What’s a song lyric that has stuck with you forever?
This one is easy for me.
On June 17, 1984, I was attending a youth week at Christian Retreat in Bradenton, Florida. That evening, Billy Mayo was speaking, and much of his message focused on backward masking—the supposed hidden messages people claimed could be heard when certain rock songs were played in reverse.
We listened to several examples, and Billy definitely had my attention. But near the end of the message, he shifted directions.
He told a story about a boy who had become withdrawn and was listening to a lot of hard-edged music. According to Billy, the boy’s father went to his room one night, knocked, and received no answer. When he opened the door, he found that his son had taken his own life. Playing on the stereo was AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell.”
Billy didn’t play the song, but he recited the lyrics:
Hey, Satan, payin’ my dues
Playin’ in a rockin’ band
Hey, mama, look at me
I’m on the way to the promised land,
I’m on the highway to Hell
I know now that the band has said the song was about the hardships of playing on the road in a rock band. That may well be true. But those lyrics can certainly be taken another way, and they hit me pretty hard that night.
Then Billy shifted directions again.
He told us about a Christian singer who had changed the world through his music and who had recently died in a tragic plane crash.
Keith Green.
I already knew who Keith was, and a lot of us were deeply saddened by his death. Then Billy played the live version of Keith’s song “Altar Call.”
Most people don’t find out
‘Till it’s too late
That someone has to pay the price
You can pay it yourself (Hah!)
Or let someone else
But who would be that nice
To pay a debt that isn’t his
Well I know someone like that
And He’s your best friend
He really is He really loves you
By the time the song finished, I was hooked.
Even if the AC/DC lyrics had been misrepresented in some way, the words of “Altar Call” cut straight into my soul. Then I heard this:
But did you ever open up your door
Give Him a chance
To prove Himself
That He’s real or not
I knew I had to make a choice that night.
Follow Jesus or reject Him.
I chose to follow.
And I’ve never regretted it. Not once.
It hasn’t been smooth sailing during the 42 years since that night. There have been struggles, failures, doubts, heartbreaks and plenty of moments when I didn’t understand what God was doing. But it has been worth it.
I know that I know that I know that God is real, that Jesus is His Son, and that His love dwells richly in my heart and soul.
So when someone asks me which song lyric has stayed with me forever, there really isn’t another answer.
I thank God for Keith Green.
And I thank Him for “Altar Call.”
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Copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.
