Go west young man by Michael W. Smith lyrics
I’m blazing a trail that leads to vice So easily enticed By darker means
When out of the wilderness of choice I hear that one still voice Call to me
Chorus: Go west young man, Go west young man, When the evil go east, Go west young man, Go west young man, Find a heart that’s golden
Why must I wander like a cloud Following the crowd Well I don’t know But i’m asking for the will to fight To wear the crown of life And you say go
Chorus: The mind is weak the heart is frail When it goes beyond the pale so unwise
This song speaks of a person going down an immoral, destructive path allured by Satan,and out of his situation he hears a “go west young man”. What a very backwards idea. Even given the fact as far direction is concerned left is on the west, right is on the east. It could not be Christ telling him to go west. No clear direction given, and not scriptural based. It is an embedded backwards idea granted in the song. Understand that in the song Michael W. Smith is roaming on the road and hears direction affirmation to go west regarding east as evil. Going the instructed direction he hears, continuosly leads him wondering through a crowd going west on an opposite direction looking for the eternal life. This song encourages him to west go and follow the crowd on expanse to satan subliminally because of mental state and seek earthen vessel and treasures for eternal life, but through road of vice.
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me .
John 10:5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. We are not to be enticed by the enemy to tread the opposite direction theif comes deceive. John 10:10 Makes mention that the thief cometh but for to steal , tokill, to destroy, but Jesus said he comes to give come to give us life and more abundantely.
Matthew 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it
Further Examining “Go West Young Man” how the deception is embedded into song used and where it comes from
Here is a quote from Josiah Grinnell
Josiah Grinnell said in his autobiography that Horace Greecly advised him by saying” Go West, young man, go West. There is health in the country, and room away from our crowds of idlers and imbeciles.” “That,” I said, “is very frank advice, but it is medicine easier given than taken. It is a wide country, but I do not know just where to go.” “It is all room away from the pavements.
The idea of the song go west young man is not talking about heaven, and it was taken from the ideas presented by Horace Greecly of going west to a country, and following a crowd of people idlers (lazy people,sloth) and imbeciles(mentally deficient), and it’s wide place or country with alot of room. It speaking of hell and saying that people will be lead by incompotent people following a road with a lot of room.
The idea of going west young man even associated with the idea of Manifest Destiny expanding terroritorial destiny from sea to shining sea, and the Western Expansion. Here is a quote from Horace Greecley.” If a young man is about to commence in the world … we say to him publicly and privately, go to the West. There, your capacities are sure to be appreciated and your industry and energy rewarded.”
— Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune, so urged young men to go West in the 1850’s
Prominent religion embraced was often in the ethnically specific worship form of the Anglo-Saxon gods”
Anglo Saxon religious beliefs included the induldgence in paganism, and they were polytheistic in their beliefs worshipping many deities.
Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have other gods before. Luke 4:8 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.