Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Radio Edit

I ran across Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars" on my way to work today. But this was different. I heard an edited version. Here's the portion they clipped:

I need your grace / To remind me / To find my own

This is in the most climactic part of the song, hanging while parts build, then disappearing for a moment of contemplation before the final chorus rings out. And in the radio edit of the tune, it's gone altogether.

I guess I don't get it. It's not an overtly Christian lyric; definitely not a Christian band. If we erase the word "grace" because it evokes the Bible, then we need to do away with anything involving "love" and "forgiveness."

I find it hard to believe that there is a substantial portion of people offended by the concepts of mercy, or elegance and beauty - it's not even clear which definition the Snow Patrollers were going for here.

But most ridiculous is the fact that the same station was playing Christmas songs last week - carols even! It cannot be more subversive to mention the term "grace" than it is to mention the birth of a savior. So why does the lyric have to go?

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Now playing: Béla Fleck/Edgar Meyer - Blue Spruce

2 comments:

Todd Outcalt said...

Aaron,
I'm getting old...don't know your musicians or music. Is Tammy Wynette still singing? She's my gal.

Unknown said...

You should have attended the Rockstar series. You would have learned some things.