One of my greatest pleasures in life is listening to heavy metal. While I like most music genres, there is something that draws me to loud, driving, aggressive music with complexity, great melodies, and catchy electric guitar riffs. Some of the music I listen to has lyrics that are nasty, explicit, depressing, angry, controversial—and inspirational. When it comes to music, I have definitely embraced my shadow side. My old college boyfriend used to call me a “walking paradox” because I fought for women’s rights but also listened to some of the most misogynistic rock and roll. My explanation was that I listened to rock and roll for the tunes and not for the lyrics. I said if I wanted stirring lyrics, I would read poetry. While you can find some beautiful songs with moving lyrics in heavy metal, the words aren’t what draw me. Rather, it is the instrumental creation. By the way, some heavy metal songs with beautiful lyrics include “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica and “Thank You” by Led Zeppelin.

Back in the seventies, when I was in my early teens, I discovered Led Zeppelin and other classic rock. This might sound bizarre, but I used to listen to this music in the den of my family home, in a recliner, eyes closed, and in the dark. I would rock in my chair and let the music take me away. I thought about the meaning of life and what the song was trying to communicate. I learned a lot from some of those ugly lyrics. When I told my spiritual director, a priest, about this years later, he thought it was wonderful and said that had I discovered meditation on my own. Obviously, he was a very progressive priest. At the time, I didn’t believe in God, but I believe my “meditation” eventually led me to God. One of my favorite songs was and still is, “In My Time of Dying” by Led Zeppelin, I would play it over and over again on the record player of my stereo. I never learned all of the words to that song until many years later. Imagine my surprise when I found out the lyrics were basically a Christian prayer!

When I think about music in the afterlife, I wonder what we will hear? In heaven, there is no anger, no sadness, no sickness, and no evil. We wouldn’t need hard rock music for the release and relief it gives to some of us, now. Will all the angry, dark, and sad music disappear? Darn, I think I would miss it. Perhaps, we will be made to forget our love for the moody music. We won’t need it, I suppose. I’ll have to be satisfied with happy and joyful music rather than the occasional morose and rageful. Satisfied seems like a weak word when we are talking about the hereafter, though. I think we will still get to attend concerts, and I think we will get to meet our favorite musicians. I believe musical artists on Earth get their inspiration from above. One nice thing is we won’t have to worry about going deaf due to the high-decibel sound. Perhaps, I’ll even get to fulfill my dream of learning to play the guitar. Since there is no time in heaven, I would have the eternity I needed to master the skill.

Some people, who have had a near-death experience, say they heard the most exquisite music when they were on the other side. Near death experiencers also say that heaven is tailor made for each person. If that is true, then surely there will be riffs and complexity in the music waiting for me. I have read that heavy metal and classical music fans share remarkable similarities in both musical taste and personality. Research shows that both genres appeal to listeners who are creative, intelligent and have a deep appreciation for the grandiose and theatrical. I suspect the music in heaven might be more classical than heavy metal, though.

Anyway, I am sure the music in heaven will be about love, aimed at worshipping God, and will be exhilarating, beatific, and rapturous. Simply put, it will be out of this world.

In My Time of Dying–Led Zeppelin

In my time of dying
Want nobody to mourn
All I want for you to do
Is take my body home.

Well, well, well, so I can die easy
Well, well, well, so I can die easy.

Jesus gotta make up, sure know
Jesus gotta make up
Jesus gonna make up my dyin’ bed.

Meet me, Jesus, meet me
Ooh, meet me in the middle of the air
If my wings should fail me, Lord
Oh, please meet me with another pair.

Well, well, well, so I can die easy
Oh-oh, well, well, well, so I can die easy.

Jesus gotta make up, somebody, somebody
Oh, oh, Jesus gotta make up
Jesus gonna make it my dyin’ bed.

Oh, Saint Peter, at the gates of heaven
Won’t you let me in?
I never did no harm
I never did no wrong.

Oh, oh, Gabriel, oh, let me blow your horn
Let me blow your horn
Oh, I never did no harm
Did no wrong.

I’ve only been young once
I never thought I’d do anybody no wrong,
No, not once, oh.

Oh, good!

Oh, I did somebody some good
Somebody some good, yeah, I saw.

Oh, did somebody some good, yeah
I musta did somebody some good, yeah
Oh, I believe I did.

I see the smiling faces, yeah
I know there must be lipstick traces, oh.

And I see them in the streets
And I see them in the fields, yeah,
And I hear them under my feet
And I know it’s got to be real
Oh, Lord, deliver me
All the wrong I’ve done
Oh, you can deliver me, Lord, yeah
I only wanted to have some fun.

Oh, hear, the angels marching, marching
They been marching, keep it marching, yeah, marching.

Oh, my Jesus, oh, my Jesus, oh, my Jesus
Oh, my Jesus, oh, my Jesus, oh, my Jesus
Oh, my Jesus, oh, my Jesus, oh, my Jesus
Oh, my Jesus, oh, my Jesus, oh, my Jesus
Oh, my Je… ah-oh, ah, my Je…
Hey, yeah, that’s got to be my Jesus
Whoa-whoa!

It’s got to be, it’s got to be my Jesus
It’s got to be, oh
It’s got to be my Jesus
Oh, oh, take me home.

Come on, come on
I can hear the angels singing
Oh, here they come, here they come, here they come.

Bye-bye, bye-bye
Bye-bye, bye-bye, bye-bye
Oh, feels pretty good up here, pretty good up here.

I’ll touch Jesus, I’ll touch Jesus, I’ll touch Jesus
I’ll touch Jesus, I’ll touch Jesus
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah
Oh, I see him
Come on
Take it, take it, take it, take it, take it, take it,
Take it, take it, take it, take it, take it, take it, take it
Ooh, yes, come on, oh, oh, yeah!

Oh, don’t you make it my dyin’, dyin’, dyin’… cough.

That’s gonna be the one, isn’t it?
Come ‘n have a listen, then.
Oh, yes, thank you.

https://www.songlyrics.com/led-zeppelin/in-my-time-of-dying-lyrics

Some photos from rock concerts, mostly from the cheap seats: