Can't Feel my Face

October 19, 2015 | Calvin Bryant

Ask any MS or HS student and I would bet they're familiar with at least one song by "The Weeknd." His spots have recently earned the #1, #2, and #3 spots on Billboard's Hot 100 R&B, a feat never before accomplished by an artist.

Flipping through channels one night, I recently heard one of his songs and liked the beat and catchy tune. So I paused and listened to the lyrics trying to determine if it was a good song or not. The chorus states, "I can't feel my face when I'm with you...but I love it...but I love it." So I figured the artist was really enjoying time with his significant other. Other lines state, "she told me don't worry about it," and "you'll never be alone." This sounded like something I could get on board with, so I started rocking out and singing along.

I later found out that this artist wasn't actually talking about his relationship with his significant other, but rather his relationship with cocaine. This changed the entire meaning of the song, so I went back through the lyrics and was disappointed to find out the truth. But it made me think about how easily we can be thrown off track in our spiritual lives chasing things that aren't godly. Music is just one example of this. Click the links below to view the music video, more about this artist, and the meaning behind the song.

Discussion questions with MS students: Have you heard music by The Weeknd? What did you think? Did you understand the lyrics/meaning? Do you typically look at lyrics to determine if a song is valuable or not? Why are the motives behind music important?