29. Battleme "Hey, Hey, My, My"

Battleme and Matt Drenik are inseparable. Battleme is the stage name and band of Lions singer Matt Drenik, Battleme was started as a creative outlet to projects Drenik was involved in during 2009. Battleme first appeared in the season 2 finale of Sons of Anarchy on FX Network with the song, "Burn This Town." which was a complete departure from the usual songs the Drenik and his band The Lions usually sang. There’s also something in the way "Hey, Hey - My, My" unfolds it has charm and sucks you in. It the kind of song to make a lasting impression on you.

These attempts at acoustic folk songs began to see Drenik breaking away from the heavy psychedelic outfits he'd previously played in. Several other Battleme songs appeared in Sons of Anarchy season 3. It's a sound combination in more ways than one. I think it also sounds better than the original Neil Young acoustic version but will have to remain in second place to Neil Young and Crazy Horse upbeat and raw rock version which was recorded on the "Ragged Glory" tour 1991.

Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye.
Hey hey, my my

Out of the blue and into the black
You pay for this, and they give you that
Once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue
And into the black

The king is gone but he's not forgotten
Is this the tale of Johnny Rotten?
It's better to burn out than to fade away
The king is gone but he's not forgotten

Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye.
Hey hey, my my

The lyrics refer to "The King" and Johnny Rotten as rockers whose legacies live on. The king is Elvis Presley and Johnny Rotten was the lead singer of The Sex Pistols, but had renamed John Lydon for Public Image Limited. - so Johnny Rotten in effect was no more. Although the mention of the "King" in the lyrics most defiantly refers to Elvis there is mileage in thinking about another kind of King who is gone but not forgotten.

There are two ways of understanding that the "King is gone but not forgotten" 1. The early church believed that Jesus would return This was the promise that Jesus made to his disciples and 2. Jesus is not forgotten by his church in his absence.

The first way of understanding the "King is gone but not forgotten" is to look at the bible passages that outline the Kings return. This is not a story line from the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's ring novels, but the truth that the early church were waiting for their own King Jesus to return. this is what the Angels said to the disciples at the end of Acts 1 "Why are you looking up to heaven, don't you know he will return in the same way"

1. The Return of Jesus. - Since the church began there has been an imminent expectation that Jesus will return. And that he will return soon. There are a number of biblical texts that tell of the second coming of Jesus and in doing so show us what was the heart of the church about the return of Christ.

1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17: "For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air."

Matthew 24:4,5: "And Jesus answered and said to them, "Take heed that no one deceives you, for many will come in my name, saying, "I am the Christ", and will deceive many."

Matthew 24:23-27: (this is Jesus speaking): "then if anyone says to you, "Look, here is the Christ", or "There", do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See I have told you beforehand. Therefore, if they say to you, "Look, He is in the desert.", do not go out, or "Look, he is in the inner rooms.", do not believe it. For as the lightning flashes from the East, and flashes to the West, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be."

Revelation 1:7 "Behold, He comes with clouds, and every eye shall see Him."

Mark 13:26 "Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory."

There are other readings that stress the same points. What is interesting is the words that Jesus speaks himself concerning his own return that Jesus is concerned with the disciples being deceived by imitations. In other words he himself believed in his own return. The church today still believes in the return of Jesus. It's the second way of understanding that for me is the most pressing.

2. Waiting and living towards the return of Jesus. There is a real danger that in the waiting time the church of Jesus christ forgets what he came for and go off doing other things. Just like in the lyrics of "Hey, Hey, My, My."  The song refers to not forgetting the king. Of course in the song it "Elvis" and not "Jesus" that is being addressed, but the truth is still the same. Jesus speaks about this in the parable of the Ten Virgins.

Matthew 25:1-13 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.  The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.  “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’  “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.  “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’  “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Here in the parable the virgins (The Bride) are awaiting the bridegroom and some fall asleep and some don't. The point is "Keep Watch" - DONT FORGET. There a few other passages that tell the same thing.

1 John 2:28  "And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming" 

Luke 12:32-48  “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.

Luke 21:36 "But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

There is a sense in these passage that the church should be awake and anticipating the return of Jesus. there is the real danger of the people of God in their impatience doing other things or forgetting Jesus and his gospel in favour of another Jesus (Someone who sound plausible) and other doctrines that are attractive but will fail in the end. In the Vision of St John the Divine (The Book of Revelation) John is tasked by Jesus in his vision to bring seven messages to seven churches. In Revelation 2 John commends the church in Ephesus for all the right things that it is doing and then says that they have "forgotten" their first love. (Jesus)

That would be a real tragedy that the bride of Christ (The Church, The people of God) Would forget Jesus altogether. What a frightening thought. Lets hope that the words of "Hey, Hey, My, My" ring true for the church. "THE KING IS GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN"