I love music.

I love to hear new artists.

Today I was listening to the Olivia Rodrigo album, well the songs that don’t have swear words 😂. I was so taken with the lyrics on the Driving License song she released that I was excited to hear her other stuff. I really enjoyed it but one song really stood out to me. It was the last song on the album which focusing around her sharing her reflections on two people she knew growing up. I’ve posted most of the lyrics here and emphasised the parts that jumped out to me.

I knew a boy once, when I was small, a tow-head blond, with eyes of salt
He played the drum in the marching band
His parents cared more about the Bible, than being good to their own child
He wore long sleeves ’cause of his dad

And somehow, we fell out of touch
Hope he took his bad deal and made a royal flush
Don’t know if I’ll see you again someday
But if you’re out there, I hope that you’re okay

My middle school friend grew up alone, she raised her brothers on her own
Her parents hated who she loved
She couldn’t wait to go to college, she was tired ’cause she was brought
Into a world where family was merely blood

Does she know how proud I am she was created
With the courage to unlearn all of their hatred
We don’t talk much but I just gotta say
“I miss you, and I hope that you’re okay

Lyrics never have the impact in print that they have when you hear them sung within the music, but I was so impacted by her reflections on family and Christianity. That third line just breaks my heart – His parents cared more about the Bible, than being good to their own child. This is an idea I’ve heard in songs before, I remember an Arcade Fire song that said something similar.

Jesus did so much to elevate the social standing of kids. He allowed them to come to Him and He held them close. The concept of following Jesus and not being good to our kids just don’t hold together.

Submitting and surrendering our lives to Jesus should result in us being the most loving, gracious, kind people on earth. If we don’t look like that then we haven’t fully submitted or surrendered our lives to Jesus yet.

Anyways, give the song a wee listen!