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Jesus, Jesus help me
I'm alone in this world
And a [messed] up world it is too
Tell me, tell me the story
The one about eternity
And the way it's all gonna be

Again, "messed" wasn't the word of choice.

While artists like these are certainly influential to the Christian music genre, they're not necessarily representative of it—more tangential than integral, embraced by the industry without intentionally being a part of it. The same could be said of Bob Dylan, King's X, Creed, and others. Because they never officially declared themselves "Christian artists," perhaps they shouldn't be expected to hold to the higher standards generally expected of those who do write primarily for a Christian audience.

So, what about those self-declared Christian artists? When it comes to profanity in lyrics, what standard should apply to them?

In 1999, there was a minor flap over Brit rock worship band Delirious and their single "It's OK" (from Mezzamorphis), which depicts a girl in a desperate state of brokenness:

She's as pretty as hell and her eyes have no home
The beauty has run from your face
Such beauty that hung from your face
And if you would drink this wine, you'll shine

Songwriters Martin Smith and Stu Garrard used it as a stark contrast to other songs on an album predominantly about heaven. "Hell" in this case was never intended to offend as gratuitous profanity, but rather to show someone living in a literally hellish state.

This precise use of language similarly characterizes Derek Webb's 2003 solo debut, She Must and Shall Go Free, banned from some Christian bookstores because of its strong wording. The chief culprit is "Wedding Dress," which draws inspiration from the books of Hosea and Ezekiel, in which God's people are depicted as prostitutes:

I am a whore I do confess
But I put you on just like a wedding dress
And I run down the aisle, run down the aisle
I'm a prodigal with no way home
But I put you on just like a ring of gold
And I run down the aisle, run down the aisle to you

So could you love this bastard child? …
'Cause I am so easily satisfied
By the call of lovers so less wild
That I would take a little cash over your flesh and blood

Here again, Webb uses these words in the literal sense to tell the whole gospel picture.

In a recent e-mail, Webb told us, "I believe that strong and even offensive language is not only useful, but oftentimes necessary when proclaiming the whole truth. But [as artists], we must risk all, including reputation and commercial ruin, to tell the whole truth. If we accept any calling lower than this, we haven't taken seriously our unique position as artists to push back the effects of the fall and to build the Kingdom coming, where all these things are made right."

That thinking seems justified in defense of strong language with specific meaning that drives home biblical truths. For example, there are few substitutes for words like "damn" and "hell" when specifically talking about Judgment Day and the afterlife. But what about more casual use of the same words in song lyrics?

The Lost Dogs are respected not only for their fourteen years together, but also for the members' individual contributions to classic Christian bands like Daniel Amos, The 77s, and The Choir, not to mention the acclaimed City on a Hill worship series. The band's 2003 release Nazarene Crying Towel is as deeply rooted in Scripture as any album you can find.

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