When The Angels Sing - Social Distortion

You may remember my comparison to Johnny Cash in my last post on Social Distortion. Johnny left no doubt as to what he believed. He performed at Billy Graham's Crusades, made a movie called Gospel Road about Jesus's ministry, and wrote Man In White: A Novel About The Apostle Paul (referring to Jesus as the Man In White). It is a surprisingly well written book. You should definitely click on the title to read about it at amazon.com.
I don't know exactly what Mike Ness believes. He writes a lot about prayer, heaven, hell, angels, etc. but I think maybe that is more because these things are part of the lives of people who are down and out. Maybe he is a very spiritual person. There seems to be more evidence against it, but I guess the truth is known only to him and God. Either way, I appreciate songs like this one.

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When The Angels Sing - Mike Ness for the album White Light White Heat White Trash (1996)
Watch the video

At last we meet again, dear God
Hear the angels sing
The funerals are nicer when we know you're there
When the angels sing

Sometimes I try so hard
To understand the things you do
Who am I to question you
When it all comes down
Hear the angels sing

Stand up strong feel the pain
When the angels sing
Love and death don't mean a thing
Til the angels sing

The prisoners pray when they're on death row
Hear the angels sing
The junky cries for love but it's all run out
When the angels sing

The sins of the world and it's cold on the streets
When you're all alone and the tears they start to fall
When it all comes down
Hear the angels sing

Chorus

Little by little day by day
I watch the children play
Cause life and death don't mean a thing
Til the angels sing

When the angel of death comes to looking for me
Hear the angels sing
I hope I was everything I was supposed to be
When the angels sing

There's gotta be a heaven
Cause I've already done my time in hell
And a little baby's born when it all comes down
Hear the angels sing

Chorus

Little by little day by day
I watch the children play
Cause life and death don't mean a thing
Til the angels sing

Here I Am - Emmylou Harris

Emmylou Harris's first big break in the music industry occurred in 1971 when Chris Hillman (The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and the Desert Rose Band) saw her perform and recommended her to Gram Parsons (also of the Burrito Bros. and briefly The Byrds), who was looking for a female vocalist for his solo album. She ended up touring with him and his band The Fallen Angels until his death in 1973. Since then she has worked with musicians from all genres and has been responsible for launching the careers of others as well, including Rodney Crowell and Ricky Skaggs.

This song reminds me of a lesson in the Bible Study I am teaching called The Embraceable Mystery... God. The particular lesson states that while God is a mystery to us, He does want us to know Him, and I think that is what this song is all about. I believe this song is written from God's point of view. There is a great live performance on youtube from the Late Show featuring Paul Shaffer on piano. Click here to watch.

Here I Am - written by Emmylou Harris for the album Stumble Into Grace (2003)

I am standing by the river 
I will be standing here forever 
Though you're on the other side
My face you still can see 
Why won't you look at me
Here l am

I am searching through the canyon
It is your name that I am calling
Though you're so far away
I know you hear my plea 
Why won't you answer me 
Here I am

I am in the blood of your heart 
The breath of your lung 
Why do you run for cover 
You are from the dirt of the earth 
And the kiss of my mouth 
I have always been your Lover 
Here I am

I am the promise never broken 
And My arms are ever open
In this harbor calm and still 
I will wait until 
Until you come to Me 
Here I am

Secret Of The Easy Yoke - Pedro The Lion

David Bazan is the main songwriter of Pedro The Lion and for years he was the only permanent member of the band. He is the most honest and open artist both in his lyrics and interviews that I have ever heard. I have struggled with whether or not to write about him on this blog because most of his songs are dark and depressing without any moral point to them. They just are what they are. There are some, mainly from his earlier albums that are spiritual in nature and easily relatable. Because he is so open and honest in his writing it is easy to think of him on a more personal level, like a friend. That is why it saddens me that a couple of years ago he formed an agnostic view of faith. This concerns me not because I think now suddenly he is a bad person, and not even because I am worried about his future in eternity because that has already been settled. It concerns me because he has been an inspiration to seek God through hard times and now he is not sure that God is there. I just hope that he gets past whatever he is going through and finds peace and God again. 

This song was written several years ago when he still believed in God. It is about frustrations with organized religion as well as personal trials of faith. And it is pretty self explanatory. I heard this song while I was driving today and I decided to write about it after thinking about how it related to comments on my last post.

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Secret Of The Easy Yoke - written by David Bazan for the album It's Hard To Find A Friend (1998)

I could hear the church bells ringing 
they pealed aloud Your praise 
the member's faces were smiling 
with their hands outstretched to shake 
it's true they did not move me 
my heart was hard and tired 
their perfect fire annoyed me 
I could not find You anywhere 
could someone please tell me the story 
of sinners ransomed from the fall 
I still have never seen You, and somedays 
I don't love You at all 

the devoted were wearing bracelets 
to remind them why they came 
some concrete motivation 
when the abstract could not do the same 
but if all that's left is duty, I'm falling on my sword 
at least then, I would not serve an unseen distant Lord 

could someone please tell me the story 
of sinners ransomed from the fall 
I still have never seen You, and somedays 
I don't love You at all 
if this only a test 
I hope that I'm passing, 'cause I'm losing steam
but I still want to trust You 

Peace, be still (x3) 

Love And Mercy - Brian Wilson

Brian Wilson is a legend in rock and roll music. He wrote, arranged, and produced most of the Beach Boys albums as well as sang on a lot of them. The Beatles have cited him as an influence. Not many people can claim that. I consider my self fortunate to have seen him live on the Smile tour. That was one of the best concert experiences I have had.

Over the past few years in my efforts to develop my spiritual world view and determine exactly what my opinion should be about the people around me and events that shape our culture, I keep coming back to the idea that God is Love. I know that anyone who has attended church even for a short period of time has heard this over and over. We have also heard that one of the purposes of Jesus living on earth as one of us was to set an example of how we should live.(The main purpose of course was to die on the cross to pay for our sins) Look at what Jesus said in John 14:7-12 7If you really knew me, you would know^[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." 8Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." 9Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. I realize that the context here is referring specifically to miracles but I think it can be applied to all that Jesus did. The Church as a whole needs to embrace this. We as individuals need to embrace this. Jesus loved everyone without discrimination. It is not our responsibility to judge, only to love. The Christian faith has a bad impression with the world today that I think only love can overcome. 

Looks like I pulled the old bait and switch on you, huh? Lured you in with commentary on Brian Wilson the preached to you. I think Brian has it right on with this one. He doesn't question how the people he sings about got in the position they are in, he just offers love, and mercy (which is not receiving the judgment you deserve).

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Love And Mercy - written by Brian Wilson originally on the album Brian Wilson (1988)

I was sittin' in a crummy movie with my hands on my chin
Oh the violence that occurs seems like we never win

Love and mercy that's what you need tonight
So, love and mercy to you and your friends tonight

I was lyin' in my room and the news came on T.V.
A lotta people out there hurtin' and it really scares me

Love and mercy that's what you need tonight
So, love and mercy to you and your friends tonight

I was standin' in a bar and watchin' all the people there
Oh the lonliness in this world well it's just not fair

Hey love and mercy that's what you need tonight
So, love and mercy to you and your friends tonight

Love and mercy that's what you need tonight
Love and mercy tonight

Love and mercy

Family Bible - Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson may be my favorite singer/song writer. He has written many songs that a lot of artists have made famous. His voice is very easily recognizable, and I think it sounds good. I have heard it said about Neil Diamond that you either love his music or you hate it. I think the same may be true for Willie. 

You may be wondering why I put a picture of my dog on this post. Trigger is named after Willie's guitar which is named after Roy Rogers' horse. Maybe Hannah and Tony should name their son Trigger to keep the tradition going. (I'm joking, I don't really want you to name your son after my dog. But if you still haven't come up with a name, maybe you could name him Luci after your dog, to toughen him up like Johnny Cash's song Boy Named Sue.)

The picture in the background of the title of this blog is Willie/Trigger. Trigger is a Martin N-20, a classical guitar not designed to play with a pick, so it doesn't have a pick guard. Over time Willie has worn a hole there because he plays with a pick. Trigger also has a sound that you know it when you here it (of course Willie's style of playing is a lot of that). He has said that when that hole gets so bad that it makes Trigger unplayable he will probably retire. 

The song Family Bible could have been written about my family. Don't confuse this song with Who Gets The Family Bible written by Rick Logan for the movie Step Brothers. That song is one of the little things that make Step Brothers and Talladega Nights so funny. When we were little the whole family used to sit on the living room floor and read the Bible (and Character  Sketches; if you haven't heard of these books look them up on amazon.com), sing hymns and worship songs, and pray before we went to bed. 

The version  of Family Bible that I have is on the album VH1 Storytellers: Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson (1998).

There's a family Bible on the table each page is torn and hard to read

But the family Bible on the table will ever be my key to memories

At the end of day when work was over and when the evening meal was done

Dad would read to us from the family Bible

And we'd count our many blessings one by one

I can see us sittin' round the table when from the family Bible dad would read

I can hear my mother softly singing rock of ages rock of ages cleft for me

Now this old world of ours is filled with trouble but this old world would oh so better be

If we'd find more Bibles on the tables and mothers singing rock of ages cleft for me

I can see us sittin' round the table...

Rock of ages rock of ages cleft for me