Jesus in der Popmusik

Jesus von Nazaret als zentrale Person des Christentums wurde auch von der populären Musik thematisch behandelt. Eine Übersicht über das Motiv Jesus in der Popmusik wird hier in Form einer Liste gegeben.

Dieses Motiv ist, wie auch in anderen Bereichen populärer Kultur, weit verbreitet (Literatur, Film, Werbung etc.).

Geschichte

So kann man eine Linie, angefangen bei den Negro Spirituals und Gospels über den Blues zum Soul zu den Anfängen des Rock ’n’ Roll, ziehen. Das Jesusmotiv ist in allen Genres populärer Musik zu finden – vom Rock ’n’ Roll über Metal und Popmusik bis zum HipHop. Dabei kann man grob drei Bereiche unterscheiden:

• Songs, in denen Jesus die Hauptperson ist und Bereiche seines Lebens nacherzählt und gedeutet werden: Barclay James Harvest: Hymn (1975); Queen: Jesus (1973). Dabei reicht das Spektrum von Affirmation bis zu extremer Ablehnung. Bei positiv besetzen Songs ist Jesus oft Empfänger von Gebeten und Bitten. Darüber hinaus wird Jesus auch oft als Erlöser und Retter angesehen.
• Songs, die den Missbrauch und die Vereinnahmung der Person Jesu durch Einzelpersonen und Institutionen kritisieren: Genesis: Jesus He Knows Me (1991); Skunk Anansie: Selling Jesus (1995); Bad Religion: American Jesus (1993)
• Songs, die nur einen kleinen Teil des Textes oder nur einzelne Textzeilen in Verbindung mit Jesus bringen: John Lennon: God (1970); Simon and Garfunkel: Mrs. Robinson (1968)

Die folgende Liste, die keinen Anspruch auf Vollständigkeit erhebt, nimmt hauptsächlich Songs auf, die eine gewisse mediale Verbreitung und Popularität erlangen konnten (ausgenommen wurde explizit christliche Popmusik). Dabei ist noch einmal zwischen Nennung im Text und Darstellung im dazugehörigen Musikvideo zu unterscheiden.

Datum	Titel	Band	Album	Regisseur	Textauszug/Anmerkung
2013	Lieder	Adel Tawil	Lieder		Text: „Mein persönlicher Jesus“; in Anlehnung an das Lied von Depeche Mode von 1989
2011	Black Jesus†Amen Fashion	Lady Gaga	Born This Way		Text: „Black Jesus, Black Jesus, Black Jesus/ Jesus is the new black.“
2011	Judas	Lady Gaga	Born This Way	Laurie Ann Gibson	„I wanna love you/ But something’s pulling me away from you/ Jesus is my virtue, Judas is the demon I cling to, I cling to.“
2011	Bloody Mary	Lady Gaga	Born This Way		Text: „I’ll dance, dance, dance/ With my hands, hands, hands/ Above my head, head, head/ Like Jesus said.“
2010	Personal Jesus	Nina Hagen	Personal Jesus		Cover von Depeche Mode 1989
2009	East Jesus Nowhere	Green Day	21st Century Breakdown		Text: „I want to know who’s allowed to breed all the dogs who never learned to read, Missionary politicians and the cops of a new religion.“
2007	Rock N Roll Jesus	Kid Rock	Rock N Roll Jesus		Text: „It’s all sex, drugs, rock n roll/ A soul sensation that you can’t control/ And you can see I practice what I preach/ I’m your rock n roll Jesus.“
2007	You Just Can’t Beat Jesus Christ	Billy Joe Shaver, Johnny Cash	Everybody’s Brother		Text: „He was born to be known as everybody’s brother/ He is the Father Son and Mary is his mother/ He is a ’scuse my slanguage, well a compound country kinda guy/ Yes he is/ Ain’t no way to get around it, you just can’t beat Jesus Christ/ No you can’t.“
2006	What I’ve Been Looking For	Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel	High School Musical
2006	Lord Give Me a Sign	DMX	Year of the Dog… Again	Marc Klasfeld	Text: „The spoken word is stronger than the strongest man. Carrys the whole world like his strongest hand. Through the trials and tribulations you never let us down. Jesus, I know you hear with us now, Jesus, I know you still with us now. Keep it real with us now.“
2006	Hater	Everclear	Welcome to the Drama Club
2005	Plastic Jesus	Billy Idol	Devil’s Playground		Cover von The Goldcoast Singers 1957
2005	Jesus, Take the Wheel	Carrie Underwood	Some Hearts	Roman White	Text: „Jesus take the wheel, take it from my hands, cause I can’t do this all on my own. I’m letting go, So give me one more chance to save me from this road I’m on.Jesus take the wheel.“
2005	Jesusland	Ben Folds	Songs for Silverman
2005	Jesus was an only Son	Bruce Springsteen	Devil & Dust		Text: „Jesus was an only son as he walked up Calvary Hill. His mother Mary walking beside him. In the path where his blood spilled. Jesus was an only son. In the hills of Nazareth As he lay reading the Psalms of David At his mother’s feet.“
2005	Drugs or Jesus	Tim McGraw	Live Like You Were Dying	Sherman Halsey
2004	You saved me	R. Kelly	Happy People	Little X	Text: „I was shot 4 times and before I knew it, I was on my knees. Blood gushing out my body my hearts beatin fast. I don’t know what I’mma do, I don’t think I’m gonna last. Then I began to flash back on the pains I’ve done in my past. Then I heard a small voice that said to me ‘I’ll give you peace if u believe’. I accepted Christ that day hallelujah, now I’m free.“
2004	Jesus of Suburbia	Green Day	American Idiot	Samuel Bayer
2004	Personal Jesus	Marilyn Manson	Lest We Forget: The Best Of	Nathan Cox
2003	Heaven I Need a Hug	R. Kelly			Text: „All these questions deep inside my mind/ Like if Jesus loved me, why he leave my side, mama/ I’m still tryin’ to get the answer why/ You were young, 45, and you had to die.“
2003	!Hero	Eddie DeGarmo			Rockopera; „What if Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania?“
2003	Jesus walks	Kanye West	The College Dropout		Es existieren drei verschiedene Musikvideos zu diesem Stück: Version 1: In der Kirche (Michael Haussman), Version 2: In der Wüste (Chris Milk), Version 3: Coodie & Chike & Kanye West
2002	Hurt	Johnny Cash	American IV: The Man Comes Around	Mark Romanek	Text: „I wear this crown of thorns upon my liar’s chair. Full of broken thoughts I cannot repair.“ – Cover von Nine Inch Nails (1994)
2002	Personal Jesus	Johnny Cash	American IV: The Man Comes Around		Cover von Depeche Mode 1989
2002	Mrs. Jesus	Tori Amos	Scarlet’s Walk		Text: „The gospel changes meaning, if you follow John or Paul, and could you ever let it be, the mary of it all […] there’s the something every day, and there’s someone always paging. My Mrs. Jesus, your walking on the water.“
2002	This is me	Faith Hill	Cry		Text: „Lord I try to love Jesus send my soul.“
2001	Darkness of Christ	Slayer	God Hates Us All
2000	Black Jesus	Everlast	Eat at Whitey’s		Text: „They call me white Devil, black Jesus. Heaven closes, Hell freezes, Black Jesus, white Moses. Heaven freezes, hell closes.“
1999	Jesus Came from Outerspace	Supergrass	Supergrass		Text: „Jesus came from outta space and travelled from beyond the stars, he came down for peace on Earth and left in a second-hand car.“
1998	Jesus	Marius Müller-Westernhagen	Radio Maria		Text: „Schenk mir dein Leben. Ich geb dir meines dafür. Jesus, ich werd’ nie aufgeben, bis an die Himmelstür. Jesus, spende mir Blut, bevor dir Sonne mich tötet. Jesus, spende mir Blut, bevor der Tag beginnt.“
1998	Jesus in a Camper Van	Robbie Williams	I’ve been expecting you
1997	I talk to Jesus	Bon Jovi	Destination Anywhere		Text: „I talk to Jesus, you don’t believe me, I talk to Jesus, I know he hears me, I talk to Jesus and Elvis Presley, I talk to Jesus, the king can save me.“
1996	Blasphemy	Tupac Shakur	The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory		Text: „They say Jesus is a kind man, well he should understand times in this crime man, my thug nation. Do whatchu gotta do but know you gotta change.“
1996	Like Jesus to a Child	George Michael		Howard Greenhalgh
1996	Until It Sleeps	Metallica	Load	Samuel Bayer
1995	Bullet With Butterfly Wings	The Smashing Pumpkins	Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness	Samuel Bayer	Text: „Tell me I’m the only one. Tell me there’s no other one. Jesus was the only son... Despite all my rage am I still just a rat in a cage?“
1995	Selling Jesus	Skunk Anansie	Paranoid and Sunburnt	Nick Burgess-Jones
1994	Lunacy Booth	Therapy?	Troublegum
1993	Are You Gonna Go My Way	Lenny Kravitz	Are You Gonna Go My Way	Mark Romanek
1993	American Jesus	Bad Religion	Recipe for Hate	Gore Verbinski	Text: „We’ve got the american Jesus, he helped build the president’s estate. I feel sorry for the earth’s population, ’cuz so few live in the USA, at least the foreigners can copy our morality. They can visit but they cannot stay, only precious few can garner the prosperity.“
1993	Heart-Shaped Box	Nirvana	In Utero	Anton Corbijn
1993	Shadow of Jesus	Hooters	Out of Body		Text: „Living in the shadow of Jesus. It’s so hard to bear your cross every day. Was it easy for you, Christ, it’s murdering me. Now I’m down on my knees with a reason to pray.“
1992	One	U2	Achtung Baby		Text: „Have you come here for forgiveness? Have you come to raise the dead? Have you come here to play Jesus? To the lepers in your head.“
1991	Mad the Swine	Queen	Headlong		Text: „I’ve been there before, a long time ago. But this time I wear no sandals. Ages past I gave all you people food and water, Three feet tall, so very small, I’m no trouble, I bring thunder and lightning. Sun and the rain for all the people in the land, a message of love I bring you from up above.“
1991	Jesus He Knows Me	Genesis	We Can’t Dance	Phil Collins
1991	Quicksnad Jesus	Skid Row	Slave to the Grind
1990	Snake of Christ	Danzig	Danzig II: Lucifuge		Text: „Serpent Jesus, Snake of christ, Nailed to a cross of holy design. Blood to water, Water to wine, whip the soul ’til a mother cries.“
1989	Personal Jesus	Depeche Mode	Personal Jesus	Anton Corbijn
1989	alle Titel des Albums	Peter Gabriel	Passion: Music for The Last Temptation of Christ	Martin Scorsese	Instrumentalalbum zu dem Film The Last Temptation of Christ
1987	Just Another Poor Boy	Chris de Burgh	Spanish Train & Other Stories		Text: „He said all men were brothers and that love could conquer all. Many gathered round to hear, many for his life did fear. In troubled times like these men seldom talked.“
1987	Spanish Train	Chris de Burgh	Spanish Train & Other Stories
1987	Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam	The Vaselines	Dying for It		Text: „Jesus don’t want me for a sunbeam. ’Cause sunbeams are not made like me.“
1979	Precious Angel	Bob Dylan	Slow Train Coming		Text: „You never mentioned one time the Man who came and died a criminal’s death […] On the way out of Egypt, through Ethiopia, to the judgment hall of Christ.“
1977	Hymn	Barclay James Harvest	Gone to Earth
1976	Jesus Came Down	Lake	Lake	Detlef Petersen, James Hopkins-Harrison
1975	In My Time of Dying	Led Zeppelin	Physical Graffiti		Text: „Jesus, gonna make up my dyin’ bed. / Meet me, Jesus, meet me. Meet me in the middle of the air / If my wings should fail me, Lord. / Please meet me with another pair.“ – Cover eines trad. Gospelsongs, zuerst aufgenommen von Blind Willie Johnson (1928).
1975	Gloria	Patti Smith	Horses		Text: „Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine.“ – Cover von Van Morrison (1964).
1975	Sweet Jesus	Barclay James Harvest	Time Honoures Ghosts
1975	We’ve been told (Jesus Coming soon)	Eric Clapton	There’s One in Every Crowd
1974	Jesus	Cat Stevens	Buddha and the Chocolate Box		Text: „They crossed the wood, and hanged him, a long time ago. They still misunderstand him, For those who don’t know.“
1973	Great King Rat	Queen	Queen
1973	Get up, stand up	The Wailers	Burnin’		Text: „We sick an’ tired of-a your ism-skism game / Dyin’ ’n’ goin’ to heaven in-a Jesus’ name, Lord. We know when we understand: Almighty God is a living man.“
1973	Jesus	Queen	Queen		Text: „It all began with the three wise men, followed a star took them to Bethelehem. And made it heard throughout the land. Born was the leader of man. All going down to see the Lord Jesus.“
1973	The Gospel Road	Johnny Cash	Gospel Road		Jesusfilm von Johnny Cash
1971	Jesus Just Left Chicago	ZZ Top	Tres Hombres
1971	Jesus Christ Superstar	Andrew Lloyd Webber
1971	Godspell	Stephen Schwartz
1971	Levon	Elton John	Madman Across the Water
1971	Love in Mind	Neil Young	Live at Massey Hall		Text: „Man made rules been holding back, church has long preached that sex is wrong, Jesus where has nature gone?“
1971	Hymn 43	Jethro Tull	Aqualung		Text: „Oh Jesus save me! If Jesus saves – well, he’d better save himself from the gory glory seekers who use his name in death. Oh Jesus save me!“
1970	God	John Lennon			Text: „I don’t believe in Jesus, I don’t believe in Kennedy, I don’t believe in Buddha, I don’t believe in mantra, I don’t believe in Gita, I don’t believe in yoga, I don’t believe in kings, I don’t believe in Elvis, I don’t believe in Zimmerman, I don’t believe in Beatles, I just believe in me, Yoko and me, And that’s reality.“
1969	Jesus Is Just Alright	The Byrds	Ballad of Easy Rider		Cover des gleichnamigen 1966 erschienenen Songs der Art Reynolds Singers; weitere Versionen stammen u. a. von Underground Sunshine, The Doobie Brothers und Alexis Korner.
1968	Sympathy for the Devil	The Rolling Stones	Beggars Banquet		Text: „And I was ’round when Jesus Christ had his moment of doubt and pain. Made damn sure that Pilate washed his hands and sealed his fate.“
1968	Hair	Galt MacDermot	Hair (Musical)		Text: „My hair like Jesus wore it, Hallelujah I adore it / Hallelujah Mary loved her son, why don’t my mother love me?“
1968	Mrs. Robinson	Simon and Garfunkel	Bookends		Text: „And here’s to you, Mrs. Robinson, Jesus loves you more than you will know.“
1964	With God on Our Side	Bob Dylan	The Times They Are a-Changin’		Text: „In a many dark hour I’ve been thinkin’ about this: That Jesus Christ was betrayed by a kiss. But I can’t think for you. You’ll have to decide whether Judas Iscariot had God on his side.“
1957	Plastic Jesus	The Goldcoast Singers	The Goldcoast Singers		Intention war ursprünglich, die religiösen Radioprogramme in den Vereinigten Staaten zu parodieren.

Literatur

• Gerd Buschmann, Uwe Böhm (Hrsg.): Popmusik – Religion – Unterricht. Modelle und Materialien zur Didaktik von Popularkultur, Symbol – Mythos – Medien 5, LIT Verlag, Münster 2006.
• Peter Bubmann, Michael Landgraf: Musik in Schule und Gemeinde. Grundlagen – Methoden – Ideen. Ein Handbuch für die religionspädagogische Praxis 2006.
• Gotthard Fermor: Ekstasis. Das religiöse Erbe in der Popmusik als Herausforderung an die Kirche. 1999.
• Ilse Kögler: Ready for Jesus? – Jesus in der Rock- und Popmusik. In: Lebendige Katechese 20, 1998, S. 145–148.
• Ilse Kögler: Die Sehnsucht nach mehr: Rockmusik, Jugend und Religion. Informationen und Deutungen. 1994.
• Andreas Mertin: Videoclips im Religionsunterricht. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1999.
• Andreas Obenauer: Too much Heaven? Religiöse Popsongs – jugendliche Zugangsweisen – Chancen für den Religionsunterricht. 2002.
• Hartmut Rupp: Weihnachten in Pop Songs. In: Entwurf. 3/2005, S. 38–41.
• J. Schober: My Sweet Lord. Die Jesuswelle in der Popmusik. In: Wolf von Lojewski (Hrsg.): Jesus People oder die Religion der Kinder. 1972, S. 120–125.
• Bernd Schwarze: Die Religion der Rock- und Popmusik. 1997.
• Arthur Thömmes: Gott ist ein Rockstar. Populäre Musik im Religionsunterricht. Deutscher Katecheten-Verein, München 2008 (fundgrube-religionsunterricht.de).
• Arthur Thömmes: Gott in der populären Musik. Ein persönlicher Guide zu unterrichtstauglichen Songs. In: Jahrbuch der Religionspädagogik. Nr. 25. Neukirchener Verlag, 2009, S. 230–238.
• Arthur Thömmes: Engel in der populären Musik. In: Katechetische Blätter. 6/2010, S. 423–426.
• Florian Werner: Rapocalypse. Der Anfang des Rap und das Ende der Welt. 2007 (transcript-verlag.de Rezension: theomag.de).
• Reinhold Zwick: Christusfiguren im Musikvideo. In: Kunst und Kirche. 57, 1994, S. 163–169.

Weblinks

• Jesus Christ Superstar – Der Heiland als Popstar (MP3; 8,2 MB): Folge 2 der 5-teiligen HR-2-Reihe zu „Religion und Popmusik“ vom 23. März 2010, 08.30 Uhr, hr2-kultur. Autor: Klaus Walter. Manuskript der Sendung
• God is a DJ – Musik und Transzendenz: Folge 22 der 24-teiligen HR-Funkkolleg-Reihe " Religion und Gesellschaft" vom 30. April 2010. Autor: Volker Bernius
• Gerappte Psalmen – Religiöses Denken und Spiritualität in der Popmusik (MP3; 7,1 MB), u. a. zu Söhne Mannheims, Moses Pelham und Xavier Naidoo. Deutsche Welle vom 26. Dezember 2007. Autor: Matthias Lemme
• Jesus in Musikvideos Blog von Andreas Mertin
• Arbeitskreis Populäre Kultur und Religion
• THEOMAG. Magazin für Kunst, Kultur, Theologie, Ästhetik
• Songs inspired by the Bible bei Songfacts.com (englisch)