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".
Beating In My Heart
John Mark Nelson Lyrics
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Son, you're a man and you must learn how to stand up on you're own
And so I took what belonged to me and said I'll be back when I have grown
I set out one morning before the sun had kissed the sky
I turned my back towards my home and I never said goodbye
And as I put miles between myself and love I hung my head and cried
Oh, you came to me; impart in the early dawn
Oh, I never want to start if I could be wrong
I'm waiting for my place and it won't be long
I crossed through the valleys and I forded the streams
My heart it was aching and my back it was breaking, can't go on
Then a voice deep inside me told my heart and my body move along
I came to a mountain and I started to climb
With each step I took I felt a year pass between myself and time
And I knew I was older and my heart it was colder on my mind
Oh, you came to me; impart in the early dawn
Now you beat it in my heart like a summer song
Oh, I never want to start if I could be wrong
I'm waiting for my place and it won't be long
'Cause I never would have been the same without you
(repeat)
And when I returned you were waiting for me
You told me how you always knew all the things that a I would be
And before this is over there are things that i had for you to see
The lyrics to John Mark Nelson's song "Beating in My Heart" tell the story of a young boy who leaves home to find his own way in the world. His father tells him that he must learn to stand on his own, so he sets out on a journey that takes him through valleys and over mountains. Along the way, he misses home and cries, but he keeps moving forward, spurred on by a voice deep inside telling him to keep going.
As he climbs the mountain, he feels a year pass between himself and time, and he begins to feel older and colder. But then, in the early dawn, someone comes to him and imparts something to his heart. This person beats into his heart like a summer song, giving him the strength to keep moving forward. He never wants to start if he could be wrong, so he waits for his place to find him, knowing it won't be long.
When the young boy returns home, he finds that someone was waiting for him all along. This person knew all the things he would become and has things for him to see. The lyrics speak to the journey we all must take to become who we're meant to be, even when it's hard and we're unsure of where we're going. It's a song about finding the strength to keep moving forward and trusting that the path we're on will lead us where we need to go.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was a young boy my father he said
My father told me as a young boy
Son, you're a man and you must learn how to stand up on you're own
He told me that, as a man, I need to learn to be independent
And so I took what belonged to me and said I'll be back when I have grown
I left home with my belongings, saying I'd return when I'm grown
I set out one morning before the sun had kissed the sky
I left early in the morning, before the sunrise
I turned my back towards my home and I never said goodbye
I left without saying goodbye to my family
And as I put miles between myself and love I hung my head and cried
As I distanced myself from the people I love, I felt sad and tearful
Oh, you came to me; impart in the early dawn
You came to me in the early morning and shared something with me
Now you beat it in my heart like a summer song
What you shared with me stays in my heart like a summertime melody
Oh, I never want to start if I could be wrong
I don't want to begin if there's a chance I could fail
I'm waiting for my place and it won't be long
I'm patiently waiting for my rightful place, and it won't be much longer
I crossed through the valleys and I forded the streams
I traveled through the valleys and crossed streams of water
My heart it was aching and my back it was breaking, can't go on
My heart was heavy and my body was tired, I felt like I couldn't go on
Then a voice deep inside me told my heart and my body move along
A feeling came from within me, urging my heart and body to keep moving
I came to a mountain and I started to climb
I found a mountain and began climbing it
With each step I took I felt a year pass between myself and time
Each step I took made me feel like a year had gone by
And I knew I was older and my heart it was colder on my mind
I realized I had grown older, and my heart had grown colder in my thoughts
'Cause I never would have been the same without you
I know that I am now a different person, thanks to you
And when I returned you were waiting for me
When I came back, you were there waiting for me
You told me how you always knew all the things that a I would be
You said that you knew all the things I would become
And before this is over there are things that i had for you to see
Before this is all over, there are things I want to show you
Contributed by Elena C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
alyssa
A journey he goes through and how God brings him through it all and he finds his faith and himself through it all.