Led by the husband-and-wife team of Glenn and Wendi Kaiser, the band has been the preeminent example of how to evangelize using Christian rock, but the quality musicianship of Resurrection Band has also been a driving force in the development of the Christian music industry at large. Glenn Kaiser also has an established solo career as a blues musican and is also a well-known speaker on various spiritual issues to youth and adults.
Official website: http://www.resurrectionband.com/
babylon
Resurrection Band Lyrics
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Cobblestones, quaint little homes,
Shutters locked, sirens drone,
And, over at the factory, workers on the dole,
Nothing to take heart in now,
It's begun to take its toll,
Begun to take its toll.
I saw Babylon slowly start to burn,
Heard the voices crying, refusing ever to learn,
Ooh, Babylon.
The glory of it all: God become a man, the pure and holy lover,
You betrayed him with a kiss, murdered your own brother.
Sometimes it flowed like a magic,
The pleasure hid the flaw,
But, oh, forever tragic: him you never saw,
I saw the heavens shake, saw the city fade,
Shattered in one hour,
Time to build again,
Babylon, Babylon is fallen.
In the first stanza of Resurrection Band's song "Babylon," the lyrics paint a picture of a once-thriving industrial town that has now fallen on hard times. The cobblestone streets are deserted, the homes are quaint but locked up tight, and the only sound is the droning of sirens. At the factory, workers are unemployed and have nothing to take heart in. The toll of the town's decline is evident on the faces of its inhabitants.
In the second stanza, the lyrics shift to a more global focus. The singer recalls seeing Babylon, the ancient city and symbol of man's rebellion against God, slowly burning. He hears the voices of the people crying out, refusing to learn from their mistakes. The lyrics then reference the betrayal of Jesus by Judas with a kiss, and the murder of Abel by his own brother Cain. The glory of God becoming mankind through Jesus is juxtaposed with the tragic reality of his betrayal and murder. The singer laments that pleasure can sometimes cover up flaws, but the tragedy of rejecting Christ is that we never truly see him. The heavens shake and the city fades, as the singer declares that Babylon has fallen.
Overall, the song "Babylon" is a sobering reflection on the darkness and tragedy of a world without God. The lyrics describe a town and a world in decline, where pleasure masks flaws but ultimately cannot save us from our own destructive tendencies. The references to ancient Babylon, the betrayal of Jesus, and the murder of Abel all serve to underscore the message that we continue to make the same mistakes as those who came before us. The song ends with the hope of building anew, but it is clear that without turning to God, we are doomed to repeat our mistakes.
Line by Line Meaning
Cobblestones, quaint little homes,
The peaceful facade of the town is presented with its charming streets and small houses
Shutters locked, sirens drone,
The once safe streets are now under lock and key, and the sounds of the alarms are disturbingly commonplace
And, over at the factory, workers on the dole,
The factory that once provided jobs is now unable to do so, and the employees are left without work or pay
Nothing to take heart in now,
The current situation leaves no hope or optimism
It's begun to take its toll,
The stress of this situation is overwhelming and having a negative impact on everyone
Begun to take its toll.
This situation is worsening day by day
I saw Babylon slowly start to burn,
The city of Babylon was deteriorating, and the writer witnessed it slowly falling apart
Heard the voices crying, refusing ever to learn,
Despite the evident deterioration, people refuse to listen and continue with their ways
Ooh, Babylon.
The writer is emphasizing that Babylon is the subject of the song
The glory of it all: God become a man, the pure and holy lover,
God became a human to love and save the world from sin
You betrayed him with a kiss, murdered your own brother.
The betrayal against God is similar to how Judas (a disciple of Jesus) betrayed him to death
Sometimes it flowed like a magic,
Things are often perceived to be perfect and effortless
The pleasure hid the flaw,
Pleasure often clouded people's vision and hid the issues
But, oh, forever tragic: him you never saw,
The humanity fails to see and understand God's love for them
I saw the heavens shake, saw the city fade,
The event caused chaos and destruction even in the universe itself
Shattered in one hour,
Babylon's destruction happened quickly
Time to build again,
It's a new beginning and the time to start rebuilding the city
Babylon, Babylon is fallen.
This historic city has eventually crumbled.
Contributed by Carson N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
John McGowan
on Hotfootin'
A couple of lyrics changes:
"Banana-boat Buick blaring in stereo can't drown out what he is saying."
"Brothers and sisters he tells them..."
Bruce M. Axtens
on Benny & Sue
"ignored the one inside" or "ignored the warning sign"?