CCM Backbeat: I Put Away My Idols by Dion

Many people are familiar with the music of Dion (DiMucci) even if they do not realize it. In the early 60’s he had a several rock hits. Two of his biggest were, Runaround Sue and The Wanderer. These songs made him a household name during this time, and in 1989 he was inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame.

What many people do not know is that, similar to Bob Dylan, B.J. Thomas, and Kanye West, he later professed faith in Jesus and released a couple of CCM albums. Today, I want to take a look at his 1983 album, I Put Away My Idols. My hope is that, for those who remember it, it will be an enjoyable trip down memory lane, and for those of you not familiar with the album, that it will be an introduction worthy of your time. To do this, I would like to highlight four songs off the album. The lyrics for several of his Christian songs are not available online, so I hope to correct that on the last two songs we look at as well.

I Put Away My Idols

Let’s start with the title track, I Put Away My Idols. Much of the album has a similar upbeat rock feel like his earlier secular work, and this song is no exception. If you have heard any songs from this album, it would be this one.

I will not include all of the lyrics here since they are in the video, but I always enjoy songs that give us a glimpse into someone’s conversion story, and this song does just that.

I was living by my horoscope
Taking pills to cope
With my pain
Rock and roll was my identity
My whole security
I made a name

He even gives a nod to Romans where we are told that the natural man serves the creation rather than the Creator.

Looking back over my years
My story did unfold
I worshipped people and their gifts
Not the gift giver at all

But in the end, he hears the voice of the Shepherd.

Truly from above I heard a friend
Truly now you must be born again
I put away my idols
I stripped away all the titles
Money wrinkles and things do decay
I put away my idols

They Won’t Tell You

Another favorite song of mine on this album is one which takes on the vanity of so much television programming. It was true in the 1980’s, and it is even more true today’ They Won’t Tell You.

Here are the lyrics. It is also a fun trip down 80’s TV memory lane.

Good morning America glad to tune you in
Days of our lives
It ran right to the end
For your morning excitement
You’ll catch The Price is Right
Your midday romance You’ll find on
The Edge of Night

And we’ll take a pause to tell you what you need
To get through The Days of our Lives and to succeed
A pill for pain, some soap to clean you up
A brand new car and some coffee to fill your cup

But they won’t tell you what you need to know
(They won’t tell you)
Jesus paid the price to free your soul
(Jesus freed you)
The TV keeps you strung out on the pages of this world
While the radio keeps you hooked on the rock n roll

I tell you, It don’t make no sense at all
But it’s been that way ever since the fall
Powers of darkness tryin’ to do you in
Drivin’ you deeper and deeper into your sin

Now it’s time to turn on the evenin’ news
But I’d rather hear Muddy Waters sing the blues
You’ve gotta keep up to know what’s goin’ down
Who’s winnin’ and losin’, which side’s gainin’ ground

A little bit later we’ll turn on some comic relief
Hah, somethin’ funny to make you show your teeth
A Fantasy Island to help you get away
A celebrity show to see what they got to say

But you won’t find it on the Johnny Carson show
(They won’t tell you)
And Norman Lear won’t put you in the know
(Jesus freed you)
Archie Bunker, he will say goodbye when the season ends
But Jesus will always be your friend

I tell you, There’s just one way to go
Turn on your life, turn off the picture show
Stand in the love and the light of reality
Accept Him as Lord and He will set you free

But you won’t find it in the People magazine
(They won’t tell you)
The Truth, the Life, the One who makes you clean
(Jesus freed you)
Charlie’s Angels cannot save you
From the darkness in this world
Barnaby Jones, he cannot clue you in

I’ll tell you, They won’t tell you what you need to know
(They won’t tell you)
Jesus paid the price to free your soul
(Jesus freed you)
TV keeps you strung out on the pages of this world
While the radio keeps you hooked on the rock n roll

Yeah, they won’t tell you
(They won’t tell you)
What you need to know
(Jesus freed you)
What you need to know

Give It Up and Surrender

Another toe-tapper on the album is called, Give It Up and Surrender. This song takes a look at the role of pride in the fall of Adam and Eve and in our lives as well.

Satan said, you can eat of the tree
The fruit will open up your eyes
Eve said that looks good to me
I wanna be wise
That is how all the trouble began
As a matter of pride
Man just had to have it his way
And now he’s got to run and hide

Woah, Give it up and surrender
Oh, give it up and be free
Let that pride go and give up to God
And repent of the tree

Yeah, God sent the Lord to help us along
So that we might understand
Just exactly how to know right from wrong
And the weakness of man
But still we turn our backs and run from it all
As a matter of pride
And when we do, we stumble and fall
This could be a long hard ride

Woah, give it up and surrender
Yeah, give it up and be free
Let that pride go and give up to God
Give it up, give it up, be free
Let it go

Ah, now we get to the back of the book
As we run God’s patience to the end
But still he’s just and he’s true to His word
His only Son He did send

Aw, but still we go against the will of the Lord
In so much that we do
But still His love and His mercy does a part
Salvation for me and you

I said, give it up and surrender
Give it up and be free
Let that pride go and give up to God
And repent of the tree (repeat)

Give it up and be free

Trust in the Lord

The final song I want to highlight is Trust in the Lord because, in the end, that is exactly what we need to do. Without faith it is impossible to please Him. What I like about this song, is how much of it is scripture set to music.

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart
and lean not on your own understanding
Acknowledge the Lord in all of your ways
And He will make your path straight (Repeat)

Jonah got along in the belly of whale
Daniel in the lion’s den
I know a man who lived on faith to the very end

Now the good book says that without faith
it is impossible to please God
because anyone who comes to him
must believe

You see, you trust in the Lord with all of your heart
and lean not on your own understanding
Acknowledge the Lord in all of your ways
And He will make your path straight

Against all hope, father Abraham
In hope he did believe
God calls things that are not as though they were

Oh, now God said it, I believe it
And that is good enough for me
We do walk by faith
and not by what we see

You see we trust in the Lord with all of your heart
and lean not on your own understanding
Acknowledge the Lord in all of your ways
And He will make your path straight

Faith is being sure of what we hope for
and it is certain of what we do not see
Faith it surely comes by hearing
the word of God you see
God you see

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart
and lean not on your own understanding
Acknowledge the Lord in all of your ways
And He will make your path straight (Repeat)

If you would like to listen to the album in its entirety, you can do so for free as a YouTube playlist here. Of course, nothing beats pulling a 12 inch vinyl record out of its sleeve and giving it a spin.

What about you? Do you have any memories of this album, or did you see Dion perform any of these songs in concert? Are there any other albums you would like to see highlighted as part of the CCM Backbeat? Let me know in the comments.

-D. Eaton