Relient K is a punk-rock Christian band that started in Canton, Ohio. They have been my favorite band since 2004, when I heard their song, Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been. I loved that song so much that I decided to buy their then-latest CD, Mmhmm (plus, I had plenty of money back then, due to the economy, so I could buy CDs merely on a whim). I eventually ended up buying every single CD and EP of theirs I could find. Since I know and love every single song of theirs, it is somewhat difficult to dwindle my favorites down to ten, but I will try:
10. Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been
As I wrote before, this is the song that started it all. It is an energetic song about repentance and forgiveness. There are actually two versions of this song: the original and a softer acoustic/ piano version. Both are great in their own way, but I prefer the acoustic version because I feel that it fits more with the message of the music. The music video to it is one of their best. Go check it out when you finish reading this article. I promise that you will enjoy it.
9. College Kids
This one is my little sister’s favorite Relient k song of all time. She first heard it right before I left for college, and instantly fell in love with it. Basically, its message is that college may not be for everyone, and that there is nothing wrong with not going to college. Just do what you think is best for you, and all will work out.
8. The Only Thing Worse Than Beating a Dead Horse is Betting On One
Not exactly the shortest title they have come up with, it is definitely one of the funniest (and it makes you think, too! Score!). The song itself, I freely admit, makes less sense than the title, but there are little nuggets of wisdom hidden in there. The song is barely over one minute “long”, but those less-than-two-minutes are completely worth it.
7. I So Hate Consequences
I am not into screamo music, but I do enjoy screaming vocals in the background, if done correctly. There are only a handful of songs by Relient k that actually have screaming in them, and most of them ended up in this top ten list. I guess that means that I actually do like some screamo…
6. Silly Shoes
Well, technically, this song has no title since it can only be found after the song Jefferson, Aeroplane… three minutes after the song finishes. What sets this song apart from all of the other Relient k songs is one simple thing: it is a rap song. Every time I hear the song I laugh out loud (oddly enough, they also have a country song called Bee Your Man. They certainly are a diverse band!). Listen to it for a good laugh.
5. Getting Into You
This song really shows the spiritual side of Relient k. It is a beautiful love ballad to God that shows His desire to be with us. The chorus actually works both ways; the song writer is wanting to get close to God, and God is wanting to get closer to the song writer. This song helps me remember Who to keep as #1 in my life.
4. Which to Bury; Us, or the Hatchet?
Another song with screaming background vocals, this was my favorite song at one point. That particular point happened to be right after a particularly nasty break-up with a particularly mean, back-stabbing girl (sympathy, please!). I have put that in the past since then, but it still is one of my favorites of all time.
3. Life After Death and Taxes
Yet another song with screaming background vocals, this song reminds us of the fact that there is life after death, and that the decisions we make in this life affect the next.
2. There Was No Thief
Originally called “The Thief”, this song received a makeover recently. The new song is much improved over the original. It is one of their many break-up songs that I fell in love with during “that period”. It still is one of my favorites, simply because it has in it some of the most beautiful piano music I have ever heard.
1. Pressing On
Well, what can I say about this song? It is one of the most energetic, positive, uplifting songs I have ever heard in my life. Whenever I feel depressed, all I need to do is pop this song in and listen, or simply sing it out at the top of my lungs. I chose this song as my favorite because it has helped me through so many different trials. There is no song I can suggest that will help you get in a better mood than this one. The music video, unfortunately, is somewhat stupid, but I can forgive them for that.
That concludes my list for the top ten Relient k songs. I hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Now, go listen to some Relient k songs!
