Professor Zachary Dilbeck
Composition I
14 October 2013
Religion and the
Radio
The separation of church and state was intended to keep church out
of government and the government out of ruling the church. It seems now that
the separation of church and state has gone further to school and even the
radio. Anymore on the radio, a station is either Christian or non -
Christian. Rarely will God be referenced on a station that plays artists
such as Jay Z, Lil Wayne, Usher or Rihanna. On the same note rarely will
anyone hear a secular song on a station that plays artists such as Casting
Crowns, Sidewalk Prophets, and Tenth Avenue North. However, one
artist thought differently. Kanye West wrote a song
that mixed both Christian and secular genres into one song. In
Kanye West's song "Jesus Walks", he promotes mixing Jesus and
the radio through his lyrics and musical genre.
Kanye begins the song with a gospel choir singing, "Jesus walks,
Jesus walks with me" (West). This sets the tone and the subject of the
song. Even more important, Kanye is mixing his normally secular music with a
Christian gospel choir. This mixture of genres was intended to display the meaning
behind the song.
As well as mixed genres, Kanye
also uses the beginning of the song to address the absence of religion on the
radio. Kanye sings, "We are at war with ourselves" (West), which is
representing the war between Non - Christian radio and Christian radio.
In Kanye's next three verses, he talks about evil and corruption in
the world. Kanye first describes how the African American community
is known to be "young and restless"(West). So much so they
might "jack your Lexus"(West). But this doesn't mean they
are the evil of society. Kanye also describes how after the
person who stole the car is caught; he or she is not treated well by
the cops for the criminals are being verbally abused by statements
like "We eat pieces of shit like you for breakfast" (West). Kanye
shows the secular side of society, but he displays the Christian side; describing
as he walks through society from the old bible verse saying, "I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death," (West) making the statement
"only Jesus can save us" (West). Kanye again in these three
verses mixed together Christian and secular aspects of society.
In his chorus, Kanye addresses the challenges he faces and what he asks
God to do for him. First, while Kanye was talking to God, he asked,
"God show me the way because the Devil's tryna tear me down"(West).
Kanye is making a statement that he knows he struggles, but he also knows he is
going to ask to help him. In the next line, Kanye prays, "that my feet
don't fail me now" (West). This line is referring to his walk with
God and Kanye is asking God to hold him while they walk. He is makes a
statement of his faith; he shows that he trusts God enough to ask and
believe God will take care of him.
After his chorus, Kanye then goes into a confession time. Kanye admits
"I don't think there's nothing I can do now ta right my
wrong" (West). He doesn't believe he can make right what he has
done wrong; he is admitting that he isn't perfect and like everyone else.
Kanye also admits "I wanna talk to God but I'm afraid ‘because we
ain't spoke in so long" (West). Here Kanye shows that he has had
a talking relationship before and still wants to have one, but feels bad for
all the years he hasn't. Kanye makes a statement here that this song is about
God and religion and people will have to deal with it.
In the next stanza of the song, Kanye starts by stating an audience for this
stanza; he is talking to the drug dealers, murders, stripers, and people on
Welfare. First, Kanye admits that rappers are not doing a good job at role
models saying, "We rappers are role models we rap we don't
think" (West). Kanye doesn't believe that rappers think before
they act, and not thinking translates into being a bad role model. Then in the
next line Kanye tells everyone that he hasn't written this song to argue
about little things in religion, but he is here for something bigger
as he says, "convert atheists into believers" (West). It is
straight forward; Kanye wants people who don't believe there is a God, to
believe.
Kanye than uses analogies to describe how Kanye and the radio need Jesus, as
Kanye puts it, "The way Kathie Lee needed Regis that's the way I need
Jesus" (West). Then Kanye is so bold to say, “here go my single dog radio
needs this they say you can rap about anything except for Jesus" (West).
Kanye is saying radio needs Jesus and he can rap about anything but Jesus.
Kanye feels he could rap about the more crude things in life such as war, sex,
and drugs, but if he raps about Jesus his record won't be played, "But if
I talk about God my record won't get played Huh?" (West). Kanye, after
building up the whole song to this line, wants God to be played
more on the radio and wants people to know they need God. This is a huge
statement on Kanye's behalf because rappers who rap about God don't have their
records played, and now a famous rapper is rapping about God.
Finally, Kanye understands that if he sings this song won't be played on the
radio as he refers, "Well let this take away from my spins" (West).
This also means that it will take away money from Kanye as he says, "Which
will probably take away from my ends" (West). This is the perfect way to
end the song for Kanye. It is his last big way of stating I did this for God
because I believe everyone needs him including drug dealer, strippers, and the
radio.
In
his whole song, Kanye is making a statement of his faith, but also his belief
that radio needs Jesus. Kanye mixes both Gospel and rap in this song to bring a
secular and Christian genre together in a song. In the whole song, Kanye
built up to his point that radio needs Jesus and I think he is right. I believe
that radio is too segregated between the Christian and non - Christian. I
believe that if one can play a song for gay rights that one can play a song
about their belief in Christ.
Cite(s):
Kanye West. “Jesus
Walks.” The College Dropout. Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam, 2004. CD.
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