Jun 11 2009
Stockholm Syndrome: The Rumors Are True
The Rumors are True
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been following the buzz around Derek Webb’s forthcoming album, Stockholm Syndrome. While filtering through websites and blogs like so many other fans franticly scrounging the Internet for clues to Derek’s cryptic scavenger hunt, I’ve run across many rumors about why Stockholm Syndrome is just so darn controversial. According to Derek’s last e-mail to his fans, most of the controversy centers on one song. The most prevalent rumor I’ve discovered in my searching is that Derek drops the “S” word. I wasn’t entirely surprised to read something about Derek cursing; heck, I’ve heard him do so in several of his songs. However, the cursing always seemed to be in context to me, and therefore not really cursing.
Case in point, in probably his most famous song, “Wedding Dress,” Derek puts the question to God, “So could you love this bastard child?” Sounds like cursing to a modern day person, but not to someone who grew up in a house where her parents read out of the good ole King James Version of the Bible. The KJV reads in Hebrews 12:8, “But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons,” bastard meaning an illegitimate son, not a rude name to call that person who cut you off in traffic. The context for the Scripture here, being that if you’re truly a child of God and you’re doing something sinful, God disciplines His children, so basically, if you’re sinning and getting away with it, chances are you’re not God’s child. Like a loving parent, God disciplines His children. “Wedding Dress” is about how the Church (as in the body of believers) is constantly chasing after “lovers less wild than Jesus” (as Derek puts it on his live album, The House Show). Rather than staying faithful to God, we whore ourselves with idols (which, if you’re not familiar with “Wedding Dress,” Derek says whore, also). It’s a plea for God to draw us close to Himself, not letting us be “bastard children.”
What about in one of my favorite Derek Webb tunes, “A King and a Kingdom,” where Derek proclaims, “Well nothing unifies like a common enemy and we’ve got one sure as hell!” It sure sounds like swearing when you only read that line, right? Not so. The song’s about how it seems many American Christians tend to get wrapped up in politics, Left vs. Right, Right vs. Left, and all points in between. We’d rather try to bash the other side and get policies passed that we think will change the country. We might be able to change policies, but we CANNOT change the hearts of people who are making moral and political decisions without God. Policies DO NOT change people’s hearts. God is the only one that can! When we focus on those things, we forget who our real enemy is! Our real enemy is HELL! Our common enemy is HELL and policies do NOT defeat hell! God’s people need to unify under His Name, not bicker about policies. So yes, hell is indeed used in context, not as a swear.
So what’s the deal with Stockholm Syndrome? Well kids, the rumors are indeed true. Derek does indeed drop the “S” word in his new album. How do I know? If you go to the super secret website (which shall remain nameless because I’m fun like that) and download the latest stems, you’ll find the sound byte of our boy dropping it like it’s hot. It’s right at the beginning of the clip, so the only thing I can hear in front of it are the words “give a…” before it’s dropped. I have no other context for the usage, and I’m not sure that I really want to speculate too much further than the fact that I know that the word is there. I really don’t know where he’s going with this. Yeah, sure there’s shock value; it certainly got my attention. But the last time I checked, Derek Webb didn’t need to curse to have shock value in his music or to get anyone’s attention. I’ve seen several facebook groups with titles proclaiming that they didn’t care about social justice before listening to Derek Webb. I know how through listening to his music God has changed my own heart and brought about lots of spiritual and emotional healing, and it had absolutely NOTHING to do with attention-getting swear words. I’ve spent the past few hours listening to all my Derek Webb and Caedmon’s Call albums on my iTunes and regardless of how many times I’ve listened before, the lyrics still prick my heart. It’s the truth of the Gospel that draws me in, and that’s what should attract listeners, not whether or not we can squeeze in a few more cuss words so we can shock them like the rest. So what’s the deal, Derek? Like I said, all I know is that the word’s there. But James tells me that curses and the praises of God can’t come from the same mouth, the same way salt and fresh water can’t come from the same spring. I really don’t know what to make of this mystery song. I definitely want to hear it, and make no mistake; Stockholm Syndrome will make its way to my iPod. I just pray that one of my favorite artists hasn’t resorted to cheap shock tactics to get people to listen to his record. I want the Spirit, not the kickdrum.
So keep them coming, these lines on the road
Keep me responsible, be it a light or heavy load
Keep me guessing, these blessings in disguise
I’ll walk with grace my feet, and faith my eyes
- Derek Webb, “Faith My Eyes,” The House Show
Thanks for your input, Travis. I’ve thought a lot about Paul, the Old Testament prophets, and their usage of such words since writing. I’m not really going to be offended by his usage of it. I just really don’t think it’s necessary at all.
From this side of “Stockholm Syndrome,” it just sounds almost like a cheap shock tactic. Derek’s always been about the Truth of the Gospel in his music, not really shocking people with swears and such. And it’s the Truth of the Gospel that keeps people listening, not something like this.
Like I said, I love his music, so I’ll definitely be listening with both ears. I’d just rather him draw attention to Christ with his music, than draw attention to himself like this. I’m really interested to see how all this pans out. By the way, if you go to the super secret website and download the second set of stems again, you can find a full song from “Stockholm Syndrome” called “Freddie, Please.” Interesting stuff.
Paul used the Greek equivalent of the “s” word in Philippians 3:8. Our translators usually soften the blow by using the word “refuse” or “dung.” The fact remains, how ever, that Paul used a dirty word. That isn’t the only incident. Paul also uses a phrase which literally means “hell no” ten times in Romans. Typically, these are translated as “certainly not” or “by no means.”
The truth of the matter is that Derek’s vocabulary is no less salty than the words of the Scripture.
We American Christians are so sensitive, we rely on translators to tame the Bible for us lest we be shocked and scandalized by God’s untamed Word.
Hey there, Stephanie. Great question!
I’ve listened to “What Matters More” a couple times, and I see the point he’s trying to make. I don’t think this time it’s so much a matter of saying the word in context as it is making a point. He’s saying that the church cares more about whether or not someone says a curse word than whether or not people have clean water, or how they treat others. It sounds like he’s trying to draw attention to the problem, and using language that will get people’s attention. Interesting. So what matters more? That’s the question of the hour, isn’t it.