Crowd shot masthead ApologetiX Logo Keith Haynie plays bassBill Hubauer plays lead guitarJ. Jackson sings leadJimmy Vegas Tanner plays drums
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03.18.24Get Multiple Downloads for One Donation
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03.16.24Influential Albums: 1402-1408
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03.09.24This Week's Bible-Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
03.09.24The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
03.05.24This Week's News Bulletin
03.03.24New Single: '74 Solo Smashes
03.01.24A Serious Problem We're Trying to Address
02.29.24All About Our Next CD
02.29.24Influential Albums: 1388-1394
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02.22.24Get Ready for Our Next CD
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02.22.24This Week's Bible Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
02.22.24Wayne Is Retiring, What's Next for Him and Us?
02.22.24The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
02.19.24This Week's News Bulletin
02.19.24New Single: Billy & The Beach
02.16.24Influential Albums: 1374-1380
02.16.24This Week's Bible Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
02.16.24Remembering ApX Friend Paul "Doc" Nigh (1956-2024)
02.16.24Clues for 2024 Single #4
02.10.24Influential Albums: 1367-1373
02.10.24Fans Making Plans to Attend Our Big Show September 1
02.10.24This Week's Bible Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
02.10.24The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
02.06.24This Week's News Bulletin
02.06.24New Single: '74 & '83
02.03.24ApX Lead Singer/Lyricist Shares His Testimony 36 Years Later
02.03.24Influential Albums: 1360-1366
02.03.24This Week's Bible Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
02.03.24Latest CD Added to iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, Etc.
02.02.24Clues for 2024 Single #3
01.29.24This Week's News Bulletin
01.26.24Influential Albums: 1353-1359
01.26.24How to Get the ApX Library, USBs, Multiple Downloads
01.26.24This Week's Bible-Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
01.26.24Flashback: J.'s Vision for ApologetiX in 2014
01.26.24J.'s Vision for ApologetiX in 2024
01.26.24The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
01.24.24Checking in With ApX Alum Drummer Fred Behanna
01.22.24This Week's News Bulletin
01.22.24New Single: '70s #1 Hits That Remade '60s Top 10 Hits
01.19.24Influential Albums: 1346-1352
01.19.24Encouraging Message from Longtime Fan in Oklahoma
01.19.24This Week's Bible-Reading & Rock Thru the Bible
01.15.24This Week's News Bulletin
01.12.24Influential Albums: 1339-1346
01.12.24The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
01.12.24Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
01.12.24New Testament Reading Started Wednesday
01.11.24New Worship Songs Available from ApX Alum Bill Rieger
01.08.24New Single: '81 & '83
01.08.24New CD BOGO Ends Sunday
01.08.24New USB Thumb Drives on the Way
01.05.24Clues for 2024 Single #1
01.05.24Influential Albums: 1332-1338
01.05.24Have You Heard About the Other Music City Miracle?
01.05.24This Week's Bible Reading & Rock Thru the Bible
12.29.23Influential Albums: 1325-1331
12.29.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
12.28.232023: A Record-Breaking Record-Making Year
12.28.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
12.26.23This Week's News Bulletin
12.26.23New Single: 1974 & 2008
12.23.23Influential Albums: 1318-1324
12.23.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
12.23.23ApologetiX Updated Christmas Playlist
12.18.23This Week's News Bulletin
12.18.23New Samson CD Mailed to Fans, New Orders Sent as They Come In
12.16.23Influential Albums: 1311-1317
12.16.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
12.16.23New Story
12.16.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
12.11.23This Week's News Bulletin
12.11.23New Single: '83 & '84
12.11.23ApX Apparel: Order by Tuesday with Express Shipping
12.07.23New ApX Apparel and More: Order Soon for Christmas
12.07.23Influential Albums: 1304-1310
12.07.23Just Reword CD Added to iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, Etc.
12.07.23Clues for 2023 Single #25
12.04.23This Week's News Bulletin
12.02.23Influential Albums: 1297-1303
12.02.23This Week's Bible Reading & Rock Thru the Bible
12.02.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
12.02.23New Shirts & Other ApX Merch Coming Soon
12.02.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
11.28.23This Week's News Bulletin
11.28.23New Christmas Single: All '80s
11.24.23Influential Albums: 1290-1296

The Stories Behind the Songs on Our 16th Single
Sat., Oct. 2. 2021 5:35pm EDT

J. Jackson, lead singer and lyricist for ApologetiX here again.

Here are the stories behind the songs on our 16th single of 2021:

LIKE PIRANHA FISH

The Apostle Paul warned the churches in Galatia, "If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other" (Galatians 5:15). He wasn't talking about cannibalism, but backbiting (and frontbiting and sidebiting). So don't be cruel.

Years ago, I got the silly spoof idea "My Piranha Fish," but I didn't think it had a good biblical application until one day when I remembered that Bible verse. Growing up, I thought piranhas were fascinating, so it was great to get them into a song, just like we put a Portuguese man-of-war into "Let's Show All the Way" a couple months before that. And think of all the air time we've already given whales with those four Jonah songs!

The last secular band I was in before coming to Christ was called Nice Piranha, and I'm the one who suggested that name. It was an in-joke my old college roommate and I had that's too long to explain here. I read the entire Hardy Boys series as a kid, and my favorite moment involved a swimming pool filled with piranha in book #51, The Masked Monkey.

Speaking of books, the day Wayne sent us the mixes for "Like Piranha Fish," I was finishing a book by ApX fan Bob Jones, and he wrote, ""I want to end our time together with a passage from Galatians 5" and then quoted Galatians 5:13-26." I thought the timing was amazing, as I don't see that Bible passage quoted often, and he started with the three verses I'd read aloud (using the same translation) in the middle of the song.

TO WAIT FOR THE BRIDE

Skeptics say you're wrong to believe that Jesus will return someday as He promised, since it's been such a long time since He left, but stick around. "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).

We previously discussed the Bride of Christ in "Christ's Wedding" (2015) and made a passing reference in "Sermon in a Love Song" (2020). Revelation gives more info: "Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready" (Revelation 19:7).

I'm pretty sure I got the hook line "He wants to wait for the Bride" on July 30. It came rather effortlessly, but I didn't know if I'd keep working on the song or not. But the line stuck with me, so I started working on it on September 6, 2021, and asked Rich Mannion to do the same with the keyboards and drum-programming. Jimmy added some percussion parts, too.

The bass and guitars were more complicated than I initially thought, but George Elliott and Wayne Bartley made them sound easy. As George told me, "Marcus Miller is the bassist on this, and he alternates finger-style and slap playing in the song." I wasn't familiar with Marcus Miller when he told me that, but just a little over an hour later, a book I was reading mentioned him. The next day, the same book mentioned him again.