The Mormon Review

Books and culture from an LDS Perspective

Music From Across the Divide

Sara Groves, Tell Me What You familiar to Mormon listeners. If not new insight, this is Know (INO, 2007) They touch on such standard good use of rhetoric. The Christian fare as forgiveness of linguistic toggle in perspective Sara Groves, Add to the Beauty others and of one’s self, between life without eternal (INO/Epic. 2005) improving one’s relationship perspective versus life with is with God and growing from Sara Groves, All Right Here life’s trials. But (Integrity Media, 2001) notwithstanding her music’s Editor-in-Chief Richard Bushman Sara Groves, Conversations accessibility thematically, she sets herself apart through her (Integrity Media, 2001) Managing Editor skill in approaching these Nathan B. Oman By Troy Keller subjects, oftentimes employing narrative or rhetorical devices Assistant Managing ara Groves is a singer- to make her point. For Editors songwriter of Evangelical example, in one of her songs, Kaimipono Wenger Christian music that (to “Less Like Scars,” she uses a Benjamin Huff S series of similarly structured my untrained sensibilities) Editorial Board seems a step above the couplets to express the effect Richard Bushman common fare of popular of Christ’s influence in her life by showing contrasts. 1 In one James Faulconer music, both what is available Daniel Fairbanks of the verses, she sings: on the local radio station and Terryl Givens in the LDS artists section of Benjamin Huff Deseret Book. Her sound is Less like a prison, more like my Nathan B. Oman both soulful and upbeat and room Jana Riess even at times earthy and Jonathan Stapley honest in a Carole King kind It's less like a casket, more like Kaimipono Wenger of way. But what sets her a womb Margaret Blair Young apart, both within her genre Less like dying, more like The Mormon Review publishes and more broadly, is her skill at reviews of all aspects of delivering Christian messages. transcending contemporary culture from a In my view, it is this element of Mormon perspective. Back theme that most qualifies her Less like fear, less like an issues are available online at: for a listen by LDS consumers ending www.mormonreview.org of lyrical music who may welcome an alternative to the . . .And in your hands the pain Unsolicited submissions are more secular (and generally and hurt welcome. Please see our more vapid) topics sung about website for submission in mainstream popular music. Look less like scars and more guidelines or email us at: like The moral dilemmas tackled [email protected] in Sara’s music will seem Character www.mormonreview.org October 14, 2009, vol.1 no.7, page 1

The Mormon Review flipped on and off, line after For instance, she produced And I'm not God, I'm a girl - I line. One quickly gets the a song about her experiences confess point, as she intends, that a life visiting the aftermath of of experiences that includes a genocide in Rwanda, which That I don't have a sea of relationship with Christ is perhaps inevitably is a bit forgetfulness superior to that same life ponderous, though kudos for without him. even attempting to take on a The reference to a sea of In another song, “Rewrite topic like that in a pop song. 3 forgetfulness stumped me the this Tragedy,” she looks at At the lighter end of the first time I listened to the song. stepping back from spectrum, she has a song titled But a quick Google search relationship ruts and seeking to “Tent in the Center of Town,” revealed it to be an Evangelical re-make them in Christ.2 The which bounces along telling expression based on a lyrics begin with a quick hook about a traveling revival that statement in Micah 7:19 to the using the life-as-a-play imagery townspeople at first confuse effect that the Lord will cast suggested by the title. She for a circus but then are drawn our iniquities into the sea. In sings: to by the spirit. 4 My favorite another song in which she line goes, “if you are blue, touches on the theme of Tonight I forgot a line in the Jesus is calling you—to the avoiding artificiality in one’s play that you and I have been tent in the center of town.” A life and seeking one’s true rehearsing since the day we met. little silly, though I won’t say nature, she repeats in the it’s not fun. chorus the statement: “The It made me put down my script Sara Groves of course hails glory of God is man fully and look around a bit and from the other side of the so alive.” 7 This turns out to be an wonder how we came to play called sectarian divide between oft-used (if not fully these parts. the Evangelical and Mormon understood) phrase throughout faiths. However, it is hard to broader Christianity and can She continues the play find evidence of any great actually be sourced to the imagery through the rest of the differences in her music. In Catholic catechism. In further song, telling her listener that fact, there seems to be little Internet searching, I did not she is re-writing the tragedy that requires cultural find a better explanation for its that is their life together and to translation. It is possible this is meaning than that suggested by “hold on” because she is due to a conscious effort to Sara’s song. “changing all the scenery;” but make her music broadly Sara Grove’s capable not to worry because Christ acceptable, but more probably messaging of course is not will make a better story of their it is simply the case that lyrical necessarily an advantage. relationship than they can. music does not lend itself to Popular music may in fact be Not bad stuff. And I’ll admit discussion at a technical at its best when it has no point that the song’s focus on enough level to where to it. Tom Petty’s carefree redeeming relationships, not doctrinal differences can get in sound is timeless because the just individual lives, is music to the way. 5 That said, there are lyrics basically stay out of the my LDS ears. certainly occasional references way. But within the genre of If there’s a downside to and phrases in her lyrics that Christian pop, in which music Sara Grove’s style, it is that her do not show up in LDS is purposefully didactic and so music is unabashedly personal, discourse. For example, in succeeds or fails based on how having an autobiographical feel her song “All Right Here,” 6 she skillfully it delivers its message, that sometimes pushes it over sings: Sara Groves may be as good an the line into sentimentality. artist as the genre has to offers. www.mormonreview.org October 14, 2009, vol.1 no.7, page 2

The Mormon Review

I, for one, hope she continues producing music and living the 2 Sara Groves, “Rewrite this sense at all out of “If You Could Christian life that inspires her. Tragedy,” Add to the Beauty Hie to Kolob”. (INO/Epic. 2005). 6 Sara Groves, “All Right Here.” Troy Keller is a lawyer in Salt Lake 3 Sara Groves, “I Saw What I All Right Here , (Integrity Media, City, Utah. He received an Saw,” Tell Me What You Know 2002). 7 undergraduate degree from Brigham (INO, 2007). Sara Groves, “Just Showed Up,” 4 Sara Groves, “Tent in the Add to the Beauty (INO/Epic, Young University and a law degree Center of Town,” Conversations 2005). from New York University. (Integrity Media, 2001)

5 There are exceptions of course. 1 Sara Groves, “Less Like Scars,” It’s hard to imagine anyone from All Right Here (Integrity Media, outside the LDS faith making any 2001).