John The Revelator
Landscape with St. John at Patmos
Nicolas Poussin, 1640
That is the name of one of those spirituals, or folk songs, or whatever you wish to call them, that comes to us blown by the earthy winds of American history, borne by the Holy Spirit itself. A clip of the version I am most familiar with, along with a list of some other, older recorded versions, can be found here.
St John on Patmos
Hieronymus Bosch, 1504-05
Depeche Mode recently covered this song, changing the lyrics from something like this or this to something akin to blasphemy (listen to track two here). The difference in lyrics and sound could not be more stark. Dissertations could be written on this simple example.
The Holy Grotto of Revelation at Patmos
It confirms my suspicion that Depeche Mode is the music of Satan. We tend to think that the music of the devil will be all bang and no whimper—something like Black Sabbath’s War Pigs blaring in a rowdy, randy, road side, roadhouse bar: “…and Satan laughing spreads his wings.” I don’t think so. Seems a little too obvious to me. And besides (if we discount Ozzy’s later changes) the lyrics to the original War Pigs are really just another anti-war, peacenik, 70’s rant.
Anyhow, to Depeche Mode: can I buy a melody, blasphemers? I’ve never been able to listen to a complete song of yours. Listening to you is like sucking on grey ashes.*
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*My apologies to those who are likely out there who find something good about this band and have very different, strongly held opinions due to its influence in their formative years. We must simply agree to disagree about Satan’s influence on the music you think you enjoy.
I’m joking.
Sort of.
I was always of the opinion that the music of Depeche Mode catered to a interior anxiety of soul fettered by its own passions on the verge of despairing at the hopelessness of it all but delighting in the anguish to the point of ecstasy… So naturally I digged it for a long time but now can only stomach a few songs but NOT in their entirety.. maybe it’s like my soul’s gag reflex… I dunno
Their new album is full of this kind of strange stuff
You see dinosaur rock and all confederate blaring, road house pumping, biker gang exciting, LA’s sunset strip glorifying rock and roll was all about excess and pushing the limit of excess (and you knew this) while stuff like DM, NIN, and Radiohead seem more about the agony and the ecstasy of futility…
Or maybe it’s just me.
platonicform
February 16, 2006 at 2:51 am
I think “satan’s music” would be sexier than Depeche Mode”. They’re just playing to the crowd, man. They strike me as about as satanic as Wal Mart.
austin
February 21, 2006 at 3:09 pm
Maybe, maybe not. In the flurry of the joking moment, I thought that Satan is really more like Wal Mart than Tiffany’s, know what I’m saying? That’s exactly my point. I’m rejecting Mick Jagger’s sexy Satan (which, Jagger knows, could have some truth to it) for the enervated, futile grey pop that is the Depressed 80’s College kid Mode.
Something sexy would have something good and therefore something un-Satanic about it. DM is completely soul-less.
kodiak
February 21, 2006 at 4:36 pm
Does Satan really have any music at all? I don’t think so, strictly speaking. Somehow, I think hell is a very silent place, and very boring. The Talking Heads said “heaven is a place where nothing ever happens” (which would be true if God were just a dead abstraction). But then again, what could be more human than the blase qualities of elevator music, or more inhuman than horror-smitten black metal? As for Depeche Mode, they may or may not be “satanic,” but one thing is sure no matter what they choose to sing about: they’re totally gay.
the blogger formerly known as Endless
February 22, 2006 at 4:13 am
You are right, Satan might try to use music, but its not his. He doesn’t have any of his own.
I agree with what you say, except I think there is a way in which the elevator music is inhuman and the horror smitten is human…
And your last point is simply the final word on the subject. Bwhahahahaha…
kodiak
February 23, 2006 at 6:30 pm
Satan’s music probably sounds like John Cage. This is infinitely more horrible than anything pop or rock or easy listening has to offer. As bland bad and [as was stated] gay as DM is, at least it still is music – bland and poorly done that it is. Anything atonal (in the strict sense)like Webern or Schoenberg, (sp?) or even in the loose sense (Charles Ives) is awful – and in that sense much more evil.
beitiathustra
February 23, 2006 at 6:34 pm
You’ve always held that position since TAC–it is probably true.
I’ve come the following conclusions thanks to you all:
Depeche Mode is all about a perverse “delighting in the anguish to the point of ecstasy” that simply “plays to the crowd” and is “totally gay.”
Satan doesn’t have music, but if he did Satan did have music, it would be Schoernberg (sp.? who cares? heh) and other atonal stuff.
kodiak
February 24, 2006 at 2:43 pm
are you guys nuts?? satan is just an idea.
like god is one too. satan and/or god may be found within a human mind but not in songs, pills, art, houses, churches, bars, sex, drugs and whatever you can imagine. think about it.
and, I think the song john the revelator by DM is a political one. >> I don’t have any proof though. I don’t know which contemporary politician is named john.
acidhead
March 29, 2006 at 10:55 am
Um, again, listen to the song they are playing off of. It refers to the John who wrote the book of Revelation: hence, John “the revelator.” Although I’m sure the song has some political significance too.
What is your argument that God/satan are ideas? If you hold that the only things that exist are tied to sense, how do you think ideas of God/satan exist in minds–and consider that properly speaking we can’t even sense our own mind…
kodiak
March 29, 2006 at 11:21 am
just because they sing “john the revelator” it does not necessarily mean that they talk about that bible figure. that could be a metaphor – perhaps they refer to a “new born christian” like bush for example
well I do not hold that the only things that exist are tied to sens. I do think, anything we “see” exists in reality, actually. or very little of it. the only thing I really know is that I exist.(even though I can not sense my mind – that is the silliest thing I’ve ever heard, excuse me, and I haven’t seen god or the devil either.) ego cogito, ego sum.
acidhead
March 30, 2006 at 3:53 am
i dont think pta is satanic, its too good. Show me some physical accurate proof that it is satanic.
sheldon lewis
May 22, 2006 at 5:15 am
Basically the lyrics state there is only one God. This idea is actually quite Biblically sound.
But to denounce John the Revelator -which this song does- begs the question. Why denounce him? He gives us pain? Christ often said he came to divide. Can one denounce John the Revelator without denouncing Christ? I’ll be honest it’s been a while since I read Revelation. John’s claim was that those who detracted from his work were damned.
The idea that this song is political or has hidden meaning might have merit yet does not detract from the obvious point that they decided to rewrite a delta/gospel/blues song with a decidedly Christian perspective into one of the detractor.
Bobarino
July 9, 2006 at 3:57 pm
I think in evaluating the lyrics, one has to look at the writer’s background. Dave has struggled for many years with severe drug addiction. He often sings about demons pulling him in or falling from grace. I have heard other people struggling with years of addiction refering to feelings of battling demons or the darkness (this would be from both religious and non religious people).
I think Dave’s lyrics fall into a chategory of what a lot of people experience. That is a frustration with the state of the world in which one has to battle “demons” and his question is where are the promises? Where is the Savior? Right? This I’ve heard in other songs as well. Things like if Jesus really existed, where is he type stuff. I think the frustration is natural as the world is in a constant state of chaos, one can’t help but to wonder where does it all end.
onenthesame
August 9, 2006 at 11:51 pm
Sorry, just a bit more…
So I think there there is also the link to the political state of the world. In talking about stealing the God from other religions I think he’s refering to the Christian idea that Christianity is the only way to get to God (through Jesus Christ – as the Bible teaches). Therefore stating that you have to be Christian. Which leaves non Christians, where? Godless? But then Dave continues to say, “There is only one God through and through.” Which is a unifying idea of course that all the religions are about one God.
When Dave writes about multiplying the lies by seven, he’s stating his view that he’s not buying into what John has written. He believes they’re lies upon lies.
Further he continues to say that John should bow his head in shame. Why? He believes that through Christianity he has divided the world, causing pain and he should be ashamed basically.
That’s what I see in the lyrics. Personally I’ve known a few people who have been angry at God and challenged God asking where his promises were. And now those people are devoute Christians. Sometimes those who speak out most fervently against a thing have the ferver to support it most full heartedly upon careful study and consideration.
I think you can’t categorise Dave as an aetheist. He’s much too concerned with the spiritual world. I think his own believes are probably from Christian background (as he is familiar with a lot of Christian notions), but because of his struggle with the demons (addiction, etc) I think he can not accept the ready ideas that Christianity proposes. That would be too convinient and he has experienced a world that’s much more complicated to him (due to drug use). I think having seen how complicated darkness can be he is dissatisfied and frustrated. It seems like Dave is challenging John as a result of his frustration.
I think its shortsited to blame John. We are to evaluate ourselves in the present. Not blame a man who lived centuries ago for our shortcoming and shortsightedness in how we handle religion and foreign affairs.
onenthesame
August 10, 2006 at 12:06 am
You guys are completely nuts. You remind me of my religion teacher back at catholic school, who would play records from Kiss and Queen backwards to scare us into believing the devil was speaking through them. Such a crock of shit, but apparently, SOME people bought it. The ones with the weakest minds, people who are easily persuaded into believing the bullshit fairy tales of devils and angels and gods in heaven. You people are pathetic.
Depeche Mode is one of the pillars of the goth/electronic movement worldwide, but that’s something that you hicks obviously wouldn’t know.
violator of the regime
November 29, 2006 at 8:26 pm
And I’m not talking to the people who actually know who Depeche Mode is and understand the duality of their lyrics and their use of metaphores.
I’m just talking to the ignorant who thinks their music is “the devil’s.”
I shouldn’t even waste my time trying to explain things that you just wouldn’t understand. That’d be like trying to pour a liter of water into a thimble.
Good luck.
Oh, and you would definitely get a kick of the music video I made for this song (Depeche Mode’s “John The Revelator”) starring president Bush:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaB1psXTjS4
violator of the regime
November 29, 2006 at 8:32 pm
I think that everyone here is an idiot. As Christians, why are you judging and calling people names? Are you not suppose to reserve that for Jesus to do? Besides, all of that ’satanic’ music that everyone here has listened to, it has just destroyed your soul hasn’t it? You had an ugly soul to begin with; the music had nothing to do with it.
Sheila
December 14, 2006 at 10:17 am