Everything including the kitchen sink... but with special attention paid to board games, Jesus Christ, my family, being a "professional" (and I use that word loosely) Christian, and the random firing of the 10% of the synapses I'm currently using.
Friday, March 27, 2026
Top 100 Songs: #30-#21
So many good songs... and some of my writing on this one reminded me of a couple of songs that didn't make the list ("Beautiful Scandalous Night" and "Look Over Your Shoulder") that probably should or could have.
Oh, yeah... happy birthday, Dave W.!
The Lost Dogs is a CCM-alternative supergroup a little like The Traveling Wilburys… and this song is a thunderous ode to the expansive incredible nature of the grace of God.
Politicians, morticians, philistines, homophobes / Skinheads, dead heads, tax evaders, street kids / Alcoholics, workaholics, wise guys, dimwits / Blue collars, white collars, war mongers, peaceniks / Breathe deep / Breathe deep the breath of God / Breathe deep / Breathe deep the breath of God
#29: Satisfied Mind(Ben Harper & The Blind Boys of Alabama - 2004)
Ben Harper teamed up with The Blind Boys of Alabama to create one of the best gospel albums of the 00s… and this is the song that keeps running through my head.
How many times have you heard someone say / "If I had his money I'd do things my way" / But little they know that it's so hard to find / One rich man in ten with a satisfied mind
I came to King's X late… but those first three albums are still golden for me. And this rock anthem is still my favorite song of theirs. (Though "Over My Head" is pretty darn good as well.)
I've always thought that Don Henley's solo music captures a very Los Angeles vibe - and this song (along with "Boys of Summer" and "Garden of Allah") is proof positive of that.
You see a lot more meanness in the city / It's the kind that eats you up inside / Hard to come away with anything that feels like dignity / Hard to get home with any pride
The Choir has had an amazing career - and their genius has touched so many albums that are not their own (including the amazing Clouds Rain Fire worship album). This song is the one that haunts me - both for the lyrical content that sounds like they eavesdropped on my heart and for the amazing musical break/outro at the end of it.
I call to you / With one lung exploded / From breathing the dust of the earth / With my tongue eroded / From licking the crust of the earth / A tear away from reconciled / A prayer away from whole / Restore my soul
My favorite Vigilantes song… flat out. My favorite version is the acoustic take on the V.O.L. album. (Had a neat online moment a couple of weeks ago when I commented about "Double Cure" and Bill Mallonee himself replied to let me know it was still in his live set.)
So tired of all my toys / They never last for long / They keep beaming dreams and wishes / To a big dish on my front lawn / I wanna drink out of that fountain / On a hill called double cure / I wanna show you my allegiance, Lord / Yes, I wanna be a son of Yours
Thanks to the wonderful worship pastor at our church (go, Bethany Bailey!), I was introduced to this song and the amazing collective that is Common Hymnal. I can't sing it without crying.
Blessed are the ones who fight for justice / Longing for the coming day of peace / Blessed is the soul that thirsts for righteousness / Welcoming the last, the lost, the least/ The Kingdom is yours / The Kingdom is yours / Hold on a little more, this is not the end / Hope is in the Lord, keep your eyes on Him
And now for something completely different - country music! My wife liked a couple of Brad Paisely songs ("Flowers" in particular) and so we listened to some more of his songs… and then stumbled across "It Did" - which isn't exactly our romance/life story but certainly feels like it.
Tears of joy in my mommas eyes / Her daddy walkin' her down the aisle / He lifted that veil and I saw that smile / And I said / To myself / It doesn't get better than this / No it doesn't get better than this / But it did
Bruce Cockburn is better known for "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" - but this cover of Mark's Heard signature song is my favorite recording from him.
Young dreamers explode like popped balloons / Some kind of emotional rodeo / Learning too slow and acting too soon / Time marches away like a lost platoon / We gracefully age as we feel the weight / Of loving too late and leaving too soon / We can laugh and we can cry / And never see the strong hand of love hidden in the shadows / We can dance and we can sigh / And never see the strong hand of love hidden in the shadows
follower of Jesus, husband, father, "pastor", boardgamer, writer, Legomaniac, Disneyphile, voted most likely to have the same Christmas wish list at age 58 as he did at age 8
1 comment:
King's X is one of the best bands ever. Unbelievable live for just a three piece. Glad to see other fans of their work.
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