Driving In England -2023 (Bedroom Demo # 276)

"Driving In England"

words and music: Terry Scott Taylor

Some people get so bored

They start turning into cannibals

Eat each others hearts out

They like to sacrifice to animals

Deep-freeze their own souls

Shut down their brains

I think the only way to go

Is against the grain

I go driving in England

Down the Santa Ana freeway

Somebody’s cryin’ out

“You’re going down the wrong way!”

They wanna believe the worst

They’ll believe in anything

Shoot their own wounded

Sacrifice their offspring

Don’t you get too cynical

They’ll put you on a cross

Some leaders are tyrannical

And everyone’s a boss

Repeat chorus

Roadblock on the road to glory

Gridlock on the golden highway

I’ll stop at nothing to get to you

Repeat 1st vs and chorus

Big surprise,

We’re still alive!

Big surprise,

We’re still alive!

Big surprise,

We’re still alive…

All instruments and vocals: T.S. Taylor

note:

“If you keep biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”

-Galatians 5:15

“Therefore come out from among them and be separate,” says the Lord.”

-2 Corinthians 17

“Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and the perfect will of God.”

-Romans 12:2

Here’s another one “by request.”

Reading the above lyrics again after all these years, I must say they are, (even if I say so myself), more relevant today than they were back when I first wrote them in 1989. Let’s take the line “everyone’s a boss” for instance; this was written pre-internet! I don’t need to tell you that every Tom, Dick, Harry, and Mary now has a platform through which they have the means to spew into the world almost any ill-informed, obnoxious, perverse, malicious, hateful, and sanctimonious inanity which happens to enter their minds. And I’m only talking about the Christians! Now before you get your Fruit O’ The Looms in a knot, I’m only kidding. Well. Sort of. Truth is, there are plenty of people who call themselves Christians who are guilty of using the social network to throw their weight around in all sorts of unloving, self-righteous ways. The point is, most all of us, the religious and the nonreligious, are guilty of this to some degree or other, and the power to impact the lives of others in negative, sometimes destructive ways, is at our fingertips 24/7. No need here to make an extensive list of the various wrongs done to others through various social network platforms; you hear about it almost everyday of the week i.e. “mean girls” who have driven their victims to commit suicide or some lone hacker in his parent’s basement with the ability to wreak havoc in another person’s life. The list goes on. This is all done to the delight and the cheers of likeminded, cowardly goons hiding behind their user names. “With what judgement you judge, you also will be judged,” Jesus tells us, and something tells me that this Judgement (with a capitol “J”) is closer to its implementation than most of us think.

Singer/songwriter Nick Cave,(frontman for Birthday Party and The Bad Seeds), whose Post-punk/alt-rock/goth-rock stylings have gained him critical accolades and a dedicated following, was recently asked by a TV personality who he thought qualified as a “punk” in today’s world. “Being a conservative and going to Church,” Cave answered matter of factly. As far as anyone knows, Cave is no conservative, and whether you agree with him or not you gotta hand it to the guy for being brave enough to say something so…. flagrantly uncool for a cool rocker to say. As for me, I’m up for fighting The Machine, and for speaking truth to power, which includes religious power. I’m also into questioning "group think" and conformity. Because I’m the follower of a true revolutionary, I am called to be like my leader in every way; this includes adhering to a radical, world changing admonition: “love your enemy.” Jesus Christ has taught me that “the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of man,” (1 Corinthians 1:25). In other words, He’s telling us, his followers and fellow revolutionaries, to “go against the grain,” to swim against the tide, to take the narrow path, to be a “peculiar people, to be “fools for Christ.” We can’t afford to play it safe anymore. The times call, now more than ever, for a revolution of wild abandonment to His will. Wild abandonment in our relationship with him is in having the courage and faith to join the counter-culture by hanging a U turn and “go driving in England down the Santa Ana Freeway” where the “wrong side” of the road turns out to be the right side, and where risking our lives by deliberately going against oncoming traffic is necessary to reach our true and final destination.

My apologies to James who requested a “relaxed/quite version” of “Driving In England.” I’m afraid I just couldn’t help myself; one thing led to another and, well, I wound up going full bore. I promise to try doing a “relaxed” version in the future, James. Until then, I hope you enjoy this one.