The band members include lead singer and lyricist J. Jackson, guitarist/keyboardist Bill Hubauer, bassist Keith Haynie, and drummer Jimmy "Vegas" Tanner. The band played its first concert as ApologetiX in 1992, and its 1000th in 2007. All of the band members grew up in and around Pittsburgh PA, and that is where they make their homes and attend church.
ApologetiX rewrites secular songs with (often comical) Christian lyrics. Some of their parodies include "Corinthians" (parody of "In the End" by Linkin Park), "Look Yourself" ("Lose Yourself" by Eminem), "Smooth Grandmama" ("Smooth Criminal" by Alien Ant Farm), "Smells Like Thirtysomething Spirit" ("Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana), and "Bethlehemian Rhapsody" ("Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen). Smooth Grandmama is considered to be their most well-known parody. While maintaining the integrity of fundamentalist "grannies," the song pokes fun at certain aspects.
ApologetiX gets their unusual name from the word apologetics, which means "the defense of the Christian faith." It is based on the Greek word for defense, apologia. The word is used in 1 Peter 3:15, "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer (defense or "apologia") to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..." (NIV). Their logo, a triquetra, is an ancient symbol of the Holy Trinity.
Visit their website for booking, concerts and contact them through email at www.apologetix.com.
Good Guys Bad Guys
ApologetiX Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And now I teach that age -- I try to review all those kings the best I can
So gather 'round I'll try to find my way through the names of them
Good guys, bad guys, old Judah had her share
20 rulers had the throne after Solomon
And I'll tell you all the people there
With Abijah, and Asa makes three
Jehosophat, Jehoram, Ahaziah, Athaliah -- she's the wicked queen
Then Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz then
Good Hezekiah, wicked Manasseh and Amon
I'm not done with 'em yet... ahhh
Good guys, bad guys, then Josiah and his heirs
That's Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah, see, we're there!
Good guys, bad guys, you know what happened there
When a good one left the throne for the Promised Land
Then a villain seized the chair
I know one more King you need to know
I'm sure you guessed that on your own
Now, I don't care what the papers say
Christ's King of the Jews, and each and every place
You're gonna feel the need within your heart
You and I, sweet baby, need to get te Son of God
The song "Good Guys Bad Guys" by ApologetiX is a humorous take on the kings of Judah, as recounted in the Bible. The singer of the song claims to have been taught about all the kings of Judah in their youth and now teaches others about those kings. The song then goes through a list of the kings, identifying them as either good guys or bad guys.
The song opens with the singer saying that in their youth they were shown all the kings that Judah had (referring to the list of kings in the Old Testament) and now they try to review those kings to the best of their ability. The singer then goes through a list of kings from Rehoboam, who "started it off," to Zedekiah, who "seized the chair." The singer identifies each king as either a good guy or a bad guy based on their actions and whether or not they followed God's commandments.
The song can be interpreted as an effort to make learning about the kings of Judah more engaging and fun. It uses catchy music and humor to help listeners remember the list of kings and their respective moral standings. Additionally, the final line of the song reminds listeners that Jesus Christ is the true King of the Jews and that faith in Him is ultimately what matters.
Line by Line Meaning
In the days of my youth I was shown all the kings Judea had
During my younger days, I was taught about all the rulers that Judea was governed by
And now I teach that age -- I try to review all those kings the best I can
Now I educate that generation by recollecting all the kings to the best of my ability
So gather 'round I'll try to find my way through the names of them
Come closer and listen as I try to remember all their names
Good guys, bad guys, old Judah had her share
Throughout her history, Judah had her fair amount of righteous and wicked rulers
20 rulers had the throne after Solomon
Following Solomon, there were a total of twenty different people who reigned as king
And I'll tell you all the people there
I will inform you of every person who sat on the throne
Rehoboam, he's the guy who started it off
To begin with, Rehoboam was the one who ruled
With Abijah, and Asa makes three
This was followed by Abijah, and Asa, which brings the total to three
Jehosophat, Jehoram, Ahaziah, Athaliah -- she's the wicked queen
The following rulers were Jehosophat, Jehoram, Ahaziah, and Athaliah, who was a wicked queen
Then Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz then
Next came Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham, and finally Ahaz
Good Hezekiah, wicked Manasseh and Amon
Hezekiah was a righteous ruler, but Manasseh and Amon were both wicked
I'm not done with 'em yet... ahhh
But I still have more rulers to tell you about
Good guys, bad guys, then Josiah and his heirs
There were both good and bad rulers until Josiah and his descendants
That's Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah, see, we're there!
Those descendants were Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah, the last of whom lost the throne
Good guys, bad guys, you know what happened there
You're all aware of what transpired - a good king was replaced by a villain on the throne
When a good one left the throne for the Promised Land
After a virtuous king departed, another ruler took over the throne
I know one more King you need to know
But there's still one King left to talk about
I'm sure you guessed that on your own
I'm positive you already know who I'm referring to
Now, I don't care what the papers say
I don't care about what the news reports claim
Christ's King of the Jews, and each and every place
Jesus is the rightful King, not just of the Jews, but of everywhere
You're gonna feel the need within your heart
You'll feel the desire in your heart
You and I, sweet baby, need to get te Son of God
You and I, my dear friend, ought to come to know Jesus, the Son of God
Contributed by Aria R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
SPIKE
on Love the Jews (Parody of "Love Me Do" By the Beatles)
AWESOME!