kurt beckman: Music

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This is a remake of the classic Charlie Daniels song. Basically there are 3 reasons why decided to record it. But before I explain them, first let me give you some background. I still remember sitting in the car with my 4 year old daughter listening to the radio. "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" came on the radio. As I looked at her in the rear view mirror, I could see here kicking her feet and shaking her head to the music. We were having a great time listening to this song. After it was over she asked me, "Daddy, what is that song about?" I explained how it was a classic story of good vs. evil (I use those terms loosely…). This boy Johnny was playing his fiddle when the devil comes along and challenges him to a duel. If Johnny wins, he gets a golden fiddle, but if the devil wins, he gets Johnny's soul. They trade licks on their instruments, and fortunately for Johnny, he wins and sends the devil packin'. He took a huge risk, and he won.

Which brings me to the first reason. I thought of how this related to my own life. I had been struggling with confidence. Feeling like I didn't measure up, that I wasn't good enough. I realized that there is a battle for our minds. If we don't take control of our thoughts, the consequences can be devastating. Not only can we struggle with negative thinking, but also the devil is at work bringing discouragement and putting us down. Telling us lies and planting seeds of self-doubt. What we think about ourselves has a huge impact on our attitude, our performance, and our jobs, even our relationships. As a musician it even affected how well I played in front of others. But then God reminded me that I am a new creation in Him and that turned it all around. I can approach life confidently knowing that the God of the universe lives in me whether life is going well or not (I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. - Phil 4:13) knowing and believing the truth makes all the difference! (Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. - John 8:32). Not only was the devil tempting Johnny, but he was also saying you are second best, you really aren't that good. So when I thought of doing a remake of this song I thought of my own battle of believing in who God has created me to be. And why not do a heavy metal version where they battle on electric guitars instead of fiddles? At the time I wasn’t even sure if it would work, but when I started learning the song I was pleased to find that it transferred over to guitar quite well! That is a personal reason why I chose to remake the song. The song itself didn’t tell me the truth, but I believe that God used it to lead me to the truth. God loves us so much He will stop at nothing, and He will use just about anything it takes to get a hold of us…

Secondly and much more importantly there is a greater spiritual purpose behind this song. When I first began receiving songs for this cd I knew the message was not for those who know Christ, but for those who don’t. There is so much great Christian music out there today, and it is so accessible. This music is not really intended for Christians, but for those who don’t yet have a relationship with God (although I do hope other Christians enjoy the cd). I knew what God wanted me to do was to beat the devil at his own game. For years he has utilized music to mislead people by using great musicians and great music to hide his message. Slipping in his destructive message behind a great beat and a catchy chorus or guitar riff. Why not turn the tables and do the same with the truth? Many of us have listened to songs over and over because we love the sound, or the hook but don’t even really pay attention to what message is being sent. Make no mistake; music is a powerful spiritual tool. A great melody can get stuck in our head along with whatever the lyrics are and it affects us. Almost everyone has had a song stuck in his or her head. The words keep going round and round in our mind because of the melody. And music can quickly change someone’s mood. It can make a person joyful or sad, excited - or even violent. This cd intentionally sounds different than a lot of Christian cds. It has an attitude and an edge to it like secular rock does. For those who love guitar driven hard rock (like I do), Gods message meets people right where they’re at. You don’t have to give up listening to a certain style of music to become a Christian – it’s the lyrics that make it Christian, not the style or the sound. The Devil Went Down to Georgia was included to hopefully bridge the gap. To make a connection with a secular audience (something they are familiar with) and then introduce them to the truth of Gods love for them. My prayer is that is what this song will accomplish. If even 1 person comes into a relationship with Jesus Christ because this song connected with them then it was all worth it.

The third reason is that it’s part of a story. If you are concerned about whether or not this song is biblically accurate, the answer is no – of course not. It’s not intended to communicate truth, but to build a bridge. And it tells a story. But the story doesn’t end with this song; the following song titled “The Choice” gives us the resolution. In “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” Johnny takes on the devil and wins. And he does it on his own - without Gods help. Much like many Americans do today, we get the big contract or the high paying job, the house we want, the car we want - we can have just about anything. And we can achieve it all on our own abilities - without God. It’s so easy to think we’ve won or that we are the best, but that’s pride. We can have it all in this life apart from God and think we’ve won, but what about when we die? We can get by without God in this life, but not in eternity. (Matt 16:26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?) Because Jesus is the only way (John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”) If we reject God and choose to do it all on our own in this life, then we are all on our own in the next life. That is where “The Choice” comes in; the man who wins in this world and rejects God discovers the horrific consequences of his error…