(click on the title to download song)
Sorry for the long break. We're back.
There was long discussion on this blog regarding the use of "the Bride" metaphor. The debate was too long to recap, but suffice it to say, there was general disagreement on the use of the metaphor. This got the Baker's wheels turning. Here is what he has to say (or sing) about it.
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Monday, September 15, 2008
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8 comments:
Here are the lyrics:
You’ve made war and sung my name so sweetly
That I hurried forth to scrape the blade
And as I cleanse the loss with my Son’s blood
No one else but you can hold my gaze
Because you are mine and I’ve patiently been waiting
For a chance to set things right
O, my bride is a lovely thing
Her love is all, her love is all I see
Her life is a wretched thing
But her love is all, her love is all I see
You’ve seen the poor and turned away so quickly
By pretending you had none to pay
And as you rest those feet, hoarding fortunes
It’s out by the road I lay
If I am on your mind, consider me your measure
And I’ll turn your dark to light
O, my bride is a lovely thing
Her love is all, her love is all I see
Her life is a wretched thing
But her love is all, her love is all I see
For the wedding of the Lamb
It has come! It has come!
And the bride has made herself ready
The finest of my linen
Bright and clean! Bright and clean!
I have given for her to wear
You’ve ignored the very things that please me
And criticize what strangers say
Though your careless words discourage
The future holds better days
Because you will find my heart is all for making what has passed
Beyond our sight
(Chorus 3x)
i love it. I LOVE IT. "her life is wretched, but her love is all i see" is so beautiful. maybe i'm a girl and a sucker for stories of unconditional love and redemption.. but at the same time, life is meaningless without that. we're all wretched. and if He didn't see past that there would be no point to being at all. and i like the Latin-y solo. and i like the [minor? accidental? harmonic? my music-speak is dead] cool-sounding chords. this is one of my favorites from the Master of Dough and Pastry and Other Delectable Oven-Cooked Things.
thanks melody,
This song is a long story. It tells of history, of our misguided pipe-dreams and taddling. But, it also tells of our beautiful side, the side that is beautiful only when seen through the eyes of one.
The bride is precious, the bride is not complete. The bride is lovely, the bride is dastardly and decietful and murderous.
I like the image of a man with bare hands, trying to rub the flesh and blood off a weapon, a weapon that killed his loved ones, and all the while smiling at his most dear one singing praises to him for being her janitor.
We are sweet but coated in mud. But one day we also will be bent over the bucket, perhaps now. Perhaps, Yes, now we are laying gently in some cases and painfully in others in His steady hands busily scrubbing the muck from our pores. Then He will give us clothing He spun, an outfit He has presented.
This is not all there is to the wedding scenario, i have only attempted to describe one aspect. I hope you enjoyed it.
thanks.
First things first-a very appropriate responsive song that fairly encapsulated your arguments in previous posts. Actually, quite a good musical recap.
Theologically, I don't know if I completely agree with your premise, although I think I understand it and don't have a huge problem with it. I reiterate my point from earlier posts that the "bride" is not the institutionalized church, which seems to be the very creature that has perpetrated the wrongs that you cite in the song. Then again, that's hard for me to say because true believers (the true "bride") have also engaged in their fair share of sword bloodying. The tension here is that I don't want to see myself as the institutional bride that ignores the poor man, or starts the war, or subjugates the colonized. But I have been. You feel the tension?
I also don't know how I feel about "her love is all I see." Is that completely true? Revelation has the run down of the churches and their major flaws (in addition to their strengths). So I honestly wonder about this statement. Learn me what you meant here...
Musically, I think I like this the best of the ones you have put up. I like the bass notes your are picking out in the beginning. It helps rhythmically. I would lose all of the quad-strums. They seemed a bit rushed and you lose that nice bass grove when you go there. This would be a fun song to play with 3 guitars. As in, when you "come home" you and Josh and I should get together and tinker with it.
Vocally, good moves. Not redundant. I think you should avoid the temptation to go build vocally by going up on "dark into light." Just my thought.
Lyrically, the song plays well. It's overtly spiritual (even (dare I say) Christian) without stooping to the level of trite. It calls out the church for wrongs, but offers redemption, forgiveness, and hope. It's nice. I need some help with the line "Beyond our sight." Beyond whose sight? Is this first person from God?
Speaking of Josh, where the dump is he? Josh? Josh?
Okay, I'm sorry that I do not know how to critique music well, so I don't have anything terribly profound to write. But, I think that song is one of the best songs you guys have posted - I am REALLY into it. Great job!
Cindy
i am not able to put scripture in here at this moment because i'm at work, but i wanted to give a bit more..
the line "her love is all i see" is intended, i think, in a different way than it may come across. It is a literary device where i am asserting that what God is really concerned most with is our love, and not our sin.
I use the word "see" not to mean notice, and less of a physical verb. this is intended as more of a mental process..to use a word that has a visual reference sets up the concept that HE is blinded by His love for us, that he does actually know and see our failures, but He already dealt with those on the cross.
Now, His task is more in making us ready, forming us and spinning us an outfit that not only looks presentable to all, but IS presentable to all.
I believe His love is greater and more powerful as an object launched our way than his say, righteous anger with our 'ways'.
that is if HIs love and righteous anger are in fact able to be separated or aren't actually the same thing.
I also believe that in Revelation, He is pointing out the flaw to help them, this is one area where is is critical, but this is a minority and He still loved (loves) the body, the bride.
As to the first idea, yes, it stinks that we are part of the murderous lot, but we are no matter how much we hate that. We aren't 'those guys' doing 'those things' but we are doing our own junk that is stinky too. liking it and accepting it are two things that don't need to be resolved.
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