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.
All Is Not Lost
Mark Heard Lyrics
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And concepts are hushed when books are burned
All is not lost
All is not lost
When swine are the ones who steal the pearls
From the human oysters of the western world
All is not lost
All is not lost
TRUTH LIVES ON
TRUTH LIVES ON
TRUTH LIVES ON
When beauty seems beaten by the callous beasts
And it looks like it will be 'cause history repeats
All is not lost
All is not lost
You can still see grace in the children's eyes
And this planet's face still gladdens the wise
All is not lost
All is not lost
CHORUS
When the hand of man becomes inept
And sketches the truth in silhouette
All is not lost
All is not lost
The hand of God has not worked in vain
And this globe is fodder for the feeblest brain
All is not lost
All is not lost
CHORUS
In the song "All Is Not Lost," Mark Heard provides a message of hope in a world seemingly filled with despair. The first verse points to a time when civilization takes a wrong turn, when concepts and ideas are silenced, and books are burned. However, Heard says that even in these dark times, all is not lost. The chorus rings out with the repeated phrase "Truth lives on," emphasizing that the truth will always prevail and cannot be destroyed by even the most destructive forces in the world.
The second verse speaks to the idea that beauty is often oppressed by brutal forces that seek to suppress it. Yet, Heard sees hope in the eyes of children and the natural beauty of the planet, allowing for a reminder that all is not lost even when it seems like everything good is being erased by oppressive forces.
The final verse speaks to the ineptitude of human hands, drawing half-truths and silhouettes, but emphasizes that the hand of God has not worked in vain and that the planet is still rich with opportunity for even the feeblest of minds. All together, "All Is Not Lost" is a powerful anthem to hope, reminding people that even in the darkest of times, truth and beauty can still shine through.
Line by Line Meaning
When civilization takes a nasty turn
Despite the downfall of society.
And concepts are hushed when books are burned
Even when ideas and literature are suppressed and destroyed.
All is not lost
There is still hope.
All is not lost
Despite the chaos and destruction.
When swine are the ones who steal the pearls
Even when greed and corruption are prevalent.
From the human oysters of the western world
And society's vulnerable victims are left exposed.
All is not lost
There is still a chance for redemption.
All is not lost
Despite the injustice and oppression.
TRUTH LIVES ON
The truth endures.
TRUTH LIVES ON
And it cannot be silenced or erased.
TRUTH LIVES ON
It exists beyond the grasp of those who seek to crush it.
When beauty seems beaten by the callous beasts
Even when cruelty triumphs over elegance.
And it looks like it will be 'cause history repeats
And history seems doomed to repeat itself.
All is not lost
There is still resilience and perseverance.
All is not lost
Despite the despair and hopelessness.
You can still see grace in the children's eyes
There is still innocence and purity in the world.
And this planet's face still gladdens the wise
And the beauty of the earth still inspires those with wisdom.
All is not lost
There are still sources of joy and wonder.
All is not lost
Despite the degradation and contamination.
When the hand of man becomes inept
When humans falter in their abilities.
And sketches the truth in silhouette
And can only grasp at the truth, unable to fully see it.
All is not lost
There is still divine guidance and intervention.
All is not lost
Even when human knowledge and understanding fall short.
The hand of God has not worked in vain
Divine power and purpose still exist.
And this globe is fodder for the feeblest brain
And even the weakest minds can find wisdom and truth in the world.
All is not lost
There is still hope and promise.
All is not lost
Despite the imperfections and failures of humanity.
Contributed by Carson P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.