lenten journal: sing to the night
When I sat down tonight to write, what came to mind are songs that capture the emotions of the week ahead, which are not easy feelings. Part of the challenge every year for me is not to rush to Easter but to take the loss and grief seriously. Here, then, is my soundtrack, which is by no means exhaustive.
To set the tone, I’ll begin with Guy Clark’s “The Dark.”
in the dark you can sometimes you can hear your own heart beator the heart of the one next to youthe house settles downafter holding itself up all dayshoulder slumps, gives a big sighyou hear no one's foot fall in the hallthat drip in the kitchen sink marking timejune bug on the window screencan't get in but he keeps on tryingone way or another we're all in the dark
James Taylor’s “Lonesome Road” helps me picture how alone Jesus must have felt in the middle of everything coming down.
carry on—never mind feeling sorry for yourselfit doesn't save you from your troubled mindwalk down that lonesome road all by yourselfdon't turn your head back over your shoulderand only stop to rest yourselfwhen the silver moon is shining high above the trees
American Kid is the album Patty Griffin wrote after her father died. “Wild Old Dog” is an amazing expression of grief using a dog abandoned on the side of the interstate as a metaphor for God.
God is a wild old dogsomeone left out on the highwayI seen him running by mehe don't belong to no one now
Randy Newman’s song “I’ll Never Get Over Losing You” is another statement of grief. The video below also carries the story behind the song.
when you're young and there's time to forget the pastyou don't think that there's time but you willand I know that I don't have time enoughand I'll never get over losing you
I've been cold I've been hungry but not for a while
guess most of my dreams have come true
with it all here around me no peace do I find
'cause I'll never get over losing you
no, I'll never get over losing you
I am going to close the set with Andrew Peterson’s “After the Last Tear Falls” because even in our bleakest times, love is still the last word.
after the last disgrace, after the last lie to save some faceafter the last brutal jab from a poison tongueafter the last dirty politician, after the last meal down at the missionafter the last lonely night in prisonthere is love, love, love, lovethere is love, love, love, lovethere is love
and in the end, the end is oceans and oceans of love and love again
we'll see how the tears that have fallen
were caught in the palms of the giver of love and the lover of all
and we'll look back on these tears as old tales
Peace,
Milton
