That's All, Folks!

😂😂😂😂😂🎶 Looney Tunes pic.twitter.com/byjGnSSRtu

— Farah Fersi (@FersiFarah) July 9, 2020

Reminders of God's Faithfulness and Power

Two Christian musical expressions, one a classic hymn, the other a contemporary worship song, both reminding us of God's faithfulness and power! We need these reminders now. More than that, we need the God revealed to all in the crucified and risen Jesus. Jesus gives life with God now and for eternity to all who turn from sin and trust in Him.

Another tune that starts as a love song...

...and ends as a political statement, this time one against war as a general proposition: Calico Skies by Paul McCartney.

"May we never be called to handle
"All the weapons of war we despise..."

New Year's Day by U2

It's a song that starts out sounding like a love song and reveals itself to ultimately be a political statement, born of the Troubles.

Two 2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Acts

The 2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class was announced yesterday. It includes the Moody Blues and Nina Simone.

Back in the day, I was into the Moodies. But in listening to them more recently, I find their lyrics, which play for profundity, embarrassingly pretentious. They belong in the Hall, I believe, because, through their use of symphonic flavorings, they helped show how rock and roll's pallet could be expanded.

Two other bands in the class, I think, have produced enduring work without any pretense. They just created good songs: Dire Straits and the Cars. Very different bands, they managed great sounds without seeming to take themselves too seriously.

Here's the Cars' Drive, a pop-rock ballad. The lead singer is the late Benjamin Orr, the bassist. Lead singing was usually handled by Ric Ocasek.



I suppose that most people would say that Dire Straits' best LP was Brothers in Arms. I agree. Guitarist and songwriter Mark Knopfler created a varied collection of tunes on this one. This one, Ride Across the River, is one of my favorites. It's kind of an ambient piece without being, you know, boring.



[I'm the pastor of Living Water Lutheran Church in Centerville, Ohio.]

Some People Never Know by Paul McCartney and Wings

This song has been running around in my head all day long.

It's an obscure track from a largely forgotten and mostly forgettable debut collection from McCartney and his original Wings band.

The song goes on way too long. (When you're a superstar, your label allows you to be self-indulgent.)

But it's a lovely melody and has beautifully simple lyrics. I love the words of the second verse:

Like a fool I'm faraway,
Ev'ry night I hope and pray
I'll be coming home to stay,
And it's so, some people never know.

[I'm the pastor of Living Water Lutheran Church in Centerville, Ohio.]

Hero by Steve Taylor

"Hero" by Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil from Michael Tolosa on Vimeo.

In the Wee Small Hours by Frank Sinatra

Dance (You See It) by Andy Mineo and Wordsplayed

[Blogger Mark Daniels is pastor of Living Water Lutheran Church in Centerville, Ohio. Living Water is a congregation of the North American Lutheran Church (NALC).

I'm a Loser by the Beatles

"Although I laugh and I act like a clown
"Beneath this mask I am wearing a frown
"My tears are falling like rain from the sky
"Is it for her or myself that I cry"

[Blogger Mark Daniels is pastor of Living Water Lutheran Church in Centerville, Ohio. Living Water is a congregation of the North American Lutheran Church (NALC).

LEGEND by Andy Mineo and Wordsplayed

[Blogger Mark Daniels is pastor of Living Water Lutheran Church in Centerville, Ohio.]

Check out 'Magic & Bird'

If you like rap, check out the just-released collaboration of Andy Mineo and Wordsplayed, Magic & Bird. I've liked Mineo a lot for a while now. This is an interesting release.

It's one of two new LPs from favorite artists released this past week. The other is Randy Newman's Dark Matter.

The perspectives of Newman, on the one hand, and these two rappers (pictured below) couldn't be more different, in some ways. Newman is an atheist. Mineo and Wordsplayed are Christians. I pray for Newman and enjoy (most of) his music. I pray for these two rappers that God will continue to inspire them, embolden them, and help them to continue as humble servant/artists.

To find Magic & Bird, look here.

[Blogger Mark Daniels is pastor of Living Water Lutheran Church in Centerville, Ohio.]

She Chose Me by Randy Newman

Randy Newman's first new LP in nine years, Dark Matter, was released today.

It starts out unevenly. The first track mines the old Christian faith versus science meme to an absurd end. (It's a false dichotomy.) The second track looks at Jack and Bobby Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis in a strange, incomprehensible way.

But the remaining seven tracks are strong.

This song is the next-to-last one on the LP. For once, the satirizing Newman takes his tongue out of his cheek and presents a beautiful ballad. Any man who's ever been suprised by a special woman choosing them will identify.



[Blogger Mark Daniels is pastor of Living Water Lutheran Church in Centerville, Ohio.]

Only One by James Taylor

James Taylor's 1985 release That's Why I'm Here contained this breakout hit. The hook line with its beautiful harmonies by Joni Mitchell are what make this song. See if you don't agree.

Love Alone is Worth the Fight by Switchfoot

A cherished friend gave this CD to me when it was released three years ago. Love this track.

[Blogger Mark Daniels is pastor of Living Water Lutheran Church in Centerville, Ohio.]

Glad to See You by America

This is a track from America's 1974 release, Holiday. George Martin produced the album, as he did other America projects. Martin's arrangement on this and Holiday's other tracks adds depth and beauty.

I've always loved this song despite its misuse of God's name in the chorus. The interesting thing though, is that the composer and lead singer, Dan Peek, later became a Christian and a pioneer in the Christian contemporary music movement of the 70s and 80s.

The chorus and the whole song can, in fact, even be read as a plaintive cry to God, as in:

God, I'm glad to see you
I thought you'd left me far away

I remember in my atheist days writing a song that included the line:

Sometimes, God
I feel like I'm
A million miles from heaven
And I can't find my way back home

In my mind, at a conscious level, I was treating God as a concept, the way politicians who thoughtlessly end their speeches by saying, "God bless America."

But I think that in my subconscious, I sensed the alienation from God and others that goes with thinking that you're a creature without a Creator.

Who knows what may have been going on in Peek's subconscious when he composed the song?

Incidentally, in this period, Peek was dealing with substance abuse issues.

In 2011, he died in his sleep of a rare and poorly understood disease, fibrinous pericarditis.

[Blogger Mark Daniels is pastor of Living Water Lutheran Church in Centerville, Ohio.]

Welcome to America by Lecrae

I've posted this song before. But, man, it's good.



[Blogger Mark Daniels is pastor of Living Water Lutheran Church in Centerville, Ohio.]

Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol

This was playing in the restaurant I ate at a few hours ago. I forget about this song. But I love the simplicity of the lyrics and melody.

I don't know where
Confused about how as well
Just know that these things
Will never change for us at all

[Blogger Mark Daniels is pastor of Living Water Lutheran Church in Centerville, Ohio.]

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For by U2

Where the Streets Have No Name by U2

The first U2 LP I owned...like lots of other people, I'm sure.