John Mark Heard (1951-1992) was a record producer, singer, and songwriter o… Read Full Bio ↴John Mark Heard (1951-1992) was a record producer, singer, and songwriter originally from Macon, Georgia.

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.

He Will Listen to You
Mark Heard Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When the weight of this world crashes down on you
God will listen to you
When the sky turns black and your thoughts turn blue
He will listen to you
He will listen to you
Always listen to you
He understands how His children feel
He will listen to you

When the river of tears cannot be contained
He will listen to you
Like a drowning man in the pouring rain
God will listen to you

He will listen to you
Always listen to you
He understands how His children feel
He will listen to you

When the light explodes in a world gone wrong
He will listen to you
When your heart beats strong with a grateful song
God will listen to you

He will listen to you
Always listen to you

He understands how His children feel
He will listen to you

Overall Meaning

The song "He Will Listen to You" by Mark Heard depicts a comforting image of God as a divine entity who will always lend an ear to His children. Whatever the situation may be, be it a gloomy day, a broken heart, or a world that seems to have lost all hope, the song conveys how God is always there and willing to listen. The lyrics seem to communicate that no matter how insignificant one may feel or how dire the circumstances might be, God will always hear you out. The lines, "He understands how His children feel/He will listen to you" further emphasize that God is empathetic towards His children and will be there for them in their times of need.

The song's lyrics also highlight how God is aware of what is happening in our lives, how we feel, and what we go through. The verse, "When the weight of this world crashes down on you/God will listen to you" seems to imply that God is aware of the struggles that we face in our everyday lives. Moreover, the line "When the river of tears cannot be contained/He will listen to you" signifies how God is ready to hear us out even in our moments of vulnerability.

In summary, the song "He Will Listen to You" reassures that God will always be there for us to listen, to offer a shoulder to cry on, and to help carry our burdens. The song conveys the message that God is always there for us if we seek Him and confide in Him.

Line by Line Meaning

When the weight of this world crashes down on you
Even in the face of overwhelming hardships, God is always there for you and ready to listen.

God will listen to you
God is always willing to lend an ear and listen to your troubles, no matter what they may be.

When the sky turns black and your thoughts turn blue
In moments of great sadness or despair, God is always there to listen and offer comfort and guidance.

He will listen to you
This line reinforces the idea that God is always ready to listen to his children and help them through their struggles.

Always listen to you
No matter what happens or how difficult things may seem, God will always make time to listen to your needs and provide the support you need.

He understands how His children feel
God's deep understanding of human emotions and experiences allows him to empathize with our struggles and provide guidance and comfort when we need it most.

When the river of tears cannot be contained
In deeply emotional moments, when words may not be enough to express your feelings, God is still there to listen and comfort you.

Like a drowning man in the pouring rain
Even in moments of extreme emotional distress, God is always there to metaphorically pull you out of the storm and offer support and guidance.

When the light explodes in a world gone wrong
Even in a world full of darkness, God's light shines through and he is always there to listen, offer guidance, and provide hope.

When your heart beats strong with a grateful song
In moments of extreme joy and gratitude, God is there to celebrate with you and listen to your expressions of thankfulness and happiness.

Contributed by Liam A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

rbheiss

11y↑8

This may be my favorite song from this album. Thanks for posting it. It's easier to click on a link than it is to dig through about 3000 albums trying to find what you want or need to hear at any given moment! Take care, Rolland B. Heiss