The first entry will probably be unfamiliar to you, unless you’re a fan of British heavy metal. It’s by Blaze Bayley, ex-singer of Wolfsbane and Iron Maiden, in the 3rd studio album by his solo band, called (the album, not the band) Blood & Belief.

The song is called “The Path and the Way”, and, besides sounding great (to my musical tastes, of course!), the lyrics, while simple, are somewhat inspired, and Blaze sings them with a lot of emotion — much more than in his albums with Maiden. It’s obvious that he’s singing from the heart. While he may or may not be an atheist, the lyrics certainly say, quite correctly, that religion is bullshit.

I’ll find the path and the way on my own, I have before
Don’t need them telling me who died for me
And what it was for

This may be a revelation for them
They don’t understand my life or yours
Not conforming to all of their ideals
Makes me all wrong and them right of course.

So no, I don’t believe in their religion
I don’t believe their sacrifice
I don’t believe their hell or heaven
I don’t believe that they are right about my life…

People dying because of ideas
Ideas describing their god differently
It is their gods’ world
So they rearrange it
arrange it to fit
distorted prophecies

[Repeat verse 2]

Oh no, I don’t believe in their religion
I don’t believe their sacrifice
I don’t believe their hell or heaven
I don’t believe that they are right about my life…

I’ll find the path and the way on my own
I always have before
I’ll find the path and the way on my own
I will open my own doors.

[Repeat verse 2]

Oh no, I don’t believe in their religion
I don’t believe their sacrifice
I don’t believe their hell or heaven
I don’t believe that they are right…

I don’t believe…