Sunday, January 30, 2011

Get The Flock Outta Here!

So I was on my way to the store this morning, and A Prairie Home Companion was on the radio.  Long show, short trip, so I may have missed some context, but a song begins.  It was simple, it was cheerful, and the audience was encouraged to sing along at one point, but I had never heard it before.  Oddly enough, if I had written the lyrics myself, I'd have rejected them as too simplistic in their one-dimensional and insulting portrayal of believers.  But here, without a trace of irony, they were singing what I have since learned is a christian campfire song: "I wanna be a sheep".

Now, I understand the metaphor of Jesus as shepherd; I had always assumed that it was sort of a "given that we are lost sheep, isn't it nice to have a shepherd watching over us" metaphor.  I had never considered the "hey, isn't it great to be a sheep, a mindless member of a herd!" interpretation.  But it turns out there are quite a few versions (the one at that last link is bizarre) of the song up on YouTube.



Frightening.  I assume the multiple watermarks on the photos are there ironically, since good christian sheep would never steal.


I wanna be a sheep (baa ba-baa baa)
I wanna be a sheep (baa ba-baa baa)
Don’t ever wanna have to think too deep
I just wanna be a sheep (baa ba-ba-baa baa)


I wanna be a drone (mmmmmmmmmmmmm)
I wanna be a drone (mmmmmmmmmmmmm)
Don't ever wanna have a thought of my own
I just wanna be a drone (mmmmmmmmmmmm)

Don't wanna be a cuttlefish (cuttlefish-noise)
Don't wanna be a cuttlefish (cuttlefish-noise)
Cos they're too subtle fish
Don't wanna be a cuttlefish (cuttlefish-noise)

Don't wanna be... oh, I can't go on.

2 comments:

Pierce R. Butler said...

It ain't just the photos.

The so-called musical talent in the video shown should alert his lawyer to prepare for a call from whoever owns the rights to the tune of "Games People Play" ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5znh58WITU8 ).

The Ridger, FCD said...

Cheater! How are we supposed to sing that if you don't tell us what a "cuttle-fish noise" is?? sqrrrrrt?