Biblical References in Music

Yesterday in lecture, Professor Harris discussed about the relationship between Christianity and music and how some songs are used to denote a Christian message. We also talked about (never thought I would say this) Justin Bieber and his song, "Pray". But I want to deviate from talking about Justin Bieber and focus more on the latter part of the class, where Professor Harris presented us with various bands that either included subtle biblical references in their songs or constructed entire songs from a biblical story. During lecture, we were shown the music video for U2's "Until the End of the World". Although no specific names were given, the song is widely recognized to be about Judas Iscariot and his conversation with Jesus Christ during The Last Supper.

There is a significant amount of biblical references in songs, both subtle and obvious. In some cases, the most unexpected songs can consist of biblical references. For instance, "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio consists of a biblical verse from Psalm 23:4, where he raps: "As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death". The inclusion of a biblical verse into a strictly secular song signifies a somewhat integrational move made by Coolio. However, the downfall for this is that this particular biblical lyric is bound to be overlooked by those who aren't devout Christians or familiar with the Bible.

A more obvious biblical reference found in a song is instated by one of the most popular artists in the music scene today, Nicki Minaj. Her song, "Moment 4 Life", is another song that seems unfit to be incorporating any Christian elements. However, she does so by comparing her current fame and status with the story of David and Goliath: "In this very moment I'm king / In this very moment I slayed Goliath with a sling". The biblical story of David and Goliath is found in the book of Samuel and is safe to say, a pretty common story even in the secular world; one doesn't need to be a Christian to know the story. As a result, the obvious use of this common biblical reference creates a more profound meaning to the song.

Like U2, some bands compose whole songs based on biblical stories. For instance, The Hush Sound, an indie band, wrote a song entitled "Wine Red". It was heavily based on the Garden of Eden and the idea of creation and the destruction of something beautiful. In an interview, Greta Salpeter, the pianist and one of the lead singers for The Hush Sound, explained the process of writing "Wine Red" and what the song is about:

"The song 'Wine Red' is about the destruction of something that seems to beautiful to exist, much like the Garden of Eden is said to be. There was a story at that time of a vicious murder or a young girl whom we had all met and that is what inspired the line 'the death of beauty'. Also, when I wrote the song, I had been reading Greek mythology as well as studying creation stories of many different faiths, mainly studying the Genesis stories of the Christian faith (out of curiosity rather than religion). Allusions to those stories are woven into the song." 

Greta mentions that they were studying the Genesis stories "out of curiosity rather than religion". It can be assumed that they are not Christians - they simply wrote a song about a Christian story. This signifies the influential magnitude that Christianity has on music and popular culture.

This ultimately raises the question: Why are artists and bands so enthusiastic in including biblical references or verses in their songs? Furthermore, why do artists and bands (Christians and non-Christians alike) construct entire songs on biblical stories? 

Thoughts?

Here are the links for the songs I've mentioned:

Gangsta's Paradise - Coolio feat. L.V.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFK6H_CcuX8 

Moment 4 Life - Nicki Minaj feat. Drake

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks3_kuRAzHs

Wine Red - The Hush Sound
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r6MFfMEziE