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.
One of the Dominoes
Mark Heard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He really doesn't know
That his heart's being taken for a ride
Doing what the world lays down
As a steadfast rule
And hanging when the world says to change
Like a steadfast fool
Heaven heaven help me
I'm one of the dominoes
Chain reaction coming
Blow by blow
Heaven help a heedless man in a time of need
He can't feel the knife In his back
Or see the blood that he bleeds
Walking 'round blind
To the harm that's being done
He thinks it's alright
'Cause it's happening to everyone
(chorus)
Heaven help a seeker of truth
In an age of lies
Gonna make himself believe
That the truth is whatever he buys
Gonna buy what the world says to buy
In a monotone
Gonna cry when the whole world cries
And the truth is known
The song "One of the Dominoes" by Mark Heard is a social commentary on the conforming nature of society and the dangers of blindly following the trends and rules of the world without questioning them. Through the use of metaphors, the song describes people who are being taken for a ride, who are walking blindly through their lives, and who are seeking truth in a world full of lies. The lyrics explore the idea that people are like dominoes falling one by one according to the rules set by society, and that it takes an act of divine intervention to break the chain reaction and bring about change.
The first verse talks about a timid child caught in a trendy tide, meaning someone who is easily influenced by the currents of society and doesn't know that their heart is being taken for a ride. They follow the rules laid down by the world, even when they go against their own values, and remain steadfast even when they should change. The chorus then calls out for help, recognizing that the singer is one of the dominoes, and that a chain reaction is coming blow by blow.
The second verse extends the metaphor to a heedless man who can't feel the knife in his back or see the blood that he bleeds, further emphasizing the danger of blindly following the status quo. The verse ends with the line "he thinks it's alright 'cause it's happening to everyone," highlighting the fact that people often think that what's happening to them is normal because everyone else is going through it too. The chorus then repeats.
The final verse shifts focus to a seeker of truth in an age of lies, someone who is trying to find the truth but is constantly bombarded by falsehoods. The line "gonna make himself believe that the truth is whatever he buys" speaks to the idea that truth is often commodified and sold to people, and that they are willing to buy it without questioning its validity. The verse ends by referencing the fact that in the end, everyone is going to cry when the truth is known.
Overall, the song is a powerful commentary on the dangers of conformity and the need for individual thought and action to break the chain reaction of societal norms. It calls for a change in perspective and a willingness to question the status quo.
Line by Line Meaning
Heaven help a timid child in a trendy tide
A shy kid in a fashionable society needs divine intervention
He really doesn't know
The kid is unaware of what's happening to him
That his heart's being taken for a ride
His emotions are being abused
Doing what the world lays down as a steadfast rule
The child follows society's rules blindly without thinking
And hanging when the world says to change like a steadfast fool
He obstinately resists changing his ways, even when it would benefit him
Heaven heaven help me I'm one of the dominoes
The singer realizes he's been following the crowd like a sheep
Chain reaction coming blow by blow
The consequences of his actions will soon catch up to him, causing a domino effect
Heaven help a heedless man in a time of need
A man, who's ignorant and in dire straits, requires divine assistance
He can't feel the knife in his back or see the blood that he bleeds
He's oblivious to the harm being done to him, both physically and metaphorically
Walking 'round blind to the harm that's being done
The man goes about his day without realizing the damage being inflicted on him
He thinks it's alright 'cause it's happening to everyone
He wrongly assumes that if it's happening to others, it must be okay
Heaven help a seeker of truth in an age of lies
An individual who seeks authenticity in a dishonest world requires divine guidance
Gonna make himself believe that the truth is whatever he buys
The individual determines the validity of something based on whether it's popular or not
Gonna buy what the world says to buy in a monotone
They'll purchase what's trending without regard for their own preferences or personality
Gonna cry when the whole world cries and the truth is known
They'll be upset when confronted with the truth, just like everyone else
Contributed by Colton I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ben j
This to me is one song that you can hear the Georgia in Mark's voice. Aside from that, it speaks to me about how the world can just wash us away, especially when we believe in it.
alanna mac
One Of the Dominoes
Heaven help a timid child in a trendy tide
He really doesn't know
That his heart's being taken for a ride
Doing what the world lays down
As a steadfast rule
And changing when the world says to change
Like a steadfast fool
Heaven heaven help me
I'm one of the dominoes
Chain reaction coming
Blow by blow
Heaven help a heedless man in a time of need
He can't feel the knife In his back
Or see the blood that he bleeds
Walking 'round blind
To the harm that's being done
He thinks it's alright
'Cause it's happening to everyone
Heaven heaven help me
I'm one of the dominoes
Chain reaction coming
Blow by blow
Heaven help a seeker of truth
In an age of lies
Gonna make himself believe
That the truth is whatever he buys
Gonna buy what the world says to buy
In a monotone
Gonna cry when the whole world cries
And the truth is known
Heaven heaven help us now
I'm one of the dominoes
Chain reaction coming
Blow by blow (repeat)
Written by Mark Heard
© 1981 Bug and Bear Music (ASCAP)
coolnegative
I get a lot of crap for this, but one of my favorite Mark Heard projects was ideola. A lot of Heard "purists" seem to dismiss it as a kind of pop album. I think it's just being pretentious because it garnered some minor secular airplay and a video on MTV.
coolnegative
@ben j agreed 100%....im just kinda kidding about "taking crap" I just know that it tends to be one of the least favorite of his offerings from people who spent years listening to his "Jesus Music" releases. I catch myself doing the same thing with music. I find something I love....it starts getting around, gaining popularity......as soon as it hits commercial success (at least in the past).....I drop it like a hot potato.😆. I've gotten a lot better about that....(thank God for grace and refining)......"How to Grow Up Big and Strong" was actually covered by Olivia Newton John... I think it even charted in the O Z. I learned that thanx to Frank Axl Rassenberg (i know I spelled that wrong) Facebook group. There's actually 2 groups, but they're about Christians covering and/or referencing the mainstream and visa versa.
coolnegative
@Miles Elder the guy was amazing.....and ideola was just another brilliant brilliant expression of his music. The reason I say I get crap for liking it is that all the OG Jesus Music hipsters seem (not to not like it) to like it least since it is a bit different than what they expect from him. It's all just personal preference. No right or wrong, but I appreciate you commenting. And you do have a valid point. Blessings my friend!
ben j
From that album, I like How to Grow up Big and Strong, and I am and Emotional Man. No need to take any crap from liking anything that Mark did, his music is true to who he is no matter the song.
Miles Elder
The guy was just trying to make a living. I can't blame him for that.