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.
Everything Is Alright
Mark Heard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At the end of my pipe dreams
Something's not the way it seems
It can pull me under overnight
And all the dreamers in this town
Wake up to lay their sweet dreams down
Everything is alright
Everything is alright
We'll cope and keep close babe
Everything is alright
Just when I can touch clouds
There is rain on my fingertips
A personal apocalypse
In a land where such is not allowed
Do all the riders in these ruts
Break down and give the good things up
Everything is alright
What will be will be babe
Everything is alright
When it's only you and me babe
Imagination and the name of the game
Everything is changing but the sound of your name
And all the dreamers in this town
Wake up to lay their sweet dreams down
Everything is alright
That's the way it goes babe
Everything is alright
We'll cope and keep close babe
Everything is alright
What will be will be babe
Everything is alright
When it's only you and me babe
The lyrics to Mark Heard's song Everything is Alright speak to the trials and tribulations of pursuing one's hopes and dreams in a world that often doesn't seem to support them. The first verse sets up the contrast between the singer's optimism ("just when I can see light at the end of my pipe dreams") and the harsh reality that can quickly deflate those dreams ("something's not the way it seems, it can pull me under overnight"). The second verse continues this theme, as the singer laments the challenges of striving for success ("just when I can touch clouds, there is rain on my fingertips") even in a society that values achieving one's goals ("in a land where such is not allowed").
Despite these struggles, the chorus reassures the listener that "everything is alright," encouraging them to push through the difficult moments and continue to pursue their dreams. The repetition of this phrase and the use of "babe" as an affectionate nickname for the listener adds a sense of intimacy and personal connection to the message of the song. The final verse hints at the power of love in providing stability and comfort even in the face of uncertainty, and the song ends with a sense of hopefulness and resilience.
Overall, Mark Heard's "Everything is Alright" presents a complex and nuanced view of the pursuit of dreams, acknowledging the difficulties and roadblocks that inevitably arise while emphasizing the importance of perseverance and connection with others in overcoming them.
Line by Line Meaning
Just when I can see light
In moments where I feel hopeful and optimistic
At the end of my pipe dreams
In the pursuit of my grandest aspirations
Something's not the way it seems
But often, reality falls short of my expectations
It can pull me under overnight
And this possibility can cause me emotional turmoil without warning
And all the dreamers in this town
Just like me, other hopeful and idealistic individuals
Wake up to lay their sweet dreams down
Face the reality and abandon their optimistic aspirations
Everything is alright
But despite the harsh reality, everything is still acceptable
That's the way it goes babe
As this is the common and expected course of events
We'll cope and keep close babe
We'll persevere and support each other through difficult times
Just when I can touch clouds
In moments where I feel like I can achieve anything
There is rain on my fingertips
I encounter roadblocks that prevent me from reaching my goals
A personal apocalypse
This experience feels like the end of the world in my own life
In a land where such is not allowed
In a society that does not expect or accept this type of failure
Do all the riders in these ruts
Are we all destined to fall into a pattern of failure and disappointment
Break down and give the good things up
And ultimately give up on our dreams and the things that bring us happiness
What will be will be babe
This is a reminder that some things are beyond our control
When it's only you and me babe
Together, we can support each other through these difficult times
Imagination and the name of the game
Our ability to dream and imagine a better world is what keeps us going
Everything is changing but the sound of your name
Despite the chaos and uncertainty, your presence brings me comfort and stability
Contributed by Colin L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.