ANALYSIS: I want to go to heaven

I wanna go to Heaven lyrics

As sung by Mark Lowry, Bill Gaither, Stan Whitmire, Michael Lord
On the album "Some things never change" by Mark Lowry

If the golden streets were stainless steel
If the gates of pearl had a plastic feel
If the marriage supper was a Happy Meal,
I'd still want to go there

If the river of life was a babbling brook,
If the great white throne had a dingy look
If the book of life was a comic book
I'd still want to go there

I want to go to heaven
I want to go to heaven
Even if it wasn't all the bible said it will be
I'd still want to go to heaven
I want to go to heaven
I want to go to heaven, if Jesus is all I ever see

If the angel's horn was an old kazoo
If the city foursquare was a 2 by 2
If my mansion was a room with a terrible view
I'd still want to go there

The millenial reign was a couple of weeks,
If the jasper walls were a shade of pink
If the only music ever heard was N Sync
I'd still want to go there

I want to go to heaven
I want to go to heaven
Even if it wasn't all the bible said it will be
I'd still want to go to heaven
I want to go to heaven
I want to go to heaven, if Jesus is all I ever see

I want to go to heaven
I want to go to heaven
Even if it wasn't all the bible said it will be
Lord, I want to go to heaven
I want to go to heaven
I want to go to heaven, if Jesus is all I ever see

I want to go to heaven, if Jesus is all I see

Hi all - well, here is another musical analysis. Some of you might have enjoyed my first blog with the song "Build an ark". Some of you might have found this blog for the lyrics (these are the only lyrics on the web for this song, cause I looked for ages for them and ended having to type them myself!)

I am enjoying listening to these songs, they are so uplifting and just convey God's love soooo much!Before I start my analysis, I have to comment about a number of reviews that I spotted on the web while looking for these lyrics.
One stated that the word 'N Sync' should never be put in a Southern Gospel song. Firstly, this person mustn't know too much about Mark Lowry - now I don't personally know Mark Lowry, but I would love to meet him one day. I also don't know if Mark Lowry wrote this song, as I have been unable to find anymore information about it (I went looking for the lyrics, didn't I?) apart from the fact that it is on Mark Lowry's CD 'Some things never change'. However, I will tell you that if Mark Lowry doesn't believe in the lyrics of a song, he won't sing it. There has been one case of this that I am aware of, but there may have been more. There are only two other points to this song that someone might disagree with - one would be the words to the fact that this is a gospel song. Forgive me if I happen to be mistaken, but since when has there been 'lyrics of conduct' for a particular style of music? I have heard gospel music in hard rock, and swearing in so-called gospel music (which is wrong!), but I don't believe that there is anything wrong in putting another band's name in your song. The second point would be that someone who happens to enjoy N Sync a lot might object on the grounds that this line is upsetting and insults the band's music quality. All I'm going to say is - do you want to listen to the same music for all eternity? That would be like putting a CD in a car and driving that car from Cairns to Melbourne (or Los Angeles to New York City for you Americans) and back for the rest of your life never changing the CD. I'd get sick of it too...don't get me wrong, I am going to thoroughly enjoy the heavenly music when I get there, but I would get pretty sick of the same music for even a year, let alone eternity.
In regards to the multiple reviews about Michael English and the controversy about Mark Lowry standing by him during his lowest hour, this is all I have to say - "Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone".

Now, let's get onto the whole reason for this post - music analysis. See below for the reasons for my lyrical interpretations:

If the gates of pearl had a plastic feel - ah, this line gives me goosebumps- why? In one of my favourite books, Pilgrim's Progress, it says that the Pearly Gates are made from a single pearl - a single pearl. Wow. Now I don't know if it says this biblically, but wouldn't that be an incredible sight? I think I could stare at them and never get sick of the design - a single pearl. Wow. But if it was possible to create a massive pearly gate out of a single pearl, God would do it. And what would be more beautiful to signify the entrance to heaven?

If the river of life was a babbling brook - this line puzzles me a little bit. A babbling brook contains the same substance that a river does - water. Water is essential for cleansing, essential for healing, essential for life. Would it seriously matter if the river of life was just a brook? As long as it had Jesus' cleansing power, I wouldn't think so. However, the big difference that I think might have triggered this line is the fact that a brook can only sustain a limited amount of people for a limited time. The little stream that helped feed Elijah and his servant when he was on the run only lasted a short amount of time (1 Kings 17:5-7). A river, on the other hand, is a strong current of water, a vast amount of water that is able to sweep uncleanliness away. There is a common term used by Christians - the River of Life - which indicates that it can sustain everyone that comes to it. A brook on the other hand, cannot do so.

If the great white throne had a dingy look - I believe the reason that this throne is so magnificent is not because it happens to be spectacular in it's own right. I believe it is so magnificent is because the Glory of the One who sits on that throne has made it shine so brightly. I take this from the story of Moses, where Moses was able to sit and talk to God as one talks to a friend. It records that he came down off the mountain, and had to veil his face because his face was shining so radiantly! (Exodus 34:33-35) So why not a throne, that has seen the Glory of God for thousands of our years? I think that the throne could literally be falling apart and would still look fantastic. But why would it be like that anyway, when the Perfect One lives there? Surely it would be perfect too.

If it wasn't all the bible said it would be - this is the whole reason for this song, this line. Even if the bible said that heaven was a dump, if Jesus is there, I'd want to go there too. The ideal of grace is what shines through so brightly for me for this line. Remember, we are sinners saved by grace. We don't deserve to go to heaven, we deserve to go to hell for the sin in our lives (John 3:16). But we aren't going to hell because Jesus Christ has saved us. As Mark Lowry has said "I'm not going to heaven because I'm good, I'm going because He's good." I don't want to spend eternity away from God. I want to spend eternity with Him. And wherever He is, I want to be there. I know hell is a place full of terrible suffering, suffering beyond what we can imagine. But what I think is the worst thing about hell is that it is away from God. If you think you can't feel God now, I pray that you will find him before you are called to judgement, not only because you need God, but because you will miss Him terribly if you go to hell.

If Jesus is all I ever see - If Jesus is all I ever see in Heaven, He will never cease to amaze me and humble me. Just being in His presence for eternity will give me more than enough to spend eternity thanking him for His grace, His gift of eternal life and the price He paid to save me!

If my mansion was a room with a terrible view - what view of heaven would be terrible? In a place with no sun, no moon, just the Glory of God shining through, I hardly think it would be possible to have a terrible view, but even if it was ... read all the above comments :)

If the jasper walls were a shade of pink - I think these walls would radiate bright pure white light whatever colour they are. The Glory of God...wow, incredible. If it can eliminate shadows and extinguish the darkness, then I think it could change the colour of the stone walls.

If the only music ever heard was N Sync - I have spoken on this line already, and this seems to be the most controversial line in this song (if you could call it a controversy anyway...) I don't have anything against N Sync and it's music, but I don't think that I'd want to be listening to the same songs all the time. Then again, if I was praising my saviour for all eternity, it wouldn't really bother me either.

Lord, I want to go to heaven - this is my final plea to the Lord. Only He can take me to heaven - nothing I do by my own merits will take me there. I can't build a bridge to get there, I can't make God take me anywhere. I just plead Jesus' blood as my reason for going to heaven. Lord, I want to go to heaven! I hope you will find me fit on judgement day to be in your presence forevermore.

That is all my friends. I hope you have enjoyed another music lyrical analysis post!

May God bless you.

Beck

Note: This was first posted on www.myspace.com/totallybeck on Sunday September 7.