Discography
Albums:
Dave Stewart and the Spiritual Cowboys (BMG, 1990)
Honest (BMG, 1991)
Singles:
Jack Talking (BMG, 1990)
Love Shines (BMG, 1990)
Crown of Madness (BMG, 1991)
Out of Reach (BMG, 1991)
Heaven And Earth
Dave Stewart & The Spiritual Cowboys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Past the broken windowed churches
He starts to laugh and cry
At the same time
What really makes him drink
Is the time he has to think
And he knows that there is
Nowhere he can hide
Hang around like leeches
To drink that heady drug
Of untold power
Their arguments are quoted
And the winner then is voted but
The loser always has
the finest hour...
So what are we going to do now
On heaven and earth
What are we going to do now
Tell me what is worth to you ...
Doctors try to save them
Priests don't know how to tell them
There's nothing you can do but repent
You might think that he's a hero
But like Nixon Mao or Nero
All you know is that they came... then they went
So what are we going to do now
On heaven and earth
What are we going to do now
Tell me what is worth
So what are we going to do now
On heaven and earth
What are we going to do now
Tell me what is worth to you
(Father and son) ad libs to fade
The song "Heaven and Earth" by Dave Stewart & The Spiritual Cowboys tells the story of a mortician who turns to alcohol to cope with the weight of his thoughts. His job involves dealing with death and the brokenness of life's institutions, such as churches. He feels trapped and unable to hide from his thoughts. Meanwhile, people around him engage in power struggles and arguments, ultimately leading to someone being voted as the winner, but the "loser" may have his "finest hour." The song wonders what we can do in a world where doctors try to save people, but priests can only tell them to repent, and even those we consider heroes may ultimately be forgotten. It is a call to action, a plea for people to consider what is truly important in life.
Line by Line Meaning
The drunk mortician lurches
The mortician who is drunk stumbles
Past the broken windowed churches
He passes the churches with broken windows
He starts to laugh and cry
He begins to laugh and cry at the same time
At the same time
Simultaneously
What really makes him drink
The thing that triggers his drinking is
Is the time he has to think
The time he has to ponder and reflect
And he knows that there is
He is aware that there is
Nowhere he can hide
No place to escape
He's got people making speeches
There are people who are giving speeches
Hang around like leeches
They stick around like parasites
To drink that heady drug
To consume that intoxicating substance
Of untold power
With immense influence
Their arguments are quoted
Their arguments are repeated
And the winner then is voted but
The winner is selected but
The loser always has
The loser always experiences
the finest hour...
an outstanding moment of success
So what are we going to do now
What is our course of action now
On heaven and earth
In both the spiritual and physical realms
Doctors try to save them
Doctors attempt to rescue them
Priests don't know how to tell them
The priests are unsure how to inform them
There's nothing you can do but repent
There is no option other than to ask for forgiveness
You might think that he's a hero
You might view him as a hero
But like Nixon Mao or Nero
Similar to Nixon, Mao or Nero
All you know is that they came... then they went
All that you know is they arrived and left
Tell me what is worth to you ...
Inform me what holds significance to you
(Father and son) ad libs to fade
Additional vocals from father and son to bring the song to a close
Contributed by Thomas O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.