Jeff Lang is critically acclaimed as a truly great guitar player. The unusual thing is that the guitar playing never gets in the way of the music, nor overshadows his gift for hauntingly poetic songwriting. As a live performer Lang is only satisfied when something truly inspired takes place. This restless striving for the sublime pays great dividends for audiences that join him for the ride.
He has delivered show-stopping performances at festivals as diverse as Port Fairy, Woodford, Byron Bay, Mudslinger and Livid in his home land of Australia. On US radio he has appeared on A Prairie Home Companion, Mountain Stage and Acoustic Café, and he has performed at such festivals as the Dublin Blues Festival, Philadelphia Folk Festival, Quebec City Music Festival, Falcon Ridge, Winterhawk Bluegrass Festival, Blissfest, and the Ottawa Blues Fest.
He has toured with Ani Di Franco, Chris Whitley, Albert Collins, Bob Dylan, Loudon Wainwright III, Richard Thompson, Greg Brown, Kelly Joe Phelps, Dr. John and Bob Geldolf, while his unique musical vision
easily finds a home in myriad venues, from a large festival stage to a small Irish club to the Sydney Opera House. In addition his 2002 collaboration with Bob Brozman won an ARIA award (Australia's equivalent of a Grammy) for Best Blues and Roots Music album. Jeff Lang has achieved what is a rarity in the cluttered world of contemporary sounds: his own voice.
(From http://www.jefflang.com.au/)
KILLER
Jeff Lang Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you smile at me as if you know me to be kind
When to see your pain could be all that I crave
I could've been a killer in my day
That he magically sets aside his bitterness and rage?
Well, to tell you the truth wouldn't be such a shame
I could've been a killer in my day
Should I haul you up by the collar of your coat
So close you can smell every last gin on my breath
And spit words of fury just to illustrate my rage?
I could've been a killer in my day
If I sat down with an evil man I'm sure I would find
The same cruel thoughts, they have all crossed my mind
And it's only my decisions let these impulses lay
I could've been a killer in my day
I took a desperate stranger in my house for a stay
And he stole my lady before he stole away
I'd've given anything to have made that man pay
I could've been a killer in my day
Well I've come this far down my own road
Every step is one that I've taken alone
And as you enter life that's how you leave - on your own
So it matters not what you say
I could've been a killer in my day
(Come this far, I will get there, come this far on my own)
In Jeff Lang's song Killer, he reflects on the potential darkness and violence within himself, despite his current life as a bartender who serves young girls with kindness. He acknowledges the societal expectation for men to suppress their anger and bitterness as they age, but he fears that he could have easily been a killer at some point in his life. He describes the moment when he could lash out at someone, using his fury to harm them. Lang recognizes that everyone has the capability for cruelty, and it is only our decisions that keep us from acting upon those impulses.
The lyrics suggest a deep introspection about the darker side of human nature. Lang admits that he harbors thoughts of violence and wishes revenge upon the man who stole his lady, revealing an unfiltered perspective on how anger can consume a person. He acknowledges that he has come far in his own journey, but that it ultimately does not matter in the end because everyone must face death alone.
In conclusion, the song Killer by Jeff Lang speaks to the deeply ingrained societal expectations on controlling "unacceptable" emotions in men and women, and also highlights the important fact that everyone could be a killer if they gave into their impulses.
Line by Line Meaning
All you young girls come in every Friday night
Girls come to me every Friday night.
And you smile at me as if you know me to be kind
You smile at me because you believe I am kind.
When to see your pain could be all that I crave
I could desire to see you in pain.
I could've been a killer in my day
I had the potential to become a killer in the past.
You think that when a man comes of age
Do you believe that when a man grows older?
That he magically sets aside his bitterness and rage?
He would magically get rid of his resentment and anger?
Well, to tell you the truth wouldn't be such a shame
It is not a disgrace to confess the truth.
Should I haul you up by the collar of your coat
Should I raise you by the collar of your jacket?
So close you can smell every last gin on my breath
So close that you can sense the gin on my breath.
And spit words of fury just to illustrate my rage?
And spit angry words to display my wrath?
If I sat down with an evil man I'm sure I would find
If I were to talk with a vile man, I'm positive I would discover
The same cruel thoughts, they have all crossed my mind
Similar brutish ideas have all come to my mind.
And it's only my decisions let these impulses lay
The only thing that prevents me from acting on these impulses is my choices.
I took a desperate stranger in my house for a stay
I allowed a desperate person to stay in my home.
And he stole my lady before he stole away
He took my woman before running away.
I'd've given anything to have made that man pay
I would have sacrificed anything to make him suffer.
Well I've come this far down my own road
I have journeyed this far on my path.
Every step is one that I've taken alone
I have taken every step by myself.
And as you enter life that's how you leave - on your own
You enter life alone and you leave it alone.
So it matters not what you say
It does not matter what you say.
I could've been a killer in my day
I was once capable of committing murder.
(Come this far, I will get there, come this far on my own)
(I have come this far, I will continue on my own)
Contributed by Elizabeth P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Salmanul Fares
TIMESTAMPS
~ 0:40 Intro/Overview
1. WHY I WAS ATHEIST/LIFE STORY
~ 02:09 Religious Mother
~ 03:38 Abusive Father
~ 08:40 Why do good people suffer if god is loving
~ 10:43 Unanswered Questions that eventually resulted in atheism
~ 12:26 How I received a copy of the Quran
2. STORY OF MANKIND, Verses 2;30-39
~ 12:50 The story in brief
~ 13:18 Initial observations and comparisons
2A. SUFFERING
~ 14:23 A representative on earth, Quran 2;30
~ 15:38 THE QUESTION asked by angels.
~ 15:38 One of fund. questions of theology, Quran 2;30
~ 18:05 Agitating brief answer
2B. INTELLIGENCE
~ 19:08 Answer within the story, Quran 2;31
~ 21:00 Supporting examples from the Quran
~ 21:56 Comparison between Angels and Man, Quran 2;32
~ 24:27 What was revealed and concealed, Quran 2;33
2C. CHOICE
~ 26:32 Prostration, Quran 2;34
~ 27:22 Forces involved in Man's development/morality
~ 29:05 Intro into Evil & why devil didn't prostrate.
~ 30:00 Conclusion of 2C, Supporting eg. from the Quran
~ 31:55 STORY OF THE FORBIDDEN TREE, Quran 2;35
~ 32:40 Thoughts on the verse
~ 34:48 Quran 2;36
~ 36:28 Explanation of Dwelling place
~ 37:48 Satan caused them to 'slip'
~ 39:52 Summary of 2
~ 40:18 First Independent choice.
~ 40:55 Forgiveness, 2;37
~ 42:05 Nothing to fear nor shall they grieve, Quran 2;38
3. PROBLEMS POSED
~ 43:22 The three things highlighted in the story
~ 44:50 3 Questions theologians have trouble with
~ 45:47 Quranic perspective (Examples from the Quran)
~ 46:42 Reason/Intelligence
~ 51:15 Why Choice?
~ 53:40 BIG QUESTION Why Evil/Suffering?
~ 53:50 Other religious takes on suffering
~ 54:50 Why good people suffer, THE UPHILL CLIMB.
4. GROWTH & RELATIONSHIP
~ 1:01:40 The purpose, GROWTH
~ 1:02:22 Do the skies, earth and life even have a purpose?
~ 1:04:23 Believers vs Rejectors - what god wants from us
~ 1:05:10 The loving relationship
~ 1:06:09 Examples from Quran
~ 1:06:58 To produce people that experience love
5. HOW IT ALL FITS TOGETHER
~ 1:08:37 What's required - the essential link
~ 1:11:13 Descriptions of Believer
~ 1:13:23 Descriptions of God
~ 1:17:13 The essential link/connection
~ 1:19:06 How and why we should link with the infinite
~ 1:21:09 An analogy for the link
6. THE ANSWER
~ 1:23:09 Why? 🤯
Addnl watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H_C0BMyGCA
Cyberautist
This man shows, that most Muslims don't even care to ask daring questions when even reading the translation. I mean Prof. Lang had an English interpretation of the Quran - and even with only that he was able to ask so many questions and engage his intellect and not just rushing over the contents, like some islamic YouTube Superstars do. He really tried to understand the Quran as a human first and not as a devoted blind believer, like so many religious people are.
He read the Quran without any bias towards the authorship and therefore could appreatiate the Qurans majestic style, because he would not expect a human to wirte such original teachings. It is the mass indoctrinated Muslims, who put the Quran on the high shelf, so that everything in the Quran must be right, and we don't have to think even the slightest to fit the least of it in our understanding - because the Quran is beyond questioning - while the Quran demands that its reader asks questions and not take the Quran for granted, by just blindly honoring a majesty, that such blind mass don't even want to understand, because they think it is all already understood - this man proofs, that by engaging the Quran, new insights gush forth. But what do Muslims really care about it. For them the Quran is a book of rules and laws, not a book, that is able to teach and make its reader engage beyond the surface layer of understanding.
So many herd-mentality based believers read their scripture withoout even noticing anything they are reading. But it is tragic, that book with such deep philosophy is mostly engaged daily by incompetent beleivers, who think they already have discovered everything about an eternal book.
A book given from the omniscient! And they think they have pulled everything from the Quran and have every science and philosophy of the Quran discovered. How can a people be so presumptious?! Do they think, that only western sciences can disclose the miracle of the Quran, and that the Quran itself has no miracles to offer?
Who thought of this way, has truly abandoned the Quran. The miracles of the Quran are beyond the historic limits of science.
The Quran can show even more and new things, if you wished to engage it and think of the Quran as a source of real science, which require clear competence and discipline and humbleness.
The blind followers have no humbleness. They are presumptious as well and they don't care what the Quran has to offer, as long they can think "we are the winners".
They abandoned the Quran and took their low-life sources as sources to interpret this beautiful scripture - how can they call their loss a win?
Syahril Rachman
Timestamps
2:10 Becoming an Atheist. Story about his 'Saint' Mother and a terrible alcoholic Father. Growing Rage and Guilt inside a young Jeffrey Lang. Praying to God to remove the fear, to remove his Father. Become easy to question the existance of God.
10:36 His view of The world is confirmed that it is dominated by random unassuming undiscriminated violent. Begin asking God's intention of putting mankind in this kind of situation. The explanation given by preachers just doesn't makes sense to him.
12:28 Given a copy of Al-Quran, came to surah Al-Baqarah... The story of mankind. Begin to ponder the brilliance of the author about the concept of "The Embassary of God in earth".
19:20 The story about Adam A.S being taught by God. Learn about the first Emphasis of Human's intellect in Quran... That human is a learning creature. And the gift of Language.
22:22 "The Test" of intellect given to Angels... It is beyond the grasp of even Angels.
23:04 Human (Adam A.S) can endure the test (of intellect). God explain why He said "I know what I'm doing".
24:03 Rethinking of the story of Mankind, by understanding the original message. Mankind capable of choosing great violent, or great benevolent acts.
26:30 introduction to Iblees, how he refused to do sujood while angels do sujood... Angels and Iblees serve the development of Mankind (to goodness or to evil). Introduction to the moral aspect of Mankind.
29:18 The root of all evil is Arrogance. Human is a moral creature given the ability to choose either to be good or evil.
31:56 the ultimate test begin.
34:50 mankind slipped
40:20 mankind's first independence choice
43:24 Impressed by Qur'an, begin searching deeper. 3 fundamental roles in the purpose of life of mankind: intellect, choice, suffering.
46:45 Emphasis of intellect / reasons in Quran
51:18 Emphasis of choices in Quran
53:42 Emphasis of suffering in Quran and comparison in other religions
1:00:19 emphasis of toiling/ struggling to grow in Quran
1:02:28 Quran emphasize that there's a real purpose of mankind creation. And that it is for them to be believers.
1:04:30 what will believers achieve
1:07:40 why don't god just put us in heaven to love him... And the circular arguments
1:08:40 how all tied together. And the special relationship of God and the believers by doing good deeds
1:13:33 putting God in perspective... Everything begin making sense
1:21:12 The Analogy to put it on perspective
1:23:04 why the 3 things? Because it had to be born... Not programmed
1:27:20 reason why sin in Islam is very destructive to mankind
Abdia Adams Bey
My journey to Islam at 65yrs of Christianity. Alhamdulillah!! I thank Allah for inviting me
Welyam Gh
Mashallah we are very happy for you sister ALLAH bless you.
saffa ainaa
May Allah guide you always and the rest of your family members who are still non-Muslims to Islam. May Allah protect you always.
sen ak
MaashAllah.
Shosho AL
Emma Adams I’m so happy for you 🤍❤️
Vitch Macro
Welcome back
Unique Mind
I converted 3 days ago...beautiful explanation thank you❤
Youtube Chanel
Congratulations 🎉🎉🎉 ALLAH blessed us
MARYAM IBRAHIM
May Allah keep you steadfast
Muhammad Sohail
Mashallah May Allah gives you power of stability on Islam