You might think “Ms Mystery” is just another song about an enigmatic girl. And you’d probably at least be half right. This acoustic track is, indeed, about a kind of girl. However, when Alias Wayne sings about ‘mystery Babylon,’ it’s immediately clear there is much more going on. This is also a song that references Biblical prophecy. It’s not your typical girl, then, and it’s also not your typical pop song.
The track is built around an acoustic guitar part, which is a series of jazzy chords. Alias Wayne begins by saying what he sees should be obvious. Then again, if what he sees is truly obvious, it wouldn’t be a mystery, right? It’s not just another time in history, Alias Wayne states while alluding to politics and world affairs.
He’s drawn inspiration from Revelation 17 in the Bible, where in verse five it mentions “Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth. She is also known as the Whore of Babylon, a symbolic figure and place of evil. This ‘whore’ is also sometimes translated to mean idolatress. She/it is an end times symbol in Christian eschatology.
For Alias Wayne’s song, one gets the gist that he’s using this Biblical figure to represent the widespread evil in today’s world. You don’t have to be a Biblical scholar to notice how dark the world can be at times. In fact, one could sing a song like this one in just about every period of human existence. However, Christians believe this end of the world scenario will be the very worst time in history.
Somewhat ironically, Alias Wayne sings his song in a slightly offhanded manner. His vocal is relaxed and comfortable sounding. He doesn’t come off panicked or particularly urgent. Instead, he sounds more like a man that is pointing out the obvious. In addition to his guitar-based instrumental track, Alias Wayne is backed by soulful female backing vocals. This gives the track a bit of a classic rock feel, as well. In a sense, it’s a little like a sister song to The Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil.” That song, you may recall, paints a similar picture of evil. In it, though, it’s more of a Madison Avenue marketing campaign for Satan. He is described as a man of wealth and taste, and not some red horned figure. In fact, it’s probably more of an honest portrait of the devil than is often presented to us. He is, the Bible tells us, and angel of light, so he’s likely more of a good-looking guy, rather than the ugly one many times seen in movies.
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This is a song that may just sneak up on you. It has the sound of a relaxed tune. Sometimes, though, songwriters will put their most serious messages in seemingly innocent musical settings. Such is the case here. Alias Wayne is not shouting, ‘Beware of evil!’ He is, nevertheless, singing about the really bad stuff in the world today. It’s unclear if he is a Bible prophecy student, or if he’s just using this Biblical information to make his point. The bottom line is that his point is well made.
-Dan MacIntosh
