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.
It Will Not Be Like This Forever
Mark Heard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The darker side takes precedence
And wise men fall and fools take charge
And feign a naive innocence
And blood runs cold at our own expense
Ane we tend to ignore our ignorance:
I know it will not be like this forever
OH-THIS CURTAIN WILL BE TORN AWAY
When righteousness almost prevails
But loses out to what sells well
And life goes on and numbness
Takes the bitterness from the taste of hell
Years of error leave a trail
And still we walk it meaning well:
I know it will not be like this forever
CHORUS
When our sense of true significance
Is shackled by an electric fence
In hearts that do not understand
The nature of the elements
And what we are gets left for dead
In the silent shadow of the lives we've led:
I know it will not be like this forever
CHORUS
The opening verse of Mark Heard's "It Will Not Be Like This Forever" ponders a world where darkness takes precedence over the light of wisdom, and where those who should be leading with intelligence, kindness, and thoughtfulness are instead 'wise men fall and fools take charge'. The imagery conjures up a dystopian hellscape where blood runs cold, and people are wilfully ignorant of their own contributions to the terrible state of affairs around them. Heard seems to suggest that the situation is unbearable and untenable, but ends the verse with the tentatively hopeful and wise prediction that 'it will not be like this forever'.
The second verse picks up where the first left off, examining the struggle between righteousness and the temptation to simply sell out for the sake of profit or popularity. The ultimate result of this ongoing battle is numbness, the inability to feel or care too much about matters large or small. The lyrics imply that, after years of making poor choices or apathetically coasting along, we can still choose to make positive change, and that despite our mistakes, things will ultimately get better. The chorus reinforces this idea of hope, reminding us that time marches on, and that nothing lasts forever, good or bad.
Possible interpretation of the song is that it is ultimately a song about hope. Even in the worst of times, it's important to remember that they will not last forever, and that there is always the possibility of a better future. The song is essentially a wake up call, an urging to choose compassion and kindness over cruelty and greed, and to remember that every individual has the power to make a difference in the world. Despite the various warning signs of chaos and destruction that Heard describes in the verses, the song encourages listeners to be optimistic, to hold on to the hope that things can and will get better eventually.
Line by Line Meaning
When in the course of human events
During times of significant changes and developments in human society
The darker side takes precedence
Negative forces and actions become more prominent and powerful
And wise men fall and fools take charge
Intelligent, experienced individuals lose their influence as less competent people assume positions of power
And feign a naive innocence
Put on an act of pretending to be unaware or innocent of wrongdoing
And blood runs cold at our own expense
We suffer the consequences of our own actions, which can be brutal and unpleasant
Ane we tend to ignore our ignorance:
We often overlook or deny our own lack of knowledge or understanding
I know it will not be like this forever
I am confident that this situation is not permanent and will eventually change
When righteousness almost prevails
A good and just outcome is within reach
But loses out to what sells well
However, it is ultimately replaced by something more popular or profitable, rather than what is right
And life goes on and numbness
Despite the disappointment and pain, life continues and we become emotionally desensitized
Takes the bitterness from the taste of hell
We begin to accept or find ways to cope with harsh experiences that were once unbearable
Years of error leave a trail
Mistakes made in the past have lasting consequences and evidence
And still we walk it meaning well:
Despite this, we continue to try our best and have good intentions
When our sense of true significance
During times when we question our own existence and purpose
Is shackled by an electric fence
Our potential and growth is restricted by external forces that we cannot easily overcome
In hearts that do not understand
Within people who lack empathy or insight
The nature of the elements
The complexity and interconnectedness of the world around us
And what we are gets left for dead
Our true selves and identities are neglected or discarded
In the silent shadow of the lives we've led:
Obscured by the events and choices that have shaped our lives thus far
I know it will not be like this forever
Despite the hardships and challenges, I remain hopeful that things will eventually improve
Contributed by Ella F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.