Keith Green

Well! Does this seem out of place or what? That's the funny thing about the music you listen to while growing up, you either come to hate it with a passion or it becomes special and dear to you. I don't know about special and dear, but I really like Keith Green's music, it's quirky and funny at times, and it's got a beat and you can dance to it! Also, I got a kick out of how Keith Green used to be right between The Grateful Dead and Hades in my collection.

When I ran across these two sets in the used bins (of a regular, secular record store) the "Ministry Years" caught my eye, because of the band Ministry. Of course I quickly realized it wasn't them! Every single song Keith Green has ever done is on here, which is a little excessive, since the "I love you Jesus"-type songs kinda make me ill. On the other hand, the record store guy mistakenly charged me for only 2 disks, instead of 4, so it was like half-price. Maybe God made him do that? Naah, it must have been Satan. :) Anyway...after getting home, a friend paid a visit, and to my amazement, he liked Keith Green too! So we packed the bong and smoked out while the music played. Isn't that odd? Getting high to Christian rock music? Hey, it works, I tell ya!

"The Ministry Years: 1977-1979"
    disc one:
  1. "Because of You" (2:54)
  2. "How Can They Live Without Jesus?" (3:05)
  3. "Walk and Talk" (2:37)
  4. "Run to the End of the Highway" (3:09)
  5. "Your Love Broke Through" (3:28)
  6. "The Victor" (4:22)
  7. "Thank You Jesus" (2:54)
  8. "The Prodigal Son Suite" (12:18)
  9. "Stained Glass" (2:47)
  10. "Go to the Hungry Ones" (3:02)
  11. "Love with Me (Melody's Song)" (3:21)
  12. "You Put This Love in My Heart" (3:30)
  13. "There is a Redeemer" (3:11)
  14. "No One Believes in Me Anymore (Satan's Boast)" (3:20)
  15. "On the Road to Jericho" (3:22)
  16. "You!" (3:35)
  17. "When I Hear the Praises Start" (4:23)
  18. "Asleep in the Light" (4:27)
    disc two:
  1. "He'll Take Care of the Rest" (3:59)
  2. "Make My Life a Prayer to You" (3:21)
  3. "Easter Song" (3:57)
  4. "When There's Love" (2:54)
  5. "The Battle is Already Won" (3:29)
  6. "Pledge My Head to Heaven" (3:53)
  7. "My Eyes Are Dry" (2:05)
  8. "Song to My Parents (I Only Want to See You There)" (3:58)
  9. "Trials Turned to Gold" (3:25)
  10. "Dust to Dust" (4:14)
  11. "I Can't Believe It" (3:39)
  12. "To Obey is Better Than Sacrifice" (3:20)
  13. "Soften Your Heart" (2:52)
  14. "I Don't Wanna Fall Away from You" (3:11)
  15. "Here Am I, Send Me" (3:44)
  16. "I Can't Wait to Get to Heaven" (4:10)
  17. "Dear John Letter (to the Devil)" (3:20)
  18. "Rushing Wind" (3:41)
  19. "Don't You Wish You Had the Answers" (3:19)
  20. "Altar Call"--live version (4:06)
"The Ministry Years: 1980-1982"
    disc one:
  1. "You Are the One!" (2:39)
  2. "A Billion Starving People" (3:50)
  3. "If You Love the Lord" (4:05)
  4. "When I First Trusted You" (3:53)
  5. "O God Our Lord" (3:49)
  6. "Grace by Which I Stand" (4:49)
  7. "Only by Following Jesus" (3:10)
  8. "The Sheep and the Goats" (7:48)
  9. "The Lord is My Shepherd (23rd Psalm)" (4:10)
  10. "Unless the Lord Builds the House" (3:56)
  11. "Summer Snow" (4:11)
  12. "Lies" (3:42)
  13. "Open Your Eyes" (4:02)
  14. "I Will Give Thanks to the Lord (Psalm 9)" (1:47)
  15. "Romans VII" (3:24)
  16. "Keith's Piano Prelude"--instrumental (4:16)
  17. "Create in Me a Clean Heart" (4:20)
    disc two:
  1. "So You Wanna Go Back to Egypt" (4:36)
  2. "How Majestic is thy Name" (3:59)
  3. "Scripture Song Medley" (3:51)
  4. "Until That Final Day" (4:38)
  5. "Cut the Devil Down" (3:11)
  6. "I Want to Be More Like Jesus" (4:20)
  7. "The Promise Song" (3:21)
  8. "Jesus Commands Us to Go!" (5:11)
  9. "Holy, Holy, Holy" (3:40)
  10. "Jesus is Lord of All!" (2:32)
  11. "Oh Lord, You're Beautiful" (4:17)
  12. "Keep All That Junk to Yourself" (3:23)
  13. "Draw Me" (3:47)
  14. "You Love the World (And You're Avoiding Me)" (2:36)
  15. "Lord I'm Gonna Love You" (2:46)
  16. "Glory Lord Jesus" (3:20)
  17. "Song for Josiah" (6:12)

More about Keith: it turns out I'm more closely related to this guy than I thought! Not only was his concert the first I ever attended (I was about 9 years old, and even though it was just Keith on piano, he fucking rocked); but my mother was in Keith's Christian growth group! In fact, now that I think about it, I seem to remember this hairy hippy guy who used to hang out at our place, and even babysat me & my brother a few times...pretty wild, huh?

Also, I've gotten quite a lot of email feedback about this page, and I'm impressed at the kindness & understanding of Keith Green fans, who obviously get the message of tolerance and compassion instead of beating you over the head with a Bible (well, there was that ONE guy...but I have a feeling he's a Stryper fan as well.) Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Last Days Ministries, the church founded in Keith's memory...check out the email they sent me:

Return-Path: TYR41610@tyler.net
X-Sender: TYR41610@mail.tyler.net
Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2000 15:22:15 -0500
To: space@neteze.com
From: Last Days Ministries lastdays@tyler.net
Subject: Keith Green music
Greetings in the precious name of Jesus!

It has come to our attention that you are listing the music of Keith Green under the CD Gallery of your Web Site.

Since we do not agree with your statements of using illicit drugs while listening to music, we would ask that you delete the music of Keith Green from your Site.

If you feel you must continue to offer it, a disclaimer from our ministry would be appreciated.

Also, we note that you reprint lyrics without copyright permission. All the lyrics of Keith or Melody Green are under copyright and we request that you contact EMI CHRISTIAN MUSIC PUBLISHING [address deleted] immediately for copyright permission. A copy of this e-mail is being sent to Sparrow.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Wow, my first SEMI-OFFICIAL complaint!! Well, I did a quick check of the Constitution to make sure the First Amendment hadn't been repealed recently, and sure enough, it was still there. So I wrote back to LDM telling where they could stick it. Ain't it funny, though, that the first attempt at censoring this page came from Christians?? Plus they snitched on me to Sparrow (Christless bastards...I did write for permission, but got the standard denial.) But the lyrics aren't going anywhere, until I get a "cease-and-desist" letter. Feel free to write hate mail to LDM if you like (but keep in mind, Keith Green himself did NOT write this letter, nor did he authorize it...Keith died in a plane crash in 1982, and he's probably rolling over in his grave about this right now. Unless he's too busy partying down with Jesus...)

Anyway...here are lyrics to my three favorite Keith Green songs -- one funny, one pretty, and one where Keith takes the Devil's point of view! (That one would make a GREAT heavy metal song, I think!)

"So You Wanna Go Back to Egypt"
So you wanna go back to Egypt, where it's warm and secure
Are you sorry you bought the one-way ticket when you thought you were sure
You wanted to live in the land of promise, but now it's getting so hard
Are you sorry you're out here in the desert instead of your own back yard?

Eating leeks and onions by the Nile,
Ooh what breath! But dying out in style
Ooh, my life's on the skids
Give me the Pyramids!

Well there's nothing to do but travel, and we sure travel a lot
Coz it's hard to keep your feet from moving when the sand gets so hot (youch!)
And in the morning it's mana hotcakes, we snack on mana all day
And they sure had a winner last night for dinner, flaming mana souffle!

Well we once complained for something new to munch,
The ground opened up and had some of us for lunch!
Ooh, such fire and smoke -- Can't God even take a joke?
[Wrathful voice of God]:NO!!!

So you wanna go back to Egypt, where your friends wait for you
You can throw a big party and tell the whole gang that what they said was all true
And this Moses acts like a big shot, who does he think he is?
Yeah it's true God works lots of miracles, but Moses thinks they're all his!

Well we're having so much trouble even now
Why'd he get so mad about that c-c-c-cow?? That golden cow...
Moses seems rather idle (he just sits around)
He just sits around and writes the Bible!
Oh, Moses! Put down your pen!
What? Oh no...mana again??
Mana waffles...Manaburgers!
Mana bagles? Filet of mana...
Mana patties?
Ba-Mana Bread!


"No One Believes in Me Anymore (Satan's Boast)"
Oh my job keeps getting easier as time keeps slipping away
I can imitate the brightest light and make the night look just like day
I put some truth in every lie to tickle itching ears
You know I'm drawing people just like flies coz they like what they hear
I'm gaining power by the hour, they're falling by the score
You know it's getting very simple now, since No One Believes in Me Anymore!

"Oh, Heaven's just a state of mind," the books read on your shelf
Oh have you heard that God is Dead? I made that one up myself!
They're dabbling in magic spells, they get their fortunes read
You know they heard the truth but turned away, and they followed me instead
I used to have to sneak around, but now they open up their doors
You know no one's watching for my tricks, since No One Believes in Me Anymore!

Everyone likes a winner, with my help you're guaranteed to win
Hey man, you ain't no sinner! No! You've got the truth within
And as your life slips by, you believe the lie that you did it on your own
Don't worry! I'll be there to help you share my dark eternal home
My dark eternal home!

Oh my job keeps getting easier as day slips into day
The magazines, the newspapers print every word I say
This world is just my spinning top, it's just like child's play
You know I dream that it will never stop, but I know it's not that way
Still my work goes on and on, always stronger than before
I'm gonna make it dark before the dawn, since No One Believes in Me Anymore!

Well I used to have to sneak around, but now they just open their doors
You know no one's watching for my tricks since No One Believes in Me Anymore!
Well I'm gaining power by the hour, they're falling by the score
You know it's getting very easy now, since No One Believes in Me Anymore!
No One Believes in Me Anymore!
No One Believes in Me Anymore!!


"How Can They Live Without Jesus?"
How can they live without Jesus?
How can they live without God's love
How can they feel so at home down here, when there's so much more up above?
Throwing away the things that matter, they hold on to things that don't
The world has gone crazy but soon maybe a lot more we're gonna know

But maybe they don't understand it
Maybe they just haven't heard
Maybe we're not doing all we can livin up to his Holy Word
Coz phonies have come, and wrongs been done, even killing in Jesus' name
And if you've been burned, here's what I've learned, the Lord's not the one to blame

For he's just not religion, with steeples and bells
Or a salesman who will sell you the things you just want to hear
For his love was such, that he suffered so much
To call some of us just to follow, follow, oh...

So many laughing at Jesus, well the funniest thing that he's done
Is love this whole stubborn rebellious world while the hate for him just goes on
And love just like that will bring him back for the few he can call his friends
The one's he's found true who've made it through, enduring until the end
The one's he's found true who've made it through,
Enduring until the end.

 Lyrics written by Keith Green & Melody Green. Reprinted without permission.

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