Who's Gonna Pay?

It's a good question before you go out to dinner. It's a better question to ask before you die. I am a follower of Jesus. 

I was very proud and somewhat arrogant in my twenties. I liked to argue, even if I didn't know much about the subject. I found myself getting louder and louder, while at the same time I knew I was not being kind, considerate or even that thoughtful in my arguments.

A few times, those discussions ended in silence from the other side. It wasn't that I had won the debate, but I had lost communication with the other person due to my tone and inflexibility.

I became a christian at 29. I was lying in the bed of my studio apartment reading a book called Teach Yourself Christianity. There were other books in the series on various belief systems. I had attended a few church services and small group meetings over the previous few years, and I had been challenged to rethink my smug self assurance.

You may find yourself behind the wheel
Of a large, black, mind-blowing automobile
You may find yourself at the bottom of a well
Ces't la vie, goes to show you never can tell
You may find and obscene diamond ring on your hand
But tonight it's your soul that will be demanded...

I borrowed heavily throughout this song, starting with "Once in a Lifetime" by the Talking Heads. I read a book by David Byrne talking about how the band got started and so on. He said his lyrics were a sort of initiation of a preacher, but without the gospel message.

It occurred to me how weird it could be to turn one of his images into the start of a song that preached Christ crucified.

I quoted another favorite line from Chuck Berry's "You Never Can Tell."

The next image came from an episode of the The Flintstones where Fred gives Wilma an enormous diamond ring that he obtained from a less than reputable source.

Who's gonna pay, who's gonna pay?
Pocket lint, can't take it with you
Asbestos suit won't do you no good
Who's gonna pay, who's gonna pay?

There's parable that Jesus told about a rich man tearing down his barns to build bigger ones, but that night he died and was called to account. That's the idea behind the chorus. There's also a bit by Bob Hope saying that Bing Crosby had been looking at asbestos suitcases to take all his money with him.

You may find yourself (hey-hey) on a losing streak
You get by on a smile, oh yeah, but underneath
You may find all your lies finally catch up with you
Angry mob inside your head, you can't hide it under the bed.

The losing streak comes from "Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones. This song was also inspired by the one-chord powerhouse "How You Like Me Now?" by The Heavy.

If you ever wake up at 3:16am and face a self-reckoning, you know what I mean when I say that Somebody paid.

You may find your eyes never get satisfied
By you've seen enough to know the score
You may find your heart full of unwashed socks
Try as you will you can't find a pill to make it better

Yep, that last image is from "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" by Doctor Suess, as sung so wonderfully by Thurl Ravenscroft. I had always been told it was Boris Karloff.

Hope you enjoy the music and the message resonates with you. Peace.