Blake Shelton discovers both grace and a hell of a song in the new ballad “Bible Verses.” Written by three upstart songwriters in Joe Fox, Andrew Peebles, and Brett Sheroky, “Bible Verses” casts Shelton as a flawed man seeking to live better. His barometer for growth? How the words in his King James change their meaning.
“I keep praying for the day that I can open up that good book/and heaven don’t look like it’s out of reach/When it feels like those apostles are giving me the gospel and not the third degree,” he sings, teeing up a bit of classic country wordplay in the chorus: “I just want it to read like bible verses/and not the bible versus me.”
The conflict in Shelton’s delivery is palpable. His narrator is tortured and looking for comfort. As such, “Bible Verses” stands as one of The Voice coach’s best songs in recent years.
“No matter where you are in your faith, there are times you feel like you just don’t measure up,” Shelton says in a release. “‘Bible Verses’ is an honest take on that conflict but, without preaching too much, it’s hopeful that everything will all work out in the end.”
“Bible Verses” follows Shelton’s latest single, “Minimum Wage,” which he performed at this year’s ACM Awards, along with a rendition of his debut single “Austin.” Both “Bible Verses” and “Minimum Wage” appear on his upcoming album Body Language, out May 21st.