With Christian music, there are those bands that are just kind of there and riding a wave, then there are those that set the trends that others follow (or at least bring the trend mainstream). That is exactly what dc Talk did with their Jesus Freak album. While other Christian musicians were rocking out like Nirvana and Stone Temple Pilots long before dc Talk, it was dc Talk that made it alright for Christians to rock out in the mainstream. After Jesus Freak, dc Talk recorded a follow up that was entirely different from anything they had done before. Leaving the rap/hip-hop sound behind completely and acquiring a pop gleam, Supernatural was released to much fan fare. So much fan fare, that Billboard held a poll on “How Does a Band’s Religion Affect Your Purchases” during the album’s week of release.

The first single off that album was entitled “My Friend (So Long)” and revolved around the idea of a fictitious fourth member of dc Talk that had left the band and found success in the secular music industry. While the fourth band member was indeed fictitious, debates went on for a couple of years on who the fourth member could have been. This alone earns the song a spot in my Songs & Such.

The odd thing over the debate was the members of dc Talk and their manager had both stated on multiple occasions that there was no long lost fourth member to the group and the song was in no way a work of non-fiction. These admissions however never seemed to calm the debate and only seem to further fuel it.

This song also received heavy rotation on both MTV and VH1, back when they both still played music.

I always seem to come back to this song every so often because for me, it was such an interesting approach to song writing. Making up a fictitious story and making it the basis for a song. While I realize that a lot of songwriters make this a common practice, the fact they were able to start so much controversy over it, is what makes it so interesting. The point of interest comes in the line “The situation’s awfully dim, should we up and go with him? No way” because of the fact that it is a proven fact that it is quicker to gain fame in the Christian music industry than the secular market but they take the reverse opinion in that fame anywhere is fleeting.

“My Friend (So Long)”
by dcTalk
From the Album Supernatural

I heard your record on the telephone
It was my cousin, Joan
She picked it up from the top 40 rack and then

I read your interview in Rolling Stone
You threw the boys a bone
And so I genuinely felt obliged to call

I know You never meant to hurt us, man
We’re just a baby band
You found a quicker way
To scale the wall of fame

The situation’s awfully dim
Should we up and go with him?
No way [no way, 1, 2, 3, 4]

(chorus)
We know exactly where you are, and you’re gone [my friend]
Don’t know exactly where you’re coming from
You’ve gone away my friend
We know exactly where you are, and you’re gone [my friend]
Don’t know exactly where you’re coming from
Have you gone astray [gone]

I saw your video on VH-1
Looks like they spent a ton
How does it feel to be the flavor for a spell

And I remember when you used to say
“Jesus is the way”
I never thought I’d see your light begin to fade

The situation’s awfully dim
Should we up and go with him?
No way [no way, 1, 2, 3, 4]

(repeat chorus)

(bridge)
Don’t think we don’t miss you
[We think about you every day]
We still love you anyway
[Love don’t go away]
There’s still this burning question
[I got to know] Why?

[What will people think when they
Hear that I’m a Jesus freak?]

Ah, ah, ah [hey]
[While this is something of fantasy]
[The moral of the story is]
[To stick with your friends]
Ah, ah, ah, ah [hey]
Ah, ah, ah, [hey]
Ah, ah, ah [hey, hey, 1, 2, 3, 4]

(repeat chorus)

Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, and you’re gone [my friend]
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, so long
You’ve gone away, my friend
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, and you’re gone [my friend]
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, so long
We’ll see you someday
Wish you well
Na, na, na, na, na, my friend