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I first heard this song by Leonard Cohen on his ‘Tower of Song’ album being sung by Jane Arden. Like many of Cohen’s great songs, this one leaves plenty of room for interpretation. What strikes me about it is the powerful images and phrases that surprise you at every turn. The spiritual power comes from an authentic humble voice speaking from the perspective of the great collective 'us' - with the understanding that we are all in this together. There’s a solidarity in our brokenness. The final verse says...
“And draw us near
And bind us tight
All your children here
In their rags of light
In our rags of light
All dressed to kill
And end this night
If it be your will”
As Leonard Cohen says about the song: 'It's an old prayer ...It's about surrendering'.
If inclined, you can research more about this song and the artist online.
Lyrics
If it be your will
That I speak no more
And my voice be still
As it was before
I will speak no more
I shall abide until
I am spoken for
If it be your will
If it be your will
That a voice be true
From this broken hill
I will sing to you
From this broken hill
All your praises they shall ring
If it be your will
To let me sing
From this broken hill
All your praises they shall ring
If it be your will
To let me sing
If it be your will
If there is a choice
Let the rivers fill
Let the hills rejoice
Let your mercy spill
On all these burning hearts in hell
If it be your will
To make us well
And draw us near
And bind us tight
All your children here
In their rags of light
In our rags of light
All dressed to kill
And end this night
If it be your will
© 1985 Leonard Cohen
and Sony/ATV Music Publishing Canada Company
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2. |
Holy Now - Dean Clark
04:26
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I first heard Peter Mayer’s song performed live when I opened for the great American folk singer David Wilcox. For my wife Tami and I, it was like the shards of light of our own musings all came together in a lightening bolt of understanding. We love how he expresses how spirit connection can be found all around us in our everyday life - if we have eyes to see.
It reminded us of a favourite quote from the artist Emily Carr:
"God got so stuffy squeezed into a church. Only out in the open air was there room for him. He was like a great breathing among the trees."
We obviously need to understand this lyric in the poetic context in which it appears. A theologian or a literalist will say if everything is holy, nothing is holy. Clearly. War, deceit and cruelty are not holy. But for me, the overstatement ‘everything is holy now’ effectively reminds me to look for beauty and spiritual revelation in the mundane.
Peter Mayer is an amazing guitarist and songwriter from Minnesota and the author of this song. Please check out more of his songs at petermayer.net My dear friend Dean Clark sings the lead vocal on this one.
Lyrics:
When I was a boy, each week
On Sunday, we would go to church
And pay attention to the priest
He would read the holy word
And consecrate the holy bread
And everyone would kneel and bow
Today the only difference is
Everything is holy now
Everything, everything
Everything is holy now
When I was in Sunday school
We would learn about the time
Moses split the sea in two
Jesus made the water wine
And I remember feeling sad
That miracles don t happen still
But now I can t keep track
Cause everything s a miracle
Everything, Everything
Everything s a miracle
Wine from water is not so small
But an even better magic trick
Is that anything is here at all
So the challenging thing becomes
Not to look for miracles
But finding where there isn t one
When holy water was rare at best
It barely wet my fingertips
But now I have to hold my breath
Like I m swimming in a sea of it
It used to be a world half there
Heaven s second rate hand-me-down
But I walk it with a reverent air
Cause everything is holy now
Everything, everything
Everything is holy now
Read a questioning child s face
And say it s not a testament
That d be very hard to say
See another new morning come
And say it s not a sacrament
I tell you that it can t be done
This morning, outside I stood
And saw a little red-winged bird
Shining like a burning bush
Singing like a scripture verse
It made me want to bow my head
I remember when church let out
How things have changed since then
Everything is holy now
It used to be a world half-there
Heaven s second rate hand-me-down
But I walk it with a reverent air
Cause everything is holy now
© 1999 Peter Mayer
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This song was written by Joel Mason, an artist from Minnesota currently living in Montreal and working on his PHD on the subjects of performance and racialization. He is a highly prolific writer, musician and educator who performs in a group called The Mighty River with cellist Joel Gorrie based in Montreal (themightyriver.ca).
This song has the distinction of being the inspiration for the title of our first collection of spiritual songs. This refrain itself is evocative for those of us who have come and gone and come back again - searching for the essence of spiritual music. This light does indeed linger. And though it looks and sounds different after all the years and miles, it feels quite familiar. “This Light” seems to capture the intriguing, difficult and exciting work of collecting and recording so-called ‘spiritual songs that have universal appeal’. What are we searching for? What is that essence in a song that can make us stop and reflect and meditate and be nourished? “Deep in our dust, we’re chasing the birth and the dying in us”. A lot of it is about an emotional connection, and comes down to that feeling of transcendence that the artist is able to evoke in the listener. That is why for me, that simple phrase alone warrants some reflection and meditation.
The lyric unfolds as a relentless series of similes and metaphors, as though the writer is attempting to examine something inscrutable from all possible angles. “ Like the last chance that I get, and the last one after that. Like a hand reaching out, and the sleepless eyes of doubt. Like the sea that hides beneath the ice. Like when you and I both tried.” The listener is drawn into the quest. And the odd verse timing (going back and forth from 12/8 to 9 time) contributes to making everything feel uncertain, even a little desperate.
But then the song climbs, deliberately, with three strong chords and a familiar 6/8 groove into that evocative meditation: This Light Lingers, This Light Lingers On. The chorus lets us pause from the barrage of thoughts and questions. It elevates – and like a grand old gospel song, it compels the listener to sing along.
-Andrew
"This Light" (lyrics)
by The Mighty River
like a drunk at last call
like the moment before you fall
this light is lingering in me
like the words never said
or the memory of the dead
this light is lingering in you
i'm a poet in the rain
or i'm a teenage midnight train
i'm the remnant that survived
or i'm that bee in its hive
deep in our dust
this light lingers
this light lingers on
like the last chance that i get
or the last one after that
this light is lingering in you
like the hands reaching out
or the sleepless eyes of doubt
this light is lingering in me
i'm the memory of war
or i'm forgotten buried ore
i'm that stain that won't wash
or i'm those love letters you never lost
deep in our dust
we're chasing the birth and the dying in us
deep in our dust
this light lingers
this light lingers on
like the scar after the scalpel sings
like the wound that revolution brings
like the sea that hides beneath the ice
like when you and i both tried
deep in our dust
we're chasing the birth and the dying in us
deep in our dust
this light lingers
this light lingers
this light lingers on
This Light Lingers
by The Mighty River
written by Joel Mason (c) 2012, 2017 Acre Alley
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Buddy and Julie Miller are successful songwriters, and many of their songs have been recorded by big-name artists. (facebook.com/Buddy-Julie-Miller-69522817902) This song was written by Julie Miller. I have loved the elegance and simplicity of this song from the first time I heard it. Though the lyric is a straight-forward first-person narrative, the song seems to never get old, and always ring true. Ariel Smith’s vocal delivery beautifully communicates the naked fragility of the lyric.
If I asked you to conjure up a mental picture of a ‘spiritual person’, what is the first image that comes to mind? STOP and think about that for a second. For most of us, it would be hard to ignore the cultural stereotypes we’ve been fed. The serene monk on the mountain, far above the rat-race. The robed clergyman angrily denouncing the sins of his parishioners. Mother Theresa comforting the suffering. etc.
In my view, one of the most important characteristics of a spiritual person is humility. Someone has said that the doorway to spiritual progress is low, and hard to get under. Intelligence, virtue, discipline or wealth can open lots of doors – but not this one. We tend to grade ourselves on a curve in order to support the notion that we are worthy of being considered ‘spiritual’. We tell ourselves that, well... we are not as bad as ‘those’ guys ... as if someone else’s faults can somehow make us better people. It’s only natural – but we are always trying to present ourselves in the best possible light. “... I tried to fix it myself but it was only worse when I got through”.
Broken Things makes no excuses, attempts no deflection, refuses to conceal. It rejects false certainties. In fact, the song is a whole-hearted acceptance and embrace of weakness. It’s a call to honesty. But, as we all know - it’s hard to live there. It’s unlikely that you will find it on falsebook ... uh facebook. But if we can admit to ourselves that there are ‘broken things’ within us, maybe we can embrace all the good and bad in each other. “You can have my heart if you don’t mind broken things”.
In this song, the artist has decided to rest, not in her strength but in her weakness. This kind of surrender is courageous. I think it’s a good place to start, and might be the only way forward.
"Broken Things" (lyrics)
by Ariel Smith
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
Written by Julie Miller
© 1991 Warner/Chappell Music, Inc, Universal Music Publishing Group
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I’ve long been a fan of The Waterboys. Mike Scott was the lead singer and chief songwriter for the Waterboys from the time the band came together in London in 1981 until it reconstituted with new personnel in Dublin in 1987, and finally fell apart in New York in 1991. Scott has a knack for amazing melodies and evocative lyrics of spiritual yearning - and for singing them in a raw personal voice. This song is from his post-Waterboys solo album of the same name – and I only discovered it recently. Do yourself a favour and listen to some old Waterboys and some new Mike Scott albums. (mikescottwaterboys.com)
This lyric can be interpreted in a numerous ways, but here’s what stands out to me: The song seems so relevant in these days of divisive politics and small-minded tribalism. It’s an invitation to EVERYONE to see the big picture from a divine perspective. “Bring em all into my heart”. It’s a poetic statement that God has invited all - even those ‘others’ that we despise and with whom we disagree. “bring the little fishes, bring the sharks ... bring the unforgiven, bring the unredeemed ... bring em out of exile, bring em out of sleep”.
I arranged the song as a tap-style acoustic piece because I loved how the percussive intensity accentuated the repetitive lyric. ‘bring em, bring em, bring em!’ But the recording took on a grand cinematic and anthemic feel when Zachari Smith added the wonderful thundering drum part, and Eric Disero brought out the sense of yearning in the lyric with his surprising and delicate piano part.
"Bring 'em All In"
by Andrew Smith
written by Mike Scott © 1995 Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Bring 'em all in, bring 'em all in, bring 'em all in
Bring 'em all in, bring 'em all into my heart
Bring 'em all in, bring 'em all in, bring 'em all in
Bring 'em all in, bring 'em all into my heart
Bring the little fishes
Bring the sharks
Bring 'em from the brightness
Bring 'em from the dark
Bring 'em all in, bring 'em all in, bring 'em all in
Bring 'em all in, bring 'em all into my heart
Bring 'em all in, bring 'em all in, bring 'em all in
Bring 'em all in, bring 'em all into my heart
Bring 'em from the caverns
Bring 'em from the heights
Bring 'em from the shadows
Stand 'em in the light
Bring 'em all in, bring 'em all in, bring 'em all in
Bring 'em all in, bring 'em all into my heart
Bring 'em all in, bring 'em all in, bring 'em all in
Bring 'em all in, bring 'em all into my heart
Bring 'em out of purdah
Bring 'em out of store
Bring 'em out of hiding
Lay them at my door
Bring 'em all in, bring 'em all in, bring 'em all in
Bring 'em all in, bring 'em all into my heart
Bring 'em all in, bring 'em all in, bring 'em all in
Bring 'em all in, bring 'em all into my heart
Bring the unforgiven
Bring the unredeemed
Bring the lost and nameless
Let 'em all be seen
Bring 'em out of exile
Bring 'em out of sleep
Bring 'em to the ?
Lay them at my feet
Bring 'em all in, bring 'em all in, bring 'em all in
Bring 'em all in, bring 'em all into my heart
Bring 'em all in, bring 'em all in, bring 'em all in
Bring 'em all in, bring 'em all into my heart
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6. |
Feel It - Zachari Smith
03:42
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Zachari Smith is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and music producer who lives in Montreal. He has recorded 5 albums, 2 solo, two duo (Andrew and Zachari Smith) and one with the band, The Geese. (zacharismith.com)
‘Feel It’ is a sad song. And there is a beautiful truth in it. It boldly explores the loss of an emotional sense of spiritual connection. “The light that used to ease my pain ...” Isn`t it true that our struggles or just the monotony of our everyday lives can dull our emotions and make us lose that sense of a greater purpose? The lyrics of ‘Feel It’ capture that sense of alienation that most of us have felt – but few can articulate. “Show me the days that I have missed, haunted by your last kiss. I’d take your love all again, but I can’t feel it anymore”. In the tradition of spiritual poetry, we would call this a lament. A statement like “everything is meaningless!” (Ecclesiastes 1:2) or “I can’t feel it anymore” is firmly in that tradition. The song does not attempt to resolve the uncomfortable feeling, and so never lets the listener off the hook. Yet, it is strangely comforting. Why is that? The solace that the listener feels when he hears such a sad song results from the fact that the writer has identified and entered into their experience of loneliness, isolation, alienation, abandonment etc.
The beautifully bleak and sparse production by Eric Disero fits hand-in-glove with the lyric. The sense of bitter cold and loneliness is brought out by the detuned piano and the crackling percussion and clang of the pipe hit.
We all want to be moved, to be impacted, to be awoken, to be emotionally present and alive. But obviously this is not always our experience. This lyric and music together beautifully express the cry in us for something “to pass through my skin” and touch us on a deeper level.
"Feel It"
by Zachari Smith
written by Zachari Smith (c) 2014 Acre Alley
Wheels are spinning in my head
Angel Rust is never dead
Talking to the walls of my fallen cage
I can’t feel it anymore
Danger comes and goes like time
Swimming cement pools in my mind
A moment’s time has elapsed
and I can’t feel it anymore
Show me the days that I have missed
Haunted by your last kiss
I’d take your love all again
but I can’t feel it anymore
A pill to take to ease my pain
Takes me further away
I’m grasping for the last straw
I can’t feel it anymore
I see the light shining still
I reach my hand to get my fill
but every time it slides away
I can’t feel it anymore
Show me the days that I have missed
Haunted by your last kiss
I’d take your love all again
but I can’t feel it anymore
Sit in church to pass the time
Think about the scripture lines
But nothing passes through my skill
I can’t feel it anymore
The light that used to ease my pain
Wash my hands with rain
Is standing before me now
But I can’t feel it anymore
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7. |
Again - Chinua Ford
04:17
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Chinua Ford is an enigmatic fellow. I first heard his music from a cassette tape while sitting on a Mexican beach in 2002 - and a few weeks later we were playing a concert together in California. He was my introduction to ‘tap-style’ guitar playing. We’ve connected a couple more times over the past 15 years – most recently in the summer of 2017 when we played a house concert together in Kelowna. My wife Tami and I also attended a group meditation session facilitated by his wife, Rachel at that time. He and his family were back in Canada for a holiday. They live in India where they share the love of God through music, art and meditation with the neo-hippie ‘traveler’ communities.
Chinua opened his concert with this song, Again. He is a wonderful musician and songwriter, and I was mesmerized. I love the epic feel of the song and how it communicates the vastness of time and space. I feel like a tiny speck in the universe when I hear the opening lines. The song celebrates the foundational spiritual value of humility. It speaks of how relationship depends on it. It is understood that we are fragile beings who cannot help but fall, so we need to hear from each other and from God “I’ll take you back. Again. Again. Again.”
"Again"
by Chinua Ford
written by Chinua Ford © 2016 Chinua Ford
And like the moon above it all
You didn't care, you thought that
You'd never fall
So out you dare with Icarus wings
And the black days of space
Where no voices sing
And I'll take you back again
And I'll take you back to where we began
I'll take you back, I'll take you back again
And though my heart was under the weight
of planets and stars you know I didn't hesitate
Cause I heard the sounds that you almost made
The sound was like sorry
You know that's all it takes
And I'll take you back again
And I'll take you back to where we began
I'll take you back, I'll take you back again
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8. |
Holy War - Andrew Smith
03:51
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Holy War is a song that spilled out of me in a ‘stream-of-consciousness’ kind of way. I think of it as a very personal song (even autobiographical), which also works as a social and political commentary. It taps into this deep-rooted desire that we all have to give ourselves to some greater vision and cause. For most of us, it’s just not enough to have a career and make a living. We want to feel like we are on the right side of the great and eternal struggle for justice and for truth. And so we “search for a reason to waste our lives”. That’s all good. But in this desire, we become susceptible to leaders who want to clarify the struggle for us by identifying (and demonizing) an enemy.
Holy War is also about celebrating the role of the artist as he searches (“in the fog of his ambition”) for the heart of the matter, trying to understand it and express it through art. “Make some sense to me! - with images and rhythm and colour and movement indigenous to my world”.
I suppose the song sounds like it was inspired by current headlines about the dark and twisted side of faith that finds expression in self-righteous and hateful politics. But in fact it was written long ago. The personal story of the song feels like ancient history to me, but it too is the experience of many today. It’s the story of my struggles navigating through the community of faith, trying to maintain a level of independence and integrity, and feeling misunderstood. (“how can I defend myself anymore?”). Yes, we “drank the depths of spiritual pleasures”, and that was good. But I became disinterested and suspicious of the “unifying creeds and militant messages” of church leaders. I couldn’t reconcile it when non-church friends and people groups were being marginalised rather than embraced, and it struck me that “I don’t want to live in your us-and-them world; God knows there is only us”.
"Holy War"
by Andrew Smith
written by Andrew Smith © 2002, 2011, 2017 Andrew Smith
We have all drunk the depths of spiritual pleasure
And we’ve all become addicted to the song of ghosts
We get so easily waylaid by the sirens and the weather
And all those things that we fear the most
And I say, yah yah we are the ghosts within your machine,
within the fog of our ambition
Searching for a language of the soul
much moreso than any unifying creed or militant message
And we’re hard to hold,
like fog people
Searching for a reason to waste our lives
But I don’t want to fight in your holy war
How can I defend myself anymore
I don’t want to live in your us and them world
God knows there is only us
You say we stumble like the damned trying to touch it
I know. I know we st st stammer like fools
Struggling to articulate the inexpressible wonder
All of the beauty in this broken mirror
These are the signs, these are the pains of hunger,
the very mark of our ascendency
as we rise to that table, to that feast prepared
for the least of these fog people,
tasting a reason to waste our lives
It don’t make no rhyme or rhythm, it don’t make no rhyme or rhythm to me
Take me up, take me back to that misty mountain
with a beat and a melody
Make some sense to me, speak with clarity
in images and rhythm and colours and movement
indigenous to my world
They’re all rising up like incense
for these are the prayers of a wasted life
But I don’t want to fight in your holy war
I won’t define myself by what I’m not anymore
I don’t want to live in your us and them world
God knows there is only us
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A Year of Song curated by Andrew Smith Kelowna, British Columbia
Andrew Smith is a producer and singer/songwriter from Kelowna, BC.
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