5 Classic Rock Songs That Explore Spirituality

The lyrical themes of classic rock songs are usually down-to-earth. On occasion, though, rock musicians have looked into the bigger questions—ones that require us to think about why we’re all here and what our place is in the universe. These five songs may not be about partying and rockin’ out, but because the melodies and arrangements are just as compelling as the lyrics, they’re still good songs for having a good time. In the end it’s only rock ‘n’ roll.

1. “What Is Life” by George Harrison

Harrison asks the ultimate spiritual question in this track from All Things Must Pass. And he makes his answer to the question about the meaning of life plain in the song’s chorus.

Tell me, what is my life without your love?
And tell me, who am I without you by my side?

If interpreted as a song about his devotion to a deity, Harrison is asserting that life is about accepting the love of God and sharing love with all beings (What I know / I can do / If I give my love now to everyone like you). Harrison never specifies who the “you” is in his lyrics, and some have interpreted “What Is Life” as just a typical love song. Given the well-documented spiritual journey that Harrison had been on in the years leading up to the recording of All Things Must Pass, though, it’s certainly plausible to assume that Harrison was singing about his relationship with God in this song.

2. “Into the Mystic” by Van Morrison

In this song from Moondance, Morrison paints a beautiful picture of a spiritual experience on the water. The lyrics invite us to place ourselves in this setting by using our senses: Smell the sea and feel the sky / Let your soul and spirit fly into the mystic. Saxophones even simulate the sound of a foghorn to complete the scene. The gentle guitars lull the listener into a blissful state, but Morrison isn’t creating this mellow mood just to chill us out. He is creating a peaceful vibe that, for him, is a return to where he belongs. As he sings in the pre-chorus, When that foghorn blows / You know I will be coming home.

3. “The Logical Song” by Supertramp

Roger Hodgson wrote “The Logical Song” about his experience of being sent to boarding school, where he was taught how to be an accepted member of society, but not how to learn about his true self or his purpose in the world. The opening lines show us a pre-boarding-school version of Hodgson, who was at one with the world.

When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful
A miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical
And all the birds in the trees, well, they’d be singing so happily
Oh, joyfully, oh playfully watching me

Despite his teachers’ best efforts, Hodgson’s desire to be more than a cog in the machine persisted. While the educational system might not have valued the kind of learning the young Hodgson wanted, he still asked the questions that “run too deep for such a simple man.” 

4. “The Chamber of 32 Doors” by Genesis

This deeper cut is right in the middle of Genesis’ four-sided concept album, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. The album’s songs deal with spiritual topics under the guise of a surreal story about a young Puerto Rican New Yorker named Rael.

[RELATED: Phil Collins and Genesis Sell Portion of Music Catalogs for $300 Million]

In “The Chamber of 32 Doors,” Rael finds himself lost in a large, crowded room, and he tries to find a doorway that will lead him to someone who can help him find his way. Peter Gabriel’s lyrics walk us through Rael’s quest to find a trustworthy guide, and how everyone who tries to help him, including priests, magicians, academics, and his parents, ultimately fails him. Every door Rael enters leads him back into the chamber where he started.

In the song’s conclusion, Gabriel aptly sums up the frustration one can feel in a seemingly endless search for meaning and direction.

Back inside this chamber of so many doors
I’ve nowhere, nowhere to hide
I’d give you all of my dreams
If you’d help me find a door
That doesn’t lead me back again
Take me away

5. “Carry on Wayward Son” by Kansas

Kansas’ first hit single gives the listener a lot to take in. Beyond the song’s elaborate arrangement and soaring harmonies, Kerry Livgren’s lyrics reveal a long and difficult spiritual journey, not unlike Rael’s in “The Chamber of 32 Doors.” Livgren said the song is about his own spiritual quest, and he likens his path to that of Icarus.

Once I rose above the noise and confusion
Just to get a glimpse beyond this illusion
I was soaring ever higher
But I flew too high

While Livgren’s tumultuous journey left him “tossed about…like a ship on the ocean,” he asserts that keeping the faith will pay off eventually. As he reminds us in the chorus, Carry on, my wayward son / There’ll be peace when you are done.

Photo by Dennis Stone/Express/Getty Images