Mad World, Redux

Two versions of the same song. The same message though.

Mad World
(Roland Orzabal)

All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere
And their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow

And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
'Cos I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very
Mad World

Children waiting for the day they feel good
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday
Made to feel the way that every child should
Sit and listen, sit and listen
Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, no one knew me
Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson
Look right through me, look right through me



Tears for Fears





Gary Jules




Still and all, in a mad, mad world, there is this promise that remains true: "I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly." (John 10:10) It is a promise of hope, of restoration, of abundance and of true joy. It is a promise I take comfort in, for it comes from the only one who is important and the only who should matter.

One of those sing-along songs

When I first heard this song, I sang along (got a lot of the lyrics wrong at first; but eventually when I did get the lyrics right, they proved to be pretty good). This is one of those feel-good songs where you don't need a context but just an excuse to sing along.


Brighter than Sunshine (Live) by Aqualung



I never understood before
I never knew what love was for
My heart was broke, my head was sore
What a feeling

Tied up in ancient history
I didn't believe in destiny
I look up you're standing next to me
What a feeling

What a feeling in my soul
Love burns brighter than sunshine
Brighter than sunshine
Let the rain fall, I don't care
I'm yours and suddenly you're mine
Suddenly you're mine
And it's brighter than sunshine

I never saw it happening
I'd given up and given in
I just couldn't take the hurt again
What a feeling

I didn't have the strength to fight
Suddenly you seemed so right
Me and you
What a feeling

What a feeling in my soul
Love burns brighter than sunshine
It's brighter than sunshine
Let the rain fall, I don't care
I'm yours and suddenly you're mine
Suddenly you're mine

It's brighter than the sun
It's brighter than the sun
It's brighter than the sun, sun, shine.

Love will remain a mystery
But give me your hand and you will see
Your heart is keeping time with me

What a feeling in my soul
Love burns brighter than sunshine
It's brighter than sunshine
Let the rain fall, I don't care
I'm yours and suddenly you're mine
Suddenly you're mine

I got a feeling in my soul ... [repeat chorus to end]

Why was this never a message in the Elections?

U2 and Pearl Jam asking us to "Make Poverty History!"

Ely-heads

For E-heads and Ely Buendia fans like me, a good read by a Sports writer who should be writing more often.

Bags and Things

The title comes from an old song by Dennis Lambert (if his name doesn't ring a bell; think Of All the Things; if it still doesn't, then you are very young.) and it came unbidden--as with most things that are inspired.

I was listening to music in the car while doing errands before 2006 ended and while listening to this song for the umpteenth time, I was struck by just how appropriate the lyrics were to the coming of a new year. The song speaks of moving on, leaving familiar and comfortable things behind, leaving hurts and habits behind and allowing hope in, that it may bring us to Heaven--at least, that is what it says to me. And while it may have been written by Lambert for a specific person in his life, it may very well have been written for God.

Dennis Lambert is a very powerful lyricist (vide Of All the Things, which to me is the perfectly written love song--complete, compelling with no wasted words; but that's another post altogether) and it shows in this particular song, viz:

BAGS AND THINGS
(Dennis Lambert)

I gave away my old guitar
but I still hear the music playin'
I kept my rhymes upon the wall
and kept the only words worth sayin'
I don't need faces now
to hide behind,
to say I'm diggin' when they're
really messing up my mind
The puppet dances by himself
He went and cut the strings
He don't have no time for
bags and things

I threw away my favorite smile,
the one I had to keep from cryin'
for in the sunshine of your eyes
the make believe in me was dyin'
You gave me all I need:
Reality,
You opened up the door
and let some heaven in on me
And if I want to touch the sky
You've given me the wings
Ain't no going back to
bags and things

I post this at the start of the year for my friends and brothers and sisters in my singles community who are grappling with change right now--trying to move on, leaving hurts and habits behind, trying to find hope in uncomfortable and new environments, looking for that heaven they've been familiar with all their life in strange worlds. May you find comfort and solace and affirmation in, ironically, a love song written in the 70's by a man whom most of you have not heard of--may you not be weighed down by the "bags and things" of 2006.

I post this also for myself as I come to terms with yet another year where He asks me, in His infinite and unfathomable wisdom, to "take nothing for (the) journey." I thank Him for the wings He has given me to be able to journey with Him and pray for the grace to not desire any longer the "bags and things" that I have left behind.