DC Talk – Jesus Freak

Many people are familiar with the popular household name TobyMac.  However, did you know that he and two other friends, Kevin Max, and Michael Tait (Newsboys) formed an ’80’s and ’90’s band DC Talk?  Of course you did!

Forming in 1987, at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, DC Talk became one of the major pioneers behind rap, hip-hop, and rock in the Christian sphere.  The trio released five albums, each with varying levels of success: DC Talk (1989), Nu Thang (1990), Free at Last (1992), Jesus Freak (1995), and Supernatural (1998).  While the first three are heavy on rap and hip-hop, Jesus Freak added rock and roll elements to the mix, and Supernatural is almost entirely rock.  They took a hiatus in 2000 to pursue solo careers.  There have been several singles released under this name, as well as compilation, greatest hits, and re-releases; However, DC Talk has not released an original album under this name.

Toby, Kevin, and Michael are huge advocates for Christianity and ending racism, reflected in their E.R.A.C.E. (Eliminating Racism And Creating Equality) campaign in 1997 and their song Colored People.

One of my all-time favorite songs is their self-titled track Jesus Freak.  It won two Dove awards in 1996: “Song of the Year” and “Rock Recorded Song of the Year” and helped DC Talk to break into the mainstream audience.  It is also the inspiration behind the Christian album review website jesusfreakhideout.com.

Lyrics can be found at https://genius.com/Dc-talk-jesus-freak-lyrics.

Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site!  Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.

1. What message does the song communicate?

The main message behind this song is about facing persecution.  More specifically, a willingness to follow Jesus regardless of consequences.  In America, usually, the worst case for persecution is verbal attacks.  Rarely do we face physical violence.  Yet, this stops Christians in their tracks, freezing them to a screeching halt.  Why?  What do we have to be afraid of?  What can man do to us? (Hebrews 13:6)  Jesus Freak speaks out against this mentality, calling for us to indifference towards labels.  It also provides two examples of individuals who took this approach: one is from the Bible and the other is not.

While it touches on God’s grace and our response to it, these are not major themes behind this song.  Given its attention to fighting mistreatment, we should expect these themes to take a back seat.

Score: 10/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

Most of it does; However,I have a slight concern regarding  Pre-Chorus 2.

Since the lyrics do not contain the usual formatting, I designated the verses, pre-chorus, and bridge myself.

[Verse 1]

Lines 1 and 2: Though not specific, DC Talk has cut ties with their previous lifestyle.  Lines 3 and 4 indicate that God helped rescue them from their past and into the grace of God (Romans 6:1-11, Romans 7:4-6, Galatians 2:19-20, 2 Timothy 2:11, and 1 Peter 2:24).

Line 3: That is, the Holy Spirit.

Line 4: I like the poetic overtone.  There is a partition between the old and new self, with the grace of God at the center of it (Ezekiel 11:19, Romans 6:6, 2 Corinthians 3:18, 2 Corinthians 4:16, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:14-16, Colossians 3:10, and Ephesians 4:24).

[Pre-chorus 1]

Lines 1-7: I do not see any immediate reference to the Bible or a specific pop culture event.  In vivid detail, all that DC Talk has rapped is that a fat, tattoed dude stood on a box, claiming he had a dream.  The tattoo says “Jesus saves”, though perhaps expressing that he is marked by Christ in the literal sense.  There is no description regarding the dream.

[Chorus]

Lines 1-4: In the ’70’s, the term “Jesus freak” was a derogatory term used to insult followers of Jesus.  DC Talk expresses their apathy towards the label; that hiding one’s own faith is not optional.  We must share it with others, regardless of consequences (Matthew 10:38 and Luke 14:25-35).  It is an excellent example of turning the other cheek (Matthew 5:38-40).

[Verse 2]

Line 1: Does anyone know what “Kamikaze” means?  I did not either.  Here is Merriam-Webster’s definition:

“A member of a Japanese air attack corps in World War II assigned to make a suicidal crash on a target (such as a ship).”

Ok, so it’s a suicide mission.  Where is DC Talk going with this?

The next part of this line alludes to Philippians 1:21.  It is about abandoning self and live fully for Christ, even if that results in death.  Kamikaze indeed!

Lines 2 and 3: That is, marked by the seal, the promised Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13).

Lines 4 and 5: Similar to the Pharisees in Jesus’ day, those who are “wise”, “educated”, and “powerful” see Christians as weak people; However, God uses whom they deem “foolish” to shame them (1 Corinthians 1:27).

[Pre-chorus 2]

Lines 1-6: Refers to John the Baptist, as described in Matthew 3:4.

Lines 7-8: Yes, John the Baptist caused the Pharisees to “trip” in accordance to Matthew 3:7-10, calling them “broods of vipers” and calling for their repentance.  He told King Herod that he should not have his brother’s wife and was promptly arrested for it (Matthew 14:4).

There is a possible misconception here, that John the Baptist was beheaded because of the Pharisees.  That is not the case.  Yes, Herod wanted John put to death; However, he also feared the crowd, revering John as a prophet (Matthew 14:5).  He beheaded John at the request of his daughter during his birthday who, upon her mother’s lead, asked for John’s head on a silver platter (Matthew 14:6-11).

[Bridge]

Lines 1 and 2: In cleverly worded lingo, DC Talk connects the Chorus with Jesus as their best friend, born in humble beginnings in Bethlehem (Luke 2:7).

Score: 9/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

It seems obvious to me that this song was written exclusively to Christians.  However, an outsider to Christianity should draw the same conclusion as I.  Sure, they may not understand either pre-chorus, but the beheading in the second might intrigue some to learn more about John the Baptist.  While I see little potential for evangelism, its focus on building up Christians makes it an understandable observation rather than a critique.

Score: 10/10

4. What does this song glorify?

Jesus Freak is not focused on praising God, but to equip Christians with a lethargical attitude towards hateful speech.  However,  the equipping process glorifies God given that it edifies the saints to further the Gospel.  My criticism in section 2 adds a thin veil to His glory.

Score: 9/10

Closing Comments

DC Talk should be commended for Jesus Freak.  With this song, they single-handedly transformed this insult to a badge of honor, proudly worn by millions of Christ-followers.  With their powerful exhortation, they promote disinterest towards verbal carpet bombing, particularly labels and insults.  Their call to assist Christians glorifies God and may intrigue unbelievers.  Yes, there are some issues present, but the impact DC Talk has on the world through Jesus Freak is incomprehensible.  They deserve their accolades and success from producing this powerful song.

For obvious reasons, I would not recommend singing this one at church.  It might be good for a skit or announcements, but not for corporate worship.

Final Score: 9.5/10

Artist Info

Track: Jesus Freak (listen to the song)

Artist: DC Talk

Album: Jesus Freak

Genre: Hip Hop/Rap, Rock

Release Year: 1995

Duration: 4:49

Agree?  Disagree?  Don’t be shy or have a cow!  Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.

Updates:

03/23/2021 – Updated per repetition announcement.

05/30/2020 – Thanks to Jonathan Grandt, I updated my commentary regarding Verse 1’s opening lines, slightly raising this song’s score from 9/10 to 9.5/10.  I also fixed explanatory and grammatical errors throughout this review.