The Rock, Pop, and Country Gospel

“Changes” – Written by Ted “Lightnin’ Boy” Larsen, performed by Kid Jonny Lang & The Big Bang But now I know what they was trying to say I gotta change my life Change my ways On August 27, 1990, the blues and rock world lost one of its most gifted guitarists when Stevie Ray Vaughn died in a helicopter crash. The void he left was large, but it began filling back in a few years later when two precocious teens hit the blues/rock scene – Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Jonny Lang. At 18, Kenny Wayne was the “old man” of the two, while Jonny, 14, was “the kid,” the one who got a record deal before he could legally drive. Lang (born Jon Gordon Langseth, Jr.) started playing guitar at age 12, and just a year later joined a local blues band, The Big Bang, which soon became Kid Jonny Lang & The Big Bang. Lang gained attention quickly for his incredible guitar skills and a soulful, gravelly voice far beyond his years. The song “Changes” first appeared on his independently released album Smokin.’ It’s a blues-rock track driven by gritty guitar riffs and soulful vocals, showcasing Lang’s raw early talent and genre roots. The lyrics reflect a theme of personal transformation. Though it was never a commercially successful single, “Changes” remains a fan-favorite among blues enthusiasts and anyone exploring his early catalog. Smokin’ launched Lang’s career as a teen blues prodigy, paving the way for later major-label success with albums like Lie to Me (1997) and Wander This World (1998). Lang became a Christian in his late teens, an experience that deeply transformed both his life and music. In an interview with Sara Groves in Christianity Today, Lang gave details about his conversion, assuring her that he had had a supernatural experience with the Holy Spirit. In his own words, he has said that he formerly "hated Christianity" and "despised the things of God," but now he wants to share with others about Jesus' love. His spiritual conversion influenced the themes of his album Turn Around and subsequent work, where he focused on redemption, purpose, and grace. Turn Around won the Grammy Award in 2006 for Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album. * * * And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. – Ezekiel 36:26-27 My younger brother, Mike, died from a combination of a seizure disease and cardiac fibrosis. Over the years his repeated seizures damaged his heart and caused scar tissue to replace healthy heart tissue. The end result of this made his heart stiffer, less able to contract and relax, and less efficient at pumping blood. So, you could say he effectively died from a heart that was slowly turning to stone. But a hardened heart brought about illness is not what Ezekiel is referring to. The hard heart God promised to replace in the Ezekiel passage above did not cause Israel’s physical death but their spiritual death. Their “stony, stubborn heart” was the result of their resistance to His will and their moral insensitivity. They ignored God’s commands, rejected His prophets, and were unmoved by His presence or correction. Like stone, their hearts were cold, inflexible, and incapable of true worship or repentance. And despite repeated calls to return to God, they persisted in idolatry, injustice, and rebellion. All this led God to allow Judah and Israel to be defeated by the Babylonian Empire and exiled into captivity. But only for a time, until they learned the lesson he wanted to teach them. To paraphrase a popular saying, God loved Israel just the way they were, but He refused to leave them that way. Ezekiel 36:26–27 speaks of a radical transformation initiated by God. These verses describe a divine promise of inner renewal, one that goes beyond behavior modification to a complete spiritual rebirth. It’s not something a person can manufacture on their own; it’s the work of God replacing deadness with life, rebellion with obedience, and resistance with sensitivity to His will. At various points in our own journey of faith, our hearts can become hardened as well. This happens over time, typically through a series of spiritual compromises, emotional wounds, or persistent sin. While Scripture says that believers are made new in Christ, it also warns that hardness of heart is still possible – even among God’s people – if certain patterns are left unaddressed. These patterns can include a sin you persist in doing while ignoring God’s voice telling you it’s wrong. Or being unwilling to forgive someone or operating out of pride and thinking you no longer need God. Faith can also become hardened and lifeless when we continue serving God out of duty or obligation without taking some time for personal spiritual renewal. In this sense, “Changes” is more than a blues-rock track about understanding the need for personal change. It is a prophetic reflection of a deeper spiritual hunger that aligns with God’s promise in Ezekiel. The desire to change is the first step, but the power to change one’s heart, spirit, and life comes only through God’s initiative. In both “Changes” and Ezekiel’s words, we find the same truth: transformation begins when the heart is made new by the Spirit of God. Is it time for some changes in your life?