Marilyn's Musings
June 23, 2026
When Pastor starts out a sermon with the words from a song, I think you all know that my musing has a good chance of being about that song. I love it when she does that because I find myself really thinking about the words to a song and what they mean. I looked it up and the following is what I found.
"Signs" is a classic song by the Five Man Electrical Band that critiques societal restrictions and norms, famously featuring the line "sign sign everywhere a sign." "Signs" was released in 1970 and became a significant hit, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard charts. The song reflects the frustrations of the counterculture movement, addressing themes of conformity and the limitations imposed by societal rules. The lyrics convey a sense of rebellion against the numerous signs that dictate behavior and restrict freedom.
Here is the chorus and one of the verses:
Sign, sign
Everywhere a sign
Blockin' out the scenery
Breakin' my mind
Do this, don't do that
Can't you read the sign?
And the sign said
"Everybody welcome
Come in, kneel down and pray"
But when they passed around the plate at the end of it all
I didn't have a penny to pay
So I got me a pen and a paper
And I made up my own little sign
I said, "Thank you, Lord, for thinkin' 'bout me
I'm alive and doin' fine"
I could go in different directions talking about this song. It was written during the “hippie” time when no one wanted rules. They didn’t like things like dress codes for restaurants or businesses. This was a time where, as the note above says, people were rebelling against the normal requirements to get a job or eat in a restaurant. They didn’t want to follow dress codes or rules of any kind. I lived through these years and didn’t rebel or complain about rules. That was the way life was and it was a long time ago. I guess I have always been a rule follower so I probably won’t have made a good hippie!!!
When I was out driving today those words “signs, signs everywhere a sign” keep going around and around in my head, like a tune you just can’t stop. I’d like to think of the different signs I saw this morning. There was a sign at the library with the summer schedule of concerts they do every year. There is a wonderful sign outside our church sometimes with the church schedule on it or sometimes with a verse for you to think about. There are signs around town with buildings for rent for new businesses to move it.
I like the simple signs that not everyone sees. How about a sign that summer is coming? That could be a sunny, warm day that signals the first day of summer (which was this past Sunday). Sometimes if you look up at the sky, you see grey or dark clouds. What can that be a sign of? Maybe some rain coming to cool us off and water our plants and grass. Other signs that you might not think of as being signs but they are – the ladies that are retired and can do anything spend hours working in the thrift shoppe – that, to me, is a sign that we are following God’s wishes to help the poor and take care of each other. Another sign is Pastor showing up every week wanting to share her faith journey with us. Here are some bible verses with the word “signs”.
- Exodus 3:2,12 – Moses saw the burning bush that did not burn up, a sign of God’s presence and call to lead Israel out of Egypt
- Isaiah 7:14 – “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel,” a prophetic sign of the Messiah
- John 20:30-31 – Jesus performed many signs so that people would believe He is the Messiah, demonstrating that miracles serve as divine confirmation
- Psalm 19:1 – “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands,” showing that nature itself is a sign of God’s power and presence
- Romans 1:20 – God’s invisible qualities and eternal power are evident in creation, providing a natural sign for all to see
- 1 Kings 19:12 – Elijah heard God in a gentle whisper, illustrating that signs can be subtle and require attentiveness
Here is an interesting note: The word "signs" appears 140 times in the Bible across the Old and New Testaments. Do you think God is telling us something? He has signs for us every day and everywhere; we just need to be aware of them. Think about that….
I looked for hymns that had the word “signs” in them, and couldn’t find one. But, I believe singing this song will show the signs of our love and praise for God…..We can just “Pass It On” and that will be a sign for others when we sing it.
“Pass It On”
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=aEPGTdEzB6o&si=x3UTeJXln6SWJi0G
