7QT: When the saints go marching in

The Feast of All Saints' Day is this Sunday and in preparation for that I thought it'd be an interesting exercise to explore the different ways that sainthood is referred to in popular music. The cult of the saints has been a celebrated practice in Christianity for millennia, predating even the Latin descriptor "sactus", and the effects of this tradition has shaped both cultures and their art all around the world. In this day and age it is not uncommon for artists to self-canonize either their work or themselves (as in the case of St. Vincent or Saint Motel), but whether this is done in a sense of allegory or irony it speaks to the fact that the world as a whole still beholds the qualities of God as ideals to be revered, even if at times the One is not. But I would say that the way of the saint isn't so much disdained as it is misunderstood. As Venerable Fulton Sheen would say, "Not 100 people in the United States hate the Roman Catholic Church, but millions hate what they mistakenly think the Roman Catholic Church is.” So below are seven songs with subtle allusions to saints that I've dug up from my library and playlists.

1. "St. Louis Blues (W.C. Handy Cover)" by The Isley Brothers

Before the hockey team, this blues staple set in the city of St. Louis, Missouri, was originally composed by W.C. Handy at the turn of the 20th century and tells the tale of a spouse in dire straits over the absence of their partner. Although the venerated French monarch is not directly referenced to in the song, the city's name gives testimony to the grand tradition of invoking the intercession of a saint particular to a founding community's devotion by dedicating the place after them (many American examples are listed here, here and here). In regards to the song, there exist many different covers and this one by the Isley Brothers appears in the same album as their hit "Shout" and their take on "When the Saints Go Marching In".

2. "Dao of St. Paul" Third Eye Blind

From the 2009 album Ursa Major by alternative rockers Third Eye Blind, the protagonist of this song feigns indifference towards a woman he still has feelings for in an effort to exercise the Dao (or Way) of St. Paul, possibly alluding to his letter to Philippians which was penned in prison and includes the words "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice!". And though I don't pretend to know much of anything concerning Daoism or any other Chinese philosophy, this podcast I recently listened to served as an approachable introduction.

3. "Saints of Los Angeles" by Mötley Crüe

Serving as comeback hit for glam metal veterans Mötley Crüe, the title track from the band's ninth album got it right about saints being persons worthy of imitation but missed the mark with regards to the behaviors that should be emulated. The good news is that the city has a new auxiliary bishop who does an excellent job in the leading-people-to-sainthood department.

4. "She's a Saint not a Celebrity" by Foxboro Hot Tubs

The motif of fictional saints is not a new device to Green Day, being heavily utilized in the rock opera American Idiot with the characters Jesus of Suburbia ("Jesus of Suburbia"), St. Jimmy ("St. Jimmy") and... what was her name again... oh, Whatsername ("She's a Rebel" and "Whatsername" (the latter sounding oddly similar to "One Headlight"))! This practice carries over into their garage rock side project, Foxboro Hot Tubs, on the album Stop, Drop and Roll!!!.

5. "The Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes" by Fall Out Boy

This deep cut closes out the album Take This to Your Grave and is from a time in FOB's career when in my opinion their better material was written, even if they do rip off the choral melody of TBS's "Cute Without the 'E' (Cut from the Team)".

6. "Cigarettes and Saints" by The Wonder Years

This song off of the latest release by pop-punk band The Wonder Years, No Closer to Heaven, is the capstone of the album which toes the line between the resentment felt against inauthentic adherents of organized Christianity and the distress resulting from the abandonment of faith and the uncertainty of the life after next.

7. "Lead Kindly Light" by Audrey Assad

Although the word "saint" isn't found in the title of this song, its lyrics are adapted from a hymn written by an actual saint. In her beautiful independent debut, Fortunate Fall, Audrey Assad sketches the struggles and joys evident the Christian's continual striving towards God in three movements: knowing Him, following Him and dwelling in His Presence. For the penultimate composition Audrey chose to use the words of English cardinal, theologian and apologist Blessed John Henry Newman (not to be confused with Dutch author Fr. Henri Nouwen) who wrote the prayer "Lead, Kindly Light" in 1833.

℣ All holy men and women.
℟ Pray for us.