“F” – A to Z blogging challenge – Day 6

“Faithless” from 2007’s Snakes and Arrows

I’m not going to tie this one to writing.  Instead, I think I’ll leave this one right where it belongs:  the realm of humanity and how we behave and believe.

This is a song that can very easily offend heavy-handed religious folks with its emphasis on personal morality instead of religious morality.  This mostly keeps in line with Neil Peart’s Atheistic/Agnostic background.  Spirituality versus Religion.  An age old battle, to be sure, but one handled with finesse here.

I don’t have faith in faith
I don’t believe in belief
You can call me faithless
but I still cling to hope
And I believe in love
and that’s faith enough for me¹

With my own muddled belief system, I tend to appreciate this song for what it says to me:  it matters more about what you do than what particular system you subscribe to.  Religion is all too easily subverted and perverted to ends its practitioners would not readily agree with if not for an unbending devotion to the group.  Faith is a starting point, not an ending point.  On a recent concert tour, this song was grouped with two others that also focus on personal belief over blind faith:  “Freewill”² and “BU2B”³ (Brought Up To Believe).

But Love?  Who can’t get behind the idea of Love?  As another pair of great lyricists once said:  “All you need is Love.”⁴

Indeed.

¹Rush.  “Faithless.”  Lyr. Neil Peart. Snakes and Arrows, Atlantic Records.  2007.  CD.

²Rush.  “Freewill.”  Lyr. Neil Peart. Permanent Waves, Mercury Records.  1980.  CD.

³Rush.  “BU2B.”  Lyr. Neil Peart. Clockwork Angels,  Roadrunner Records.  2012.  CD.

⁴Beatles, The.  “All You Need is Love.” Lyr. Lennon, John and Paul McCartney.  1967.