Television Interview

from Bootleg by Larry Norman

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lyrics

[Spoken]

[A song by Gentle Faith plays]
For every successful and familiar name recording Jesus rock there are five groups singing religious music anywhere they can. Groups with such names as "The Children of Light", "Sea of Galilee" or the "JC Power Outlet". The group here is called "Gentle Faith." They've given up their old ways for the Jesus Movement and they say their main contribution is their music.
[Gentle Faith song ends]

One young man, Larry Norman, gave up a successful recording career to devote his time and his talent to religion. Larry Norman still records and he still performs, but all for Jesus.

The reason I changed from rock 'n' roll music to Jesus music. It... rock 'n' roll music didn't make me happy, didn't, you know, validate any of my friends' happiness. It didn't make ’em happy. We're all looking for something to make, ah, us real, to bring something into focus. Music and art and drugs and all of those things just ended up being escapes. It didn't bring any truth that we could hold onto, so I, I found Jesus with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. That's what changed me concretely. The day that happened, that‘s when I left the group. We had a hit record. It was on its way toward a million seller and the album came out, and the day the album came out that’s when I left the group 'cause I had what I wanted, Jesus.

Were you religious before?

I was religious but I don't think Jesus is religion. People make up a religion about him. He's more than a religion.

How do you mean more?

He's real. Religion's not real. To me religion is all based on superstition and guilt an', and ritual. Jesus isn't.

Explain that to me.

Well I don't have to go to a church every day, I go to church in my heart. I don't have to, to kneel or, or bow. My spirit has been humbled and bowed. Ah, I'm not afraid of, of, of approval from the, the preachers or the, the members of the church. I just, I have to be right before God and I have to read my bible and ah, to, to stay informed on, on who man is and who God is.

You say Jesus is real. You're talking, I gather the philosophy that we know from the bible. That's, that's, that's real to you?

The philos.. , the whole bible is real to me. To me, it's all accurate. I didn't used to think that way. I was too intellectual. Now I find myself being, my mind is cleared up even more than when I thought I was intellectual. And it all makes sense.

credits

from Bootleg, released January 1, 1972

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Larry Norman Los Angeles, California

American musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer. Norman had a major influence on artists as diverse as The Pixies, Guns n' Roses, and U2. After his death in 2008 his most well-known album, 1972's Only Visiting This Planet, was selected for inclusion in The United States Library of Congress for its cultural significance and impact on American culture. ... more

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