Thursday, May 13, 2004

To Forgive

I saw a man,
He was holding the hand
That had fired a gun at his heart.
Oh, will we live
To forgive?

I saw the eyes
And the look of surprise
As he left an indelible mark.
Oh, will we live?
To forgive?

Come...find release...
Go...make your peace...

Follow his lead,
Let the madness recede
When we shatter the cycle of pain.
Oh, we will live
To forgive...

Stop, stop...

Come...find release
Go...make your peace

I saw a man
With a hole in His hand,
Who could offer the miracle cure.
Oh, He said live
I forgive.

I saw a man
With a hole in His hand,
Who could offer the miracle cure.
Oh, He said live
I forgive.

Oh, He said live
to forgive.
Oh, He said live
to forgive.


That is a song by my favorite singer of all time, Steve Taylor. Yo may not be able to tell from that song, but the man is INSANE! He's as hyper as a twelve year old on stage, and most of his songs have enough satire and sarcasm in them to choke a horse. He was mostly popular in the eighties, and then stopped touring as an artist in 1993.

Since then, he's written songs for the Newsboys, an Austrailian Christian rock band that I like. Those tend to be a bit on the weird side, which is good. I like weird. But one of his best songs is this:


Since I Gave Up Hope I Feel A Lot Better

Enter the young idealist
chasing dragons to slay
exit the hustler
packing up his M.B.A.

Freshmen scream in a classroom
was there a sound?
first degree in the vacuum
I'm on college ground

Took a class
big fun
modern ethics 101
first day learn why
ethics really don't apply
Prof says, "One trait
takes us to a higher state
drug free, pure bliss
get your pencils, copy this:

"Life unwinds like a cheap sweater
but since I gave up hope I feel a lot better
and the truth gets blurred like a wet letter
but since I gave up hope I feel a lot better"

Top of the class sits Ernest
he was brightest and best
till the professor lured him
to the hopeless nest

Now he lives for the shortcut
like a citizen should
tells the class with a wink
"only the young die good."

He says, "Ideals? Uncouth.
fatalism needs youth
eat well, floss right
keep the hungry out of sight
save face--nip and tuck
praise yourself and pass the buck
don't forget the best advice
everybody's get a price

"Life unwinds like a cheap sweater
but since I gave up hope I feel a lot better
and the truth gets blurred like a wet letter
but since I gave up hope I feel a lot better

"While the world winds down to a final prayer
nothing soothes quicker than complete despair
I predict by dinner I won't even care
since I gave up hope I feel a lot better"

Nazis plead in a courtroom
"Pardon me, boys"
profits fall in a boardroom
did they make a noise?

Someone spreads an affliction
company's nice
someone sells an addiction
puts your soul on ice

Half wits knock heads
candidates in double beds
good guys defect
"I can't precisely recollect"
teacher's pet theory's fine
if you're born without a spine
can't you spell wrong?
sing it to him Papa John

It's sung at about the same speed as "It's The End of the World as We Know it" by R.E.M. Basically, the point of the song is about about college students who lose the idealism due to cinical professors. You just have to hear him singing it.

Well, I have to go...I have suddenly gained 3 more papers to do! Only 29 days until graduation! Yippee!

Later,

~Ozy J.
Comments (1)