He said if I spare a dime and put it on his plate, I'd succeed for eternity and walk through heaven's gate.  And if I spare a dollar against my common sense that God might let me be a millionaire.
I'm on my way to the other side of town, because I can't take you serious, and I can't understand.  I've got better ways to waste my time.
Now I'm not causin' problems, I'll stay the heck out of a fight, but I always thought that Jesus knew his wrong from right.  He knew when to make a scene and he knew when to talk, and he knew when to leave a man alone!
I'm on my way to the other side of town, because I can't take you serious, and I can't understand.  I've got better ways to waste my time.
And if you take offense to me, and fault you try to find, pick up that ol' Bible and read it line for line.  Jesus would have loved me, and Jesus would have cared, and I think Jesus would have called you a dirty whore.
I'm on my way to the other side of town, because I can't take you serious, and I can't understand.  I've got better ways to waste my time.
________________________

I think this one's pretty straightforward, but there are certain lines that could use some clarification.

This song is about overly pushy Christian leaders whose focus is more on "the ministry" than those who are being "ministered to".  Those who focus more on the church as a building rather than a collection of broken people searching for a way to be fixed.  Those who would rather attack those who question their faith, rather than accepting them where they are, finding common ground, and trusting their all-powerful God to convince them of the truth.

Trying To Do The Right Thing
(2008 - Branden Mann)

What can I say in response?  Anything that I argue will be shot down with ignorance.  What you read, and what you see - that makes how you feel, so your beliefs on how to be - don't push them on me.
I'm just trying to do the right thing, when all you're doing is lying to yourself.
These contradictions don't compute, the "facts" that you're claiming are up for dispute.  But you take them by faith, and you rely on grace, but that faith just serves to make a different kind of fake.
I'm just trying to do the right thing, when all you're doing is lying to yourself.
If you can't find an explanation, don't threaten me with condemnation.  If you don't like this information, don't try to sell me your salvation.  If you won't listen to logic and reason, I got no reason to start believin'.  If you can't find an explanation, don't threaten me with your salvation.
I'm just trying to do the right thing, when all you're doing is lying to yourself.
______________

Words are strong.  Words are also loaded.  Words evoke emotion, and the combinations of words we use to express ideas are defined by our own personal experiences.  Sometimes words can be used to create emotional responses.

Because of my experience in the church, and the beliefs I used to hold, and the resultant behaviors that were encouraged, many of the songs I have written can almost be seen as current "Me" having a conversation with myself 10 or so years ago.  Many of them reflect the inner workings of how I got from there to here.  So if I am directing criticism anywhere, I'm directing it at myself.

All you're doing is lying to yourself.
The phrase "All you're doing is lying to yourself" evokes a different emotional response than "All you're doing is fooling yourself", while having a very similar meaning.  If you define "fooling yourself" as willingly accepting ideas or concepts without solid evidence, you are in essence echoing the Biblical definition of faith which is "the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things unseen", both of which are kind of abstract concepts.  Any debate on the things that must be taken by faith cannot be resolved, since evidence is necessary to prove a debate, and by definition if something can be proven, it does not require faith.

You take them by faith, and you rely on grace, but that faith just serves to make a different kind of fake
Faith forces one to believe or disbelieve things without evidence.  The grace of God absolves one of sin.  If one is involved in "sinful" activity, evidence or admission is the only way to be found out.  Because of the tendency in the church to take things by faith, it is possible, without evidence, relying on God's forgiveness through faith and prayer (which is a completely private matter) to come to the conclusion that if secret "sins" are addressed between God and the "sinner", and there is no evidence, that there is no need to admit fault publicly. This is clearly hypocrisy and being "fake".  I recognize it because I did that same thing.  As a Christian, I came to the conclusion that it was impossible to submit one's self to such a strict set of rules as the Christian religion does, and not have at least some level of hypocrisy.  Too many are hung up on the negativity of the approach of the "no"s in the 10 commandments and disregard the words of Jesus when he was asked what the most important commandment was and took a positive approach saying, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself."  Jesus in essence was saying "just try to do the right thing, and you won't have to worry about doing something wrong"

That's it for now - if anyone has any other questions about the context of the content of this song, please feel free to post them!

I've had the opportunity to have some conversations with people who have heard some of our songs that make rather bold statements in regard to religious belief.  I appreciate that many of them have been able to approach me and "confront" me politely about their disagreements.  Others have taken a more aggressive tone, which has at times escalated into a full blown religious debate.

I welcome both responses.  Although I would prefer an engaging dialogue where I can explain my reasoning, as it's much more enjoyable, I also feel like my beliefs (or lack thereof) have enough of a solid foundation that I am open to religious debates that involve logical consistencies and claims based on rational evidence.  However, I understand that much religious belief is based on faith, and is therefore a matter of accepting things that cannot be humanly proven.  But that is one of my contentions, and one of the subjects I tend to write about often.

I don't address any religious subject with ignorance.  I studied the Bible and Christianity in the Chrisitian schools and churches I grew up in, and began college with hopes of becoming a youth minister.  Although I had bad experiences with some people in the church, my views on religion are not based on my interactions with people, but upon learning and education that I have received that have opened my eyes to the logical inconsistencies in Christianity, or any religion with a supernatural deity.

Some of our songs were written about specific interactions with specific people and should not be taken as my evaluation of Christianity, Christians, or any religious belief or its believers.

I think that religion can be good on an individual level.  Many people need something outside of themselves to trust, and if that something happens to be God, and it helps them to live a more fulfilling life, then I can't argue against its benefits, and don't wish for my beliefs about the non-existence of God to interfere with something that helps them.

The nature of being offended is to assert one's beliefs and values as unequivocally superior, and negatively respond to any belief, action, or statement that may negate, question, disprove, or otherwise threaten that superiority.  An easily offended person has set up his or her own rules, and feels that everyone else in the world should live by their specific set of restrictions and liberties.  Most people who are easily offended have a repressed sense of doubt about their own beliefs, or recognize hidden hypocrisies that they feel can be covered up or somehow forgiven by becoming offended at the mere mention of the topic...

For those who really want to know more about the context of lyrics like "If the Lord is your protection, you're gonna be surprised to find the Lord is not on your side", or things like that, I want to give some background on the specifics of some of the more "controversial" lyrics.  I will be writing a series of blogs about the songs that I feel could be misinterpreted in an effort to promote critical thinking and encourage those who take offense to examine why they are offended.

The Lord Is Not On Your Side
2007 - Branden Mann

If the Lord is your protection, you're gonna be surprised to find the Lord is not on your side.
You've got it right, don't get me wrong, but you're just as right as I've been and I'm just as right as you've been all along.  What to bless? Hallelujiah! What to curse?  Oh God, Damn! What is wrong and what is right?  What is black and what is white?  Oh my God!
If the Lord is your protection, you're gonna be surprised to find the Lord is not on your side.
With the Lord as your protection, don't be surprised, Lord, he's gonna let you down.  But you'll say "oh no, He's got a promise".  Oh, but admit it you're harboring some deep, deep doubts.
If the Lord is your protection, you're gonna be surprised to find the Lord is not on your side.
He's gonna choose who he answers, and he's gonna choose who he saves.  He's gonna choose who starves and who's around to live another day.  But everybody's got a different Lord, everybody's got their own way.  But everybody thinks that they know just what ol' Lord, he got to say.
If the Lord is your protection, you're gonna be surprised to find the Lord is not on your side.
________________________

This one pisses a lot of people right off.  How dare I assert that God might be against them...

I wrote this song after a specific incident.  I admit I was in the wrong by letting my anger dictate my actions, but my anger stemmed from a sense of protecting my family.  To make a long story short, an elderly man was driving his giant, looming truck in a way that made me feel very unsafe, and upon learning that the destination for his aggressive driving was a discount tarp store, I let my anger get the best of me.  I followed him into the parking lot, and walked over to his truck.  He rolled down his window and I proceeded to shout at him about how he could have easily caused an accident.  He responded with an air of superiority that for lack of a better term, made him come across to me as a rich, unsympathetic, bitter old man who saw those who are younger or in a lower social standing as idiots.  He asked me how long I had been driving and I shouted "It doesn't matter how long I've been driving, I would NEVER endanger the lives of other drivers by driving so aggressively and dangerously".  This devolved into an argument about whose side the police would be on, had they been there, and I accused him of speeding, tailgating, and reckless, aggressive driving and told him that he could have himself been killed if I had to make any sudden maneuvers.  At this point, his wife, who had since been silent, piped up and said "Well, the Lord is our protection!"  This set me off on another rant, about the selectivity of God's protection, and on concepts that probably weren't very well accepted considering my tone...

That one phrase got me thinking, though.  If the Lord is their protection, what if they got into an accident with other Christians and someone died.  What determines who God protects and who he doesn't?  Does a faith in God's protection excuse risky behavior?  Wars have been started where both sides proclaim that God has explicitly endorsed their particular views, and not the views of the other side who believes just as faithfully in God's endorsement of their opposing view.

If you believe in God, you presumably want to join his team.  But whose team is God on?  No matter what you choose to believe, someone will have equally as firm convictions that you are wrong on at least one account.  Christianity and Islam both claim the other is wrong, but both religions require faith, and an acceptance of unprovable concepts that support their particular flavor of belief or "disprove" other beliefs.

Again, language, context, and definition are important to understand.  Using the term "Lord" as a pronoun for a deity is common, Lord Jesus, Lord God, Lord Krishna, Lord Mohammed, pick your religion, you've got a Lord.   Hence the line "everybody's got a different Lord, everybody's got their own way" - the problem arises when "everybody thinks that they know just what ol' Lord, he's got to say".  Even within Christianity, because of the deeply personal nature of faith and belief, everyone's concept of God is directly related to their experiences, interests, and shortcomings, and therefore creates contradictory definitions of God from person to person.

The line "If the Lord is your protection, you're gonna be surprised to find the Lord is not on your side" is kind of a language joke based on religious diversity.  If you specify a "Lord" that is your protection, chances are there's a "Lord" from an opposing religion who pledges protection to your enemies.  Proving who is right is impossible because of the faith involved in the very foundation of any religion that assumes a supernatural deity with un-understandable methods (i.e. mysterious ways).

Again, any questions about any specific lines or concepts in the song are welcome.  We should all understand and be understood.

My boy, Nelson, whiffin' his life away.

We've just finished our 5-song "demo" disc entitled "Songs From The Soggy Basement", a collection of music recorded in August 2008 in Tommy's slightly flooded basement.

Track List:
1. Where's This Train Goin'?
2. Trying To Do The Right Thing
3. Get Down (To Business)
4. Staring Down A Barrel Of Monkeys
5. Secrets, Brother - Sneakin' Lies!

Come see us at a show or an open mic night (Harvey's = Monday / Corner Bar = Tuesday) to get a copy for $5 or download the album from our snocap store

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseacti...

We've been invited to play in a local competition where the winners receive a trip to SXSW 2009.

Come show your support!

If you haven't heard of Jamie Lidell, you should meet him:

Some hilarious misheard lyrics...