NF – Oh Lord

A requester asked if I could review another NF song, two years after my very first review: Let You Down.  I pounced all over it, giving it a miserable 2/10 (my initial post scored it at 0/10).  The requester is attempting to “redeem” the artist, by submitting Oh Lord and hoping for a much higher score.

Challenge accepted!

On a more serious note, I can’t believe that it’s already been two since I started The Berean Test! It’s gone through a lot of changes since I started, including my criteria, my approach, song submissions, a polling system to address a plethora of requests, and most recently my schedule and submission queue. I’ve reviewed over 200 songs, ranging from 0 to 10.

I am grateful for all the comments, corrections, song submissions, and prayers over these last two years. I continue to pray and hope that this website could help others think more critically about song lyrics.

Lyrics can be found at https://genius.com/Nf-oh-lord-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 thrust of NF’s message is lamenting about a seemingly absent God, addressing why such individuals are hypocritical in his thinking.  This makes up the bulk of NF’s lyrics.  It also contains:

• Prioritization of preserving his soul by trusting in God.
• Man’s mortality and life in contrast to spiritual death and awakening.
• A contrast between blaming God and taking affirmative action.
• An explanation that creation demonstrates God’s existence.

Score: 10/10

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

All of it does.

[Verse 1]

Lines 1-4: NF expresses his disinterest in preserving his body post-physical death.  They care more for his eternal life, consistent with Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:26, Mark 8:36, Luke 9:25, and Luke 12:20.

Lines 5 and 6: Contrasts the truth that all will die (Hebrews 9:27) with the difference between being alive physically and living in accordance to God’s commandments.  We all do the former, but not everyone will embrace Christ (Matthew 7:13-14 and Luke 13:24-25).

Lines 7 and 8:  Lead-in language to Chorus.

[Chorus]

Line 1: This is the equivalent of “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” in Psalm 22:1 and quoted by Jesus in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34.

Lines 2-4: Repeats line 1, with lines 3 and 4 containing an extra “oh”.

[Verse 2]

Lines 1 and 2: By “everybody” and “nobody”, these are not literal, absolutist terms.  NF means “most” and “few”.

The phrase “Don’t nobody” is grammatically a double negative, meaning “everybody”.  Very few people will think NF communicates “everybody” or “most” based on his poor grammar, causing me to withhold a penalty.

Though it sounds like a contradiction on the surface, NF cleverly contrasts desire and intent.  Most people want to be different, but few are willing to do the work.  See commentary on Verse 1, lines 5 and 6.

Lines 3 and 4: This is an example of NF’s commentary in lines 1 and 2.  It has hints contained in Proverbs 30:7-9, something Agur was attempting to avoid by becoming fabulously wealthy.

Lines 5-8: Repeats Verse 1, lines 5-8, except the word “Know” in line 5.

[Verse 3]

Lines 1 and 2: This is experientially true.  Adam and Eve started this in the Garden, blaming God, the Woman, and the Devil for his error (Genesis 3:12-13).  See commentary in Chorus, line 1.

Lines 3 and 4: Touches on perhaps the most difficult question for a Christian can face: Why does a good God allow evil and suffering in the world?

Lines 5-8: An expanded form of Verse 2, lines 3 and 4.

Lines 9 and 10: Cleverly contrasts man’s apathy towards God with God’s apparent apathy towards us, forgetting 2 Peter 3:9.

Lines 11 and 12:  Ouch!  References the last sentence in James 4:2.

Lines 13 and 14: Creation demonstrates the existence of God (Psalm 19:1-4 and Romans 1:20).

Lines 15 and 16: A rhetorical question that queries man’s purpose apart from glorifying Him (Isaiah 43:7).  NF doesn’t know.  Neither do I.

[Outro]

Lines 1-5: Essentially repeats Chorus, line 1.

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

NF cleverly weaves layers into his lyrics, saying the same main message in different ways, some of which use everyday language (especially in Verse 3). Unbelievers should have little to no trouble comprehending it.

Score: 10/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It glorifies God by expressing several important truths listed in section 1.

Score: 10/10

Closing Comments

NF’s Oh Lord is a great hip hop song, expressing man’s hypocritical thinking, placing concern for his soul above material needs.  It contains soft apologetics on creation demonstrating God’s existence, glorifying God.  NF layers his main message in different ways, easing unbeliever interpretation.

I cannot recommend this song for worship given that it’s inspirational, but not worship lyrics.

Final Score: 10/10

Artist Info

Track: Oh Lord (listen to the song)

Artist: NF

Album: Therapy Session

Genre: Hip Hop/Rap

Release Year: 2016

Duration: 3:18

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

Updates:

03/25/2021 – Updated per repetition announcement.

06/11/2020 – Juliecc reminded me that NF is a singular male, not a group.  I corrected my grammar.