Mark Heard released 13 studio albums in his lifetime (as Mark Heard & Ideola) also 1 album with Infinity Plus Three), and produced and performed with many other artists as well, such as Daniel Amos, Sam Phillips, Pierce Pettis, Phil Keaggy, Vigilantes of Love, Peter Buck of R.E.M., John Austin, The Choir, Randy Stonehill and Michael Been of The Call. Heard produced part of Olivia Newton John's The Rumour, which also included a cover of Heard's "Big and Strong".
On July 4, 1992, Heard suffered a heart attack on stage while performing with Pierce Pettis and Kate Miner, at the Cornerstone Festival, near Chicago, Illinois. Heard finished his set and went to the hospital immediately afterwards. Two weeks after being released from the hospital, Heard had a cardiac arrest and died in August of 1992. Sadly, this happened at a time when Heard's musical career never looked brighter. Not only had he just released three albums (Dry Bones Dance in 1990, Second Hand in 1991, and Satellite Sky in 1992) that many hailed as his best work to date, but he had also just been included on a sampler from Windham Hill's High Street label.
Heard's early work was often marked by strong, poetic lyrics; but musically he lingered in a generic folk/folk-rock style. But Heard continued to experiment musically; his most extreme was perhaps the elaborately-produced electronic rock on the album Tribal Opera, which he released under the name iDEoLA. With Dry Bones Dance, however, Heard's music blossomed into an intense folk-rock fusion, marked by driving rhythms, virtuosic instrumentals, passionate vocals, and interwoven elements borrowed from styles such as Appalachian folk, zydeco, bluegrass, and country (though Heard's music is none of those). Second Hand returned to a more acoustic guitar-based folk sound, but retained the energy and creativity discovered through Dry Bones Dance. His final official album, Satellite Sky, was again more like the latter.
Mark Heard's lyrics are deeply grounded in a Christian view of the world, though explicitly so only half the time. He was often critical and had an eye for emotional pain and spiritual desolation, yet he remarkably avoided cynicism. When his lyrics turned to expressing hope or joy, they were powerful. As a poetic lyricist, Heard cultivated verbal sound (e.g. with internal rhyme), strong images and elaborate personae, while avoiding the cheap punch-line metaphors popular in much contemporary folk music. Some of his images, most notably "bones," can be found repeated and richly varied in their meaning across years of songwriting.
In 1994, many artists came together to record a tribute album called Strong Hand of Love. Artists lending their talents to the project included Victoria Williams, Chagall Guevara, Buddy Miller, Julie Miller, Daniel Amos, The Choir, Rich Mullins, Bruce Cockburn, and the Vigilantes of Love. The project was later reissued as a 2 CD set with additional tracks and retitled Orphans of God.
A Broken Man
Mark Heard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One day’s miracle is another day’s rut,
Day keeps breaking like it always does,
I’m not a loner, no sackcloth and ashes,
Just a heart on a tether with a vagabond mind,
This will be a broken man come shivering out of his wintertime.
I’m a broken man, I’m a broken man,
I’m a broken man, I’m a broken man,
I’m a broken man.
I have faltered in my strength,
I have wanted to do everything right,
I swallow hard while the second hand blinks,
Shut the back door to keep out the night,
Is it just a game?
Is this a maze to lead me right back where I started from?
Oh, this will be a broken man come shattered from this marathon.
I’m a broken man, I’m a broken man,
Outcast on the outskirts of the promised land,
I’m a broken man, I’m a broken man,
I’m a broken man.
Maybe I fear the crush of guilt; I can’t take that kind of weight,
Maybe I’m afraid when the thunder breaks,
I’m scared of losing the things I love so much,
I pretend that I ain’t scared,
I ain’t frightened by no third degree, hey,
But this will be a broken man come begging for your charity.
I’m a broken man, I’m a broken man,
Outcast on the outskirts of the promised land,
I’m a broken man, I’m a broken man,
I’m a broken man,
A broken man, I’m a broken man,
Outcast on the outskirts of the promised land,
I’m a broken man, I’m a broken man,
I’m a broken man.
The lyrics to Mark Heard's "A Broken Man" tell the story of a man who has faced several struggles and challenges in his life. The song opens with a vivid imagery of a new day dawning and the struggle to find meaning in what can feel like a mundane cycle of life. The singer acknowledges that he is not alone, but rather tethered to his heart and mind as he navigates his path in life.
As the song progresses, the singer admits his mistakes and fears, wondering if it is all just a game, or a never-ending maze that will ultimately lead him back to the starting point. He acknowledges his own vulnerability and fragility, highlighting the weight of guilt and fear that can often be too much to bear.
Overall, the lyrics to "A Broken Man" showcase the human experience of struggling through life's challenges. The singer dares to be honest about what he's been through and is simultaneously hopeful about finding a way to carry on despite everything he's faced.
Line by Line Meaning
Sun comes up like a yellow bus tracking over oceans of dust,
The day begins just like any other except it is a lonesome and bumpy journey.
One day’s miracle is another day’s rut,
What seems wondrous or fabulous one day loses its novelty and excitement the next, making it unremarkable.
Day keeps breaking like it always does,
Like the golden rule, a day begins and ends the same but may change in between.
I’m not a loner, no sackcloth and ashes,
Despite being broken, I am not completely alone or in dire despair.
Just a heart on a tether with a vagabond mind,
My emotions and motivations ebb and flow, uncontrollably strung along by my wandering thoughts.
This will be a broken man come shivering out of his wintertime.
I will be a weakened individual, quivering from the numbness and hardships of my past.
I have faltered in my strength,
I have stumbled and weakened during difficult times.
I have wanted to do everything right,
I aspired to be perfect and infallible but could not reach this goal.
I swallow hard while the second hand blinks,
I force myself to keep going even when the seconds and time seem to be against me.
Shut the back door to keep out the night,
I block out the darkness and negativity from entering my life.
Is it just a game?
I wonder if life itself is just a pointless game or challenge with no clear objective.
Is this a maze to lead me right back where I started from?
I question if my struggles and difficulties are just leading me in circles, back to where I began.
Oh, this will be a broken man come shattered from this marathon.
I will be a shattered and damaged individual, worn out from the lifelong endurance test that is life.
Maybe I fear the crush of guilt; I can’t take that kind of weight,
I may worry about the overwhelming burden of guilt and accountability, unable to handle its consequences.
Maybe I’m afraid when the thunder breaks,
I fear the sudden and uncontrollable aspects of life, like a storm that could strike at any moment.
I’m scared of losing the things I love so much,
I fear losing the people and possessions most important to me.
I pretend that I ain’t scared,
I put on a brave face and act like I am not scared to hide my fear and vulnerability.
I ain’t frightened by no third degree, hey,
I claim to be unafraid of any interrogation or scrutiny, but this may not be true.
But this will be a broken man come begging for your charity.
In the end, I will be a weakened individual, seeking help and support from others.
Contributed by Sydney R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.