American millennials want something real over something which is technically excellent. This is a call to excellence in character which shines through in your writing, verses investing so heavily in technical excellence. This attached document is my best attempt to exemplify this conviction. Enjoy.
Bibliography:
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Brueggemann, Walter, and Davis Hankins. The Prophetic Imagination. 40th ed., Fortress Press, 2018.
Brueggemann, Walter, and Louis Stulman. Reality, Grief, Hope: Three Urgent Prophetic Tasks. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2014.
Castle, Rt Revd Brian. “The Power and Potential of Hymns.” Readers.cofe.anglican.org, www.readers.cofe.anglican.org/u_d_lib_res/r68.pdf.
Cherry, Kendra. “10 Surprising Psychological Benefits of Music.” Verywell Mind, Verywell Mind, 6 Apr. 2019, www.verywellmind.com/surprising-psychological-benefits-of-music-4126866.
Council on Communications. “Impact of Music, Music Lyrics, and Music Videos on Children and Youth.” American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Pediatrics, 1 Nov. 2009, pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/124/5/1488.
Crowley, Eileen D. Liturgical Art for a Media Culture. Liturgical Press, 2007.
Hamilton, Audrey. “Psychologists Identify Key Characteristics Of Earworms.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, 2016, www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2016/11/earworms.
“Millennials: Examining the Attitudes and Digital Behaviors of Internet Users Aged 21-34.” Global Web Index, 2018, cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/304927/Downloads/Millennials-Report-2018.pdf.
Smith, James K. A. You Are What You Love. BrazosPress, 2016.