Favorites
I know I’ve been posting a lot of personal things lately, but that’s just the mood I’m in. If you don’t like it, well, just be patient and I’ll start writing about other things soon. But for now, I’m going to share some of my favorite songs with you.
So I’m websurfing this evening and listening to my music on iTunes when one of my all-time favorite songs comes on — Crazy by Pat Green. I was introducted to Pat Green’s music several years ago by a friend, and I really can’t adequately describe the sheer awesomeness of this man’s music. This song, in fact, was the very first Pat Green song I listened to.
Six years later, I still stop what I’m doing to listen to it when it comes on. I’m not sure what exactly it is about this particular song that affects me so deeply, but it most certainly does. Maybe it’s the lyrics, the story being told, maybe it’s the melody, or perhaps it’s a combination of it all. Or maybe I’m just a sucker for love songs. Whatever it is, I’m grateful to this friend for introducing me to Pat’s music.
Crazy isn’t my all-time favorite song, but it’s definitely up there at the top.
Saw you early this morning, sleeping all dressed in white, for a moment I thought you were an angel, come to take me home alive.
You woke up and you caught me staring, smiled and said, “Fool, cut it out.” You said I must be crazy, I said, “Crazy about you,” and I kissed you on your mouth.
If I am truly crazy, don’t you know I like my life that way? And if I’m really going out of my mind, won’t you hop on board and make your getaway?
Took a walk down by the seashore, saw a poor man picking up some cans, saw a little boy who had some salt water in his eyes reaching out for his momma’s hands.
Then I watched a stranger give that man a dollar, watched a momma wipe the tears from her little boy’s eyes, then I stared up into the heavens and said, “Oh my God, I’m glad to be alive, so glad to be alive.”
If I am truly crazy, don’t you know I like my life that way? And if I’m really going out of my mind, won’t you hop on board and make your getaway?
Wake up in the morning we turn all the lights on, turn ‘em out at night so that we can hide. Sometimes I sleep with all the lights on, it helps me to appreciate the night.
I hear people talk about life all the time, all they remember are times so sad. Don’t you think that life would be awfully boring , if the good times were all that we had?
And if I am truly crazy, don’t you know that I like my life that way? And if I’m really going out of my mind, won’t you hop on board and make your getaway?
And if I am truly crazy, don’t you know that I like my life that way? And if I’m really going out of my mind, won’t you hop on board and make your getaway?
Hop on board and make your getaway.
There’s another artist I’ve recently discovered, and that is Eric Church. I actually bought his CD a few weeks ago and ripped it to my computer; but, I didn’t really listen to his music until the other day when the song Lightning started playing. This song tells the tale of a man on the last day of his life and his search for redemption.
These four walls of Farnworth, are closing in on me. My final meal’s over, they’re gonna set me free. I can feel the fire’s a burnin’ as the devil guards my door. I hit my knees in search of Jesus on a cold jailhouse floor.
Lord, now I’m singin’, “Get me out of here.” I see the preacher’s eyes as my daughter cries when they strap me in this chair. Lord, I hope she forgives me for livin’ my life this way. Tonight I ride the lightning to my final judgment day.
Every life owes a death, that’s what the Bible says. I owe mine to this state for shootin’ that boy to death. A liquor store attendant, he was reachin’ for his gun. Now his momma sits there smilin’ as the boss yells, “Roll on one.”
Lord, now I’m singin’, “Get me out of here.” I see the preacher’s eyes as my daughter cries when they strap me in this chair. Lord, I hope she forgives me for livin’ my life this way. Tonight I ride the lightning to my final restin’ place.
A hungry blue-eyed baby cryin’ made me rob that store. An’ as that boy laid there dyin’, I dropped my pistol on the floor. Yeah, I’d take it all back but there’s nothin’ I can do. They’ve covered my face and the order’s gone through as the boss yells, “Roll on two.”
Now I’m flyin’ up and out of here. I close my eyes and slowly rise, let my body leave this chair. Lord, I hope you forgive me for livin’ my life this way. Yeah, tonight I ride the lighting to my final restin’ place.
These four walls of Farnworth are closin’ in on me.
With Lightning, I was doing something and just half-listening to the song when the lyrics caught my ear and I had to restart the song to listen to it more carefully. As I listened, I began to realize what story the song was telling, and I felt a chill run down my back. I don’t know about you, but whenever a song has the power to send a chill down my back, I know I’ve found a great song. This one also ranks very high up on my list of favorite songs.
There was another song which I discovered in much the same way, about a year or so ago. This one is Arlington, by Trace Adkins. This song is also a story told in the first-person by a Soldier arriving at Arlington National Cemetary:
I never thought that this is where I’d settle down,
I thought I’d die an old man back in my hometown,
They gave me this plot of land, me and some other men, for a job well done,
There’s a big white house, sits on a hill just up the road,
The man inside he cried the day they brought me home,
They folded up a flag and told my mom and dad, we’re proud of your son.
And I’m proud to be on this peaceful piece of property,
I’m on sacred ground and I’m in the best of company,
I’m thankful for those thankful for the things I’ve done,
I can rest in peace, I’m one of the chosen ones, I made it to Arlington.
I remember Daddy brought me here when I was eight,
we searched all day to find where my granddaddy lay,
and when we finally found that cross,
he said, “Son, this is what it cost to keep us free.”
Now here I am, a thousand stones away from him,
he recognized me on the first day I came in,
and it gave me a chill when he clicked his heels and saluted me.
And I’m proud to be on this peaceful piece of property,
I’m on sacred ground and I’m in the best of company,
I’m thankful for those thankful for the things I’ve done,
I can rest in peace, I’m one of the chosen ones, I made it to Arlington.
And everytime I hear twenty-one guns,
I know they brought another hero home to us.
We’re thankful for those thankful for the things we’ve done,
we can rest in peace, ’cause we are the chosen ones,
we made it to Arlington,
yeah, dust to dust,
don’t cry for us, we made it to Arlington.
But it’s not just sad songs that I rank way up there. The song, There Goes My Life, by Kenny Chesney is one which always manages to bring a tear to my eye.
All he could think about was, “I’m too young for this, got my whole life ahead. Hell, I’m just a kid myself, how’m I gonna raise one?”
All he could see were his dreams going up in smoke. So much for ditchin’ this town and hangin’ out on the coast. Oh well, those plans are long gone.
And he said, “There goes my life. There goes my future, my everything. Might as well kiss it all goodbye. There goes my life…”
A couple of years of up all night and a few thousand diapers later, that mistake he thought he made covers up the refrigerator. Oh yeah… he loves that little girl.
Momma’s waiting to tuck her in, as she fumbles up those stairs. She smiles back at him dragging that teddy bear. Sleep tight, blue eyes and bouncing curls.
And he smiles… there goes my life. There goes my future, my everything. I love you daddy, good night. There goes my life…
She had that Honda loaded down with Abercrombie and 14 pairs of shoes and his American Express. He checked the oil and slammed the hood, said you’re good to go. She hugged them both and headed off to the West Coast.
And he cried… there goes my life. There goes my future, my everything. I love you, baby goodbye.
There goes my life.
There goes my life.
Baby goodbye.
As this small sample shows, the music I really, really like is that which show the power of human love, redemption, and sacrifice. Out of the 22 songs that I rated with 5 stars in iTunes, 19 of them show at least one of these qualities. It’s probably why, even though I’m not a Christian, I really enjoy listening to Christian artists like Jars of Clay, Mercy Me, Newsboys and others. It’s also likely the reason that I seriously dislike rap, since that genre is dominated by songs which are the antithesis of human decency.
Sure, I like energetic songs that get you in the mood for singing and dancing along; and sure, I definitely enjoy listening to rock and metal. But it’s always songs like those I’ve shared with you tonight that really put a smile on my face.
