What are you listening to?

[mater deum]

Just thought I'd ask my fellow skeptics a few questions about their favourite music.  So, what are you listening to?  Are there any famous/ semi-famous sceptic artists out there?  Were you influenced to be more of a sceptic  by any particular music/song?  ( Imagine by John Lennon, for example)  Do you know any vocal, outspoken artists?  It seems that in the States it is popular to be very outspoken about your faith if you happen to be a Xtian. Are there any outspoken Atheist or Agnostic musicians or bands?

It's weird that I love Mahalia Jackson's "Go tell it on the Mountain."  I'm an atheist!  The only "Christmas" song I really love is Chrissie Hynde's of The Pretenders "2000 Miles."  It is a song about longing to be together with someone you love.  Otherwise, I don't like Christmas music.  Chrissie also sings a song called "Hymn to her"  which I finally realized is a song about Goddess worship.  For years I thought it was a song in praise of her mother.       I heard it again after reading The Da Vinci Code and I suddenly had an 'uh huh' moment.  I think it's about Goddess worship.  bjork is an atheist and got her start singing in an Icelantic band called "The Sugarcubes".  They had a hit back in the 80's or early 90's called "Deus."  That song is very amusing!  

Anyway, what are your favourite sceptic/agnostic/atheist songs?

[Kiless]

Interesting you mentioned Christmas songs - mine is Fairytale of New York by the Pogues (featuring the late Kirsty McColl whose works were the first I ever collected), which sums up a lot of what I really think of the season:

It was Christmas Eve babe
In the drunk tank
An old man said to me, won't see another one
And then he sang a song
The Rare Old Mountain Dew
I turned my face away
And dreamed about you

Got on a lucky one
Came in eighteen to one
I've got a feeling
This year's for me and you
So happy Christmas
I love you baby
I can see a better time
When all our dreams come true

.....

You're a bum
You're a punk
You're an old slut on junk
Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed
You scumbag, you maggot
You cheap lousy faggot
Happy Christmas your arse
I pray God it's our last

I could have been someone
Well so could anyone
You took my dreams from me
When I first found you
I kept them with me babe
I put them with my own
Can't make it all alone
I've built my dreams around you


Favourite skeptic/atheist song would have to be The Atheist Tabernacle Choir by Spitting Image, which can be downloaded from the Infidel Guy show.

[mater deum]

     I love it!  I'm singing that next christmas!

[mater deum]

I have to say that Imagine is one of my favourite songs.
I am a big Kate Bush fan and she recently came out with a new CD.  I love the songs Bertie (about her son), An Architect's Dream,The Painter's Link and Somewhere in Between.  Her songs are gorgeous.  The songs about painting  are like a zen koan for me.  Painting is a metaphor for life.  It starts raining, it changes your painting, you look at the 'mistakes' you've made, you continue the painting, at the end you look back and admire  the painting you've made.  That's life.
I love my Lama Gyurme &Jean-Philippe Rykiel CD.  A Buddhist monk and a pianist.  What else do you need?
Anna Netrebko singing La traviata.
Angelique Kidjo. I love her song Naima with Santana.
bjork singing Army of Me.
Itzak Perlman playing Klezmer.
Dome epais, le jasmin by Dame Kiri.
Afro Cuban All Stars.  Man,  I love Cuban music!
What are you listening to?

[Ratbag]

Currently, Kosheen, Johnny Clegg & Savuka and Alice cooper

Are they skeptical....Who cares... thats absolutely the last thing on my mind when I choose/listen to music.

Rat (who also owns a Mormon Tabernacle choir CD)

[izittrue]

ok itz time for a plug..
radiofreephoenix.com

[Capthorne]

Me, I only listen to the voices in my head...

[mater deum]

Hi Rat.  I used to have a Johnny Clegg and Juluka tape years ago.  They were great.  I had never heard of Kosheen before but I had a listen.  Are you into African music?  Juluka played at a nearby Roots and Blues festival last year. I didn't go last year  but every year it gets  bigger and better.  Angelique Kidjo played there a few years ago.  I'd love to see her live.  Also, Miriam Makeba. I'm a fan of East Indian dance music.  I just love drums and dancing my ass off.

[Ratbag]

I have very eclectic tatses in music... I have a huge amount of music on my laptop - opera, jazz, pop, rap   - everything from Carmina Burana to Eminem

Yes I love African music. I was dating a white Saffa girl last year and I had a chance to listen to her music. The rhythms, percussion, everything, it just blew me away, and I went and bought 2 Johnny clegg CD's the very next day.

I have a couple of Miriam Makebe tracks on a mix CD along with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Baaba Maal, etc.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo do some great Gospel songs.....very nice to listen to when I am in a certain sort of mood

Rat

[pannarrans]

As for "sceptical" lyrics I must say I really like Randy Newman:

-God's song
-Great nation of Europe
-Political science

[mater deum]

I seem to love some "religious" music  even though I don't believe and I don't identify myself as Christian. I am, in fact, an atheist.  Why do I love music like Pie Jesu or Lux Aeternum?  I feel a bit silly singing them.  I feel a sort of guilt about it.  Like I'm betraying my belief system (atheism).  Years ago I dated an American Jewish fellow in Japan.  When we went to a Buddhist Temple or Shinto Shrine he would never ring the huge bell or clap his hands together as the Japanese do.  He wouldn't toss a coin into the collection box either.  I asked him why and he said that he was an atheist like me but ethnically Jewish.  He told me he felt a bit of guilt doing anything that honoured another people's diety/dieties.  He felt he was turning his back on his own people's diety.  I said, "R, you already have turned your back on that particular diety.  You are a non-believer like me.  Why feel guilty over offending a nonentity?" It's funny, isn't it?

[Azure_SZero]

Depends on whether you consider Hendrix's "Fire" an agnostic song.

I only want a burnin' desiiiiire- let me stand next to yo' Fiyarrrr!

[Kitiara]

Wow. Great topic...
I need to check out all the songs you guys have mentioned. I am so behind on music.
I don't know the names of most of the stuff I like, so I google lyrics, and come up with stuff.
Best thing in my life, lately, I don't need to save/download music, I am so infrequent, is: http://www.youtube.com/browse?s=mf Put stuff in the search engine, maybe get videos...
I loved Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders, would love to hear more of her.


My favorite Christmas song is:

CHRISTMAS DINNER :: Peter, Paul & Mary

And it came to pass on a Christmas evening
While all the doors were shuttered tight
Outside standing, a lonely boy-child
Cold and shivering in the night.

On the street every window
Save but one was gleaming bright
And to this window walked the boy-child
Peeking in saw candlelight.

Through other windows he had looked at turkeys
And ducks and geese and cherry pies
But through this window saw a gray-haired lady
Table bare and tears in her eyes.

Into his coat reached the boy-child
Knowing well there was little there
He took from his pocket his own Christmas dinner
A bit of cheese, some bread to share.

His outstretched hands held the food and they trembled
As the door it opened wide
Said he "Would you share with me Christmas dinner?"
And gently said she "Come inside."

The gray-haired lady brought forth to the table
Some glasses to their last drop of wine
Said she "Here's a toast to everyone's Christmas,
And especially yours and mine!"

And it came to pass on that Christmas evening
While all the doors were shuttered tight
That in that town the happiest Christmas
Was shared by candlelight.

As for dieties, I have my own god. I pray day and night. I am not an atheist, but I doubt any god is as perfect as my own.

[Kitiara]

Azure_SZero
Scientist Robot Banana

Kudos to you...that quote.



"Poets say science takes away from the beauty of the stars— mere globs of gas atoms. Nothing is 'mere'. I too can see the stars on a desert night, and feel them. But do I see less or more? The vastness of the heavens stretches my imagination— stuck on this carousel my little eye can catch one-million-year-old light. A vast pattern— of which I am a part... What is the pattern or the meaning or the why? It does not do harm to the mystery to know a little more about it. For far more marvelous is the truth than any artists of the past imagined it! Why do the poets of the present not speak of it? What men are poets who can speak of Jupiter if he were a man, but if he is an immense spinning sphere of methane and ammonia must be silent?"

-Richard Feynman, The Feynman Lectures on Physics
       
My god blesses you.

[mater deum]

Kitiara:  Just curious.  Have you 'invented' you own personal diety?  How do you go about picking the qualities you admire in a diety?  HE must be strong, silent, mysterious, 'unknowable', a bit 'distant' or aloof, cleans up after HIMSELF, he likes children, kittens, sunsets, an outdoorsy type...Wait  a second, that sounds like a singles ad.  

[mater deum]

Kitiara:  What do you like to listen to?  I noticed a few of your posts in the Why Herbs? part of the forum.  BTW, I'm into herbs and natural medicine too.  I like when I find others with the same interests or at least some cool knowledge.  Keep cool, sister.

[Kitiara]

The mere thought of a diety with genitals makes me scream.
"He" would not be an operative word, there.
I don't try to make my god into a boyfriend or father figure.
I would not don leather and snap a whip at my diety.
My diety is everything the other dieties wish that they could be.
Mostly, my diety laughs, and enjoys watching us.
My diety does not wish for people to be scared, but hopes that they feel inspiration and joy.

[Kitiara]

Here's a religious hymn...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml675QLn ... %20Eleison

[Kitiara]

More conventional version...neither is what I was looking for. A song that I sang when the mountains were on fire, years back. Words were similiar.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm5Fd7we ... arch=kyrie

[mater deum]

The Mr. Mister version was familiar.  It took me back to the 80's.

[mater deum]

Thanks for taking me back to the 80's.  youtube.com is a great website.  Speaking of the 80's, I was into Nina Hagen back then.  Now, she is one unique lady!  Totally her own person.  A bit weird.  But why be normal? I saw her live in Vancouver in '86 or '87.  A pretty amazing voice. I wasn't keen on her songs though.  She went a little too pop and I liked her German Punk stuff better.

[Kitiara]

I watched a couple of her "you tube' videos...I LIKE HER.... Nina Hagen.

[mater deum]

Yeah, I still like her but I think she has ruined her great voice with cigarettes.  Too bad.   She could sing Opera or Janis Joplin.

I also like Jane Siberry.  She has a few videos at youtube.com  Her song Love is Everything is good.  My favourite is Calling All Angels.  That song is in the movie Pay it Forward.  (During the credit roll).  Beautiful song.  She has quite a few great songs on the album When I was a Boy.

[Zenskeptic]

This is on my MP3 right now:
 Train - Ordinary
 Pantera - Cemetary Gates  
 Guns and Roses - Welcome to the Jungle  
 Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb  
 Linkin Park - Numb
 Slayer - Seasons In The Abyss  
 Alice Cooper - Poison  
 Mr Mister - Broken Wings
 John Lennon - Imagine  
 My Life With The The Thrill Kill Kult - Sex On Wheels  
 The Police - Roxanne
 Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence
 Avenged Sevenfold - Bat Country  
 Incubus - Drive
 Incubus - Megalomaniac  
 The Offspring -  Gone Away  
 KISS - I Was Made For Loving You  
 Madonna - Frozen
 Phil Collins - In The Air tonight  
 Duran Duran - Rio
 The Offspring - hit that  
 Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven
 Switchfoot - Dare You To Move
 Rage Against The Machine - Wake Up  
 Avenged Sevenfold - Unholy Confessions
 AFI - the leaving song pt. 2  
 Rob Zombie - Living Dead Girl
 My Chemical Romance - The Ghost of You
 Evanescence - My Immortal  
 Seether - Broken (ft. Amy Lee)
 Coldplay - Clocks
 The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony
 Sum 41 - Fat Lip
 The Animals - House of the Rising Sun
 Ministry - Jesus Built My Hot Rod  
 The Eagles - Hotel California  
 Meat Puppets - Backwater
 Rage Against The Machine Bulls On Parade  
 Bush - Everything Zen
 Bob Dylan - Mr. Tambourine Man  
 Sublime _ What I Got
 Billy Idol - Rebel Yell
 Pearl Jam - Roadhouse Blues (Doors Cover)  
 Rednex - Cotton Eyed Joe (Cotton Eyed Pauls theme)
 Sum 41 - The Hell Song
 Marilyn Manson - This is the New {!#%@}  
 My Life With The The Thrill Kill Kult - A Daisy Chain For Satan  
 White Zombie - More Human Than Human
 Tool - Sober
 The Roots - The Seed (ft. Cody Chestnut)
 3 Doors Down - Kryptonite
 Queens of the Stoneage - No one Knows
 Primus - Jerry Was A Race Car Driver
 Linkin Park - In The End
 Snow Patrol - Run  
 Marilyn Manson - Personal Jesus  
 Papa Roach - Getting Away With Murder  
 Shinedown - .45
 AC/DC - Highway to Hell
 Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun
 Gnarles Barkley - Crazy
 System of a Down - B.Y.O.B  
 Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood
 Bush - The Chemicals Between Us  
 Marilyn Manson - The Dope Show
 Metallica - One
 Bush - Mouth

I'm mostly a rock boy, but I like any really good music. I don't have any Grateful Dead on the list because it isn't available where I get my songs for this player. They had a cover of Jack Straw performed by Bob Weir's band Ratdog, but it stopped working.  The Roots are phenominally talented. My player is on my forum if you want to hear any of these songs.

[mater deum]

I liked your website.  I will try to listen to some of the songs you have listed.  
BTW, you wrote on your website that your wife likes Ella Fitzgerald.  Do you?  It's tough when you and your spouse like different music.  When I first met my husband he was a small town Northern boy who loved country/western.  I can't stand that music!  I'm glad that his musical tastes have changed.  He's a Jazz and Classical playin' and listenin' kind of guy now.  Phew.  I can handle that.
A while ago the BBC had a story about the musical choices at funerals now.  People are playing secular music or doing videos for their funeral.  What would be your song?  I have to say Imagine would be my song.  "No hell below us, above us only sky"

[Zenskeptic]

Ella had a beautiful voice, but I have to be in the mood for Jazz singing. I love Charlie Parkers music and Bop overall appeals to me. My wife likes Country music, but it's not my cup of tea. (Though I do like some songs like the one Allison Kraus did with Sting. You Are My Ain True Love) Hunter Thompson had the song Mr Tambourine Man played at his funeral. (That's why it's on my player) I would like the Peter Gabriel song Passion to be played at my funeral. (It's from The Last Temptation Of Christ) It's a beautiful song. Imagine would be a good choice too, it's a very hopeful song.

[A-number]

.

[clarsct]

"Should I Stay or Should I Go" -The Clash (IIRC)

I was listening to Metallica's 'Fade to Black' earlier.

Fall Out Boy- Sugar, We're Going Down Swingin'

I listen to Led Zep, Robert Johnson, Korn, Enya, Rob Zombie, Linkin Park, Any Classical but especially Bach, I love Blues, but am not that fond of Jazz, Elton John, Billy Joel, Cradle of Filth, Slayer, Kiss....well, the list does go on.

Pretty much anything but Country, Rap, and R&B, though I will listen to 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia' and some Kid Rock and the Beasty Boys(are these rap?).

[KL89]

Currently running in my mp3 (just some songs):

Depeche Mode - A Question Of Time
Alizée - Moi... Lolita
Coldplay - The Hardest Part
Bruce Springsteen - Drive All Night
Blondie - Heart Of Glass
Led Zeppelin - Kashmir
Alizée - J´en ai marre
Chris Isaak - Wicked game
Gene - Too see the lights
Johnny Cash - Cocaine blues
Morrissey - You have killed me
Echo & The Bunnymen - Killing moon
Morrissey - Everyday is like Sunday
New Order - Bizarre love triangle
Kim Larsen - Kvinde min
Brian Eno - Under stars
Belle and Sebastian - She's losing it
Aislers Set - Mission bells
Bob Dylan - Most of the time
The Cardigans - My Favourite Game
Chesterfields - Last train to Yeovil
The Church - Under the Milkyway
The Church - The Unguarded Moment
Eggstone - Diesel Smoke
Frank Black - Los Angeles
Jeff Buckley - Eternal life
Lemonheads - Secular rockulidge
Nebula - Goodbye yesterday
Pearl Jam - Even flow
Pulp - Common people
Suicide - Dream Baby Dream

[Zenskeptic]

I've added a bunch of songs to my player, including 5 or 6 live Dead songs. (I figured out how to upload some into loudfusion's system)

[mater deum]

What is your musical vision of HELL?

For me, any Country music.   I can't stand when Canadian country singers put on a fake southern accent. What the?

[Zenskeptic]

I grew up in the south and my wife likes country, so I've grown to tolerate it over the years. (I don't seek it out though) A guy on my forum requested I put some country songs on my MP3. I'd promised in the past I would include any songs that members wanted, so I did.

As for music I can't stand, Rap and R&B for the most part. I like The Roots and older stuff like Al Green, but for the most part modern Hip-Hop grinds on my nerves.

[A-number]

.

[mater deum]

A-number:  What is musical hell for you?

[A-number]

.

[mater deum]

When I had noisy neighbours a few years ago I would 'repay' them for partying and keeping me up all night by playing loud German Punk music.  I think a Polka band would probably do nicely in a torture chamber too.  24 hour Polka beat.  That would get me to confess anything.

[skepticdoc]

If you don't want to listen to music, look into the podcasts in the Media section, they are great (Point of Inquiry, skepticality, skepticast, others)!

[A-number]

.

[KL89]

To me, country is definitely music hell. Also european trance music falls into the music-I-hate-category.

[Ratbag]

I just loaded a new CD onto my laptop
"The Best of the Andrews Sisters"
It goes nicely with my "Glenn Miller collection"

I think that 'Musical hell', for me, would be difficult to define, because I can find something I like in almost any genre - Rap, Punk, Country, Opera, Musical, Electronic, Jazz......etc, etc.

I guess musical hell would be a bad singer with a bad song