Last week I wrote about some of my least favorite Christian covers of secular songs. While I don’t necessarily agree with the practice, here are some secular songs just dying to be covered by a Christian artist.
“According to You” by Orianthi
Potential Christian Lyrics:
But according to him
I’m beautiful, incredible,
He can’t get me out of his head.
According to him
I’m funny, irresistible,
Everything he ever wanted.
Everything is opposite,
I don’t feel like stopping it,
So baby, tell me what I got to lose.
He’s into me for everything I’m not,
According to you.
Potential Christian Message:
This song is a modern-day retelling of Psalm 139. God knit each of us together in our mothers’ wombs; personally and intentionally. He made us exactly how he wanted and, according to him, we’re beautiful, incredible and the apple of his eye. Everyone else may think we’re tremendous losers, but God is into us for everything that others can’t see.
Potential Problems:
One of the verses says, “According to me, you’re stupid, you’re useless, you can’t do anything right.” If we’re claiming that God sees the best in us even when others don’t, we can’t go around calling others stupid. We can’t say that God accepts us with the log in our eye and then go point out the speck in someone else’s.
Potential Christian Artist:
BarlowGirl. I picked BarlowGirl because I don’t know any other female Christian artists and I’ve always had a soft spot on my iPod for them.
“Lazy Song” by Bruno Mars
Potential Christian Lyrics:
Today I don’t feel like doing anything
I just wanna lay in my bed
Don’t feel like pickin’ up my phone
So leave a message at the tone
‘Cause today I swear I’m not doin’ anythin’
Potential Christian Message:
God commands his people to rest and observe the Sabbath. A Christian cover of “Lazy Song” could become the anthem for God’s holy day of rest. On a day of rest it’s good to sleep a little longer and avoid interaction with technology. And since people choose their own Sabbath day, the song would be good Monday through Sunday.
Potential Problems:
One of the verses says, “Tomorrow I’ll wake up, do some P90X. Meet a really nice girl, have some really nice sex.” Unless the really nice girl he’s meeting is his wife, then this plan falls outside God’s desires and intentions for the Sabbath. Just because it might line up with one commandment doesn’t mean we can ignore all the other ones.
Potential Christian Artist:
Newsboys. Newsboys used to make some fun, poppy songs like “Lazy Song” and I think their new front man, Michael Tait, could get the same kind of laid-back vibe going with his voice.
“I Need a Doctor” by Eminem
Potential Christian Lyrics:
It was you who believed in me
When everyone was telling you don’t sign me
Everyone at the CENSORED label, let’s tell the truth
You risked your career for me
I know it as well as you
Nobody wanted to CENSORED with the white boy
Potential Christian Message:
Eminem’s song “I Need a Doctor” is a tribute to Dr. Dre. (I don’t think he’s a real doctor). But God is also known as the Great Physician and the one who can heal all of our brokenness. So, in a sense, we all need a doctor; not a doctor, but The Doctor. God is the one who believes in us in spite of all our brokenness. He sees what can grow out of our brokenness and heals us and enables us to attain that.
Potential Problems:
It’s an Eminem song and there would have to be a lot of edits for language. I don’t think Christian music should have cussing in it. That might make me old fashioned, but it’s hard for me to think about or praise God with so much profanity.
Potential Christian Artist:
TobyMac. Duh.
It is amazing that a lot of songs, if tweaked enough, could really be turned into Christian songs. That’s because songs are just human stories and the best human stories reflect God’s story. We’re all part of a much larger story, even if we don’t admit it. And when we tell our own stories, it’s easy to see how the larger story shines through.
What secular songs would you like to see covered by a Christian artist?
I’d like to see Firework by Katy Perry (2 Philippians 2:14-16) Whenever I hear this song, I think of God’s transforming love and how we should let that shine in our lives (Psalm 107:2). Glad to find your post!
Many blessings,
Juniper
That’s a good one. And Katy Perry used to be a Christian artist.
Me and this atrlice, sitting in a tree, L-E-A-R-N-I-N-G!
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