We’re being watched, you and me. We’re being watched by the frontman of the UK band Muse. Matt Bellamy told CMJ New Music Monthly, “I’m interested in following what’s going on around the world in terms of religion and keeping an eye on it” (No. 123/124, p. 36). Bellamy is watching the religions of the world with a skeptic’s eye, but we should be watching Bellamy and Muse with believer’s eyes.
Muse’s 2003 album, Absolution, has made huge waves in the UK Charts and has gained some notice here in the States, mainly among indie press and college radio. Muse maxes out the quintessential Brit rock sound typified by Coldplay. Bellamy’s falsetto, coupled with keyboards, draws airy, symphonic curtains on top of Muse’s sound, much like what Coldplay achieves. However, Muse winds it up more than a notch, adding heavy guitar riffs, intensely emotional tempos, and deep bass programmed loops reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails’ Pretty Hate Machine.
Bellamy & Co. are very interested in things concerned religion, God, and the after life. The album will give a youth worker both an outsider’s view of religion and many handles to grab for faith connections.
As an outsider, Bellamy said, “There are millions of people out there who believe that the apocalypse is coming. I think that’s a scary thing. It’s not scary that the apocalypse is coming—it’s scary that there are so many people that actually believe it” (CMJ). We’re scary to Bellamy. By believing that this world will come to an end in fire and judgment, we make Bellamy uncomfortable. His words are a caution to us: how do we present the end times to those outside of the church? While hopefully we are intending to tell people about Judgment Day in order to point them to the hope we have in Jesus Christ, do we end up sounding alarmist to those outside of the church?
On “Apocalypse Please,” over an ominous grand piano vamp, Bellamy sings, “Declare this an emergency/Come on and spread a sense of urgency/…This is the end of the world.” Bellamy may be reacting to the tendency to put things in apocalyptic terms in order to lead people towards certain choices, especially perhaps in politics, government, and war. Together with the artwork in the liner notes depicting a scene like the rapture (many shadows of people and one person standing, looking into the sky) use this song to study, explore, and discuss the dangerous potential to use apocalyptic teaching to exploit others—alarming them into certain actions. Rather, when speaking about the end times, we need to always point to the hope of life after death through Jesus.
While Muse comes with an outsider’s view of faith and God, there’s a lot in Bellamy’s poetry that can used to make connections to our faith. These are my interpretations, and I do not think that Bellamy would interpret his songs in the same way.
“Time is Running Out” works as a conversation with the devil, a war between faith in Christ and Satan’s work in our souls. Taken in this way, the song reveals very honestly our obsession with Satan and sin (“I wanted freedom/Bound and restricted/I tried to give you up/But I’m addicted”). However, the chorus works as a believer’s defiant statement declaring that the believer will not let Satan destroy his or her faith (“I won’t let you bury it/I won’t let you smother it/I won’t let your murder it”). Together with Christ, we stand against Satan’s attempts to kill our faith.
“Sing for Absolution” hauntingly grapples with the death of a lover (or at least a love interest). Before the speaker can state his love or right the wrongs, “lips are turning blue.” Use this song to talk about our need for absolution—forgiveness from the people in our lives. It may open up some youth who are struggling with words left unsaid to a loved one who has died. Not only does our singer wish for absolution from his dead love, now he also looks at God saying, “Sing for absolution/I will be singing/And falling from your grace.” There’s an intense need in everyone to know that we have been forgiven. The final verse leaves the door wide open for talking about the hope of true forgiveness that we have in Jesus Christ. Bellamy sings, “Our wrongs/Remain unrectified/And our souls/Won’t be exhumed.” We believe just the opposite—our wrongs are rectified.
“Thoughts of a Dying Atheist” deals with a conundrum: if you don’t believe in God, do you ever talk to God? From the sick bed, the speaker says, “It scares the hell out of me/And the end is all I can see.” Death isn’t far off, and the song’s quick tempo gives a sense of how soon the end will come. The speaker seems to take these fears to God, the One in whom the speaker doesn’t believe (“I know you’re in this room, I’m sure I heard you sigh/Floating in-between where our worlds collide”). More than trying to teach the correct answer to an atheist’s rejection of God, this song lays bare the fear of the unknown, the fear of not being known by God.
“The Small Print” is one place where I can hear why other reviewers say that Muse borrows from the sound of Queen or prog-rock like Yes. “The Small Print” probably is about getting trapped in a contract or legal document—signing your life away, so to speak. However, if understood as a deal with Satan, then this song is a great discussion starter about what it means to be a slave to sin (“And be my slave to the grave/I’m the priest god never paid”).
Muse emerges from the Brit rock scene with a sound wholly their own. Coldplay has become the benchmark, but Muse also grabs from classical piano composers, grunge/hard rock, and a hard rock/dance combination like in Placebo. With that same far-reaching approach, Muse handles the stuff of religion—contrasting, commenting, challenging, and considering what it means to believe in God. Muse might come to a different conclusion, but you can let the music lead you to teach the hope we have in Christ amid the darkness and fear of this world.
Thanks to Muse for the review copy of this CD.
Please obtain permission before reprinting the lyrics for use in Bible studies. For information on how to contact Muse for permission, please email me.
