113.Rock Goes The Gospel - Motley Crue "Dr. Feelgood"

"Dr. Feelgood" is a song by the American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. It was released as the lead single from their fifth studio album of the same name. "Dr. Feelgood" is Mötley Crüe's only Gold single in the U.S. In 2009, it was ranked the 15th greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1.Released in 1989 as the album's first single, "Dr. Feelgood" became Mötley Crüe's first American Top Ten hit, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 on October 28, 1989. It is their highest ranked single to this day. In November 1989, the single was certified Gold by the RIAA for more than 500,000 units shipped in the United States.  Vocalist Vince Neil looked back at this song to Rolling Stone in 2009: "I knew it was a classic from the time I heard that very first 'bomp bomp bomp bomp' - that intro just kind of grabs you. This song has been popular for 20 years. It was funny because I was watching VH1 and they had the Greatest Hard Rock Songs and 'Feelgood' was 15 or something. I was like, 'Wow, of all time.' Then you have Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith and AC/DC and 'Feelgood.' I was like, 'Wow, that's cool.' It's our signature song in some ways." Bassist Nikki Sixx recalled to Rolling Stone: "I remember it had a whole other set of lyrics. I had sort of forgotten that and I found them in a box recently. I was like, 'oh, wow.' It had a whole different theme to it. It was called 'Dr. Feelgood,' but a whole different thing lyrically. In the end it was inspired by drug dealers. Is there ever just one? A good drug addict always has more than one dealer."

Rat-tailed Jimmy is a second hand hood
He deals out in Hollywood
Got a '65 Chevy, primered flames
Traded for some powdered goods
Jigsaw Jimmy He's runnin' a gang
But I hear he's doin' o.k.
Got a cozy little job, sells the Mexican mob
Packages of candycaine

He's the one they call Dr. Feelgood
He's the one that makes ya feel alright
He's the one they call Dr. Feelgood

Cops on the corner always ignore
Somebody's getting paid
Jimmy's got it wired, law's for hire
Got it made in the shade
Got a little hideaway, does business all day
But at night he'll always be found
Selling sugar to the sweet
People on the street
Call this Jimmy's town

He's the one they call Dr. Feelgood
He's the one that makes ya feel alright
He's the one they call Dr. Feelgood
He's gonna be your Frankenstein 
I've got one thing you'll understand
He's not what you'd call a glamorous man
Got one thing that's easily understood
He's the one they call Dr. Feelgood

He'll tell you he's the king
Of these barrio streets
Moving up to Shangri-La
Came by his wealth as a matter of luck
Says he never broke no law
Two time loser running out of juice
Time to move out quick
Heard a rumour going round
Jimmy's going down
This time it's gonna stick

He's the one they call Dr. Feelgood
He's the one that makes ya feel alright
He's the one they call Dr. Feelgood
He's gonna be your Frankenstein

Let him soothe your soul, just take his hand
Some people call him an evil man
Let him introduce himself real good
He's the only one they call "Feelgood"

"Let him soothe your soul" They call him "Dr Feelgood". Here is a feelgood track about a drug dealer peddling his wares to all who will seek him out. It's a song about a person who peddles in other peoples misery. Jimmy in the song could be anyone. He may be someone in particular, but he may just be generic to all drug dealers, as they all work to the same ends. For me the song is sung in a sarcastic way, as if to say that this is how he is viewed and this is what they call him, but, he's anything but good. Some of the lyrics suggest this "He's gonna be your Frankenstein" and  "He'll tell you he's the king" Somehow these lyrics combined with the others tell you that all things are not as they seem.

In the ’80s, Motley Crue lived the “sex, drugs and rock and roll” lifestyle to its fullest and bassist Nikki Sixx almost succumbed to his hedonism. On Dec. 23, 1987, Sixx was actually declared legally dead from a drug overdose before he was eventually revived. Now, all these years later, Sixx has remembered the incident with a new message to his fans. The musician used that experience as a major wake-up call in his life and over time he was able to kick his drug habits. Sixx told CNN in a video interview (seen below) about the experience of being dead, “I can tell you things that I shouldn’t have been able to have seen. I saw the hotel hallway. I saw the ambulance. I saw the limo that was there, but I couldn’t have really seen that because there was a sheet over me. You know I really kept that to myself for a lot of years until I did the ‘Behind the Music’ thing because other people kind of look at you and think that you’re crazy.”

In remembrance of the day that changed his life, Sixx has posted on his Facebook page about the experience. His statement reads as follows:

In the years since his near fatal overdose, Sixx has rededicated his life to music and spoken publicly about his experiences in ‘The Heroin Diaries.’ The book also provided the impetus for the bassist to form Sixx: A.M., with his stories from both his drug period and recovery factoring into the music. Sixx is currently in the process of turning ‘The Heroin Diaries’ into a Broadway production.

There is one line in the song that I would like to reflect on this morning in this devotion. The line "Let him soothe your soul, just take his hand" What exactly is soul soothing? For the weary and burdened soul soothing is when you get rest, not just from work but a shelter from life. Soothed in heart as well as body. For many this is what is achieved on a spa weekend where they get pampered up to the nines. We are all looking for it in one way or another. For the man or woman suffering from depression "Soul Soothing" is but a dream that has not been realised. For the man or woman that needs companionship and someone to listen "Soul Soothing" will be just that. For the overworked mother or father bringing up a family "Soul Soothing" may be time to themselves so that they can chill and unwind.

Jesus in his day recognised the stresses and strains upon the people he lived amongst. He recognised the oppression that the people of Israel were under and he offered something precious in Matthew 11.

One of the most beloved passages in the New Testament is Matthew 11:28-30. In it the Lord summarizes the invitation to discipleship that characterised His earthly ministry. In this passage Jesus was addressing the people of Israel who were burdened and weighed down with the externalism and the legal do’s and don'ts of the Pharisees, and with the consequences—the guilt, frustration, and dissatisfaction that always goes along with legalism. It is in the midst of this setting that the Lord makes a very gracious invitation to all who would want to experience the relief, joy, and the blessings of His life through a grace-faith relationship with Him. This is an invitation aimed at all, at the curious and at the convinced to bring them to a place of a deeper level of commitment in which they are to take His yoke and learn from Him as committed disciples.

"Soul Soothing" is offered in this wonderful passage from Matthew 11: Jesus offers a rest and a "soul soothing" that means us being partners with him in life. We may still face much of what would have faced alone, but we now face it in relationship with Jesus. "Rest for your Souls" might at times be so far away from your grasp, but it is a offer that many including myself have found the value in it. Motley Crew sung about drugs in the 1980's and even Nikki Sixx in time would see that they were not to be trusted.

My prayer would be that if you are weighed down with the burdens of life you may encounter the invitation of Jesus not in a dry and dusty book but that these words would come alive to you this morning in a wonderful way and that you would experience all that Jesus has to offer in them.