The current lineup consists of Ben Harper (vocals, guitar/slide guitar), Jason Mozersky (lead guitar), Jesse Ingalls (bass and keyboards), and Jordan Richardson (drums).
Harper met Jason Mozersky in the late nineties when Mozersky was working for an Austin, Texas music promoter. Mozersky was chauffering Harper to a gig, and asked if he could play a demo for his band, Wan Santo Condo. Harper resisted initially, fearing the music would interfere with his mental preparation for the show, but then felt remorseful and agreed to hear the demo. He was "blown away," and the association led first to a record contract for Wan Santo Condo, and then to a collaboration between the two. He also recruited him to work on Harper's album Both Sides Of The Gun. Mozersky recommended Ingalls and Richardson to Harper, thus yielding the song Serve Your Soul.
In November 2008, the band debuted their new material on the Vote For Change Tour for Barack Obama's presidential campaign, where they also breathed new life into the Queen & David Bowie classic Under Pressure which has since become a staple of their live set. They ended the year cutting their teeth with a series of small club shows from famed venues such as Spaceland and The Mint in Los Angeles, to The Mercury Lounge and Kenny's Castaway in NYC. The band is scheduled to tour extensively across the world in 2009.
Their debut album White Lies For Dark Times released on May 5th, 2009.
http://relentless7.benharper.com
Faithfully Remain
Ben Harper and Relentless7 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Goodbye, to say goodbye too young
I learned to duck from words
Like bullets from a gun
How long can you pray
How long can you pray
And still not see a change
I faithfully remain
Some things
Some things
You have to let be lost
Some battles, some battles
You have to leave unfought
Then the truth just wastes away
In all we dare not say
And in all we can't explain
But I faithfully remain
I faithfully remain
Now I'm afraid
Once again
It has come to this
When it all goes dark
Nothing stays the same
Now I'm only what I missed
And my memories
They turn to tears
Oh they turn to fire, blood and pain
And I faithfully remain
I faithfully remain
And I faithfully remain
I faithfully remain
I faithfully remain
The opening lines of Ben Harper and Relentless7's song Faithfully Remain reflect the painful lessons of growing up too soon and learning to say goodbye. The lyrics suggest that it is not just people we must say goodbye to, but also things that we hold dear such as love or trust. The metaphor of ducking from words like bullets suggests how language can be used like a weapon, inflicting wounds that may never fully heal. The repetition of the question “How long can you pray and still not see a change?” gives voice to the feeling of being stuck, powerless, or trapped in a cycle of pain, showing that faith alone is not always enough to effect a transformation.
Line by Line Meaning
I learned to say
I have grown accustomed to saying
Goodbye, to say goodbye too young
I have experienced parting ways prematurely and saying goodbye too early in life
I learned to duck from words
I have learned to avoid hurtful or damaging words
Like bullets from a gun
that were delivered with the force of flying bullets from firearms
How long can you pray
How much time can one spend praying
And still not see a change
Without witnessing any significant transformations or differences
I faithfully remain
I continue to hold on and keep the faith
Some things
Certain things
You have to let be lost
Cannot be retrieved or recovered and should just be left behind
Some battles, some battles
Certain conflicts, certain struggles
You have to leave unfought
Are better left unchallenged or unresolved
Then the truth just wastes away
The honest and factual aspects of reality simply lose their value and meaning
In all we dare not say
Because of our fears or apprehensions, we do not express everything that needs to be spoken
And in all we can't explain
There are things that we cannot comprehend or articulate
But I faithfully remain
Despite these unresolved truths, I continue to hold on to my beliefs
Now I'm afraid
I am now nervous or apprehensive
Once again
In this recurrent situation
It has come to this
Things have evolved into this state
When it all goes dark
When everything becomes gloomy and bleak
Nothing stays the same
There are constant changes and adjustments
Now I'm only what I missed
My focus is just on what did not occur or what was not achieved
And my memories
My recollections or experiences in the past
They turn to tears
Evoke intense emotions of sadness and grief
Oh they turn to fire, blood and pain
They transform into sensations of burning, bleeding, and hurting
And I faithfully remain
But through all of it, I still hold on to my convictions
I faithfully remain
I keep the faith despite the challenges
I faithfully remain
I continue to hold on steadfast to my beliefs
I faithfully remain
I do not give up despite the difficulties
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: BEN HARPER, JASON MOZERSKY, JESSE INGALLS, JORDAN RICHARDSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind