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
03.16.24New CD Slightly Delayed, BOGO Continues
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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
02.29.24This Week's Bible-Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
02.29.24Clues for 2024 Single #5
02.25.24This Week's News Bulletin
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 17th Single
Thu., Oct. 14. 2021 7:35pm EDT

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

Here are the stories behind the songs on our 17th single of 2021:

SECOND CORINTHIANS

I've always associated Corey Hart's "Never Surrender" with John Parr's "St. Elmo's Fire." Both came out in June 1985 and were anthems about overcoming challenges. And I remember rooting for both to hit #1. They were neck and neck at #3 and #4 on the August 24 chart. John Parr made it to #1 two weeks later, but Corey Hart surrendered at #3, though he did reach #1 in his native Canada.

ApX released a spoof of "St. Elmo's Fire" in May 2021 and "Never Surrender" in October 2021, but I actually suggested both as parody candidates to Rich back on March 10. I got the line "look in Second Corinthians" on August 5 and thought it had some potential. I finally asked Rich to start recording drums and keys on September 15.

But Second Corinthians is a good-sized book — where should my focus be? Then I got the opening line about chapter four (which rhymed with "asking for" in the original). Verses 4:16-17 are favorites of mine and were perfect for this parody. And dig this:

On October 1, I jotted down some potential lyrics for it in the big book of notes I keep by my bed. Five days later, after I'd just gotten home from singing the song in the studio, I noticed that the page on which I'd written those lines was the same page that had some of my early lyrics for our 2002 parody "Corinthians." I hadn't noticed before, because the title wasn't written on it.

What are the odds that, 19 years later, I would just randomly use the same page for some of my final lyrics for "Second Corinthians"? Wow!

SIGNORA PILATE'S DREAM

I was a major Moody Blues fan in high school and college, so it's hard to believe it took ApologetiX almost 30 years to spoof them. Back in the 1990's, I'd gotten some parody ideas for a couple of their hits from the late 60's and early 70's, but they were too complicated for us to replicate at the time.

Finally, in July 2021, after we'd been covering 80's songs for several months, I started seriously considering "Your Wildest Dreams," their big comeback hit from '86. On September 15, I asked Rich to start working on the drums, keyboards, and choral vocals. Later that morning, I got the idea to use the song to elaborate on Matthew 27:19, which says, "While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: 'Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.'"

I'd been wanting to do a song about Pilate's wife for a while. Jesus Christ Superstar incorrectly portrayed Pilate as having the dream, but she was the one who had it. Then I thought, "Well, the Bible doesn't say her name, and 'Mrs. Pilate's Dream' doesn't rhyme very well with the original." Then it dawned on me that Pilate was a Roman, and the Italian for Mrs. is "Signora," so "in your wildest dreams" could be "Signora Pilate's dream."

Technically, I suppose, it should be in Latin, but the Latin for Mrs. is "Dominae," so I stuck with "Signora." Maybe we can spoof The Moodys' biggest hit someday and call it "Nice to Write Latin."