A Hundred Pounds of Clay? Really?

I always enjoy the opportunity to combine my love of music with my interest in theology – not necessarily an easy task, or one that fascinates many people, but, nonetheless, one that kinda works for me. I especially enjoy taking a look at some of the “bad theology” expressed in popular songs down through the years.

I have to say, in general, popular music does a pretty poor job at offering up theologically sound lyrics. And maybe that should come as no surprise to me, but it does seem there is a fairly large number of popular songs that have (Oh, how shall I put this nicely?) missed the theological boat somewhat – prime examples being Joan Osborne’s What If God Was One of Us? and Norman Greenbaum’s Spirit in the Sky, two songs that at first seem pretty much okay, until you start thinking about the words a little bit.

Without a doubt, however, the chief offender of all time is Gene McDaniels’ 1961 hit, A Hundred Pounds of Clay. (If you’ve never heard this song before, or even if you have, check out the player below.) And not to give McDaniels too hard a time, but having studied the Bible a little bit, I consider myself fairly well versed in the scriptures, and even I can’t begin to figure out where McDaniels came up with this stuff. The writer of the book of Genesis, for instance, does offer up the image of a man being being made from the dust of the ground, and a woman being made from his rib, but as far as there being any reference to forming the first woman out of a hundred pounds of clay – sorry, can’t find it! Nor is there any image of God “rolling his big sleeves up” so he could get to work making a brand new world – as if God was some brawny Paul Bunyan type, schlogging his way around an otherwise uninhabited planet looking for something to do!

These criticisms aside, there is a much bigger problem I have with the song: it’s the suggestion that God, in some moment of great divine wisdom, decided the only thing missing from the life of this poor, solitary schmuck roaming aimlessly around in the middle of nowhere – the first human being to walk the earth, mind you! – is “lots of lovin” from a 100-pound waif-of-a-woman whose sole purpose is to smother him with hugs and kisses! Oh, really? I’d think food or shelter might come first, or a television perhaps. But what do I know?

To be fair, I guess McDaniels’ image is sort of believable, since there wasn’t much else to do at the time, and it would be another few thousand years before Lazy Boy recliners, Budweiser beer, and major league sports would be invented! But still, come on! Furthermore – and correct me if I’m wrong – it strikes me that the song, as a whole, is just a tad bit condescending toward women. But hey, go figure!

Give the song a listen and let me know what you think!