Just placed an order for the next instalment of Over the Rhine into my collection (Ohio). These guys are so deep, such beautiful lyrics and music that opens up more and more layers over time (like the best stuff does). They sing the good stuff, the hard stuff, the painful stuff. Great when I'm feeling depressed (like now), great when I'm feeling God's presence (like, not now).
Despite lack of presence, am sitting here rocking like a psycho, bawling/praying for my friend Tyler (and for myself). Life is so painful, when does it end? (But it does, it does, it does ... the pain, that is. I just don't trust anymore that God is going to go easy on me or anyone else in the pain stakes. His conceptions of what I can handle and mine are vastly vastly vastly vastly vastly vastly vastly vastly vastly forking different).
Listen to this (apologies for crap quality but it was all I could find):
What a beautiful piece of heartache
This has all turned out to be
Lord knows we've learned the hard way
All about healthy apathy
I use these words pretty loosely
There's so much more to life than words
There is a me you would not recognize, dear
Call it the shadow of myself
And if the music starts before I get there
Dance without me, you dance so gracefully
I really think I'll be okay
They've taken a toll, these latter days
Nothing like sleeping on a bed of nails
Nothing much here but our broken dream
Oh, but baby, if all else fails
Nothing is ever quite what it seems
And I'm dying inside to leave you
With more than just cliches
There is a me you would not recognize, dear
Call it the shadow of myself
And if the music starts before I get there
Dance without me, you dance so gracefully
I really think I'll be okay
They've taken their toll, these latter days
They've taken their toll, these latter days
Tell them it's real
Tell them it's really real
I just don't have much left to say
They've taken their toll, these latter days
They've taken their toll, these latter days
PS: Just to avoid possible misinterpretation, this song is not dedicated to anybody in particular :)
What a beautiful piece of heartache
ReplyDeleteThis has all turned out to be
Sue, I am believing you will be able to speak those words one of these days as you look back on all of this.
As was the song I sent you this morning...this one got a lot of miles also. I'm praying for you and Tyler.
You can hear a beautiful live version of this song along with several othes from their new live cd Live From Nowhere Vol. 3
ReplyDeletehttp://www.myspace.com/overtherhine
Ooh, cool. Thanks for that. I shall listen tonight. I love these guys live.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your encouragement and to listening to me blather last night. It really helped. And thanks for the prayers :)
i haven't really kept up with these guys. i knew OTR back when they were a full 4 piece band. this is MUCH different, but beautiful.
ReplyDeletefor some reason, we grow through pain. i cannot speak for you, sue, but i know that as i get stronger and am able to handle more, i am able to draw near to others with a heart of knowing when i see them going through their own pain.
i believe this was a process that even jesus needed to go through? so that he could be a mediator who understood our pain. and even now, in the midst of your own pain, you cry out with/for tyler.
what a beautiful piece of heartache indeed.
Jon - I went and listened to a song on YouTube from off their first album and it was like, Wow, talk about different sound!!
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree about the suffering teaching compassion but why can't a book teach me compassion instead? :)
I'm sick of suffering in a big fat stupid state. I'm happy to suffer in my life, but not years of almost spontaneously combusting :)