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.
Jericho
Mark Heard Lyrics
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On the city in the night
Darkness falls around
On the city in the night
The city in the night, city in the night
Jericho
Jericho can't hear us thinking
Jericho can't hear us marching
Jericho will have no warning
Jericho
Jericho, if you want to be strong
If you want to be strong
If you want to be strong
Jericho can't hear us breathing
Jericho can't see us stumble
Jericho will sit around stirring lies
Jericho will crumble
Jericho
Darkness falls on the camp tonight
Darkness falls on cold men's hearts
Up against this battlement
We will shout 'til the walls come down
Jericho, Jericho
Do you understand?
Jericho
The song "Jericho" by Mark Heard is a powerful commentary on the ignorance of those in power and the illusions of their strength. Heard uses the metaphor of Biblical Jericho, a heavily fortified city that was defeated by the Israelites through divine intervention, to illustrate how those in power live in their own bubble of ignorance and are often unaware of the plight of those they rule. The lyrics describe the darkness falling on the city, representing the ignorance and lack of sight of those in power, who cannot hear or see the people they rule over. Jericho, the city, can't hear the people thinking or praying, it can't hear them marching, and it will have no warning of its impending doom. The repetition of the line "Jericho" throughout the song emphasizes the foreboding sense of doom and the inevitability of Jericho's fall.
The second part of the song shifts the focus to the people and their struggle against the powerful. The darkness now falls on the camp of the people, reflecting the despair and hopelessness of those who feel trapped and oppressed. However, despite their difficult situation, they stand strong and determined, ready to fight against the oppressor. The line "Up against this battlement, we will shout 'til the walls come down" represents the people's unwavering spirit and their belief in their cause.
Overall, the song "Jericho" is a powerful commentary on the struggle between the powerful and the oppressed. Heard's use of Biblical metaphor and powerful imagery creates a hauntingly lyrical message of hope despite despair.
Line by Line Meaning
Darkness falls on the city in the night
There is a sense of gloom and dread that descends on the city as night falls.
On the city in the night
The darkness is specifically concentrated on the city at night.
Darkness falls around
The darkness is pervasive and all-encompassing.
The city in the night, city in the night
The repetition of the phrase emphasizes the importance of the city as the setting of this song.
Jericho can't hear us thinking
Jericho, a metaphor for an oppressive power, is impervious to our innermost thoughts.
Jericho can't hear us praying
Jericho is deaf to our pleas and supplications to a higher power.
Jericho can't hear us marching
Jericho is unmoved by our collective movements and protests.
Jericho will have no warning
Jericho will be taken by surprise and caught off guard when we rise up against it.
Jericho, if you want to be strong
The singer addresses Jericho directly, suggesting that it might need to be fortified against our uprising.
Jericho can't hear us breathing
Jericho is oblivious even to our most basic physical functions, like breathing.
Jericho can't see us stumble
Jericho is indifferent to our struggles and setbacks.
Jericho will sit around stirring lies
Jericho will continue to spread falsehoods and propaganda, even as it faces imminent defeat.
Jericho will crumble
The end is inevitable; Jericho will eventually fall.
Darkness falls on the camp tonight
The atmosphere darkens again, this time in the context of a military encampment.
Darkness falls on cold men's hearts
The darkness brings despair to the hearts of the soldiers, who feel the weight of the coming battle.
Up against this battlement
The enemy's fortified wall is a formidable obstacle.
We will shout 'til the walls come down
The goal is to keep up the assault until the enemy's defenses are breached.
Jericho, Jericho
The repetition is a call to arms, summoning the courage of the oppressed to rise up against their oppressors.
Do you understand?
A direct challenge to Jericho to acknowledge the impending defeat and inevitable justice that will follow.
Contributed by Kennedy D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.