I’m putting together a playlist called “Theology & Geometry.” Here’s what I have so far:
I must be missing tons of obvious tracks. Any recommendations, Euclidean, ecumenical or otherwise? (By the way, the one that comes closest to my personal beliefs on the topic so far is DeMent’s “Let the Mystery Be.”)
Open thread.
EriktheRed
The Doobie Brothers – Jesus is Just Alright
JPL
WHY?
NotMax
Drive-by OT. FYI.
Maddow was present inside the courtroom today. No matter your opinion of her style, might want to tune in to the 2-hour program today from 8 to 10 p.m. Eastern time for some first hand impressions.
Another Scott
“Dear God” – XTC.
Nice list!
Cheers,
Scott.
EriktheRed
Todd Rundgren – Fascist Christ
NobodySpecial
Elvis Costello – God’s Comic
Bob Marley – Time Will Tell
Doc H
A blast fron my high school daze: The Old Neon Cross/Bottle Hill
https://youtu.be/_jS_VVHplJ0?si=9IqfkUq197LT4Np3
Harrison Wesley
Seven Spanish Angels (Ray Charles & Willie Nelson)? Heroin (Velvet Underground)?
piratedan
God Only Knows – The Beach Boys
Blinded By The Light – Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
Mr. Blue Sky – Electric Light Orchestra
Love’s Got A Line On You – Scandal
Living In a Box – Living In a Box
Bizarre Love Triangle – New Order
hope that helps
Leto
3’s & 7’s – Queens of the Stone Ag
And just to keep it going with a great band:
Song for the Dead
My God is the Sun
NotMax
No Touchdown Jesus?
planetjanet
Return to Innocence by Enigma
Circle of Life by Elton John
Jesus take the Wheel by Carrie Underwood.
SpaceUnit
Solas:
On a Sea of Fleur De Lis
Roberto el oso
Presence of the Lord – Blind Faith
Jesus – Velvet Underground
Imitation of Christ – Psychedelic Furs
(all 3 are pretty, in their different ways)
Ten Bears
Godzilla!
lgerard
Theology
Standard White Jesus
Geometry
Geometry
frosty
ZZ Top: Jesus Just Left Chicago
… and he’s bound for New Orleans
Baud
Walk the Line by Johnny Cash
eclare
“She Blinded Me With Science,” Thomas Dolby.
https://youtu.be/V83JR2IoI8k?si=lj6fiELv8Ryyjbkf
One of my high school faves.
Jacel
If you are also looking for Geometry songs, I suppose The Might Be Giants’ “Triangle Man” would belong.
For the Theology side I recommend “Big Sky” by The Kinks.
Big Sky looked down on all the people looking up at the Big Sky. Everybody’s pushing one another around. Big Sky feels sad when he sees the children scream and cry. But the Big Sky’s too big to let it get him down.
Big Sky too big to cry
Big Sky too high to see
People like you and me
One day we’ll be free.
We won’t care, just you see.
‘Til that day can be.
Don’t let it get you down
And when I feel
That the world’s too much for me
I think of the Big Sky
And nothing matters much to me
Big Sky looked down on all the people who think they got problems.
They get depressed, and they hold their heads in their hands and they cry.
People lift up their hands and they look up to the Big Sky.
But the Big Sky is too big to sympathise
Big Sky’s too occupied
Though he would like to try
And he feels bad inside
Big Sky’s too big to cry
One day we’ll be free. We won’t care, just you wait and see. ‘Til that day can be. Don’t let it get you down
Baud
@Jacel:
Ugh, that’s the one that I couldn’t remember.
Pink Tie
So many, but just off the top of my head:
Christmas Song – Dave Matthews Band
There is a Reason – Alison Krauss
Jah Live/Forever Loving Jah/So Jah Seh – Bob Marley
Secure Yourself – Indigo Girls
NotMax
Going old school, To Anacreon in Heaven?
Amy!
Susan Werner, “Why Is Your Heaven so Small?” but really all of her The Gospel Truth.
Randy Newman, “He Gives Us All His Love.”
Yeah, this contribution isn’t terribly subtle, sorry.
SiubhanDuinne
Inchworm
RL
The WHO – Heaven and Hell
Betty
Love Is the Answer by Todd Rundgren.
Amalthea1
@Jacel: apologies for being pedantic, but the song is Particle Man. Although Triangle Man is one of the characters in the song!
Omnes Omnibus
Chocolate Jesus, Tom Waits.
Mousebumples
eclare
@NotMax:
Thanks! I usually don’t watch, but I’ve set the DVR (I detest commercials and FF through them.)
EriktheRed
How ’bout something by Jesus Jones?
Or Nazareth, maybe?
narya
@piratedan: If you’re gonna do “Blinded by the Light,” at least do the original version . . . I have never liked the Manfred Mann version of that song, tbh.
“The Wheel,” any of the Dead or Jerry versions (if you want to include theology in addition to Xtian
ETA: “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven,” John Prine, and, hell, throw in “Angel From Montgomery” if you’ll accept angels as close enough–but a Bonnie Raitt version.
SpaceUnit
Caroline Kingsbury:
Heaven’s Just A Flight Away
Matt McIrvin
They Might Be Giants, “Nonagon” and “Spiraling Shape”.
oldgold
Geometry:
Down On The Corner, Credence;
Hip To Be Square, Huey Lewis; and,
I Walked The Line, Johnny Cash.
Taphozous
For Theology, perhaps Young Pilgrims by the Shin
Was the Theology/Geometry somehow inspired by Ignatius J. Reilly?
Duncan Watson
@Another Scott: I was going to add XTC, good call.
Leto
Also if you’re willing to go a bit outside your comfort zone in terms of musical tastes*, the band Tool incorporates math into a lot of the music. One of their most popular songs, Lateralus, is essentially the Fibonacci sequence as a song. Here’s a YouTube video breaking it down: How Tool Used Math to Create “Lateralus”.
*I simply say that based off what you have on your list, what’s been recommended, and I know Tool isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. I think it’s a cool song, and the story behind is cool as well.
thruppence
I think the TMBG song is Particle Man
Also Tom Waits – Down in the Hole
Tom Hamill
XTC, Dear God, and Church of Women
Orange is the New Red
Ryan Cooder, Jesus is on the Main Line
Tom Hamill
She Left me for Jesus, Hayes Carll
narya
Here’s a version of Prine from the Philly Folk Festival.
And, of course, “Hallelujah” (pick your version/artist); the Netflix doc on the song/Cohen is good.
narya
@Orange is the New Red: Krishna Das, who normally does kirtan, does a version of that song that is quite entertaining.
Another Scott
The Who – See me, feel me / Listening to you (3:30) has a spiritual edge to it.
Cheers,
Scott.
dnfree
Two Old Testament songs from a little-known group called SeaTrain: “Waiting for Elijah” and “Song of Job”. Different moods.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAfBF5oepEw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_POZnG4NEfU
Dan Myers
I don’t see any bluegrass gospel. One of my favorites – Angel Band by Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. I’m an atheist but I love their harmonies.
Attempted Chemistry
Everybody
Jesus: the Missing Years
by John Prine
Jesus Was A Capricorn by Kris Kristofferson
Mercedes Benz by Janis Joplin
Strange Things Happenin Every Day by Sister Rosetta Tharpe
dnfree
“He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” always makes my eyes misty.
Pink Tie
Into My Arms – Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Higher Love – Steve Winwood
The 23rd Psalm – Bobby McFerrin
Morning Has Broken – Yusuf Islam
ellie
Jesus Built My Hotrod by Ministry
Tom Hamill
Squeeze Box, the Who
oldgold
Geometry:
Will It Go Round In Circles, Billy Preston
American π , Don McLean
SpaceUnit
Poi Dog Pondering:
Keep The Faith
delphinium
One that combines both: Judith– A Perfect Circle
No words in this song , just some music: Zion – Fluke
NotMax
@dnfree
The olds would take issue with that “little known.”
;)
Leto
@Dan Myers: the entire O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack has entered the chat.
Also may I recommend: 21st of May – Nickel Creek, though maybe that one is a bit too on the nose.
The I Want Song
Great list – the Iris DeMent song resonates with me too.
Here are a couple I thought about:
Theology:
Heaven – Talking Heads
Elvis is Everywhere – Mojo Nixon
Geometry:
The Circle Game – Joni Mitchell
Brilliant Corners – Thelonious Monk
(Aannnd perhaps one with a little of both?)
Corner of the Sky from Pippin – Stephen Schwartz
suzanne
“Atheist Peace” by Bad Religion.
dnfree
After my uncle died days after his high school graduation, for many years, my faithful grandmother believed that when she got to heaven, she would understand why. So, “Farther Along, We’ll Understand Why.”
Delk
2+2=5
Wapiti
Lily, by Kate Bush
MobiusKlein
More Tom Waits:
God’s Away on Business
Johnny Cash –
God’s Gonna Cut You Down
Ring of Fire
ceece
Solsbury Hill, Peter Gabriel
CoolRick
All you Zombies The Hooters
Scout211
The Beatles, Let it Be
MomSense
What if God Was One of Us, Joan Osborne
narya
@MobiusKlein: Also: Social Distortion’s version of Ring of Fire is awesome, and probably my favorite take.
cope
I’m a bit surprised nobody has picked the low hanging fruit offered by several Tom Lehrer songs including “There’s A Delta For Every Epsilon”, “The Professor’s Song” and “Lobachevsky” to name the first three that came to mind.
Interesting project.
Matt McIrvin
John Linnell, “Arkansas”:
MobiusKlein
@ceece: If we’re doing Peter Gabriel, let’s hit the Last Temptation of Christ soundtrack album.
NotMax
Bernstein, God Said.
TXG1112
King Missile – Jesus was Way cool.
Managed to see this band back in the 90’s at Maxwell’s in Hoboken.
Matt McIrvin
Everything in Harry Nilsson’s “The Point”
Betty Cracker
These are great! Thanks everyone! 😊
kalakal
The Messiah will come again Roy Buchanan
p.a.
Date to Church- The Replacements
Christmas- The Who
delphinium
@Delk: Love Radiohead, geometry related or not : ).
What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?
Haven’t seen “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” yet. I’m sure it’s been done by hundreds but the version I’m most familiar with is the one on the Nitty Gritty dirt band album of the same name.
NotMax
In Heaven There Is No Beer.
;)
SpaceUnit
Green Day:
Jesus Of Suburbia
Marmot
The Minutemen — God bows to math
Works for both lists!
Carlo Graziani
@Omnes Omnibus: Damn, you beat me to it.
Marmot
Ha!
Heaven 17 —Send me an angel
Matt McIrvin
Hwang Min-Hyun, “Cube”
Barney
Theology:
Wind-Up by Jethro Tull
Jesus He Knows Me by Genesis
Geometry:
Spiral by Vangelis
Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell
The whole album Parallel Lines by Blondie???
w_seattle
A both/and…
Otis Taylor: album “Definition of a Circle”, song “Few Feet Away”
dnfree
“Will the Circle Be Unbroken”, of course….
Matt McIrvin
@Marmot: Talking Heads, “Thank You For Sending Me An Angel” (more geometry than theology)
Carlo Graziani
God’s Song (That’s Why I Love Mankind). — Randy Newman
Pretty much the most misotheist lyric ever.
delphinium
Parallel Life – The Starseeds
Martin
How did Radiohead come up and not mention ‘Pyramid Song’. And how the fuck did ‘Prayers/Triangles’ not make the list of a theology/geometry list. C’mon people.
Some other geometry terms that greatly expand the song space: star, kite, ray, chord, hole, point. The number of ‘star’ songs alone will explode your phone.
dnfree
@NotMax: I am an “old”, but we didn’t know many people who had heard of SeaTrain even back in the day! I can’t recall how we came across them.
Percysowner
Theology Moody Blues Question of Balance, the entire album but especially the final song The Balance
dnfree
Jackson Browne’s Christmas song, “Rebel Jesus”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr1d0ivyTTk
Leto
@dnfree: a visit to Sea World?
dnfree
Has anyone mentioned Lennon’s “Imagine”?
TheOtherHank
Pick whatever version of Wayfaring Stranger that appeals to you. As far as I can tell, they’re all good.
dnfree
Jennifer Warnes singing Leonard Cohen’s Bernadette, which she collaborated on writing. About forgiving yourself for things you’ve done and can’t undo. Very powerful. We could list a lot of Leonard Cohen songs, really.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZIFavgLd38
neabinorb
Brides of Jesus / Little Feat
Circle Game / Joni
neabinorb
Oh. And
Jesus Children of America / Stevie Wonder
UncleEbeneezer
Warning these are pretty heavy!:
Geometric Headdress– Deftones
Prayers/Triangles– Deftones
Also, their song Hexagram.
TBone
@NotMax: 👍 just in time, thank you!
NotMax
Howzabout Winchester Cathedral?
;)
UncleEbeneezer
Jesus Christ Pose– Soundgarden
Wooden Jesus– Temple of the Dog
Eric S.
Skipping straight to the end so these could be / likely are repeats
Jesus Just Left Chicago – Zz Top
Jesus Built My Hotrod – Ministry
Counting Blue Cars – Dishwalla
TheOtherHank
Johnny Cash’s cover of Personal Jesus
piratedan
a couple of more came to mind
Steely Dan – Deacon Blues, Bodhisatva
Gerry Rafferty – Right Down The Line
divF
@Taphozous: That was my immediate guess. After all, Betty is in Florida, where it must feel sometimes that the dunces are all in confederacy against her.
emjayay
@dnfree: (John Lennon Imagine)
Was looking for that one before I commented. An anti-religion religion song, but not the only one here, if more obviously.
lowtechcyclist
@NotMax:
“And it was goddamn good!”
Eric S.
Back in 2000, Cash released a triple CD, Love, God, Murder. Linknis to the God CD but you’ll find songs on the other two as well.
lowtechcyclist
@Barney:
Hmm…how about Father John Misty’s album, God’s Favorite Customer?
delphinium
A couple more:
Monkey Gone to Heaven – Pixies
Man in the Box – Alice in Chains
Antonius
Really? 115 comments and no “Stairway to Heaven” ? You’d think i was in a guitar shop.
(Nifty no-prize for any who get the reference)
Trivia Man
@NotMax: or Dropkick me, jesus, through the goalposts of life
@NotMax:
lowtechcyclist
@dnfree:
We could list a lot of Leonard Cohen songs, really.
Tru dat! But I’ll just suggest The Story of Isaac.
Eric S.
Wonderful World – Sam Cooke
cckids
When I Get Where I’m Going – Dolly Parton & Brad Paisley – I’m not in the least religious, but, having lost people who were, it makes me tear up.
And, for something different – All the Good Girls Go to Hell – Billie Eilish
Carlo Graziani
@piratedan: A deeper cut from Steely Dan: Godwhacker.
lowtechcyclist
Good With God – The Old 97s with Brandi Carlile
Soul Meets Body – Death Cab for Cutie
I’ll Follow You Into the Dark – Death Cab for Cutie
Uma Thurman – Fall Out Boy
Take Me to Church – Hozier
Good to be Alive – Andy Grammer
Shine – Mondo Cozmo
broken – lovelytheband
Reverend – Kings of Leon
JerryBoBerry
Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show by Neil Diamond
xephyr
Calling all Angels – the Jane Siberry/KD Lang version…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRUErh47sao
Trivia Man
@Matt McIrvin: Heaven, also
theTalking HeadsSiubhanDuinne
Tom Paxton : Jesus Christ, SRO
Hoppie
Janis, Mercedes Benz (for the religion category, btw)
Trivia Man
Grateful Dead – Unbroken Chain
The Other One (is there really more than one 1?)
I Need A Miracle (every day)
CarolPW
Fond of Jesus on a Greyhound
Trivia Man
@cope: dont forget Vatican Rag
divF
Satan’s Jeweled Crown, by Emmylou Harris (Elite Hotel).
Tom Lehrer, Lobachevsky (the latter was a 19th century geometer).
Commander Cody, Hot Rod Lincoln (at least one verse is pretty geometrical).
raven
@EriktheRed: That’s a Byrds song.
Kifaru1
Blasphemous Rumours – Depeche Mode has stuck in my head for so many years…..
citizen dave
Tom Waits, Hang On St. Christopher
Neil Young, When God Made Me
Athens’ own Vic Chesnutt (atheist) , Supernatural (“It ain’t supernatural…”)
Vic Chesnutt, Free of Hope
“Milkdud mind gnawing on a CharlestonChew ooh, look inside his hothouse eyes seeHis budding youth free of hope, free ofThe past thank you God of nothing I’mFree at last free of hope, free of the past thankYou God of nothing I’m free at last I’m free at last
Geometry:
R.E.M., Perfect Circle
Joni Mitchell, Circle Game
There must be a lot of “circle” songs…
lowtechcyclist
From All Things Must Pass, I’d add:
Awaiting On You All
Hear Me Lord
kalakal
Eurythmics – Missionary Man
Dusty Springfield – Son of a Preacher Man
Practically anything by The Mahavishnu Orchestra
raven
@citizen dave:
The wheel is turning and you can’t slow down
You can’t let go and you can’t hold on
You can’t go back and you can’t stand still
If the thunder don’t get you then the lightning will
Small wheel turning by the fire and rod
Big wheel turning by the grace of God
Every time that wheel turn round
Bound to cover just a little more ground
Jobeth
Mercy on Me – Christina Aguilera
Leto
@Antonius: party on, Antonius!
divF
@citizen dave:
The Cyrkle, Red Rubber Ball.
If you want Geometry and Theology in one song, The Flying Burrito Brothers Wheels. I think I would prefer Emmylou’s cover, though.
Liminal Owl
@Amy!: Yes to Susan Werner!
and my own list, all Theology
Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer, When I Go
(ibid) Mother, I Climbed
(ib.) The Mountain
Mary Gauthier, Wheel Inside the Wheel
(ibid) Mercy Now
Chris Smither, I Am the Ride
Ellis Paul, Did Galileo Pray?
Greg Greenway, Lately (The Church of What Is)
Bob Franke, Slow Down
(ibid) Sometimes a Little Light Can Be Enough
(Ibid) A Still, Small Voice
The Moody Blues, Om
Peter Mayer, Holy Now
I’ll check the iPod for more if the thread continues…
EarthWindFire
For the Theology portion:
Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) – Kate Bush
Sheezus – Lily Allen
Hallowed be Thy Name – Iron Maiden
ETtheLibrarian
XTC’S Dear God is great
JWR
Hey, does a song about school, (think Geometry class), fit in with your theme?
Works for me. ;)
Leto
@EarthWindFire: Meg Meyer’s version of Running up that Hill is also very good.
Hodge
Ya Hey, Vampire Weekend
Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven, Love and Rockets
It’s A Sin, Pet Shop Boys
TF79
“Never ending math equation” – Modest Mouse
TheOtherHank
Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore by John Prine
Jesus at McDonalds by Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper
ETA: Someone beat me to Flag Decal
citizen dave
@raven: I’ll see that with Bob Dylan and the Band, This Wheel’s on Fire
This wheel’s on fireRolling down the roadBest notify my next of kinThis wheel shall explode
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-sdVxv8NPk
TheOtherHank
Hayride to Hell by Hoodoo Gurus
K-Mo
(I’m in love with) The shape of you
Mr. Bemused Senior
Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven (But Nobody Wants To Die)
YouTube · Ellen McIlwaine
divF
Squirrel Nut Zippers, Hell.
Rokka
Grateful Dead:
Born Cross-Eyed
Box Of Rain
Brokedown Palace
China Doll
Come A Time
Greatest Story Ever Told
I Can’t Come Down
My Brother Esau
New Speedway Boogie
Stella Blue
That’s It for the Other One: Cryptical Envelopment / Quadlibet for Tender Feet / The Faster We Go, the Rounder We Get
Beatles:
Fixing A Hole
Tomorrow Never Knows
Within You Without You
Rolling Stones:
High And Dry
Sitting on A Fence
Paint It Black
Sixteen Tons – Merle Travis
In My Room – Beach Boys
Shape of Things – Yardbirds
The Weight – The Band
Broken Arrow – Robbie Robertson
One Thing Leads To Another – The Fixx
Help, I’m A Rock – The Mothers of Invention
Big Ball’s In Cowtown – Hoyle Nix
pajaro
God said to Abraham, kill me a son,
Abe said, man you must be puttin me on,
God said no, Abe said what,
God said, you can do anything you want,
but the next time you see me coming you better run…..
Soapdish
Blasphemous Rumors – Depeche Mode
Memory Pallas
Cat Stevens, shortly before he became a Muslim, put out a “concept album” called Numbers, a Pythagorean Fairy Tale. In it the nine integers go about their ritual and philosophic business for eons and suddenly Jzero shows up and blows their minds. I am almost embarrassed to admit I think it’s spine-tinglingly good.
Jzero
NotMax
@Trivia Man
Thank you. That was another one I was struggling (and failing) to remember.
raven
@citizen dave: I have a copy of This Wheel’s on Fire signed by Levon.
Peggy
What a fun list/topic.
@Matt McIrvin: Yes!
Nice to see a few XTC fans…Dear God for sure.
…and I’ll add, Don’t You Hear Jerusalem Moan by NGDB and New Grass Revival.
sdhays
The Circle Married the Line – Feist
No Devil – San Fermin
citizen dave
@raven: awesome
You made me wonder about the song. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Wheel%27s_on_Fire
Co-authored by Bob and Rick Danko; performed/featured in later years by Garth (Neil Young on lead vocals–need to track that one down) and Levon…
Mr. Bemused Senior
That’s a bit of a stretch, though I love that song. How about Magdalene Lane?
sdhays
Heretics – Andrew Bird
sdhays
Not geometry, but math-adjacent:
7 8 9 – Barenaked Ladies
JanieM
The Christians and the Pagans
by Dar Williams
cope
@Trivia Man: Thanks, I did totally forget it. I was trying to get more math songs in the mix.
Since Tom Lehrer isn’t getting much traction, how about Chris Rea’s “Road to Hell” if we’re emphasizing theologic tunes?
kalakal
Cat Stevens as was – Morning has broken
Yes – The Revealing Science of God from Tales from Topographic Oceans
Not exactly theology (!) but
Meatloaf – Bat out of Hell
Leto
@divF: oh man we saw them back in December here in Reading, and the crowd exploded when they played that. Just sooooo good!
Lexisaurus
Gloria— Patti Smith
Angels would Fall- Melissa Etheridge
anything by Diamanda Galás (for example, The Divine punishment)
mawado
Midnight Communion – Delbert McClinton
Or country concept album
Yesterday’s Wine – Willie Nelson
The story of the ‘Imperfect Man’ from birth to death with tracks reinforcing the religious theme: “In God’s Eyes”, “Family Bible”, “It’s not for me to Understand”, and “These are difficult times/Remember the Good Times”
Luck
2.
“In God’s Eyes”
2:23
3.
“Family Bible” (Claude Gray, Paul Buskirk, Walter Breeland)
3:12
4.
“It’s Not for Me to Understand”
3:06
5.
“Medley: These Are Difficult Times” / “Remember the Good Times”
prostratedragon
“Higher Ground,” Stevie Wonder
“Peace Be Still,” Rev. James Cleveland and choir
cintibud
Theology
All my tears be washed away – Emmy Lou Harris
Converted – A3
Saint behind the Glass – Los Lobos
dnfree
@emjayay: You should check out “Rebel Jesus” by Jackson Browne as far as anti-religion.
BellyCat
+1000 for Joan Osborne!
Saw her live at N.O. Jazz fest a couple decades ago(?) and the crowd, collectively, realized God was there as one of (or all of?) us!
Noskilz
Guadalcanal Diary has a few songs that might fit
Fear of god
fire from heaven
“Why do the Heathen Rage?”
“Where Angels Fear to Tread”
Dream So Real’s “rough night in Jericho” seems like it would be a good fit
New Order’s touched by the hand of god
SeattleDem
Jackson Browne: Too Many Angels, Giving that Heaven Away, The Barricades of Heaven(
Evan
Leon Rosselson: Stand up for Judas
Richard Shindell: Ascent
Dar Williams: And A God Descended, and also Alelulia
Sarah McLachlan: Prayer of St. Francis
Leonard Cohen: If It Be Your Will
Noskilz
Thought of a few more:
Mary’s Prayer by Danny Wilson
American Jesus by Bad Religion
God is a bullet by Concrete Blonde
And for the geometry list:
White Lines by Grandmaster Flash and Mellie Mel
Straight Lines by Suzanne Vega
Circle by Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians
Square Hammer by Ghost
The Line between the devil’s teeth by Peter Murphy (possible two-fer?)
foxonfilm
Apologies if these are duplicates; it’s late here and I haven’t read most of the comments.
(Hey Lord) Don’t Ask Me Questions — Graham Parker and the Rumor
Top Ten Commandments – Kinky Friedman
High on Jesus – Kinky Friedman
My God – Jethro Tull
Noskilz
Just though of another geometry one: Big Country’s Angle Park
adepsis
Ain’t no Rest for the Wicked – Cage the Elephant
Se7en – Prince
In My Time of Dying – Led Zeppelin
Like a Ship…. (Without a Sail) – Pastor T.L. Barrett and the Youth for Christ Choir
Keep your Head to the Sky – Earth, Wind, and Fire
and of course: AC/DC – Highway to Hell and Hell’s Bells
Fraud Guy
Chris Rea: “Tell Me There’s a Heaven”
Carlo Graziani
God’s Away On Business — Tom Waits
Feckless
Chocolate Jesus – Tom Waits
Paul in KY
@Another Scott: That would have been mine :-)
Paul in KY
@Leto: Saw them years ago at The Hangout. Josh Homme is a big dude.
Paul in KY
@narya: What exactly is a ‘dooshin’?
Paul in KY
@ellie: That one rocks!
SWMBO
Angel Band (album) by Emmy Lou Harris
Industrial Disease by Mark Knopfler
God Only Knows by John Prine
Amazing Grace by Judy Collins
There’s a Train That Leaves Tonight by Mary Black
The Lonesome Friends of Science by John Prine
The Holy Ground by Mary Black
People Get Ready by Eva Cassidy
Talking to My Angel by Melissa Etheridge
Time is a Healer by Eva Cassidy
Tying Knots in the Devil’s Tail by Michael Martin Murphy
Piper To the End by Mark Knopfler
When I Get to Heaven by John Prine
Where Do Cowboys Go When They Die by Michael Martin Murphy
Who Will Sing For Me? by Emmy Lou Harris
Angel by Sarah McLachlan
Eighteen Wheels on the Big Rig by Trout Fishing In America
Carlo Graziani
@SWMBO: Angel may well be the saddest, most beautiful song that I’ve ever heard.
ellie
New Order:
Bizarre Love Triangle
Touched by the Hand of God
True Faith
It’s a Sin – Pet Shop Boys
Just Like Heaven – The Cure
Halo – Depeche Mode
Heaven – Depeche Mode
ellie
I have more:
Heaven Beside You – Alice in Chains
Heaven – Eurogliders
Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now – The Smiths
Heaven – Hole
Where is the Heaven? – ABC
Heaven Sent – Esthero
Heavenly Bodies – Tamryn
Hell on Wheels – Fu Manchu
Hell If I Could – Prong
Hellbent – New Order
Hellbound – The Breeders
Hellbound on my Trail – Robert Johnson
Jesus Christ – Woody Guthrie
Jesus Hands – Jerry Cantrell
Jesus He Knows Me – Genesis
Satan’s Bed – Pearl Jam
God Bless – Lamb
God Bless the Child – Billie Holliday
God Don’t Make Lonely Girls – The Wallflowers
God Given – Nine Inch Nails
God Smack – Alice in Chains
miserybob
@Omnes Omnibus: So many Tom Waits songs!!
Jesus Gonna Be Here
Way Down in the Hole (one of my favorites)
Dirt in the Ground