When Nelson released his first CD, "Still Here", he was half way through his senior year in high school. "Still Here" is a collection of songs about a sixteen month period of his life. A time in which "everything seemed surreal and hazy". According to Nelson, he "became a very unpleasant person to be around, and yet (he) was the happiest (he) had ever been". It is an album about loss and regretful decisions. Later in the spring of 2012 his musical content made a change for the positive and optimistic. After a trip to Europe, he returned to record his uplifting tune "What Did I Find?" which received local acclaim in Minneapolis and St. Paul. In 2012 he released his second full length LP "Waiting and Waiting".
BOY
John Mark Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Grateful heart and helpless mind that reels with every chance you take
Dreams never take me far away, hide me from your love
Wake to call your name
And when you slow down you'll surely say
I know blowing in the wind there's a voice that calls my name
"Don't fear your life boy, grow and change"
The pine and tall grass grew
Leading me always, close to you
In the clearness of the spring, heard you calling heard you sing
"This marks the end of all that's through, I have a better plan for you"
Still, I'm afraid of what I am, save me from my soul
You can't make me whole
Still I find my voice and say
I know blowing in the wind there's a voice that calls my name
"Don't fear your life boy, grow and change"
It came running through the Earth where
The pine and tall grass grew
Leading me always, close to you
For a hundred years we wait, and with every breath we take
Learn to bury our mistake
Do I lead myself towards pain?
Every song we raise in vain, every fire only flame
Raise the children now to keep, every virtue that you seek
Hoping one day they'll receive
"We are nothing but the dust that gathers down below the plain
We'll be gone and you'll remain"
Now what was far away draws near, teach me to belong
I know longer fear
I know blowing in the wind there's a voice that calls my name
"Don't fear your life boy, grow and change"
It came running through the Earth where
The pine and tall grass grew
Leading me always, close to you
The song "Boy" by John Mark Nelson is a profound reflection on the journey of life and the struggles that come with it. The lyrics encourage the listener to embrace life with a grateful heart even as their mind reels with every chance they take. It speaks of the fear that we all carry within us, and the hope that comes from believing that there is a better plan for us.
The opening lines "So complete and so breathe deeply for the life in which you wake, Grateful heart and helpless mind that reels with every chance you take," convey a sense of awe and wonder for the gift of life, but also acknowledges the uncertainties and insecurities that come with it. The following lines "Dreams never take me far away, hide me from your love, Wake to call your name, And when you slow down, you'll surely say," reveal the desire to escape from one's fears and insecurities but also the acknowledgment that we all need to face our fears and confront them head-on in order to grow.
The chorus "I know blowing in the wind there's a voice that calls my name, 'Don't fear your life boy, grow and change'", depicts the conviction that one should move forward in life with courage and trust that there is a higher power guiding them. The second verse further reinforces this by describing how the voice came running through the earth, where the pine and tall grass grew, leading the singer close to the divine. The final lines "Now what was far away draws near, teach me to belong, I no longer fear" reflects the transformative power of acceptance and the realization that we are all part of something greater.
Line by Line Meaning
So complete and so breathe deeply for the life in which you wake
Wake up and breathe deeply, appreciating the completeness of your life.
Grateful heart and helpless mind that reels with every chance you take
Your heart is grateful, but you feel helpless when you take chances.
Dreams never take me far away, hide me from your love
Your dreams don't take you far from reality or from hiding from love.
Wake to call your name
You wake up and call out to a loved one.
And when you slow down you'll surely say
When you slow down, you'll reflect and realize.
I know blowing in the wind there's a voice that calls my name
You hear a voice calling your name on the wind.
"Don't fear your life boy, grow and change"
The voice tells you to not fear life, but to grow and change.
It came running through the Earth where
The voice came from the Earth.
The pine and tall grass grew
The voice came from an area with pine trees and tall grass.
Leading me always, close to you
The voice always leads you back to your loved one.
In the clearness of the spring, heard you calling heard you sing
You hear the voice calling and singing in the clarity of spring.
"This marks the end of all that's through, I have a better plan for you"
The voice says that this marks the end of the past and that there's a better plan for you.
Still, I'm afraid of what I am, save me from my soul
Despite the voice's guidance, you're still afraid of yourself and ask to be saved.
You can't make me whole
The voice can't make you complete.
Still I find my voice and say
Despite your fears, you find your voice and speak up.
For a hundred years we wait, and with every breath we take
Throughout life, we wait and breathe.
Learn to bury our mistake
We learn to move on from our mistakes.
Do I lead myself towards pain?
You question if you're leading yourself towards pain.
Every song we raise in vain, every fire only flame
Despite your efforts, your songs and fires seem futile.
Raise the children now to keep, every virtue that you seek
You raise your children to inherit the virtues you seek.
Hoping one day they'll receive
You hope that one day your children will understand.
"We are nothing but the dust that gathers down below the plain
We're all just dust gathering below the plain.
We'll be gone and you'll remain"
We'll all be gone eventually, but you'll still be here.
Now what was far away draws near, teach me to belong
Something that was once far away is now closer, and you ask to be taught to belong.
I know longer fear
You no longer fear because you have found your place and are no longer alone.
Lyrics © TUNECORE INC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JOHN MARK NELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dontyoumind524
So complete and so breathe deeply for the life in which you wake
Grateful heart and helpless mind that reels with every chance you take
Dreams never take me far away, hide me from your love
Wake to call your name
And when you slow down you'll surely say
I know blowing in the wind there's a voice that calls my name
"Don't fear your life boy, grow and change”
It came running through the Earth where
The pine and tall grass grew
Leading me always, close to you
In the clearness of the spring, heard you calling heard you sing
"This marks the end of all that's through, I have a better plan for you”
Still, I'm afraid of what I am, save me from my soul
You can't make me whole
Still I find my voice and say
I know blowing in the wind there's a voice that calls my name
"Don't fear your life boy, grow and change”
It came running through the Earth where
The pine and tall grass grew
Leading me always, close to you
For a hundred years we wait, and with every breath we take
Learn to bury our mistake
Do I lead myself towards pain?
Every song we raise in vain, every fire only flame
Raise the children now to keep, every virtue that you seek
Hoping one day they'll receive
"We are nothing but the dust that gathers down below the plain
We'll be gone and you'll remain"
Now what was far away draws near, teach me to belong
I no longer fear
I know blowing in the wind there's a voice that calls my name
"Don't fear your life boy, grow and change"
It came running through the Earth where
The pine and tall grass grew
Leading me always, close to you
@PeaceOnEarth013
I completely broke down crying listening to this song recently. There is a beauty and catharsis to it that I can't quite explain, only be thankful for.
@itsjohnmarknelson
Wow that's so powerful! Thank you for sharing!
@kieronnmaglalang
The lyrics. The concept. The voice. This song is such an underrated gem.
@itsjohnmarknelson
Thank you so much!
@dangoffe1677
I listened to this song about 4 years ago, and I used to listen to it everyday, mostly on train journeys, and it was so relaxing. I’ve been struggling to find it for so long but now I finally have. It just takes me back to that time 4 years ago and I get so much nostalgia. Respect to you from England for this absolute masterpiece. I hope you’re well lad:)
@itsjohnmarknelson
I am so glad you found it! Thanks for the kind words!
@michaelsamples5810
@@itsjohnmarknelson honestly you don't get enough recognition on YouTube for your amazing content. I've never seen a bad video or song from you. Even 7 years later, all of your content is amazing!
@avalonperez3806
I found you by accident and now I can't stop listening to this song
@dec0mposiex
I remember finding this song about a year ago, and ever since, I’ve added it to nearly every Spotify playlist I have. It’s genuinely one of the most audibly satisfying and beautiful songs I have ever heard and it’s just a really peaceful song that I can’t really get enough of :)
@itsjohnmarknelson
Wow! Thank you so so much for the kind words and support!