The Christian rock band Jars of Clay apparently wants to tamper with the walls of the sterile Christian bubble–but they’re afraid (maybe much afraid?). And in the process we’re denied hearing the war protest songs they’ve written.
“People want to buy what they want to be told,” lead singer Dan Haseltine told Sioux Falls, S.D. newspaper columnist Robert Morast. “They want people to lie to them. … If you rock the boat too much, your records won’t appear in certain Christian record stores anymore.”
I can understand the fears (just ask the Dixie Chicks how it feels to be shunned by your genre). As I full-time writer I worry about clients being offended by what I write here. But I would think Jars of Clay is good enough and established enough to say what needs to be said and let things fall where they may. Suddenly Jars of Clay seem much less like artists and more like mere entertainers. I hope they can find the confidence to be prophetic.
For the record, I think two songs from their latest relaese, Good Monsters, are among the best of their career and among my favorite songs from 2006: “Work” and “Dead Man (Carry Me)”. (link via CT’s Weblog)
This statement in the interview might be a clever way for them to sort of “test the waters” and see what the reaction is before unloading these anti-war anthems on their unsuspecting public. If that’s their M.O., then I understand, and I won’t be losing too much respect for them. But either way, I want to hear those songs now, and I hope they will release them — even if it’s just on the Internet or some other limited release like that. Lord knows we need more voices raising up against this unjust war.