Buddhist Themes in Popular Music?

Well, how about (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction by the Stones as a hymn to dukkha?

Chris Smither’s “I Am the Ride.” [ lyrics ] [ performed ] [ Smither’s website ]

Maybe not what you meant by “popular music,” but it’s popular with me.

Just remembered this old Rockapella song, “Amazing World”, from one of my kids’ old CDs.

When I woke up on Saturday morning,
I didn’t want to open my eyes.
I didn’t want to leave my pillow.
I didn’t need to see a sunny sky.
But I woke up Saturday morning,
And dragged a comb across my back,
And when I looked up at the ceiling,
I saw my life go by in every crack.
So I walked down the stairs in my building
And I could smell the toast through the door
And I could hear the voices of angels
And I had never heard these things before.
It’s an amazing world we’re living in,
It’s an amazing world we are living in,
It’s an amazing world we’re living in,
And if you want I’ll take you with me.
I never knew my ears could listen
To all the music in my street.
I never saw the sidewalks glistening
Like there were diamonds underneath my feet.
The way the leaves were dancing was charming.
The way the sunshine was working through,
And every traffic light was singing,
And pretty soon I started singing too.
It’s an amazing world we’re living in,
And if you want I’ll take you with me.
If you can take your fears and illusions,
If you can put them all in a jar,
You’ll hit the heart of Saturday morning,
You’ll hit the heart of everything you are.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider.

Are you familiar with “American Zen”? Supposedly an Buddhist rock band

Adam Yauch (the good-looking one) will drop a bit of Buddhist science in some of The Beastie Boys’ lyrics. He is a practicing Tibetan Buddhist. And sick w/cancer, so send the good vibes.

Bodhisattva Vow

Enlightenment and Cleaning Windows by Van Morrison are about finding the middle path and being content…..........he’s not strictly a buddhist though, very often will mention Christ or Krishna also…...........

“Within You, Without You” George Harrison
“All Things Must Pass” George Harrison

Well if you put this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJQgwqojirs
With this picture:
http://www.megaposts.net/wp-content/files/photobrowne.jpg

Everything Zen by Bush.

Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream. It is not dying, It is not dying…