Andy James

wandering the web since 1997

Presbyterian minister in Atlanta.
Music lover.
Found beer in seminary.

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some new music (with old roots)

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Several weeks ago, I decided I would “pre-order” Coldplay‘s new album X&Y from iTunes. So this morning, I got up and downloaded the songs and put them on my iPod before I went walking so I would have something new and interesting to listen to. I was generally underwhelmed, but right as I was getting ready to change to something entirely different, “A Message” came on.

Within seconds, I knew the song, and I nearly stopped walking to listen more closely. “A Message” is clearly indebted to the wonderful Samuel Crossman hymn “My Song Is Love Unknown” with the tune LOVE UNKNOWN by John Ireland, a fact only slightly acknowledged on the web (see here and here for the references I have found). Here’s my interpretation of the lyrics, since none that I have found on the web are accurate with the references to the original hymn:

My song is love
Love to the loveless shown
And it goes on
You don’t have to be alone

Your heavy heart
Is made of stone
And its so hard to see clearly
You don’t have to be on your own
You don’t have to be on your own

And I’m not gonna take it back
And I’m not gonna say I don’t mean that
You’re a target that I’m aiming at
And I get that message home

My song is love…
My song is love unknown
But I’m on fire for you, clearly
You don’t have to be alone
You don’t have to be on your own

And I’m not gonna take it back
And I’m not gonna say I don’t mean that
You’re the target that I’m aiming at
And I’m nothing on my own
Got to get that message home

And I’m not gonna stand and wait
Not gonna leave it until it’s much too late
On a platform I’m gonna stand and say
That I’m nothing on my own
And I love you, please come home

My song is love, is love unknown
And I’ve got to get that message home

Some reviewers and listeners have called this a love song, but I can’t. The similarity between the hymn and the song is striking — I wouldn’t call it plagiarism but could certainly describe it as inspiration. There are certainly elements that move the song beyond the Lenten themes of the hymn, but I find it to be a deeply spiritual thing.

The next time someone claims that Christianity is dead in Britain or the US or anywhere, I will simply point them to this song. The next time someone says that old hymns aren’t good for anything, I will point them to this song that many are already describing as a hit. It’s clearly not the age of the music that makes things good or bad — it is the depth of the spirit in it.

old habits reincarnated

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As I spend more time at home, I’m finding that some of my old habits are coming back. For example:

  1. It’s really hard to get any “work” done at home. I try to read or do something other than watch TV or sit in front of the computer, but I always seem to end up right back here where I started. I recognize that part of that has to do with different space and having other people closer in to my space, but I still find it hard to do the reading and other sorts of things that I would have done in another space with this same amount of time.

    2.  

  2. Somewhat related to this are eating and personal care habits. I all too easily break back into unhealthy eating and excuses to not exercise while I’m here. I try pretty hard, but I don’t succeed. I’ve always had much better success when I can start from scratch and do things in an entirely new way.

    3.  

  3. I either live in my room or outside the house. Thanks to a rearranged room, I have more openness in my bedroom than I have had since I was little. However, I can’t spend much time outside of it without leaving the house altogether. I find that I have to take some kind of trip every day to keep my spirits up and simply make sure that I don’t completely lose it!

I’m simply glad this is a temporary arrangement!

one of the strangest things I’ve seen in a while…

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While shopping for birthday cards tonight, I ran across this one that was too wonderful not to buy:

When asked to describe herself, Mille Grosler exclaims, “Toaster ovens! I’m all about toaster ovens. I love the toaster part, and then there’s the oven part. I love that. Give me a toaster oven and I can die happy.” 

Inside, the card goes on:

You’re weird. 

That’s why I like you.

Too good not to pass along!

observations from home

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It is HOT. I moved back to Mississippi a week ago, and who knew that summer would come so quickly? I was away this past weekend, and when I stepped off the plane at nearly midnight last night after several days in a place where I needed a jacket, I was nearly bowled over by the heat and humidity — it was nearly 80º! I have forgotten — but certainly not missed!!! — summers in Mississippi. The forecast calls for cooler weather over the next few days, but thankfully I will be getting away from here yet again on Thursday.

I resumed my walking regimen today, and I was astonished at people’s response. Granted, it was midday, but I was still the only person out walking at all. In the places where there were no sidewalks, I think the passing drivers were so surprised by my presence that most of them moved completely over into the opposite lane. I’ve been walking on streets for a couple years now, and there was something very clearly different about this. Maybe it was just the fact that I was out exercising in such dreadful heat… or maybe it was just that anyone was exercising at all. I don’t know.

Anyway, that’s life. Of course there’s more, but I have to save something to write about later, right? 🙂

endings and beginnings

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We’re right in the middle of all the celebrations for commencement. Tonight was the baccalaureate service, and it was truly wonderful. Sarah Walker offered a wonderful take on it in her blog tonight, and I affirm her comments here by reference!

Everything is striking me very deeply in these times. The part of the service that grabbed me was the prayers of the people. When they are done well, they are often my favorite part of the service, and tonight was one of those times. I don’t remember how it all went, but there was a lot about beginnings and endings, and it wasn’t some trite anecdote about commencement being a beginning that you’ve heard at two hundred high school graduations. These beginnings and endings seemed more real than they have before as Mark Douglas prayed. Maybe it was in the growth I can see in myself over the last three years — but maybe it was actually in the ways in which I see that I have also stayed the same.

I don’t really understand it, but can we understand it? I don’t think I can really wish for that real understanding, but as the ending comes extremely near, lots is coming together as it never has before. Tonight I heard “alpha” and “omega” in an entirely new way, and that was unsettling — but yet comforting. I’ll have to quote Sarah, for she is more eloquent than I could imagine to be tonight:

All I needed was to hear it. Hear the promise. I needed the reminder. I have the faith. I believe the promises. I just needed to hear them. And I needed the rest of the service too. It reminded me of who I am and Whose I am. It reminded me of what is important and in Whom I place my trust and my life. It reminded me of how to live.