God Rules
This was Undercover's second album, featuring the song God Rules (which is a classic in Christian rock). It seems to me that although a lot of it seems rather dated, style-wise, now, still it's not that far removed from what was the "cutting edge" of its day (listening to DA, the Cars, Steve Taylor, etc.). What I find most interesting about this album is the way the tone changes from pop with ska influences on the first side to rock with punk influences on the second side-- if I were a teen in 1983, I have a feeling that the second side would get a good deal more play than the first side. Released in 1983 (A&S), and rereleased in 1988 as part of Volume 1 on Broken, and in the Undercover Anthology Vol.1 (tracks 16-28 on disc 1).
The two album scans represent two different forms of the cover. The second is taken from the 7' single of "Closer To You".
Band Members:
O-Joe Taylor: keyboards, bass, vocals on God Rules and Wait A Minute
B(ill) Walden: lead vocals, tenor saxophone
Gym Nicholson: guitars, backing vocals
Gary Dean Olson: drums, backing vocals
Songs
1. New Creation
2. Closer To You
3. He Takes Care Of Me
4. I Still Want You
5. I Never Knew
6. Jesus Girl
7. His Love
8. Jesus For Me
9. Jesus Is The Best
10. I Am The Resurrection
11. God Rules
12. Wait A Minute
13. I Love God
Lyrics
New Creation
Uh-oh
Then I heard this knocking at the door
I felt something that I'd never felt before
I knew what I had to do
He loved me
But He never ever shoved me
Always gentle as a dove, He came in
I knew I'd never be the same again
I'm a brand new (1-2!) creation
So-ho
Then He took away my heart of stone
And I knew I'd never ever be alone
I knew right then that I was born again
He loves me
And He never ever shoves me
Always gentle as a dove, He came in
I know I'll never be the same again
I'm a brand new (1-2!) creation
By O-Joe Taylor
Closer To You
Please God, make me more like You
So I can be closer to You
On this day, I wanna do things Your way
Chorus: And be closer to You
I wanna be closer to You
I wanna be closer to You
Please God, take away my sin
So I can be made brand new again
On this day, I wanna do things Your way (chorus)
Please God, I wanna love you more
So I won't wanna be bad anymore
On this day I wanna do things Your way (chorus)
By O-Joe Taylor
He Takes Care Of Me
I have a car
But it won't go very far
But I don't care
Cuz I can talk to Jesus anywhere
Chorus: Loving God makes me a happy boy
I never need anything because
He takes care of me
I can't buy
A three-piece suit and tie
But I don't mind
Cause Jesus had only one robe when He died (chorus)
I don't own
A nice two bedroom home
But that's okay
Cuz I've always had a place to stay (chorus)
I know "cuz" and "cause" are alternately spelled; that's how it appears in the album liner!
By O-Joe Taylor
I Still Want You
I was calling out to You
God You came to my rescue
That's why I still want You
My love comes and goes, it's hot & cold
Your love stays the same I know
That's why I still want You
That's why I still want You
Sometimes I turn my back on You
But You still love me--I can't explain
And it feels good to know that You are here
Beside me & You like me--I know You like me
God You hear me when I pray
You are never far away
That's why I still want You
That's why I still want You
By Gym Nicholson and O-Joe Taylor
I Never Knew
I never knew
That it could be like this
I did not know that it could be this good
Could not conceive how He might set me free
Not too long till I understood
He has shown me how good it can be
He has shown me how to be free
He has shown me just how good it can be
He has shown me how to be free
Did not want to live with a lot of rules
That kind of life is not for me
Thought that I would be closed up inside a box
A life of strict conformity
He has shown me how good it can be
He has shown me how to be free
He has shown me just how good it can be
He has shown me how to be free
"Not too long" originally read "Not to long"
By Bill Walden
Jesus Girl
She's just fifteen, but she acts older-much older
She won't listen to what all the kids told her
She knows what they want, but she knows what she needs
And it's not the same, she won't give in you see
She's a Jesus Girl, oh yea!
She's a Jesus Girl
She's a Jesus Girl
She knows what's right and what's wrong, she knows what's wrong
She reads her Bible and she's strong, she's so strong
She's telling all her friends that there's a better way
No more broken hearts, no lonely nights or days
She jumps & shouts for Jesus, she loves Jesus
She keeps her eyes on Jesus
When she jumps & shouts, her eyes are on the Lord
She's a Christian, yeah, but she's never bored
"eyes" in the second last originally printed "eyeys"
By Gym Nicholson
His Love
Some say, there's no way
To find real love today
I know where you can go to find
Love that's gonna stay
His love has set me free, His love delivered me
His love stays, won't leave, He lives inside of me
His love, it made me
His love, it saved me
His love, it's all around me
His love, his love
His love
His love
His love
His love
Playing with the devil
Boy you're such a fool
When you feel that fire
Will you feel so cool?
By Gym Nicholson
Jesus For Me
Jesus!
Jesus!
Jesus!
Jesus!
Jesus for me
For me
For me
For me
(repeat entire verse 1 time)
By Gym Nicholson
Jesus Is The Best
Jesus is the best--Better than the rest
Go on--put Him to the test
You'll see, He's the best
Jesus is the most--He rules from coast to coast
I need another dose
My Jesus is the most
While they were crucifying
They watched Jesus dying
God's enemies denying
He could do something death defying
They thought that He was lying
Then He busted right out from the grave
Yeah--Yeah!
Now He is the king--Over everything
Call Him on the phone ring ring!!
He can change anything
Have you heard the latest--Jesus is the greatest
He can save you & I'll tell you some more
You can go to heaven & know for sure
By O-Joe Taylor
I Am The Resurrection
I am the resurrection and the life
He who believes in Me will never die
I am the resurrection and the life
He who believes in Me will live a new life
I have come to bring you truth
I have come to bring you life
If you believe (I do!), then you shall live
People walked after lying in a bed
Jesus raised the people from the dead
If you believe (I do!), then you shall live
Jesus said He was the only way
And He stands here calling you today
If you believe (I do!), then you shall live
By Ray Repp (except v 2,3) Copyright © 1967 F.E.L. Publications Ltd.
God Rules
Last time water, this time fire
The day is getting down to the wire
I've heard Jesus mocked and now I'm tired
God is true and men are liars
God Rules
Jesus helps me day and night
Took my sins and flushed them right outa here
The devil lost the fight
Jesus won with power and might
God Rules
There's more to life than getting stoned
And sitting in the twilight zone
He is coming to take us home
Don't be left here all alone
God Rules
By O-Joe Taylor
Wait A Minute
Away from God you're living blind
Sin sets in and distorts your mind
If you really think that everything's okay
When you die this is what you say
Hey wait a minute--I've been ripped off
Where's my friends to help me cool off
Forever & ever & ever & ever & ever & ever & ever & ever
Wait a minute--I've been ripped off
Well sin might be fun & be in style
But death will surely follow in a little while
Is a life of sin worth a million years
Aren't you worth more to yourself than all eternity in tears
By O-Joe Taylor
I Love God
When they took Him
Like a common criminal, they threw the book at Him
He let them have their way
Cuz to bring us back to Him it had to happen that way
He never ran away
He never was ashamed
To call me by my name
Now it's not the same
Since I've looked at things that way
Now I'm proud to say--I Love God
When He died
He was bleeding from a cross as if He'd killed and lied
He loved us, came to serve
And His love for us drove Him to a death He did not deserve
And when He comes
Are you gonna be afraid or rejoice to see the day
Now it's done
He went full on for you--tell me, what are you gonna do?
"have" in the 3rd line originally read "hame"
By O-Joe Taylor
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