Filters Applied: “Though You Slay Me” by Shane and Shane

 

Now that we’ve tipped our hand to show why we’re doing this blog, it’s time to put this process into action. We look to our first subject for study, a recent release by a not so recent band, Shane and Shane. They featured their song, “Though You Slay Me” on their 2013 album, Bring Your Nothing, and then they recorded it in preparation for John Piper’s Desiring God Conference.

This song proves a fitting topic for study because of its two releases, both very different in nature.  As a tool for comparison, we’re going to implement 3 filters under which we’ll pass both versions of this song.  This filters are our attempt to objectify a subjective evaluation.  At the very least, they provide some consistency and authority to our evaluative process.  I.e., this is more than Kent and Zach sitting in a basement giving thumbs up or down to songs on Pandora.

As a first order of business then, here are the evaluative filters that re:invention will use in this post and in the future to analyze the modern musical inventors we feature.

For a text:

• Fitting to the text
• Originality
• Cultural intelligibility

TEXTUALLY, both the album version and the conference version are essentially the same, and can pass through our filters simultaneously. A quick glance through the text reveals a tremendous number of Biblical references and allusions – at least a dozen – which is initially impressive. It’s notable, though, that the context or general meaning of the song doesn’t line up with the context and meaning of some of these references. Some are perfect fits, like the reference to Job, “with my eyes I’ll see the Lord,” or the reference to Psalm 73, “My heart and flesh may fail.” That being said, referencing Jesus’ words from the night before he was crucified, “Let this cup pass from me now,” was probably not the way those words were intended, since Christ is our example in his acceptance of suffering, not his resistance to it. Nevertheless, the general concept of the song (God sends trial, I depend on God to get through, he wins me a victory) is accurate to scripture.

This text impresses itself on the listener because it uses direct scriptural quotes so well. It’s probably most effective on “churched” people with a background in the Bible, since a new or non Christian might not understand phrases like “the earth below give way” or “let this cup pass from me now.” It makes relatively little use of any poetic or literary device at all, notably having only one “near” rhyme in the whole song. The first and second verses bear little syllabic or metered resemblance, and while the chorus is set up with three parallel sentences, the final phrase of the song is a fragment introducing an entirely new concept (a song) that feels out of place compared to the rest of the text.

That rather harsh paragraph aside, the text is clearly culturally intelligible assuming that the “culture” in question is a group of worshiping Christians. Shane and Shane is a “worship” genre band, so it fits their intended audience. The repeated concept of “dependence on the God who slays me” has been a very popular concept throughout the church’s history (think It Is Well with My Soul or I Leave All Things to God’s Direction) and comes through in these lyrics, particularly to people who have a background in the Bible.

The MELODY is plaintive but uplifting. This is accomplished by the minor leading chords in the verses and a major lift in the chorus. The album version is a few clicks faster than the conference version, which truly changes the feel. Matching melody to text, the conference version seems to evoke the thoughts of the text in ways the album’s quicker version does not. That being said, the melody does well in repeating small melodic snippets in the verses and chorus, allowing a worshiper to catch on with ease. The melody itself isn’t tremendously unique, but the use of harmony does make the tune of the song stand out. Few listeners would say the melody is unpleasant, though this writer wonders if the syncopation (especially in the verses) would be too complex for an average worship singer.

The differences in SETTING between the album and conference versions of this song are the real bread-and-butter of this post.

The album version has many layers – two guitars, bass, piano, some kind of synth, drums, two vocal tracks – that are mixed to create different effects. Cutting the layers back at the beginning of the second verse is powerful and lines up with the textual content. In the midst of all the layers, the harmony plays a smaller role on the album version. The lead-guitar riff that is so simultaneously generic and distinctive in the album version is also all but gone in the studio setting (perhaps proving its value.) The general arrangement of this setting is like that of Hillsong United or Chris Tomlin, and therefore probably fits the primary use for the song (modern evangelical worship) very well.

The conference version is intentionally sparse. It has an acoustic/folk feel similar to that of the Lumineers or the Head and the Heart. Though there is less going on in this arrangement, the musicianship of the artists is arguably more on display here than on the album. This setting may be less suited for the primary use of this song (modern evangelical worship), but a strong case can be made that it fits the text quite well. The mix is simple and the dynamics within that mix are well used. The harmony also comes out very clearly in this version. It would probably be intelligible to a broader audience than the album mix, which is likely designed more for a Christian radio audience.

When Shane and Shane first appeared on the Christian music scene in the early 2000’s, they were a somewhat outside-the-box modern worship band. Over the following decade, one could make an argument that they found increasing comfort in the box, largely because what they’d originally done “ahead of their time” caught up with them. The rise of Chris Tomlin, David Crowder, and other specifically worship-oriented Christian bands made singable, God-praising, corporate-friendly songs much, much more common – making Shane and Shane smaller fish in a growing pond.

Since the market for anthemic choruses and full band arrangements has become a little saturated (and since Hillsong has about 100 people to work with) it makes sense that Shane and Shane would scale back, as they do on the conference version of “Though You Slay Me” and bring to the fore those things that make them unique – their harmonies, their worship, and their love for the Psalms. (Their first album was actually called “Psalms.”)

While Shane and Shane are certainly not the only artists in Christendom finding good use for the rising tide of folk styles (thank you Mumford and Sons), the conference version of “Though You Slay Me” is a great example of how useful this style can be. What may have, by some, been written off as another, somewhat generic praise song is able to stand on it’s own unique beauty.

Of course, personal preference will determine which version you find most valuable. Whichever it is, may the concept of dependence on the God who gives us both trial and blessing (and supports us through them both) be edifying to you. On those days when we are most reminded of the consequences of our sin and of life in a sinful world, the reminder of a Savior who carried the cross we could not is particularly valuable.