The Song

“The Song” is a film about Kentucky native and musician Jed King (Alan Powell—lead singer of Anthem Lights) and his aspirations to make it big in the music industry while trying to avoid the immoral snares his own musician dad fell into during his career. The movie parallels Jed’s life to that of King Solomon in the Bible, using several Scriptures taken from Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, and Song of Solomon as a narration in the background.

When Jed finds and marries the love of his life, Rose (Ali Faulkner), a song he writes for her becomes a hit and boosts him onto the big stage. With promises of stardom and money, Jed is pulled into the career he always wanted as he hits the road—a reality that often takes him away from his wife and son. After he discovers his new opener on tour is a well-known musician named Shelby Bale, he is tempted by her to seek after a myriad of pleasures before he realizes that he is merely “chasing after the wind.” A man can have all the wisdom in the world and still act as a fool in his attempt to feel wanted.

The quality, acting, and music in this film are all very well put together, and the characters draw the viewer in from the beginning. The narration from Scripture is very tastefully done, fitting well with the scenes and dramatic tension. “The Song” conveys strong Biblical morality; however, the viewer must make it through some intense situations before seeing the restoration happen. In this sense, I can actually appreciate the story because it does not mask the harsh realities and results of our poor choices.

There is no profanity in the film, only a few instances of severe arguing and yelling between Jed and Rose, and Jed and Shelby.

There are several scenes of implied sex, but they never show anything. A few times the characters shut the bedroom door so the camera will not see beyond it, though you know what is going to happen. Jed and Rose wait until marriage to have sex, but later on Jed gives into his lustful passions and commits adultery with another woman. Nothing is ever shown on screen.

The violence in the film is minor. At one point, when Jed is plagued by guilt, he has a frightening dream in which Rose’s father comes at him with a hunting knife. In the background you see a dead animal that is slit open. At a concert, Jed is shown throwing things around in anger, and there is intense yelling between two characters. Rose slaps Jed on the face in one scene. In another, Jed is frantically trying to claw off a tattoo, and there is a lot of blood on his arm.

When Jed falls into the trap so many musicians and stars fall into in their search for fulfillment, there are several scenes which involve smoking, drinking, and drug use.

All in all, there are so many good values to be gleaned from this film that for a mature audience it is definitely worth the watch. Though Jed is likened to King Solomon, his story reminds me much of the prodigal son, a parable Jesus told in the Gospels. Just like the prodigal son, Jed sets off in search of something that will make him feel wanted, useful, and fulfilled. But as Solomon describes in the book of Ecclesiastes, he realizes that he is chasing after the wind when he already has everything he needs—God and a loving family. In the Bible, the prodigal son comes back once he has realized the foolishness of his ways and is desperate for true love. His father welcomes him with open arms and forgiveness, even in his unworthiness. In much the same way, Jed is restored to his family, even after all his poor choices.

I found it interesting and relatable that Jed wanted to reach people for God through his music, but in his ambition to do this, he lost sight of what was really important. In wanting to make it about God, he really made it about himself, thinking that he had to do something in order for people to be reached. All of us have ambitions and goals, and most of the time they are not bad in and of themselves, but when the focus lies too heavily on what we can do, we forget who we are and what is most important to us—namely, our relationships with God and with the people in our lives. Often, in our desire for wisdom and to live a good life, we don’t realize how prone we are to the temptations of the flesh.

“The Song” shows how, through all of our messes and poor choices, God is still sovereign. He will heal us, show us the right way, and take us back, working everything together for the good. This is a very poignant and thought-provoking film that will undoubtedly lead viewers into a greater appreciation for what is most important in life and a gratefulness for the redemption of our loving and faithful God.

Violence: Minor / Profanity: None / Sex/Nudity: Mild

official site and resources: TheSongMovie.com

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