Music and the Gospel: Broken Things

I grew up playing piano and singing with a bunch of different choirs - because of that, I think I receive a lot of guidance and personal revelation through music. In addition to the hymns that we sing at Church, there are lots of songs that help me come to know the Savior more. "Broken Things" by Juliet Turner is one of these. 

You can have my heart, though it isn't new,
It's been used and broken, and only comes in blue,
It's been down a long road, and it got dirty along the way,
If I give it to you, will you make it clean and wash the shame away?

You can have my heart, if you don't mind broken things,
You can have my life; you don't mind these tears,
Well, I heard that you make old things new, so I give these pieces all to you,
If you want it, you can have my heart.

So beyond repair, nothing I could do,
I tried to fix it myself, but it was only worse when I got through,
Then you walk right into my darkness and you speak words so sweet,
And you hold me like a child, 'til my frozen tears fall at your feet.

You can have my heart, if you don't mind broken things,
You can have my life if you don't mind these tears,
Well, I heard that you make old things new, so I give these pieces up to you,
If you want it, you can have my heart.

At first listen, I thought this was just a typical love song. Even as a teenager, I listened to it that way. And then one day...something changed. It started with the line "and you hold me like a child, 'til my frozen tears fall at your feet." It reminded me of this sentence from Elder McConkie's last talk, which said, "I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears."

And then there's the line, "I tried to fix it [my heart] myself, but it was only worse when I got through." I can't tell you how many times this has been true in my life. I'll be too proud to ask God for help, to call on the power of Christ's atonement, and I'll try to fix things myself. But it never gets fixed - and it really does get worse. 

If you listen to the song thinking of it from the perspective of being about Christ, then, it all makes sense. He makes us new, He asks only for our broken, humble heart, He doesn't mind the mistakes or hardships, He just wants to help us. And most of all, even when we're broken and dirty, the Savior can help make us clean and wash all the shame and pain away. 

In the future, I'd like to talk about more songs that have helped me to understand the Gospel - are there any "non-hymn" songs that have helped you understand the Savior more?