134. Rock Goes the Gospel - Hooters "All You Zombies"

This was written by Rob Hyman and Eric Bazilian, who founded The Hooters. It is filled with biblical images and created some controversy. Hyman told us: "I think the spirituality of it wasn't premeditated. I think everyone is a spiritual person in whatever they believe or not. There was no real agenda on our part. I know it got banned on several stations, which interested us - there were some Christian stations that refused to play it. There were articles - we never understood the controversy that much, but it stimulated activity. For a writer, that's the best thing you can do." The Hooters included this song on Amore, an independent album they released in 1983. Around the same time, Cyndi Lauper's first album came out, which Hyman and Bazilian had worked on. Columbia Records took notice and signed the band soon after, releasing this as their first single. The version released by Columbia was slowed down, with instrumental sections added to make the song almost 6 minutes long.  The Hooters played this on the Philadelphia stage of Live Aid in 1985. They were from the area and given the slot opening the concert after the introduction ceremonies and a performance by Joan Baez. Over 100,000 people attended the show while another concert was held in London. Proceeds from Live Aid went to famine relief in Africa. Rob Hyman says to this day, it probably is the song that people ask us about the most, they want to know what it's about, they want to know the intent and the meaning, and it just happened. We didn't think about it, it wasn't discussed, it wasn't premeditated. It just came out of us. The lyrics are very intriguing. Some songs are just like that, you never quite know what they're about and if it's put together in the right way, they can be wonderful experiences. I love songs like that, you just listen and every time you hear it you kind of wonder what's going on."

Holy Moses met the Pharaoh
Yeah, he tried to set him straight
Looked him in the eye, let my people go

Holy Moses on a mountain
High above the golden calf
Went to get the Ten Commandments
Yeah, he's just gonna break them in half

All you zombies hide your faces
All you people in the street
All you sittin' in high places
The pieces gonna fall on you

No one ever spoke to Noah
They all laughed at him instead
Working on his ark, working all by himself

Only Noah saw it coming
Forty days and forty nights
Took his sons and daughters with him
Yeah, they were the Israelites

All you zombies hide your faces
All you people in the street
All you sittin' in high places
The rain's gonna fall on you

Holy Father, what's the matter
Where have all your children gone
Sitting in the dark, living all by themselves
You don't have to hide anymore

All you zombies show your faces
All you people in the street
All you sittin' in high places
The pieces gonna fall on you

All you zombies show your faces
All you people in the street
All you sittin' in high places
It's all gonna fall on you

Zombies

On the one hand this song seem to be a reminder of pending doom. The two biblical situations mentioned in the lyrics Moses and Noah are both judgement examples. This is though a deeper thread that runs in the lyrics and it caught in the verses "Holy Father, what's the matter, Where have all your children gone, Sitting in the dark, living all by themselves, You don't have to hide anymore"  In this mornings devotion I would like to explore the topic of  "Living the way God Intended" The lyrics kinda show us a way of life that is just existing in the dark. God intended for us to be alive and living.

So, you might be thinking…alive and living, aren’t they the same thing? I mean, if we are alive then we are living,? Technically speaking, yes, but I have come to understand that they are very different things.  Alive versus living. The former is a way of being; the latter is a way of doing. Existing instead of experiencing. A bit like in the Hooters Lyrics. I’m sure you will agree that we are alive, but what are we doing? What are we experiencing? are we sitting in the dark. There is a paradox here that the more we do, the more we accumulate; the more we attain, the less we are able to live. Our ability to fully engage life’s experiences, embrace subtle mysteries, and be enriched by special moments, is significantly reduced by the amount of things we do, the speed at which we do them, and the reasons why they seem important to us. We are alive but not living. 

Listen to King Solomon’s self-reflection

Now that is living! Big houses, big parties, and big living. He didn’t just run the kingdom; he owned it. Plants, animals, even servants were at his abundance. He even found pleasure in hard work. But, he was not satisfied. When Solomon stepped back and surveyed his splendor, he confessed that all his hard work was for nothing. 

Even his hard work proved a waste. Everything was actually nothing. The more he attained, the less he lived. Imagine a ruler with power, status, and wisdom. A thriving kingdom with every imaginable luxury. All the things our society holds out as the keys to happiness. And Solomon’s assessment of it all?

It was pointless. He hated life at the top. He hated his life because he didn’t really have one. He was alive, but had not truly lived. How interesting that his life comes full circle, Solomon offers his final conclusion

Here’s the big question What are you chasing? Where is all your “busy rushing” leading? Why do you do all the things you do? What is in your innermost heart that is driving you? What is it you must have more of? Can you see it? Is it something you seek? Is it something you feel? Search your soul. 

In the Gospel of Luke Jesus said that your treasure is where your heart is. What is inside the treasure chest you spend each day trying to open? What’s the correct answer? God. If “God” is not your answer, have you considered whether it should be? Jesus was asked which commandment was the greatest, his reply was (Mark 12:30): And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Making God your heart’s greatest pursuit – the goal you chase – the reason why you do the things you do – would help you fulfill that commandment. God is the one you should want more of. As Solomon showed us, God is all that matters when all is said and done 

Why am I sharing this today in this way? I feel like God wants me to take some time, step back from my life, and ask myself, What am I doing? Am I really living? or am I just alive? How much of what I am doing will last for eternity? 

Since last September I have been searching, learning, and changing the way I think and live, so that I can really live. I am still very far from living an abundant life (John 10:10) or living in the promised land. I understand that learning to really live is a journey, and that it’s never fun to travel on your own.  I am passionate about God and about living how he intended me to live and hope that you are too. No more sitting in the dark....eh?