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I ASKED JESUS & HE SAID NO is a protest song about speaking up and taking a stand — rather than staying fearful and silent — articulated through the lens of the hypocrisy of the right’s using Jesus to justify perverse and reprehensible political agendas. This is the second song from my collaboration with legendary guitarist and producer Pat Thrall (Pat Travers Band, Meatloaf, Asia, etc + 4 Grammy nominations), who is also a co-writer on the song.
Track Description
Pat embeds my message in a grinding, guitar-driven, signature blues rock groove that perfectly matches the grit and intensity of my vocals. My lyrics and melody, Pat notes, come “from a place of empathy and soul searching” and “hold up a mirror” to argue for “not just right and wrong but also truth and justice.” The track includes tasty, highly driven vintage Thrall blues guitar lines. The take-no-prisoners outro is an intense dialogue between my vocals and Pat’s guitar, showcasing both my unique vocal style and his legendary skills. Pat appears on the track not only on guitar, but also on bass and drums (fun fact: his first instrument) in one of the very few musical projects on which Pat currently plays. This track is a perfect marriage of poignant songwriting with white hot guitar work and passionate production to pound home an important message.
What This Song Is Doing
This song is a statement that
1. even people like me, who hate what the current administration and its allies are doing to this country and hate what some Republicans are doing in the name of Jesus, has access to His truth.
2. Jesus would not in fact condone what has happened and is happening in His name, and
3. those of us who see that should not in fact sit this one out; that “Do Not Be Afraid” still applies.
It pains me that what some identify as “Christianity” in this country has become increasingly irrelevant to the teachings of its founder and that there is so much wrong being done in Jesus’ name. I ASKED JESUS & HE SAID NO reclaims my faith from this perversion of the way of Jesus and affirms my authority as a follower of Jesus to speak about what Christ means.
Why Now?
I do not wish to remain silent. Whatever platform I have I am compelled and obliged to use to call out what I see as true, call out those I see as false, and to call out in every sense – for justice, for fairness, for civil rights, for compassion, for equity, and for caring for those who are not as safe as I am. There is so much that is wrong, and the only way to counter the powers in place right now is one brick at a time in the wall of resistance and truth telling. This song is my brick.
I am tired of my silence and embarrassed by the perversion of my faith. I wanted others to speak up, only to realize that I must do the heavy lifting myself. It bothers me that what I predicted based on my PhD studies – that the pendulum swing after Obama would be virulent and violent – came to pass, but I have done little about it within my vocation – until now. Trump was elected shortly after the release of my first EP, so his threat to my faith and to our nation has been a shadow over my entire recording career. I have sought to ignore it to keep politics out of my music. But not anymore. I must speak.
What You Can Do
If this song and its work mean something to you, please share it widely and help me reclaim what it means to be a follower of Jesus from the forces that would have you believe that graft, veniality, and criminality are proper modes of governance and personal conduct. I am curious about what you think of both the song and its subject, so reach out and let me know.
And even if you don’t follow Jesus, help make the case for a more Jesus-like Christianity in this country. And maybe ask Jesus yourself what He thinks.