Christian morals

19. Is it lawful for a Christian to sing or to listen to songs which talk of love – I mean clean songs which exalt the true love between two persons, such as the ‘old songs’ of Domenico Modugno, etc.?

According to my judgement, if a Christian sings or listens to the songs of Domenico Modugno or of any other worldly singer – even if these songs exalt the true love between two persons -, he does a wrong thing. Why? Because the words of these songs have been written by persons of the world, that is, by people who are in darkness, under the power of the devil. “The whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” says the apostle John (1 John 5:19 – NKJV), so the worldly songs also lie under the sway of the wicked one. And since we must not love the world or the things in the world (1 John 2:15), we must not love these songs either; no matter how harmless and true they may appear. The Scripture commands us not to look at things according to the outward appearance; therefore beware of the words of these songs, which are so melodious and penetrating. Remember that the devil uses ‘little things’ in order to open a breach in us and bring in us the ‘big things’, or anyhow many other things God doesn’t like. I will give you an example. There are some believers who like very much the songs of Massimo Ranieri and Massimo Morandi, to mention two singers ‘a bit old’; at first they just listened to their songs, then they began to buy their posters, the music magazines which speaks of them, afterward they began to attend their concerts, wasting thus much time and money, then they began to speak about their favourite singers to their relatives, etc.. to make their singers known to them. Eventually these singers became their idols. This teaches us – once more – that a little leaven leavens the whole lump (1 Corinthians 5:6). Pay attention to this: you don’t need much leaven to leaven the whole lump, you need just a little leaven. Just as a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor (Ecclesiastes 10:1), and one dead fly putrefies the perfumer’s ointment (Ecclesiastes 10:1).

Therefore, brother, don’t sing nor listen to these songs.

Let us sing and listen to those spiritual songs which exalt the love of God toward us, or our love toward God, because in so doing we will be edified. Yes, because these songs edify, while the songs of Modugno and of all the other worldly singers don’t edify at all: they don’t impart grace, they don’t give life rather they produce death. Remember this: worldly lusts (among which is the love of the worldly songs) bring forth death, not life.

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