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.
Back Streets
Mark Heard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
See them wave like flags in the warm breeze
They paved up the promised land
And gave us the backstreets
Breathe in the bus fumes
Aphrodisiac, a gift from the tycoons
Who Cadillac through the human boomtown
This ain't no ignorant bliss and no one expects it
This ain't easy street yet and no one forgets it
LIVING IN THE BACKSTREETS, BABY
LIVING IN THE BACKSTREETS, GIRL
LIVING IN THE BACKSTREETS, BABY
IT'S A BACKSTREET WORLD
LIVING IN THE BACKSTREETS, BABY
LIVING IN THE BACKSTREETS NOW
LIVING IN THE BACKSTREETS, BABY
LIVING AND LOVIN' SOMEHOW
Oh the drunks tilt
Down the big boulevards that the banks built
Say your thanks and forget your guilt
Hey this is the backstreets
National fascination
With the footage of the smashing of oppression
Cashing in with a big success
But not for the backstreets
Oh, this ain't no limbo of souls, but no one expects it
This ain't no boulevard of gold, and no one forgets it
Those ivory towers
The ones that point like guns up in downtown
Shoot the stars and they'll win some wars
But not in the backstreets
Up in the think-tanks
They must be jumping in and drowning like tame rats
Never wondering what's keeping love alive
In the backstreets
This ain't no ignorant bliss and no one expects it
This ain't easy street yet and no one forgets it
The lyrics of Mark Heard's song "Back Streets" shed light on the harsh reality of living in the backstreets of a city. The palm trees that decorate the area are merely a facade, and the people living there have to endure the pollution and bus fumes. The promised land that was paved ends up being the backstreets, where people are forced to live. The backstreets are unforgiving and not easy to navigate. The people living there are aware of their situation and know that it's not an ignorant bliss that they're in, and it's not an easy street. They strive to live and love despite the challenges.
The song makes use of imagery to describe the setting. The palm trees that are supposed to be symbols of luxury and leisure, stand as tall as flags. Bus fumes, which are pollutants, become an aphrodisiac to the people living in the backstreets. Banks and think-tanks located in downtown areas have no concern for the people living in the backstreets. They're busy chasing dreams of success and power, while the people in the backstreets try to keep love and life alive.
In conclusion, "Back Streets" by Mark Heard is a song about the harsh reality of living in the backstreets of a city. People who live there have to endure pollution, neglect, and social inequality. However, despite their circumstances, they find ways to live and love.
Line by Line Meaning
Beneath the palm trees
Under the tropical trees
See them wave like flags in the warm breeze
Watch the palm fronds flutter in the hot wind
They paved up the promised land
Constructing the dream destination
And gave us the backstreets
And relegated us to the less desirable living quarters
Breathe in the bus fumes
Ingest the toxic exhaust of public transportation
Aphrodisiac, a gift from the tycoons
The air pollution acting as a stimulant, credited to wealthy industrialists
Who Cadillac through the human boomtown
Overseeing the thriving urban growth from their luxury vehicles
Here in the backstreets
Residing in the lower socio-economic neighborhoods
This ain't no ignorant bliss and no one expects it
The reality is not a state of bliss, and no one is under the impression that it is
This ain't easy street yet and no one forgets it
Life is still a challenge, and no one has overlooked that fact
LIVING IN THE BACKSTREETS, BABY
The act of existing in an area of poverty
LIVING IN THE BACKSTREETS, GIRL
Surviving in the less desirable part of the city
LIVING IN THE BACKSTREETS, BABY
The struggle of making a living in the lower socio-economic neighborhoods
IT'S A BACKSTREET WORLD
The reality of living in poverty
LIVING IN THE BACKSTREETS, BABY
Existing in the least affluent part of the metropolitan area
LIVING IN THE BACKSTREETS NOW
Being a resident of the less desirable urban community at present
LIVING IN THE BACKSTREETS, BABY
Surviving day-to-day in the lower socio-economic neighborhoods
LIVING AND LOVIN' SOMEHOW
Managing to survive and love despite the hardship
Oh, the drunks tilt
Describing the unsteady movements of inebriated individuals
Down the big boulevards that the banks built
Traveling down the main commercial streets created by financial institutions
Say your thanks and forget your guilt
Receive what is offered without remorse for others' misfortune
Hey this is the backstreets
This is what it's like in the less desirable parts of the city
National fascination
A widespread interest in a particular topic
With the footage of the smashing of oppression
Attracted by images of the end of injustice
Cashing in with a big success
Making significant profits from this fascination
But not for the backstreets
Without any positive effect on the lower socio-economic neighborhoods
Oh, this ain't no limbo of souls, but no one expects it
This not a state of afterlife, but no one is surprised by that
This ain't no boulevard of gold, and no one forgets it
Life is not a path to material wealth, and that is not forgotten
Those ivory towers
The tall buildings erected by the wealthy
The ones that point like guns up in downtown
The skyscrapers that tower over the central business district
Shoot the stars and they'll win some wars
A metaphor for ambitious goals possibly being achieved
But not in the backstreets
Without any positive change in the less desirable sections of the city
Up in the think-tanks
In academic institutions or organizations that promote intellectualism
They must be jumping in and drowning like tame rats
The scholars being overwhelmed, and their ideas not being able to take hold
Never wondering what's keeping love alive
Ignoring what motivates individuals in the less desirable neighborhoods
In the backstreets
In the politically and economically deprived areas
This ain't no ignorant bliss and no one expects it
People are in no way blinded from the hardships of their living situation
This ain't easy street yet and no one forgets it
Despite the daily struggles, people remain realistic and remember the difficulty of their circumstances
Contributed by Aaron C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.