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First, an introduction: This is a story that has occupied my mind for 20 years. I first encountered it back in 1983 when I was doing a Heavy Metal radio show for the college station at the University of Alabama. I saw a poster with the words "Rock and Roll Hell" hanging all over campus. It was for one of those little gatherings where a group of well meaning christians attempt to "educate" others on their perception of the evil in rock music. When I saw the poster I couldn't resist giving them some free promotion on the show and I encouraged the listeners to attend. You never realize just how popular these metal shows are until you try something like this. The place held somewhere around 300-400 people. It was packed, wall to wall, with metalheads. Needless to say they had a rough time with this crowd. The speaker was at least reasonably well informed about the then current, scene. I was impressed he actually knew about Venom, Demon and Angelwitch. It was not shocking when he first mentioned that rock music was actually an ancient music form. How often have we heard about the blues' voodoo connection? But he had a different message. He spoke of Noah's flood and how rock music was there BEFORE the flood. Having grown up attending a Baptist church every Sunday I immediately dismissed it as nonsense. I knew the Bible, and this wasn't in it. Yet he was adamant about it. Unfortunately he did not go into enough detail as to where this came from. This may have been due to the unruly audience. You had to be there. I did find it though, in texts well known to religious scholars. The result is here in this recording. The story of a musical form that clearly by description could be called rock music. The parallels with the modern world are undeniable. Music's association with intoxicants, sex, violence, outrageous clothing and even tatoos are clearly spelled out. Coincidence? Always we hear musicians defend their music and behaviour by claiming they are a "reflection" of society. This story drives a stake through the heart of that argument. Is this story true or simply another ancient myth? It is found in texts that are said to be included in the famous "Dead Sea Scrolls". These are supposed to be the oldest known surviving manuscripts of the Old Testament. Are these texts as valid as any in the Bible as we know it? Many of you will say yes because you believe its all nonsense. That's fair. I am not trying to prove anything here. I only wish to convey the story. However it is interesting to note how important music has become in our society. Through most of history you could easily pass through life never, or very rarely experiencing music. Especially, music played with instruments. Music was an art for the few, the elites. Only twice has it ever thoroughly infested a society to the point where it effortlessly influences every aspect of peoples lives. This current time, and in this preflood world of Noah's time. If the music of that day was used as a means to a very diabolical and disasterous end. What, praytell, could it's purpose be today? Something to consider. Sidney Allen Johnson ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN GENESIS 6:1 And it came to pass, when man began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 1. DESCENSION (instrumental) And in those days the angels, the sons of heaven, saw the women of the earth and became enamored of them. And the sons of God desired to take that which was the sovereign of man, and select wives for themselves and beget children of their own. They approached Semjaza to be the leader of this enterprise. But Semjaza was not convinced of their commitment to partake in such a grievous crime in the sight of God. He feared he alone would suffer the consequences for this treacherous deed. Therefore he demanded that all the angels swear an oath that would bind them to this crime. That anyone who changed his intention or failed to carry out this undertaking would be cursed. And this they swore. Their number was two hundred, among them: Tamiel, Azriel, Amazarak, Kokabel, Armers and the infamous Azazel.
2. SEMJAZA'S SONG This is how it happened, in a place you'll never know. When a tempting flesh set angels hearts aglow. The angels came to me, they possessed a wicked plan. But they need me to make their stand. "We can bring the heavens to the world that lies below. But trust you....I don't." To pusue this crime to which we are disposed, I demand your oath....now make it so." Chorus: Swear to me! This curse is agreed. Swear to me! And we will proceed. Swear to me! This is how it will be. Swear to me! And you're bound to this deed. So we took this world from the helpless hands of man. And we filled their thoughts with contraband. We will right the earth, from the error of heavens throne! And take it's beauty for our own. The brides of heaven will breed a new race. For mankind....replace. They will follow, with love at first glance. Just give them music, and watchem' dance. Chorus Now the earth is ripe, as it was so long ago, For the sons of God to strike a final blow. Times may change, but man is now as then. Just look, they've fallen for it again. "We will bring the heavens to the world that lies below. But trust you.....I don't. To pursue this crime to which we are disposed, I demand your oath....now make it so. Chorus Azazel taught men to make shields, swords and breastplates for war. He taught them to construct mirrors, and the craftmanship of bracelets and ornaments for their bodies. He introduced the beautifying of the face with paint and dyes. Armers taught the solution of sorcery. Tamiel taught astronomy. Amazarak taught all the sorcerers and dividers of roots. All the angels did reveal secrets reserved for the heavens. A knowledge that was not meant for mankind. Every manner of wickedness increased. Fornication and perversion multiplied and all the ways of men were polluted. The world was irreversibly corrupted. 3. VIOLATION Join me, on a wicked race with Death To live life. to the fullest, is my quest I want to make my place high up in the stars My name will live forever, near and far Violation! Violation! Violation! Violation! Wrap me, in the beauty of this earth Consumate your flesh and quench my thirst All the secrets, of heaven, are here for you to taste With a kiss from hell to lay your soul to waste Violation! Violation! Violation! Violation! A sound so evil, to mesmerize your mind Its a dance with death designed to make you mine The songs I sing, will make you lose control Its the witchcraft of the soul called Rock and Roll Violation! Violation! Violation! Violation!
Genesis 6:4 There were giants on the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children unto them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. And the angels did carry out their intentions. Taking wives from the progeny of men by ways of deceptions. Teaching them sorcery incantations and the readings of the stars of the heavens. And the women concieved and brought forth a race of giants. They devoured all that which the men of earth produced. 4. A CELESTIAL KISS A stranger walks into your life With beauty, magic, wealth and light for you What will you do? If all your wishes could come true For trading just a piece of you Could you choose, to just turn it loose? Can you resist a Celestial Kiss? When you look in his eyes Do you know that he lies? Will the power he holds Drag your heart down below? Tell me, You can resist. An offer to good to refuse Often hides a hand to bruise your spirit But its hypnotic No beauty ever runs so deep As to masquerade the promise it keeps to fade away And then lead you astray After Cain had been cast away for murdering his brother, his children multiplied. One of the was Genun ( Jubal ), son of Lamech the blind who slew Cain. Satan came to him in his childhood and tempted him. He taught him to make trumpets horns and stringed instruments. Harps, flutes and lyres he would play at all times and at every hour. Genun was given that which the earth had not known before.......music. 5. RECIEVE, TRUST AND BELIEVE Cast your eyes to the wind and hear what you see Colors adrift on the sound are a mystical key To unlock your spirit in so many ways Open your eyes and your ears and your heart will obey Recieve, Trust and Believe! In the power of the sound And the magic that abounds Recieve, Trust and Believe! That the music that you play Will change the way you look at each day Lose yourself in a sea of warm melodies Or place your hope for love in it's sweet harmonies Emotion and passion are so much to bear When no-one else will listen, your music will care Recieve, Trust and Believe! There's a fire in your heart And it's tearing you apart Recieve, Trust and Believe! The desire in your hand Is awaiting your command Recieve, Trust and Believe! In the power of the sound And the magic that abounds Recieve, Trust and Believe! That the music that you play Will change the way you look at each day When Genun played his instruments, Satan came into them so that beautiful and sweet sounds were heard. Then Genun gathered more and more people to play with him. And when they played the children of Cain inflamed themselves with sin. Lust increased among them and their emotions burned as fire. The new music ravished their hearts. Satan also taught Genun to make strong drink out of corn. And he brought musicians to drink houses and they played and drank with the children of Cain. In this manner Genun multiplied sin as never before. With exceeding pride Genun taught the children of Cain to commit the grossest acts of wickedness which they never knew before. Men married their own sisters, daughters, mothers or even each other. They lost all knowledge of what is iniquity and knew only the vilest of evil. 6. RAVISHING MUSIC From an ancient light A fire does ignite Let the flames caress What your sins possess Burnin' I'm Burnin' I'm Burnin' In a cauldron of sin. I'm Burnin' I'm Burnin' I'm Burnin' I'm gonna drag you in Ravishing music take my hand Carry me to your promised land Ravishing music you have control Take away my soul Dancin' in the streets Like animals in heat Everyone can play And everyone can pay repeat prechorus repeat chorus Nature's appetite Screams in the night When you live for flesh Then you live for death repeat prechorus repeat chorus Genun gathered his musicians at the foot of Gods holy mountain in order for the children of Seth to hear their seductive sounds. Satan taught Genun to make dyes for garments and the flesh, and diverse patterns shown on their bodies. And they gathered together at the foot of the mountain in splendour to play their music and drink and commit every imaginable abomination. When the children of Seth saw the daughters of Cain were beautiful, and their faces were tatooed with ornaments, sin burned within them. And the children of Seth heard the sounds and stood and watched wishing to come down but there was no way. Satan came to Genun by night and told him they should follow a stream on the western side of the mountain. When daylight came Genun instructed the children of Seth how to come down, but Jared warned them that they should not leave the mountain for God will not allow them to return again. Nevertheless they went down and they joined in with the children of Cain..... never to return. 7. BLEED I need confirmation for my eyes A seal that bonds your blood to mine Living illustrations...certify Jehovah's laws have been defied Ornamental, as the flame that makes you burn Carved where flesh and spirit merge When your blood begins to flow You curse your soul Bleed For Me Bleed For the mark of treason that claims your soul Bleed for the God Of Thunder and Rock and Roll I need penetration's sweet caress Like talons ripping through your flesh Every breath a treasure...every sound Your beating hearts adorn my crown Precious gold and silver pierces through your skin A "WELCOME" sign for lust and sin When your blood begins to flow you curse your soul Bleed For Me Satan rejoiced. When he saw that the children of Seth had yeilded to Genun he chose to increase his understanding. He taught him to make iron, and with it, weapons of war. When they were drunk on music and drink, hatred and murder increased amongst them. Men used violence to teach violence. The angels and their followers created companies that turned against one another. Thus they created a system whereby men would decide who would dominate and who would submit to the will of others. A system that still exists efficiently to this very day.....WAR! 8. WAR ANTHEM A foreign people are in foolish hands They bring terror into our land All that we have is now at risk If we don't act we will cease to exist For the love of God....No time for dialog... with the Chorus Sons of wenches and foreign gods Hitem' fast and hit them hard Rain damnation both far and wide This competition is live or die We've got the ammunition! The inclination! To put and end to their entire nation Raise your sword against their king Into their world we bring...... War!! We are a weapon of mass destruction Poised to put an end to corruption Negotiations can only breed lies Death is certain from compromise With shock and awe...We'll lay down the law...to the Chorus Never share what we can take whole Power gives us the right to control Wrong thinking must be replaced Ours is the hope of the human race Raise a hand of death...till your dying breath... to the GENESIS 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of God. 13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. 15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. 16 A window shalt thou make to the ark and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. 17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. 18 But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thou sons wives with thee. 19 And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. 20 Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. 21 And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them. 22 Thus did Noah according to all that God commanded him, so did he. 9. ONE MAN Everything on earth has its season Evil casts its spell of blood and treason One man fights this world alone One man is stronger Fools will follow fools without objection Multitudes seek fools for their collections One man is right when all are wrong One man is stronger One man has hope when all is gone One man can't be conquered For a whole year Genun and his companies of musicians did play. Slowly over time and little by little he won over the children of Seth until there was none left on the mountain. God sent Enoch to tell the reprobate angels they shall never obtain peace or remission of sin. That they will witness the destruction of their children and there shall be no mercy. The angels were all terrified. They sought Enoch to write a testimonial of their prayer begging for forgiveness because they could no longer address God for themselves. There was no forgiveness and no mercy. The people of the earth did blaspheme against God to the very last. Drunk with lust and music, these were their last words..... 10. HEAVEN CAN WAIT A Celebration draws us to this place One last "hurrah" for a wicked human race We trade "forever" for the taste of a serpent's kiss One thousand lifetimes for a moment such as this Never compromise Never apologise Never bow a head Never serve again Heaven can wait for all eternity Heaven can wait till hell gets through with me Sound of corruption fills the house of hell A choir of seduction lures you with its spell Notes of deception echo in the night A trance of distraction till you feel the bite repeat prechorus repeat chorus I've mastered hatred and I've lit the fires of war Exhilaration! Now thats worth livin' for One chance at power and I won't be denied One chance at vengeance....that chance is mine GENESIS 7:15 And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. 16 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in. 17 And the flood was fourty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth. 18 And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. 19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered. 11. AND THE WATERS PREVAILED (instrumental) Genesis 8:11 And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. 12 And God said, this is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. 14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: 15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 12 RAINBOW'S END Where can you find Hope that's lost for all time? Where can you find Broken hearts full of pride? Dances with angels enchant a cold winter's night Sleep with the fires of their stars in your eyes Hold the love of your life warm and near When mourning comes it will all disappear Where will you turn When the fires in you burn? Where will you roam When you're left all alone? Tidings of evil do sing a sweet melody Its' beauty ensnares all who seek to be free Mourn the loss of the lives we held dear For once, we were gods And once, we were here JUDE 6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgement of the great day. 7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. 13 UNREPENTANT (instrumental) THE END Produced, written, arranged and performed by Sidney Allen Johnson (ASCAP) Recorded at: Fallen Angel Studio, Greenville Alabama, Mystery Babylon USA Feline Symphonics by Anita Tail Photography by Danyell Nall The text for "On Earth As It Is In Heaven" derived from "The Book Of Enoch" (translated by Richard Laurence, LL.D), "The Book of the Secrets of Enoch" (translated by W. R. Morphill, M. A.), and the book of Genesis (King James' translation). The story written and arranged by Sidney Allen Johnson. Special Thanks: Albert S. Johnson, Betty Ann Harrell, Carol McNeal, Christine Parastatidou for being the very first person to review a Babylon Mystery Orchestra CD, The fine folks at Bailey Brothers Music in Montgomery, DJ, and to all the wonderful people magazines and websites that took the time to review the "Divine Right Of Kings" CD (especially if you said something good about it), There are two means of refuge from the misery of life: music and cats.-Albert Schweitzer CONTACT: www.babylonmysteryorchestra.com allenjohnson@centurytel.net |