On "Compass & Companion", Mark partnered with Kelly Willis for the title song.
He regularly tours in support of Kris Delmhorst, Lori McKenna and Catie Curtis, playing acoustic and electric guitar.
Mark has worked with producer Lorne Entress exclusively and co-produced "Hillbilly Pilgrim" and "Hope & Other Casualties'.
Ichabod
Mark Erelli Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So fallen, so lost, the light withdrawn
Which once he wore
The glory from his gray hair gone
Forevermore
Revile him not, the Tempter hath
And pitying tears, not scorn and wrath
Befit his fall
Oh dumb be passion's stormy rage
When he who might
Have lighted up and led his age
Falls back in night
Scorn, would the angels laugh to mark
A bright soul driven
Fiend-goaded down the endless dark
From hope and heaven
Let not the land once proud of him
Insult him now
Nor brand with deeper shame his dim
Dishonored brow
But let its humbled sons instead
From sea to lake
A long lament, as for the dead
In sadness make
Of all we loved and honored
Naught save power remains
A fallen angel's pride of thought
Still strong in chains
All else is gone from those great eyes
The soul has fled
When faith is lost when honor dies
The man is dead
Then pay the reverence of old days
To his dead fame
Walk backward with averted gaze
The song "Ichabod" by Mark Erelli is a tribute to John Greenleaf Whittier's poem of the same name. The lyrics break down the meaning behind the word "Ichabod," which means the glory has departed. The song speaks of a fallen man who was once great but has lost his way, and although some may revile him, he is deserving of pity rather than scorn. The lyrics plea for passion and anger to be silenced when thinking of this man, and instead, there should be sadness and lament for what he once was.
The song speaks of the importance of not insulting or casting out a man who was once proud and honored but has since fallen from grace. Instead, it asks that we walk backward in time with averted gaze and pay respect to his dead fame. The lyrics suggest that all a fallen man has left is power, and even in his chains, he will hold onto his pride of thought. However, when faith is lost and honor dies, the man is dead.
Line by Line Meaning
So fallen, so lost, the light withdrawn
The person in question has lost all of their former glory and power.
Which once he wore
They used to hold great power, and this is now gone.
The glory from his gray hair gone
The power or wisdom that was once seen in their age has also faded away.
Forevermore
There is no way for this person to ever regain what was lost.
Revile him not, the Tempter hath
Do not hate or blame this person, for they have been deceived by someone or something.
A snare for all
Everyone is susceptible to being tricked.
And pitying tears, not scorn and wrath
Rather than anger, it is more appropriate to feel sorrow for their downfall.
Befit his fall
Their circumstances have led to this fall, and it is not their fault entirely.
Oh dumb be passion's stormy rage
One should not respond with intense emotions such as anger or outrage.
When he who might
This person had the potential to be great.
Have lighted up and led his age
They could have been a leader or influencer in society.
Falls back in night
Instead, they have become obscure and unimportant.
Scorn, would the angels laugh to mark
Angels would not be amused to see an intelligent or influential person fall from grace.
A bright soul driven
This person once had a very positive and bright disposition.
Fiend-goaded down the endless dark
The person was led astray by evil influences and has been left in a hopeless state.
From hope and heaven
They have been separated from any chance of redemption or grace.
Let not the land once proud of him
One should not mock or shame the country that once regarded the person highly.
Insult him now
It would be inappropriate to insult this person now when they are in such a hopeless state.
Nor brand with deeper shame his dim
One should not add to the shame and humiliation already present in this person's life.
Dishonored brow
This person has been disgraced, and further insult towards them is unnecessary.
But let its humbled sons instead
Rather than mocking this person, the citizens of this country should act humbly.
From sea to lake
Everyone in the country should take part in this humbled attitude.
A long lament, as for the dead
They should mourn and feel sorrow for the downfall of this person.
In sadness make
The mood of this lament should be mournful and sad.
Of all we loved and honored
This person was once loved and held in high esteem.
Naught save power remains
Now, the only thing that remains of this person is their former power and influence.
A fallen angel's pride of thought
This person's intelligence and pride is their only redeeming quality.
Still strong in chains
Despite being disgraced, this person still retains their fierce intellect and sense of dignity.
All else is gone from those great eyes
Aside from their intellect, this person has lost everything that once made them respectable.
The soul has fled
Their spirit and former self is gone forever.
When faith is lost when honor dies
Once someone loses their faith and honor, it is impossible for them to recover.
The man is dead
This person, as they once were, is dead and gone forever.
Then pay the reverence of old days
We should still honor and value this person as they once were.
To his dead fame
Even though what made them famous is no longer present, we should still value and recognize their achievements.
Walk backward with averted gaze
We should avoid looking at this person in their current state and instead look back to who they once were with admiration.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind