When I was a kid I would go into … Read Full Bio ↴LIZ VICE, singer - ''new gospel'', R&B
When I was a kid I would go into the basement and play the “Lion King” soundtrack over and over while I performed a dance alone for hours. Being the middle child of five children in a single parent home allows for one to vanish without anyone noticing.
I wanted to perform. I wanted to be an actress. Growing up poor, being brown little brown girl, didn’t lend itself to a lot of opportunities to pursue the dream of acting. I can remember at a very early age waking up to the sound of mother singing “Rise and Shine and give God the glory” when she wanted us up for school – to this day that song kind of drives me crazy, but this early memory just reminds me that I have always been around music.
My absent father is a very talented award winning musician, with his PhD in music, and he is still involved in the music business to this day. Although he has never been a presence in my life, I can’t deny that the musical gene has passed on to me.
Music was all around me, but never something I prayed that God would open doors for me. I was always afraid to sing on stage, and to this day my throat feels as though it’s caving in until I pray the simple prayer: “LORD, sing over me and I will sing over the people.”
One evening I was watching a man perform a cabaret of his favorite Broadway show tunes. As I sat and watched this man perform, I was hit with an image of me sitting in a classroom. The classroom was filled with students and God was standing at the front. He asked, “Who is up for the challenge?” All of the students raised their hands. I kept my hand down, and my head bowed. I didn’t want Him to notice that I had decided that whatever He was asking wasn’t my calling. The LORD slowly began to walk towards me and tapped on my desk. I look up and He asked again, “Are you up for the challenge?” I sat there and then I nodded yes. Who is going to tell God ‘NO’!?
So here I am, singing. Singing in church, singing with well-known local artists, and even though I can’t claim that the opportunities in music are because of what I’ve done, I will declare that saying “YES” to God’s calling will open your eyes to reasons for why you shouldn’t put yourself in a box.
Pure Religion
Liz Vice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gonna need that pure religion, allelu yeah
You're gonna need that pure religion,
Pure religion gonna carry you through
You're gonna need that pure religion, allelu
Goodbye mother, don't you mourn, allelu
Goodbye mother, don't you mourn, allelu yeah
You may know I'm going home
You're gonna need that pure religion, allelu
Goodbye father, don't you cry, allelu
Goodbye father, don't you cry, allelu yeah
Goodbye father, don't you cry,
You may know I was born to die
I want to wander in the sun, allelu
Hearse come backin' up to my door, allelu
Hearse come backin' up to my door, allelu yeah
Hearse come backin' up to my door,
Ain't gonna see my friends no more
You're gonna need that pure religion, allelu
Now Goodbye father, don't you cry, allelu
Goodbye father, don't you cry, allelu yeah
Goodbye father, don't you cry,
You may know I was gonna die
You're gonna need that pure religion, allelu
The lyrics to Liz Vice's song "Pure Religion" touch on themes of spiritual renewal, death, and the afterlife. The repetition of the phrase "You're gonna need that pure religion, allelu" emphasizes the importance of faith in difficult times. The verses also mention saying goodbye to loved ones, with a focus on not wanting them to mourn or cry, as the singer is going home to be with God. The lines "You may know I'm going home" and "You may know I was born to die" suggest a belief in predestination and a sense of peace with death.
The final verse introduces the image of a hearse arriving at the singer's door, signaling their impending death. While there is a sense of sadness in the line, "Ain't gonna see my friends no more," the repetition of "You're gonna need that pure religion, allelu" at the end of each verse brings the focus back to the importance of faith. The title of the song, "Pure Religion," evokes thoughts of simple, unadulterated faith, free from the trappings of organized religion or society's expectations.
Overall, "Pure Religion" is a song about finding comfort and peace in faith, even in the face of death or difficult goodbyes.
Line by Line Meaning
You're gonna need that pure religion, allelu
Having a sincere and genuine faith in a higher power will be necessary for navigating the challenges of life
Gonna need that pure religion, allelu yeah
Reinforcing the idea that a pure belief in spirituality is necessary for overcoming obstacles
You're gonna need that pure religion,
Emphasizing again that a genuine faith will be required for the challenges ahead
Pure religion gonna carry you through
Believing in a higher power is the key to getting through difficult situations
Goodbye mother, don't you mourn, allelu
Assuring loved ones that death is not something to fear, and that the departing individual is going to a better place
Goodbye mother, don't you mourn, allelu yeah
Repeating the message of comfort for mothers left behind
Goodbye mother, don't you mourn,
Saying farewell to a mother with a sense of peace, indicating that things will be alright
You may know I'm going home
Expressing certainty about going to a place beyond this life, or returning to the afterlife
Goodbye father, don't you cry, allelu
Offering a similar message of solace to fathers left to mourn
Goodbye father, don't you cry, allelu yeah
Repeating the message of support for fathers
Goodbye father, don't you cry,
Bidding farewell to a father with hope and certainty
You may know I was born to die
Suggesting a sense of fate or destiny involved in the coming of death
I want to wander in the sun, allelu
Expressing a desire for a less hectic life, one without the chaos and difficulties of the current situation
Hearse come backin' up to my door, allelu
Painting a picture of an imminent death, with a hearse arriving at the door
Hearse come backin' up to my door, allelu yeah
Amplifying the sense of finality and urgency
Hearse come backin' up to my door,
Portraying the arrival of death as an unavoidable, inescapable event
Ain't gonna see my friends no more
Acknowledging that death will cause a permanent separation from loved ones
Now Goodbye father, don't you cry, allelu
Closing the song with a final message to fathers, to suggest a sense of continuity and closure
Goodbye father, don't you cry, allelu yeah
Summarizing the theme of support for those who will be left to mourn
Goodbye father, don't you cry,
Repeating a comforting message for bereaved fathers
You may know I was gonna die
Suggesting that those who are leaving this world have an acceptance of death, and that they are at peace with it
Writer(s): White Josh Jr.
Contributed by Noah E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Rylie Breeden
on Entrance
There you were hanging, transforming the pain into
Entrance into your heart
Before we could come in, you had to destroy within
The dark that kept us apart
Before we had heard of you, but had no concern for you
Darkness was all around
The wall was so high, no way to get by
But then you tore it all down
We crossed the threshold and death lost his control
As the sun rose in our hearts
We felt the warm embrace, of your sovereign grace
Now, every day we can start
To live and love with you, follow and worship you
With songs that flow from our soul.
Filled with the light of you, as we are led by you
Longing with joy to be home
Jesus come, take our hand
Lead us into the promise land (X4)