A Song-by-Song Review of Raising Up the Dead: Streets of Gold

I got debts that I can’t pay
I won’t see another dime a day, o yea
And the rain falls down this government line
While the suits get a room in a hotel, wasting time

And it’s easy to fall down hard
And it’s easy to fall

But I know, I’m walking tomorrow paved on streets of gold

And this car I drive is a little worn,
But I’ve got to make it to Houston in this storm
Cause what little peace that I can find
Is flowing through the bayou not this vine

And it’s easy to fall down hard
And it’s easy to fall

But I know I’m walking tomorrow paved on streets of gold
I know this time in the valley, it can only save my soul

O they say not to worry about tomorrow
Does that mean I should live for today
Cause right now I can’t find the peace of mind to stay

I know I’m walking tomorrow, paved on streets of gold
And I know my time in the valley, can only save my soul

If any song sounds like vintage Caedmon’s, this one does, down to the chording, the harmonies and the folksy sound. The strangeness of the grammar on this song distracted me a bit once I actually started listening to the lyrics. Nevertheless, I love the percussion on this song and the harmonies.

Themes of contentment, jealousy and living with a proper eschatological hope predominate here. The song does work as a nice counterpoint to the siren song of “Come with Me.” The narrator is rough around the edges. His life is not perfect, he’s waiting in line for government checks and drives an old car. Instead of listening to the siren song about green shores, however, this person doesn’t reach for the eternity that waits for him on the other side. He allows himself to walk through the valley. I feel as if this song would be poignant for those who have recently lost their jobs. It’s easy to fall down hard. Peace is difficult to find. But there is hope. It is a hope that doesn’t lead to apathy here on earth.

A Song-by-Song Review of Raising Up the Dead: Time Inside Out

She makes a masterpiece, shoestring and paper
She tucks it safe in my bag as I go
It’s like a piece of her, I take it with me
She opens my heart to see beauty she makes with her hands

Down by the water her mind full of wonder
Creatures in our hearts are so full of life
Blurring the lines between student and teacher
She captures my heart like she captures the bird in her hands

Turning time inside out, ever after ticking like a watch on my wrist
Flash bulbs forgetting while eternity breaks in,
Turning time inside out, turning time inside out

Little boy prince with his crown and his castle
His coy invitiation, his eyes like my own
Imagination, untamed and unfettered
He wins my heart with a sword and a kiss on my hand

And the youngest with her fire, temple and blues
Sings her own tune, little souls are

This is lyrically my favorite song on the album. Not a word is wasted. The pictures are painted incredibly clearly. The real relationship behind the words comes through. That being said, the almost down-home bluesy nature of the music baffled me once I actually listened to the lyrics. Don’t get me wrong. The music is fantastic. But it feels at odds with the lyrics, which are praising the beauty of a relationship with children. The music seems noirish, even eerie at times. Nevertheless, this song definitely makes my top five on the album.

A Song-by-Song Review of Raising Up the Dead: I Need a Builder

Down to the wire of words that aren’t said
And I’m building the pieces together in my head
To make a place I sleep soundly, a place I think clearly
O where do we go, where do we go from here?

There’s a sign in the yard and a lump in my throat
A new plot of land and fresh lumber is in tow
Two kids in their carseats and hope for our history
And letting it go, letting it go from here.

I need a builder, a better design
A house with more windows and more ways inside

We’re leaving behind all that our parents wrote
We’re replacing the past and all our father’s hopes
With a new street address and a new bag of tools
To make room as we grow, room as we grow from here

And we need a builder, a better design
A house with me windows and more ways inside

First off, I’m a fan of expressive voices. Derek Webb has one of the most expressive voices in the history of music. His famous falsetto comes through strongly on this song. When I first heard it, though, I thought it was a little silly. I still think he swoops on some of his pick-ups too much. But the song is just so well put together and so expressive that I can’t blame him.

As a person who has now been married for three years and is considering starting a family sometime in the near future, I instantly related to this song. Fears for the future, breaking ties with family expectations, and building a new home and family are all things my wife and I dealing with daily. The prayer of the chorus is one that I now want to pray: I need a builder with a better design, a house with more windows and more ways inside.

A house with more windows and more ways inside is one that is open and honest. If anything, this is the most important characteristic of a healthy marriage.

A Song-by-Song Review of Raising Up the Dead: David Waits

Put your head upon my shoulder
Lay the hammer at your side
Storms inside this tiny artist
Dream in marble shapes and light

Forging through to what’s becoming
So much wearing at your heart
Though the knife and chisel break you
There will be a work of art

And you are throwing yourself at the stone
Cause you see the shape and the form of his face
What your hands cannot break
And David waits

Speaking words over the darkness
Like the artist of the earth
In the image, daughter, father
Your creation, your rebirth

On the other side of brokenness
The way your heart connects to his
Both must be free for the beauty to be revealed

The songs Danielle sings lead on seem to have the best lyrics. Come with Me, David Waits, Time Inside Out. The images are just so vivid. And, once again, not a word is wasted. Economy of expression. True poetry.

The image of chipping away patiently at stone in order to bring out the beauty of a piece of art that was already there cuts to my core. Also, the beautiful way the song expresses seeing the image of God come through a child makes me embarrassed to even consider writing poetry. “Speaking words over the darkness/like the artist of the earth/In the image, daughter, father/Your creation, your rebirth.” Fantastic.

The harmony on this one is also stellar. Very tight, very concrete, but not showy. Emotionally rich.

A Song-by-Song Review of Raising Up the Dead: Raising Up the Dead

She just wanted someone to fight
It helped to make her feel alive
Someone to hit, someone to love
Who couldn’t exist so high above

And she is waiting for the day
When he comes to her to say
That he is not a voice in her head
He’s raising up the dead

She’ll drive her car into the lake
Hoping she might see his face
He’s everywhere, then why not here
Why navigate, why even steer?

And she is waiting for the day
When he comes to her to say
That he is not a voice in her head
He’s raising up the dead

Alone under the stars
She’s walking all night
When you don’t know where you are
Following the light is not a choice

And she is waiting for the day
When he comes to her to say
That he is not a voice in her head
He’s not the father who fled
He’s not the things that they said
He’s raising up the dead

This song describes the hope of my weary faith so well. I cannot count the times I have wanted to just know that God is not a voice in my head, how many times I’ve walked under the stars, trying to follow the light. This is a real relationship with God – one where we can fight and argue with God, where we wrestle with God.

The music is also wonderful. The percussiveness of the strumming and the staccato of the drums bring the lyrics to life. Danielle’s sudden floating harmony on the final chorus sends shivers down my spine.

As a title track for the song, I think it fits perfectly. It encapsulates that theme of death and life. It calls for God in the midst of the messiness of existence. We want God to be real, but maybe the reality of God is more potent than we are ready for. What if God actually raised up the dead in our midst? What if our prayers were answered?