Musings in Search of a Muse

Here's another look at a song that's rapidly become one of my favorite tunes. An earlier post in this blog mentioned the song but I'm so taken with it I thought I'd revisit it.

• Is the song Rock? "Yes," says Apple iTunes.
• Is the song Country? "Yes," hints the artist's Web site and a few others, too.
  
• Is it a song at all? "No," says MTV's studious denial of any recognition.

Here's what I have to say about "Come to Jesus" from One Moment More by Mindy Smith:


Here's why I say that: The melody is awesome, the arrangement is great, technical excellence is the standard by all the musicians involved, Miss Smith's vocals have a pleasantly gritty texture with true power and grace, and the lyrics are simple in structure but deep in meaning as they praise the Lord. Let's take a look at the lyrics (none found on the artist's site - these are from OnlyLyrics.com) with my comments added.

Oh, my baby, when you're older
Maybe then you'll understand
You have angels that stands around you shoulders
'Cause at times in life you need a loving hand
(Not sure who she is singing to, but my first impression is that of a parent and child. "Stands"? I thought I heard "dance." Maybe because it makes more sense.)

Oh, my baby, when you're prayin'
Leave your burden by my door
You have Jesus standing by your bedside
To keep you calm, keep you safe,
Away from harm
(The "by my door" line blurs the identity of the singer. Maybe it's not a parent. And if the "baby" is praying, that would make the singer God. Not sure if that's kosher to imply that. Better religion scholars than me can debate that. It's true what is being said about Jesus, though. Each "Oh, my baby" verse focuses on an action by the listener that shows an interaction with God. Nice touch.)

Worry not my daughters,
Worry not my sons
Child, when life don't seem worth livin'
Come to Jesus and let Him hold you in His arms
(Any reader of the blog knows my contradictory love of lyrics and disregard for poetry, but the chorus is a great example of both. We've got the parent thing going again, but it still sounds like God is singing. Well, God the Father ...)

Oh, my baby, when you're cryin'
Never hide your face from me
I've conquered Hell and driven out the demons
I have come with a life to set you free
(Yes, God is there to lift our burdens when we are in despair. This is a very nice turn of phrase. This verse really makes me think the "I" is referring to God. So really, is it okay to put words in His mouth like that if my assumption is accurate? By the way, I capitalized the H. It wasn't in the source material.)

Worry not my daughters,
Worry not my sons
Child, when life don't seem worth livin'
Come to Jesus and let Him hold you in His arms
(Life may not seem living, but I know -- and I mean know -- that suicide is not the answer. If there is ever a time to turn to the Lord and hand your burdens to Him, it's when you are at your lowest. There was an episode of the CBS TV show Joan of Arcadia when the main character was hugged by God. Watch the show and you'll know how that worked. But imagine actually being held by the Lord. There couldn't be anything better.)

Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Yeah, yeah, yeah

Oh, my baby, when you're dying
Believe the healing of His hand
Here in Heaven we will wait for your arrival
Here in Heaven you will finally understand
Here in Heaven we will wait for your arrival
Here in Heaven you will finally understand
(Okay, I'll bite. Who does "we" refer to? Angels? This verse and the others make me think that perhaps the singer is a parent, after all. Maybe one of two that have passed away.)

Worry not my daughters,
Worry not my sons
Child, when life don't seem worth livin'
Come to Jesus and let Him hold you in His arms
(The chorus is absolutely awesome. The melody had to be written around the natural rhythm of these words.)

Well, that's an awful lot of analysis for a song. Of course, I've been listening to it an awful lot. Like most music I've ever collected it may go by the wayside for a while and then come back to my regular rotation off and on. But I've got a few dozen more times to listen to it before that process starts. Regardless, it will always remain an impressive song.