Convo Starters: Grenade

I looked in the top 10 songs last night for ideas on what to blog on. This song was #1. And I love that, because when I listened to it, I realized that it's a great song--it can be sung from the perspective of guy-to-girl OR God-to-sinners-before-they're-saved. :) So without further ado, here's Grenade by Bruno Mars.

Easy come, easy go, that's just how you live 
Oh, take, take, take it all but you never give 
Should've known you was trouble from the first kiss 
Had your eyes wide open, why were they open? 

Gave you all I had and you tossed it in the trash 
You tossed it in the trash, you did 
To give me all your love is all I ever asked 
'Cause what you don't understand is 

I'd catch a grenade for ya 
Throw my hand on a blade for ya 
I'd jump in front of a train for ya 
You know I'd do anything for ya 

I would go through all this pain 
Take a bullet straight through my brain 
Yes, I would die for you, baby 
But you won't do the same 
No, no, no, no 

Black, black, black and blue, beat me 'til I'm numb 
Tell the devil I said, hey, when you get back to where you're from 
Mad woman, bad woman, that's just what you are, yeah 
You'll smile in my face then rip the brakes out my car 

Gave you all I had and you tossed it in the trash 
You tossed it in the trash, yes, you did 
To give me all your love is all I ever asked 
'Cause what you don't understand is 

I'd catch a grenade for ya 
Throw my hand on a blade for ya 
I'd jump in front of a train for ya 
You know I'd do anything for ya 

I would go through all this pain 
Take a bullet straight through my brain 
Yes, I would die for ya, baby 
But you won't do the same 

If my body was on fire 
Ooh, you'd watch me burn down in flames 
You said you loved me, you're a liar 
'Cause you never, ever, ever did, baby 

But darling, I'd still catch a grenade for ya 
Throw my hand on a blade for ya 
I'd jump in front of a train for ya 
You know I'd do anything for ya 
I would go through all this pain 
Take a bullet straight through my brain 
Yes, I would die for you, baby 
But you won't do the same 
No, you won't do the same 
You wouldn't do the same 
Ooh, you never do the same 
No, no, no, no

[ From: http://www.metrolyrics.com/grenade-lyrics-bruno-mars.html ]

Conversation starters:

Like Single Ladies, Grenade doesn't really need much. It's already impacting worldviews. However, if you'd like to start a conversation with someone over it, go ahead! Here are some ideas:

FORGIVENESS/GRACE: I think it's so interesting that, at the end of the song, he says he'd STILL do all those things for her--even though she treated him so awful. I think it would be really hard to love someone that much, you know. She didn't really deserve that. But you know, I guess that's how Jesus loves us, too.

End with: (Important note! This is a really good lead-in to the gospel if you have an unsaved friend. If you're talking with another Christian, however, you can end with talking about how love is so often portrayed as just a warm fuzzy feeling when it's not. Then, to move off the heavier notes, you can lightheartedly make fun of a movie or a song that does just that--then move to other songs or movies or whatnot). 

COMMITMENT/LOVE: I think it's so cool that he would do all that for his girlfriend. (If/When) I get a boyfriend, I want someone who would do that for me. 

(If your friend comments that no one would ever do that stuff for her, be sure to say that you would--and that Jesus did! Another great lead-in to the gospel)

DATING/LOVE: You know, it's interesting, because you think--the girl in the song might've just said yes to dating Bruno to avoid hurting his feelings, you know, but not really cared about him. And it ended up hurting him MORE, in the long run.

Review:

Synopsis:  Mars gives all his devotion to a girl who turns out to be flippant.

Background: Not much background to this one. According to Wikipedia, Mars heard a similar, unpublished song, and liked it so much that he wrote his own version.

Central theme: Sacrifice

Good points: Where do we begin? Bruno Mars reminds us that true love is self-sacrificing ("I'd catch a grenade for you/Put my hand on a blade for you/I'd jump in front of a train for you...Yes, I would die for you, baby"). He details the hurt that can come from dating just for fun, especially when the other person is serious ("To give me all your love is all I ever asked...I would die for you, baby, but you won't do the same/Black, black, black and blue/Beat me 'till I'm numb"). (Girls sometimes only say "yes" to a date to avoid hurting a guy's feelings. This song shows that saying yes can be even more hurtful to the guy in the long run.) He also shows the pain that indifference can bring to a relationship ("If my body was on fire/You'd watch me burn down in flames/You said you loved me, you're a liar/'Cause you never ever did") Finally, at the end, like Hosea loving his wife even though she didn't love him (click here to read the story) or Jesus loving humans before they loved Him back, Mars decides to continue to devote himself to his girlfriend even though she won't give anything back ("You said you loved me, you're a liar/'Cause you never ever did/But darling, I'd still catch a grenade for you").

Bad points: Well, he kissed her before they were married ("Should've known you was trouble from the first kiss")--not that there's a biblical doctrine against that, I just personally want to save my first kiss for my wedding day. And his remark about his girlfriend being from hell ("Tell the devil I said hey when you get back where you're from") isn't super nice or something we should repeat to our friends/boyfriends. But that's pretty much it.

Overall: I love this song, because not only does it tell us about true love and sacrifice (too often, love is portrayed as a warm fuzzy feeling) but it also could be seen as a song Jesus sings to us. Helps us get a grip on His amazing love, doesn't it? :)