1. Synthpop band Pro… Read Full Bio ↴There are two Bands under the Name Propaganda :
1. Synthpop band Propaganda was formed in Germany by vocalist Claudia Brücken and drummer Michael Mertens plus keyboard players Susanne Freytag and Ralf Dorper. The quartet moved to England in 1983 and signed to ZTT Records, also the home of Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Art of Noise. Propaganda's first single, "Dr. Mabuse," reached the British Top 30 in early 1984, but the band's second release was more than a year in coming. Finally, in May 1985, "Duel" trumped the debut single by hitting number 21.
Propaganda's first album A Secret Wish appeared one month later, and the resulting tour necessitated the addition of bassist Derek Forbes and drummer Brian McGee -- both formerly with Simple Minds. After the release of the remix album Wishful Thinking later that year, Dorper became the first original member to leave the band, and Propaganda splintered soon after, due to a prolonged legal battle to leave ZTT. The group finally re-emerged in 1988 with Mertens, Forbes, McGee and American vocalist Betsi Miller. The quartet signed with Virgin, and released 1234 in 1990. The single "Heaven Give Me Words" broke the British Top 40 in 1990, and "Only One Word" placed modestly later that year.
Meanwhile, Claudia Brücken -- who had stayed with ZTT in large part because of her marriage to label-owner Paul Morley -- formed Act with Thomas Leer. The duo charted "Snobbery and Decay" in mid-1987 and released their only album, Laughter, Tears, and Rage in 1988. Brücken became a solo act by the turn of the decade, and charted only one single, "Absolut (E)," from her 1991 album Love, And a Million Other Things. Though neither the band nor Brücken had recorded recently, rumours flew during the mid-'90s that a Propaganda reunion was in the works.
2. Jason Emmanuel Petty (born May 27, 1979), better known by his stage name Propaganda, is an American Christian hip hop and spoken word artist and poet from Los Angeles, California. He has released four albums as an independent artist and one collaborative album with the rapper Odd Thomas, and has performed and recorded as a member of the underground hip hop group Tunnel Rats and associated act Footsoldiers.
Lofty
Propaganda Lyrics
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God spoke and the formless earth was sculpted
His poetry producing populations, making constellations
With his conversations gazing at his own creation
Proclaiming it was good and there we stood
Fashioned from the dust
With authority He orchestrated organisms and every single cell in every ecosystem
Every creature that dwells
The whole expanse, the sky above your head
And the ground where you stand
The clouds and the rain, the soil that soaks it up
And feeds tiny seeds so they sprout and vegetation proceeds
Infinite wisdom intrinsic within him, self-sufficient
Intricate systems begin and end with His decisions Lofty
Out of reach, how he procreated with speech
So it's appropriate for us to be completely in awe
(Hook: Joel Davis)
I don't why, still I try
To wrap my mind around You
Your thoughts are higher, Your ways are better
And I'm in awe
So bring me up to where You are
Bring me up to where You are
(Verse 2: Odd Thomas)
It's evident in creation that God is the primary cause
The origin of all scientific laws
Everything else is secondary
The very breath that comes from lungs is caused by the fact that God is involved
One must begin with the mind that was given to him to even believe he's evolved
I'm in awe when I think about quantum mechanics and the rotation of planets
And the exact calculation of the universe is permanently impossible to manage
How photosynthesis takes place to perfectly convert the vividness of light into chemical energy
For the purpose of maintaining and giving life
Intelligent design doesn't even begin to define his creative craftsmanship
Any attempt to align the mind of mankind to divine is insufficient and inadequate
It's too lofty and far beyond us that God would not remain anonymous
Correspond with us and out of all of God's creation would become fond of us
(Hook: Joel Davis)
I don't why, still I try
To wrap my mind around You
Your thoughts are higher, Your ways are better
And I'm in awe
So bring me up to where You are
Bring me up to where You are
(Verse 3: Propaganda)
But worth, value, and beauty is not determined by some innate quality
But by the length for which the owner would go to possess them
And broken and ugly things just like us are stamped "Excellent"
With ink tapped in wells of divine veins
A system of redemption that could only be described as perfect
A seal of approval, fatal debt removal
Promised, prominent, perfect priest
Brilliant designed system, redemption for our kinsmen
Can only be described as perfect with excellent execution
And I'm in awe, the only one truly excellent
The only source of excellence
We are declared excellent only by his decree with his system
The only accurate response is awe
So we make lofty art
See the presence of good art will unconsciously refine a community
And poor art will do an incalculable harm
Only accomplished in the light of his excellency
It's too high, it's lofty
(Hook: Joel Davis)
I don't why, still I try
To bring something of worth
My words are fleeting
They're flawed, depleting
And you're leaving me in awe
Bring me up to where You are, God
The song "Lofty" by Propaganda speaks about the grandeur of God and his creation. The first verse, performed by Braille, refers to God's creation of the world and how everything came into existence through His divine will. Braille mentions how God created everything in the universe, from planets and plants to tiny cells, and how everything is interconnected in intricate systems that are controlled by God's decisions. Braille's verse sets the tone for the entire song by emphasizing how God's work is beyond our comprehension and how we should be in awe of it.
In the second verse, performed by Odd Thomas, the song delves deeper into the idea of God's design and how the universe operates. Thomas mentions how God is the primary cause of everything in the universe, and how scientific laws are secondary to God's divine will. Thomas discusses how even the breath we take is a result of God's involvement in our lives. Thomas moves on to talk about how everything in the universe is perfectly calculated, from quantum mechanics to photosynthesis, and that these processes are impossible to manage on our own. Thomas finishes by discussing the idea that God is not anonymous or distant, but rather interacts with us and is fond of us.
Line by Line Meaning
God spoke and the formless earth was sculpted
With His words alone, God created everything, molding the shapeless earth into a masterpiece.
His poetry producing populations, making constellations
Through His poetic words, God created life and the starry heavens, bringing order to the universe.
With his conversations gazing at his own creation
God marvels at His creation, observing it with wonder and awe.
Proclaiming it was good and there we stood
God proclaimed His creation good, and we as humans stood in awe of its beauty.
Fashioned from the dust
Humans were created from the dust of the earth, proving our connection to nature and the Divine.
With authority He orchestrated organisms and every single cell in every ecosystem
God has authority over all living things, orchestrating every cell and organism within the vast ecosystem of creation.
The planets, the plants, the whole expanse, the sky above your head
God created everything, from the vastness of the universe to the smallest plant on the Earth.
And the ground where you stand
Even the Earth, which we take for granted, was intricately created by God.
The clouds and the rain, the soil that soaks it up
God created the water cycle and the Earth's ability to soak up rain, revealing His power over nature.
And feeds tiny seeds so they sprout and vegetation proceeds
God's creation of plants and their life cycle is a reminder of His ability to create and bring forth new life.
Infinite wisdom intrinsic within him, self-sufficient
God's wisdom is infinite and exists within Himself, making Him self-sufficient and omniscient.
Intricate systems begin and end with His decisions Lofty
God's decisions and creations are beyond our comprehension, with intricate systems beginning and ending at His will.
Out of reach, how he procreated with speech
God created everything through His spoken word, a power that is out of reach and beyond human understanding.
So it's appropriate for us to be completely in awe
We as humans should be in awe of God's power and creation, recognizing our smallness in comparison.
It's evident in creation that God is the primary cause
Creation itself is evidence that God exists and is the primary cause of all things.
The origin of all scientific laws
All scientific laws and principles owe their existence to God as the original Creator.
Everything else is secondary
In comparison to God's power, everything else is secondary and insignificant.
The very breath that comes from lungs is caused by the fact that God is involved
Even our very breath is a reminder of God's involvement in creation and His sustenance of life.
One must begin with the mind that was given to him to even believe he's evolved
God created humans with the ability to think and reason, making belief in evolution a result of the mind He gave us.
Intelligent design doesn't even begin to define his creative craftsmanship
Even the concept of intelligent design falls short of describing God's perfect and intricate creation.
Any attempt to align the mind of mankind to divine is insufficient and inadequate
Human attempts to understand God's creation or wisdom are insufficient and inadequate compared to His true divine nature.
It's too lofty and far beyond us that God would not remain anonymous
God's power and nature are too great for humans to fully comprehend, and thus He reveals Himself to us through creation and other means.
Correspond with us and out of all of God's creation would become fond of us
Despite our smallness and insignificance in comparison to His creation, God loves and cares for us, corresponding with us and taking delight in us.
Worth, value, and beauty is not determined by some innate quality
Value and beauty exist not because of an inherent quality, but because of the intention and love of the Creator.
But by the length for which the owner would go to possess them
The value and beauty of creation are determined by the lengths God went to create and possess it.
And broken and ugly things just like us are stamped "Excellent"
God sees value and worth even in the broken and imperfect, stamping them as excellent in His eyes.
With ink tapped in wells of divine veins
God's love and value for His creation is ingrained within Him, flowing through His very being like ink in veins.
A system of redemption that could only be described as perfect
God's plan of redemption for humanity is perfect, reflecting His love and mercy.
A seal of approval, fatal debt removal
God's redemption is like a seal of approval, removing the fatal debt of sin and offering new life.
Promised, prominent, perfect priest
Jesus, as the perfect priest, is the fulfillment of God's promise of redemption, bringing prominence and perfection to the plan.
Brilliant designed system, redemption for our kinsmen
God's plan of redemption is a brilliantly designed system, bringing new life and redemption to all who accept it.
It's too high, it's lofty
God's power and nature are too great and lofty to be fully understood or comprehended by humans.
My words are fleeting, they're flawed, depleting
Human words are temporary and flawed, unable to fully express the wonders of God's power and creation.
And you're leaving me in awe
Despite our inability to fully comprehend God, His power and creation leave us in awe.
Bring me up to where You are, God
This line expresses a desire to be brought closer to God and to better understand His power and nature.
Contributed by Keira M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.