Theology of Daniel Johnston
I first experienced the music of Daniel Johnston when I moved back to Bloomington, Indiana in 2005. I was living with some friends who were part of a bizarre acoustic scream-o band, “Mount Gigantic.” The main singer of that band played cassette tapes of Daniel Johnston for me with hushed reverence.
Daniel Johnson is impossible to describe. You just have to hear him for yourself. In short, Daniel Johnson has schizophrenia and Daniel Johnson is a musical/artistic/poetic genius if you have the ears to hear it. For those interested, check out the documentary, “The Devil and Daniel Johnston.”
Daniel sings about everything from unrequited love to King Kong—and even that ends up being about unrequited love. Daniel is like a prism that just takes in his everyday surroundings and spews forth endless songs with hyperactive energy and naked emotional honesty.
This is what happens when Mr. Johnson sings about God. I haven’t thought about it too much, but I can find nothing wrong with this song’s theology. It might even be the best modern Christian summation of theology I’ve ever heard.
God made the world
God made you
God made me too
God made the stars
God made the moon
God made the earth too
God made everything
But God is still creative
God makes me glad
God makes me glad
God made the sea
God made the land
I’m glad God made me
‘Cause I love the stars
And I love the moon
And I love the earth too
And I love the God
That made all these things
He made me love him
‘Cause he loved me first
God made the world
God made you
God made me too
God made the stars
God made the moon
God made the earth too
God made everything
But God is still creative (Some say “creating.”)
God makes me glad
God makes me glad
It’s that line, “‘Cause I love the stars,” that kills me every time! It just inexplicably makes me tear up almost every time I hear it. Dang it!
Why? I’m not sure. The whole song is akin to the ancient hymn, “All Creatures of our God and King,” by Saint Francis of Assisi. It sets up an order of the universe with God as the great Artist and initiator of all things. It’s probably so affecting because he really means what he’s singing. And who does that (about boring theological stuff)?