Brand New Jesus Christ: A Haunting, Spiritual Song
Brand New Jesus Christ is a haunting, evocative ballad from their 2006 Album The Devil and God are Raging Inside of Me.
Witness the lyrics from Brand New Jesus Christ:
Jesus Christ, that’s a pretty face,
the kind you’d find on someone that could save.
If they don’t put me away,
well it’ll be a miracle.Do you believe you’re missing out?
Everything good is happ’ning somewhere else.
But with nobody in your bed,
the night’s hard to get through.And I, will die, all alone.
And when I, arrive, I won’t know anyone.Well Jesus Christ I’m alone again,
so what did you do those three days you were dead?
‘Cuz this problem’s gonna last,
more than the weekend.Well Jesus Christ, I’m not scared to die,
I’m a little bit scared of what comes after.
Do I get the gold chariot?
Do I float through the ceiling?Do I, divide, and fall apart?
‘Cuz my bright, is too sly, to hold back all my dark.And the ship, went down, in sight of land.
And at the gates, does Thomas, ask to see my hands?I know you'll come in the night like a thief.
But I’ve had some time alone, to hold my lions at bay.I know you think that I’m someone you can trust.
But I’m scared I’ll get scared and I swear I’ll try to nail you back up(and you won't know).
So do you think that we could work out a psalm?
So I’ll know it’s you and that it's over so I won't even try.I know you’re coming for the people like me.
We all got wood and nails, we try n’ tear down hate and factory.
We all got wood and nails, don’t tear down hate n’ factory.
We all got wood and nails, and we sleep inside of this machine."
Several themes emerge from this beautiful and honest poetry in song that seems to be addressed to Jesus Christ Himself. The writer expresses...
1) A touching honesty. Brand New Jesus Christ is wrestling with his worth before God and wondering if he really has a genuine faith-- the kind that would make him right enough with God to be allowed into eternity with Him.
2) Loneliness and despair. Brand New Jesus Christ is lonely and despairing at the prospect of being alone again.
3) A tension between doubt and faith including an admiration of Jesus Christ and yet knowing the writers own self well enough that he has the propensity to doubt him enough to deny Him. This is expressed by his admission that "I'm scared I'll try to nail you back up..." and "We all got wood and nails" which I think is expressing the writer's acknowledgement that we all have this propensity within us. This also is portrayed in the title of the album (",i>The Devil and God are Raging Inside of Me")
4) Some kind of relationship with Jesus Christ. It even seems that he feels that Jesus approves of him in some way. ("I know you're coming for the people like me" and "I know you think that I'm someone you can trust")
The writer is moved by Jesus "faith" in him, and yet he wonders if he can reciprocate that faith toward Jesus Christ. Brand New...they definitely have something going with this song, and it is very interesting to observe the way people have commented on it.
If you think I'm on or off base with my analysis of this beautiful song, by Brand New shoot me a line via my contact us page.
Go to Contact Us from Brand New Jesus Christ page