Ok, first off, SC2 (LOrd of the dance) is off the list, and I'm replacing it with Sufjan Steven's Casimir Pulaski day. Next off is Jared Anderson's song, and is replaced by Over The Rhine's Drunkard's Prayer, except that I'm moving everything up and putting DP at spot #5. Following that, Amy Grant's tune is replaced by Sarah McLachlan's Answer. U2 gets a trade-off: Till The End of the World replaces Mothers of the disappeared. There are some other changes, but I’ve lost track of them while revising the list. So you’ll have to figure out the changes yourself. So the list looks like this:
20. Daniel Powter: Bad Day Sounds like Elton John before he got…well…different. 19. Sam Phillips: Wasting My Time Just because layering 6 cellos in a song is only the coolest idea ever. 18. Snow Patrol: Chocolate A brilliant band, who, though they can’t perform well to save their life, they sure can release a radio-ready hit like chocolate, while being thought-provoking at the same time. 17. DC Talk: What Have We Become? A classic, and a scathing report on…well, what we’ve become! 16. Coldplay: Politik I put this here in defiance of the new CD. The old CD contained all the brilliance musically, while trying to convey a message at the same time, a trait the new album has lost. 15. Keith Green: Oh Lord, You're Beautiful I just can’t get away from this song. One of my favorite worship songs of all time. 14. Bebo Norman: My Love If there’s a more heartbreaking love song in recent folk history, I don’t know of it! 13. James Blunt: No Bravery A chilling lament for the lost people in the Balkans. If you don’t know about the history of violence in the Balkans (bosnia, chechnia), you need to study it, for gaining compassion for those people. 12. Andrew Peterson: Let There Be Music) What does it mean to live an incarnational life in Christ? Listen to this song, and you’ll find out! 11. Fernando Ortega: All That Time A beautifully bittersweet song about the end of an old man’s life. A different kind of subject, but Ortega pulls it off flawlessly. 10. Mae: Mistakes We Knew We Were Making A careful, yet pointed song asking the hard questions about a pressing social issue. 9. U2: The End of the World I love it when artists can take a Bible story, and turn it into a song, while keeping it from getting cheesy. Thankfully, Bono not only succeeds in that, but also in showing his God-given genius for writing songs. 8. Sarah McLachlan: Answer Sometimes, after all the aching and hurting, it’s nice to rest on a solid rock, whether that be God, or the person He provides for us. 7. Anna Nalick: Breathe (2AM) The best new pop/folk song that has made it to the top ten on AT40! 6. Sufjan Stevens: Casimir Pulaski Day This song is indescribable. It’s a love song, but it ends in heartbreak. It is a tragic tale that ends in a beautiful realization. The final line, ‘He takes and He takes and He takes’ is probably the most piercing lines in any song ever. 5. Over The Rhine: Drunkard's Prayer We all rely on love, and need grace more often than not. This song could be the prayer of any honest person. 4. Jeff Buckley: Hallelujah A bitter tale of love, though it’s hard to tell if it’s to God or to a lover. Regardless, it’s a song that can’t be missed. 3. Peter Gabriel: Mercy Street This song is filled with emotion and deep felt longing. I think the reason this song is so meaningful is because it is not afraid to probe deep into the darkness to see if there is still a shaft of light breaking through somewhere, if there is a "mercy street" to follow out of the night into the light. If we can find a way to delve beyond the facades and shows of normality in our lives, and really ask the questions about love and loss and pain, and ultimately redemption, perhaps we will be better off for it. 2. U2: Where The Streets Have No Name Some songs I simply cannot escape, and this happens to be one of them. There is within this song a spark of divine truth, as if a window to heaven has been opened for the listener. Ironic, as the song is about heaven, but the lyrics portray such depth of understanding of the chasm between this world, where "Love turns to rust", and the heavenly place, where "The Streets Have No Name". U2 is the greatest rock band of all time for a reason, and that is that they understand more than just writing a good rock song. They understand life, and that is why the merit the number 2 spot on my list. 1. Rich Mullins: Land of My Sojourn This song more than any this year gets my best vote for the sheer profundity it produces with such simplicity. The message is simple enough. Mullins takes his ethnic country of origin (Ireland) and compares it to America, where he says: Nobody tells you/when you get born here/how much you'll come to love it and how/you'll never belong here/so I'll call you my country/But I'll be lonely for my home/and I wish that I could take you there with me. He then shows how this is the relationship that we have with the world; It's a wonderful place, full of deep beauty and wonder, but it will never be our true home, and we will always be somewhat foreign and just wandering through. Our true home is beyond earthly bounds, and someday we will see it again, and truly be home. That is why I chose this song as number one, because I have that same longing that Rich Mullins did, and that is the theme of this year for me; That someday I will be able to go "home", but for now, I must work and struggle for purpose in the land of my sojourn.
I've heard that before, but I don't know if I agree. It is more obviously a song about despair with God, and conveying that message to a lover. There perhaps is a sensual context, but I think the main point of the song doesn't end up in that.
And to the first part of your comment, yes, it has been covered by quite a few people, but none have covered it quite as beautifully as Jeff Buckley. Yeah, KD Lang did do a nice version, it wasn't half as impassioned as J.B.'s version, IMO. But perhaps I should relisten to the KDL version. Also, JB has the most famous version, so he should get some credit for that, at least.
8 comments:
cool picture.
Ok, first off, SC2 (LOrd of the dance) is off the list, and I'm replacing it with Sufjan Steven's Casimir Pulaski day. Next off is Jared Anderson's song, and is replaced by Over The Rhine's Drunkard's Prayer, except that I'm moving everything up and putting DP at spot #5. Following that, Amy Grant's tune is replaced by Sarah McLachlan's Answer. U2 gets a trade-off: Till The End of the World replaces Mothers of the disappeared. There are some other changes, but I’ve lost track of them while revising the list. So you’ll have to figure out the changes yourself. So the list looks like this:
20. Daniel Powter: Bad Day
Sounds like Elton John before he got…well…different.
19. Sam Phillips: Wasting My Time
Just because layering 6 cellos in a song is only the coolest idea ever.
18. Snow Patrol: Chocolate
A brilliant band, who, though they can’t perform well to save their life, they sure can release a radio-ready hit like chocolate, while being thought-provoking at the same time.
17. DC Talk: What Have We Become?
A classic, and a scathing report on…well, what we’ve become!
16. Coldplay: Politik
I put this here in defiance of the new CD. The old CD contained all the brilliance musically, while trying to convey a message at the same time, a trait the new album has lost.
15. Keith Green: Oh Lord, You're Beautiful
I just can’t get away from this song. One of my favorite worship songs of all time.
14. Bebo Norman: My Love
If there’s a more heartbreaking love song in recent folk history, I don’t know of it!
13. James Blunt: No Bravery
A chilling lament for the lost people in the Balkans. If you don’t know about the history of violence in the Balkans (bosnia, chechnia), you need to study it, for gaining compassion for those people.
12. Andrew Peterson: Let There Be Music)
What does it mean to live an incarnational life in Christ? Listen to this song, and you’ll find out!
11. Fernando Ortega: All That Time
A beautifully bittersweet song about the end of an old man’s life. A different kind of subject, but Ortega pulls it off flawlessly.
10. Mae: Mistakes We Knew We Were Making
A careful, yet pointed song asking the hard questions about a pressing social issue.
9. U2: The End of the World
I love it when artists can take a Bible story, and turn it into a song, while keeping it from getting cheesy. Thankfully, Bono not only succeeds in that, but also in showing his God-given genius for writing songs.
8. Sarah McLachlan: Answer
Sometimes, after all the aching and hurting, it’s nice to rest on a solid rock, whether that be God, or the person He provides for us.
7. Anna Nalick: Breathe (2AM)
The best new pop/folk song that has made it to the top ten on AT40!
6. Sufjan Stevens: Casimir Pulaski Day
This song is indescribable. It’s a love song, but it ends in heartbreak. It is a tragic tale that ends in a beautiful realization. The final line, ‘He takes and He takes and He takes’ is probably the most piercing lines in any song ever.
5. Over The Rhine: Drunkard's Prayer
We all rely on love, and need grace more often than not. This song could be the prayer of any honest person.
4. Jeff Buckley: Hallelujah
A bitter tale of love, though it’s hard to tell if it’s to God or to a lover. Regardless, it’s a song that can’t be missed.
3. Peter Gabriel: Mercy Street
This song is filled with emotion and deep felt longing. I think the reason this song is so meaningful is because it is not afraid to probe deep into the darkness to see if there is still a shaft of light breaking through somewhere, if there is a "mercy street" to follow out of the night into the light. If we can find a way to delve beyond the facades and shows of normality in our lives, and really ask the questions about love and loss and pain, and ultimately redemption, perhaps we will be better off for it.
2. U2: Where The Streets Have No Name
Some songs I simply cannot escape, and this happens to be one of them. There is within this song a spark of divine truth, as if a window to heaven has been opened for the listener. Ironic, as the song is about heaven, but the lyrics portray such depth of understanding of the chasm between this world, where "Love turns to rust", and the heavenly place, where "The Streets Have No Name". U2 is the greatest rock band of all time for a reason, and that is that they understand more than just writing a good rock song. They understand life, and that is why the merit the number 2 spot on my list.
1. Rich Mullins: Land of My Sojourn
This song more than any this year gets my best vote for the sheer profundity it produces with such simplicity. The message is simple enough. Mullins takes his ethnic country of origin (Ireland) and compares it to America, where he says: Nobody tells you/when you get born here/how much you'll come to love it and how/you'll never belong here/so I'll call you my country/But I'll be lonely for my home/and I wish that I could take you there with me. He then shows how this is the relationship that we have with the world; It's a wonderful place, full of deep beauty and wonder, but it will never be our true home, and we will always be somewhat foreign and just wandering through. Our true home is beyond earthly bounds, and someday we will see it again, and truly be home. That is why I chose this song as number one, because I have that same longing that Rich Mullins did, and that is the theme of this year for me; That someday I will be able to go "home", but for now, I must work and struggle for purpose in the land of my sojourn.
BTW, I can't remember. Is that picture of me or of Eriol?
The mystery person jamming away on my guitar is Eriol (note the clinched fist holding the pick, he's the only person I know who does that).
Thanks for voting (again)!
About your #4 Eucharisto, Hallelujah is actually a Leonard Cohen that has been covered by a million people, including mr buckley.
Its an amazing song no matter who is singing, though I prefer the KD Lang version.
My take on the lyrics is that he's juxtopositioning religious fervor with the act of sex. But maybe that's just me.
I've heard that before, but I don't know if I agree. It is more obviously a song about despair with God, and conveying that message to a lover. There perhaps is a sensual context, but I think the main point of the song doesn't end up in that.
And to the first part of your comment, yes, it has been covered by quite a few people, but none have covered it quite as beautifully as Jeff Buckley. Yeah, KD Lang did do a nice version, it wasn't half as impassioned as J.B.'s version, IMO. But perhaps I should relisten to the KDL version.
Also, JB has the most famous version, so he should get some credit for that, at least.
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