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.
Lonely One
Mark Heard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hard times inside you
I have seen you crying
Lonely one
Dry eyes can't hide you
When the truth draws nigh
Lonely one
you're such an actress
Lonely one
you're out of practice
And smiles are hard to fake
You're not in love, not even with your lovers
You've thrown your heart to the wind
Oh lonely one, when will you ever bother
To reach for the hand of a friend
Lonely one
Run from the shadows
Darkness lies in waiting
Lonely one
You know it matters
That you find your way
Oh lonely one
Lonely one
No one to talk to
Cords of silence bind you
Lonely one
Gentle whispers call you
Seek and you will find
Oh lonely one
Oh lonely one
Mark Heard's song "Lonely One" is an introspective look at someone who is struggling with feelings of loneliness and isolation. The opening verse speaks directly to the person, acknowledging the hard times that are inside them and the tears they have shed. Despite their efforts to hide their pain, the truth is evident. The second verse delves deeper into the person's emotions, highlighting their acting skills in hiding their true feelings as they work to maintain a façade of happiness. The chorus reveals that the person is not in love, and no amount of makeup or smiling can disguise their detachment. The question asked is when the person will reach out for the hand of a friend.
The second half of the song speaks to the darkness that the lonely one is running from, and yet that darkness is also what they need to confront to find their way out of their loneliness. The last line of the song repeats the refrain of "oh lonely one" as a plea for the person to recognize their own pain and to seek help. The song is a reminder that everyone experiences loneliness and that sometimes the bravest thing to do is to ask for help.
Line by Line Meaning
Lonely one
A person who is alone and isolated
Hard times inside you
You are going through tough times and struggling with inner turmoil
I have seen you crying
I have witnessed your emotional pain and tears
Dry eyes can't hide you
You cannot conceal your loneliness and sadness despite trying to put on a brave face
When the truth draws nigh
Your true emotions will eventually come to the surface
you're such an actress
You pretend to be happy even when you're not
Smiling with your makeup
You use makeup and a fake smile to mask your pain
you're out of practice
You have not had much experience in faking happiness
And smiles are hard to fake
It is difficult to pretend to be happy when you're not
You're not in love, not even with your lovers
You are not truly in love and cannot even find comfort in your romantic relationships
You've thrown your heart to the wind
You have taken risks with your heart and given it away freely
Oh lonely one, when will you ever bother
You need to make an effort to reach out to others and find support
To reach for the hand of a friend
You need to seek comfort and companionship from friends
Run from the shadows
You tend to avoid difficult emotions and run away from problems
Darkness lies in waiting
There are hidden emotional problems that you need to confront
You know it matters
You are aware that you need help and support
That you find your way
You need to find your path towards healing and happiness
No one to talk to
You do not have anyone to confide in
Cords of silence bind you
You are held back by a sense of silence and isolation
Gentle whispers call you
There are subtle signs that can guide you towards healing
Seek and you will find
If you actively look for help and support, you will find it
Oh lonely one
A reminder to the listener that they are not alone and that help is available
Contributed by Violet N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.