"New Pagan Love Song" by Paul Brill

Today’s Song: “New Pagan Love Song” by Paul Brill, from the album, New Pagan Love Song
For full album review, click here.

1. When leaves are colored
That means they’re dying
The most beautiful dream I saw trees with dying leaves
Leaves could not hold the sun

2. Love your neighbors and friends
Love all your enemies since they’re innocent
End of the summer give back some of what you’re given
Somewhere it says, “You give thanks for what you’re thankful for.”

Chorus
Dancing is not enough
Kill your virgins just to shut you up
Something’s died, it gives life, something else is risen,
Volcano’s dead,
You give thanks for what you’ve got right now.

3. Bless your daughters and sons
Indian summer has come
Burn your fortresses down
End of the summer give back some of what you’re given
Somebody said, “You give thanks for what you’re thankful for.”

Chorus 2
Dancing is not enough
Kill your virgins just to shut you up
Summer’s died, you give thanks for what you’ve got right now.
This is not enough
Kill your virgins just to shut you up
Something’s died, it gives life, something else is risen,
Volcano’s dead,
You give thankful for what you’re given,
Volcano’s dead,
You give thanks for what you’ve got right now.

By Paul Brill, © 2004 Scarlet Shame Records. Published by Malayalam Music/Omondi Songs (ASCAP).

Behind the Music
1. Stanzas 1 & 2, how do the reflections about death relate to references to the commands of Jesus?
2. Stanza 2, in Luke 6:37, Jesus says, “Love your enemies. Do good to those who curse you.” How does that compare to the line in Stanza 2?
3. Chorus, child sacrifice and virgin sacrifice were two ways that pagans appeased their gods (pagan referring to those who didn’t believe in the God of the Jews and/or in Christ). How does this song seem to agree with the emptiness of such a practice of killing virgins for the gods? What about the practice of making a sacrifice to a volcano?

Connect with Scripture: Ezekiel 23:36-39
[36] The Lord said to me: "Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Declare to them their abominations. [37] For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. With their idols they have committed adultery, and they have even offered up to them for food the children whom they had borne to me. [38] Moreover, this they have done to me: they have defiled my sanctuary on the same day and profaned my Sabbaths. [39] For when they had slaughtered their children in sacrifice to their idols, on the same day they came into my sanctuary to profane it. And behold, this is what they did in my house.

English Standard Version, Copyright(C) 2000; 2001 by Crossway Bibles. All Rights Reserved.

4. Chorus, how is the Chorus similar or different than what God says to the Israelites in Ezekiel when God talks to them about following some of these pagan practices?
5. Chorus, "dancing is not enough” seems to be reference to needing to do more to please the gods than just dance. Why do people sometimes feel that believing in Christ isn't enough to find salvation?
6. Chorus, what does giving thanks have to do with omitting acts which go against God’s Word?
7. Chorus, Brill says, “Something’s died, it gives life, something else is risen.” Explain how this line could be about Christ.
8. Stanza 3, what does the end of summer have to do with burning down your fortresses and giving back some of what you’re given?
9. What are you thankful for? How does remembering your list of thanksgivings also help you focus on your faith in Christ?
10. This song uses a lot of references to seasons. Use those seasons to talk about your faith in Christ (e.g.: “My faith is sometimes like Indian Summer; it seems warm but it gets cold quickly”).
11. What are the pagan practices that creep into your life, tempting you to stop focusing on Christ alone?
12. How does it give you comfort to remember that even though you sin, “something else is risen” in you through Christ?
13. Seeing that this song could be urging people away from pagan practices towards following Christ, how could you understand it to be a love song to pagans? What is loving about telling someone to stop their religion in favor of Christ?

Credits
By Paul Brill
© 2004 Scarlet Shame Records. Published by Malayalam Music/Omondi Songs (ASCAP).

For full album review, click here.