Lyrics
Once a young man heard the call of God
As he strummed his guitar and sang his song
And the joy of his salvation and the ideals of his youth
Made him long to be the minstrel of the Lord
So, he sang for love of God and he sang of Jubilee
Of debts being cancelled and prisoners set free
And whoever loved the truth would be arrested by the words
In the song of the minstrel of the Lord
Now the land had been forsaken by a universal curse
And an enemy was bent on changing good to bad to worse
As the young man saw the world he loved tormented by the wrong
He lamented and began to change his song
And he sang of human misery and all of sin's effects
From the pain of his conviction to the heart of God's elect
And whoever loved the truth now heard a warning in the words
of the song of the minstrel of the Lord
Now the minstrel, he was honest, he was smart and he was wise and
In his song could not help but tell the truth about the lies
Of the enemy, perpetuated on the dying world
It was the burden of the minstrel of the Lord
So he sang of resurrection and he sang of victory
Of love and life and triumph over all this misery
Oh, he sang for love of God, it was the first and final word
In the song of the minstrel of the Lord
And whoever will listen will hear of jubilee
Of debts being cancelled and prisoners set free
And whoever loves the truth will be arrested by the words
In the song of the minstrel of the Lord.
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Meaning & Inspiration
The song follows a minstrel whose calling develops as he confronts both the joy of salvation and the damage caused by sin. His earliest songs celebrate jubilee, cancelled debts, and freedom for prisoners, imagery closely associated with the biblical proclamation of good news to the oppressed. As the world’s misery becomes harder to ignore, his music gains a warning note without abandoning truth or love for God. The minstrel’s honesty is therefore presented as part of faithful service rather than mere social commentary.\n\nIts final movement returns to resurrection, victory, love, and life. That turn does not dismiss the suffering named earlier; it places suffering under the promise of Christ’s triumph. The recurring line about listeners being arrested by the words suggests truth with the capacity to interrupt complacency and command attention. By ending where it began—with jubilee and release—the song portrays Christian witness as truthful about evil yet anchored in redemption. The minstrel’s first and final subject remains the love of God, which holds lament, warning, freedom, and victory together.
Related Scripture
- Luke 4:18-19 Jesus proclaims good news, freedom for prisoners, and the year of the Lord’s favor.
- Leviticus 25:10 The Jubilee command announces liberty and the restoration of people to their property and families.
- 1 Corinthians 15:57 Paul gives thanks to God for victory through Jesus Christ.