We watched the full 5 seasons of Friday Night Lights this past year. In addition to being a great show, I really loved the music featured on the show. So much so that I eventually downloaded the soundtrack. One of my favorite songs from the soundtrack is Devil Town by Tony Lucca. As I’ve mentioned before I love music and for the most part my girls listen to the same music that I listen to. Oh the whole I try to be choosy about music and I won’t play anything too heavy, with bad lyrics, etc. Especially around my innocent babes’ ears. That being said, sometimes this area is a little grey. What I’m getting at is these girls love the song Devil Town. And while yes the lyrics talk about devil towns and vampires, in my defense it’s got a light and airy feel to it. Catchy, a little folksy with it’s hand clappin’ and 2 part harmony. And the lyrics are just so gosh darn memorable. It’s the same 2 stanzas over and over:
I was living in a devil town.
Didn’t know it was a devil town.
Oh no* really brings me down ’bout the devil town.
All my friends were vampires.
Didn’t know they were vampires.
Turns out I was a vampire myself in the devil town.
For some reason the girls really latched onto this song. The second we’d get in the car it was Devil Town mama! I want Devil Town! So I’d crank it up and the three of us would sing happily along about devil towns and vampires. Is that weird?
So like I said, they really latched onto this song. There is one particular demonstration of this attachment that they preformed over and over. They love to hide from us. And then when they jump out of their hiding spot instead of saying surprise like regular kids, they sing at the top of their lungs. And the song they love to sing the most? Devil Town. So imagine if you will, two adorable rather angelic faces hiding behind the curtains. And suddenly jumping out from behind the curtains and singing/shouting at the top of their lungs:
I WAS LIVING IN A DEVIL TOWN! DIDN’T KNOW IT WAS A DEVIL TOWN!
And what makes it all the more cute (and perhaps disturbing) are the huge smiles and stifling giggles from my sweet and otherwise God-fearing offspring. It really is adorable. After a while it became their thing, their bit if you will. It was no longer restricted to hiding, but when we’d come in their bedroom or if one of us walked in the house or opened the car door, they just had to start singing Devil Town.
Well one day a few months ago the Mr. had taken the girls with him on an errand leaving me to soak up the delicious silence of an empty home. After a while the doorbell rang. I answered it to find a nice man with a magazine standing on my doorstep. He was a Jehovah’s Witness. Not our first one either. For some reason, even though I’ve (kindly) explained over and over again that we already have a church we’re very active in but thank you anyway, we always seem to get a knock for the JW’s every few weeks. Now I don’t know what your stance on door-to-door proselyting is, but I would feel it rather hypocritical if I, a practicing Mormon–you know the religion that basically invented the door-to-door practice of missionary work–was anything less than warm and kind to people who come a knockin’ on my door preaching religion. So I smiled, listened intently and kindly told him that I certainly believe in God and Jesus Christ and have a religion I’m very active in. He then went on to say something like, That’s wonderful! I’m always glad to meet another believer and just think it’s great that we can have these common interests. I just love meeting other people who have a common belief in God. And on it went like that for a few minutes. A very positive, kind, God-centered conversation among two strangers of different faiths. He was there less than 3 minutes, but it was heart warming. Truly.
As he was walking away, my husband pulled up the driveway. With this messenger of the Lord still within close hearing range, the car door swings open and at the top of their lungs I hear
I WAS LIVING IN A DEVIL TOWN! DIDN’T KNOW IT WAS A DEVIL TOWN!
OH NO REALLY BRINGS ME DOWN ‘BOUT THE DEVIL TOWN!
ALL MY FRIENDS ARE VAMPIRES, DIDN’T KNOW THEY WERE VAMPIRES…
The man looked back a couple of times while I just smiled and tried to talk over their singing. I couldn’t really make out his expression, but I’m pretty sure he finally got out of hearing range just shortly after the mentioning of vampires.
No really Jehovah’s Witness guy, we totally go to church. This home is all about God, Jesus, love, light, and all things good and uplifting. I have no idea why my super young and innocent daughters are singing a song about the prince of darkness and blood sucking immortals.
And while it’s probably just coincidence, the fact of the matter is we haven’t had a Jehova’s Witness knock on our door since.
*The lyrics actually say “Oh Lord” but we change the words even though I’m not entirely sure that’s taking the Lord’s name in vain. Thoughts?
i'm dying. i love when explosions in the sky comes on my pandora and i love devil town. and of course fnl. what an opportune moment that was!!
This is too funny. It's better than answering your door naked…which is a whole other story for a different day. Mind you, I wasn't the one naked.
My otherwise sweet and cuddly dog truly hates chihuahuas. The last two times the local Mormon missionaries have come by my house, they've intercepted me as I'm returning from a walk with the dog. As I explain to them that I have a church that I'm very happy with, my neighbor lets her insane chihuahua out of her house who makes a beeline to attack my dog. Then all of sudden I'm dealing with a crazed dog and have to tackle him to keep him from the chihuahua. My neighbor adds to the chaos when she comes out to yell obscenities at me for my dog barking at hers and I start screaming for her to keep her dog on a leash.
I'm betting your brethren are praying hard for me.
Love it. Laughing that the JW's haven't been back. Now you have to let us know when/if they return.
I am laughing so hard right now…we have several SETS of JWs gunning for us…I now know how to get rid of them. 😉
love that song. so glad you liked fnl. clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose has graced out christmas card for the past few years.
and my sweet son was out playing in the backyard with his imaginary friend "satan" a while back. apparently satan was hiding from him and he needed to call out his name for all the neighbors to hear. because we needed another thing to make us different from our neighbors.