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.
Everybody Loves a Holy War
Mark Heard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Esteeming their purposes alone
Choosing sides with a definite pride
And taking their cause for His own
Everybody loves a holy war
Draw the line and claim divine assistance
Slay the ones who show the most resistance
Everybody loves a holy war
Many's the man with the iron hand
Supposing his own thoughts to be Divine
He will break any bond-
'cause the other man's always wrong
It's a handy excuse for his crimes
Everybody loves a holy war
Draw the line and claim divine protection
Kill the ones who show the most objection
Everybody loves a holy war
Dissident cries are met with cold eyes
And treatment the devil would get
Righteousness and truth
can be weapons in the hands of fools
While innocents go to their deaths
Everybody loves a holy war
Draw the line and claim divine assistance
Slay the ones who show the most resistance
Everybody loves a holy war
Mark Heard's song "Everybody Loves a Holy War" is a commentary on the dangerous allure of war, particularly when religion is employed to justify it. The song describes the kind of person and group that gets caught up in holy wars or crusades, whether they are zealous individuals or whole mobs that feel God has endorsed their purposes. These individuals, armed with pride and a sense of their own righteousness, break bonds and act as if they have a divine mandate to do so. Heard notes that such people and groups tend to demonize their opponents, which makes it that much easier to justify doing terrible things to them.
Heard's lyrics also suggest that the people who engage in holy wars find something appealing and perhaps even fun about the process. There is a sense of adventure and excitement when drawing lines between groups, claiming divine protection, and killing the ones who object or resist. Heard implies that this particular thrill comes at the expense of innocent people who often become victims in these wars.
In summary, Heard's song is a critique of holy wars, religious violence, and the perils of zealotry. He highlights the danger of attacking others in the name of a supposed divine purpose and the problems that arise when people try to obtain status or glory through violence.
Line by Line Meaning
Some say that God has approved of their mob
There are people who believe that their group is sanctioned by God.
Esteeming their purposes alone
They value their own goals above all else.
Choosing sides with a definite pride
They have a strong sense of loyalty towards their chosen group.
And taking their cause for His own
They believe that God is on their side.
Everybody loves a holy war
There is an attraction towards conflicts that are seen as divinely ordained.
Draw the line and claim divine assistance
They create boundaries and invoke God's help to support their actions.
Slay the ones who show the most resistance
They target those who oppose them the most.
Many's the man with the iron hand
There are many men who are stubborn and inflexible.
Supposing his own thoughts to be Divine
They believe that their opinions are the only valid ones.
He will break any bond-
They are willing to sever relationships to pursue their goals.
'cause the other man's always wrong
They view anyone who disagrees with them as being in the wrong.
It's a handy excuse for his crimes
They use their beliefs to justify unethical actions.
Dissident cries are met with cold eyes
They are unsympathetic to those who contest their views.
And treatment the devil would get
They subject their opponents to harsh treatment.
Righteousness and truth can be weapons in the hands of fools
People can misuse good intentions and genuine beliefs for harmful purposes.
While innocents go to their deaths
Their actions lead to harm for those who aren't involved in their disputes.
Contributed by Lauren L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.