I wrote an article (never posted) about all of the hubbub around Kanye’s conversion. It was about how we ‘evangelicals’ love to idolize every Christian celebrity that makes a profession of Christ, no matter how doctrinally and theological inept they might be (the natural state for baby Christians). After downloading the lyrics to what Kanye said is a song that God gave him, I couldn’t help but think of another celebrity that published a couple of Christian themed albums not long after professing Christ.

That would be Bob Dylan, who in 1979 published “Slow Train Coming” a year after receiving Christ in the home of a Messianic Jew he knew quite well.

So rather than posting the first article I wrote, for which I might get hammered for being critical (albeit in a good way) about Kanye, here are the lyrics to Kanye’s divinely inspired song and my favorite track from the “Slow Train Coming” album.

Yo, we at war – KanyeWest 2019

 

We at war with terrorism, racism, but most of all we at war with ourselves

God show me the way because the Devil’s tryin’ to break me down

(Jesus Walks with me, with me, with me, with me, with me)

You know what the Midwest is?

Young and Restless

Where restless niggas might snatch ya necklace

And next these niggas might jack ya Lexus

Somebody tell these niggas who Kanye West is

I walk through the valley of Chi where death is

Top floor of the view alone will leave you breathless

Try to catch it, it’s kinda hard

Getting choked by detectives yeah, yeah, now check the method

They be asking us questions, harass, and arrest us

Saying “We eat pieces of shit like you for breakfast!”

Huh! Y’all eat pieces of shit? What’s the basis?

We ain’t goin’ nowhere, but got suits and cases

A trunk full of coke rental car from Avis

My Mama used to say only Jesus can save us

Well Mama, I know I act a fool

But I’ll be gone ’til November, I got packs to move, I hope

God show me the way because the Devil’s tryin’ to break me down

(Jesus Walks with me)

The only thing that I pray is that my feet don’t fail me now (I want Jesus)

(Jesus Walks)

And I don’t think there is nothing I can do now to right my wrongs

(Jesus Walks with me)

I want to talk to God, but I’m afraid because we ain’t spoke in so long

(I want Jesus)

God show me the way because the Devil’s tryin’ to break me down

The only thing that I pray is that my feet don’t fail me now

And I don’t think there is nothing I can do now to right my wrongs

I want to talk to God, but I’m afraid because we ain’t spoke in so long, so long

So long

(Jesus Walks with me)

To the hustlers, killers, murderers, drug dealers even the strippers

(Jesus walks for them)

To the victims of welfare for we living in hell here hell yeah

(Jesus walks for them)

Now hear ye hear ye want to see Thee more clearly

I know He hear me when my feet get weary

Cause we’re the almost nearly extinct

We rappers are role models we rap we don’t think

I ain’t here to argue about his facial features

Or here to convert atheists into believers

I’m just trying to say the way school need teachers

The way Kathie Lee needed Regis that’s the way I need Jesus

So here go my single dog radio needs this

They said you can rap about anything except for Jesus

That means guns, sex, lies, video tape

But if I talk about God my record won’t get played

Huh?

Well let this take away from my spins

Which will probably take away from my ends

Then I hope this take away from my sins

Gotta Serve Somebody – Bob Dylan 1979

 

You may be an ambassador to England or France

You may like to gamble, you might like to dance

You may be the heavyweight champion of the world

You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls

 

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes

Indeed you’re gonna have to serve somebody

Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody

 

You might be a rock ‘n’ roll addict prancing on the stage

You might have drugs at your command, women in a cage

You may be a business man or some high-degree thief

They may call you doctor or they may call you chief

 

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes you are

You’re gonna have to serve somebody

Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody

 

You may be a state trooper, you might be a young Turk

You may be the head of some big TV network

You may be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame

You may be living in another country under another name

 

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes you are

You’re gonna have to serve somebody

Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody

 

You may be a construction worker working on a home

You may be living in a mansion or you might live in a dome

You might own guns and you might even own tanks

You might be somebody’s landlord, you might even own banks

 

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes

You’re gonna have to serve somebody

Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody

 

You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride

You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side

You may be workin’ in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair

You may be somebody’s mistress, may be somebody’s heir

 

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes

You’re gonna have to serve somebody

Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody

 

Might like to wear cotton, might like to wear silk

Might like to drink whiskey, might like to drink milk

You might like to eat caviar, you might like to eat bread

You may be sleeping on the floor, sleeping in a king-sized bed

 

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes

Indeed you’re gonna have to serve somebody

Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody

 

You may call me Terry, you may call me Timmy

You may call me Bobby, you may call me Zimmy

You may call me R.J., you may call me Ray

You may call me anything but no matter what you say

 

Still, you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes

You’re gonna have to serve somebody

Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody

 

 

We report, you decide .

Comments?