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.
She Don't Have a Clue
Mark Heard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She don't understand there's a war going on
Melt my heart like lead-she got no x-ray sight
She says a day's a day and a night's a night
She don't see no blinding flashes
Says why don't I hold her hand
She don't have a clue
She is love, love, love
Say she must be mad, the girl has got no nerves
Never throws no stones, knows no dirty words
She will stumble on something good to say
In the darkest scene of your darkest day
She don't feel no threat in living
Asks if I've got a kiss to give her
She don't have a clue
But she's mine
Says "I am what I am"
She doesn't seem to dream, hears no distant drums
Says I worry too much, thinks I'm just plain glum
She doesn't lie awake, doesn't feel no rain
She's the only one that I know who's sane
She don't hear no shells exploding
Says why don't I hold her closer
She don't have a clue
But she's mine
She is love, love, love
Says "I am what I am"
The song “She Don't Have a Clue” by Mark Heard is a beautiful love ballad that speaks of a woman who is oblivious to the world's problems. The song starts with the line “She's got smart-bomb eyes but they see no wrong” which denotes that the woman in the song is blind to the troubles around her. Despite living in a world of chaos and war, she fails to comprehend the severity of the situation. But the singer's feelings for her are unwavering, and he accepts her as she is.
The second verse focuses on the woman's personality and character traits. She is not like most women who use foul language and criticize others. She has a heart of gold and always finds something good to say to people. She is a ray of sunshine even in the darkest moments. The line “She don't feel no threat in living” signifies her fearlessness and unyielding spirit. The woman lives in the moment, and nothing seems to bother her. The singer finds her way of living fascinating and is drawn to her.
The chorus repeats the lines “She don't have a clue, but she's mine. She is love, love, love. Says 'I am what I am'”. These lyrics express the singer's love and admiration for this woman who seems clueless to the things that bother most people. He takes it upon himself to protect her and hold her close, no matter what.
Line by Line Meaning
She's got smart-bomb eyes but they see no wrong
She has beautiful eyes, but she doesn't perceive any problems around her
She don't understand there's a war going on
She's unaware of the conflicts happening around the world
Melt my heart like lead-she got no x-ray sight
Her affection touches my heart, even though she can't see through my innermost thoughts
She says a day's a day and a night's a night
She is simple-minded and recognizes the basic facts about time
She don't see no blinding flashes
She is not bothered by the things that might frighten others
Says why don't I hold her hand
She wants to be cared for and desires my company
She don't have a clue
But she's mine
She is love, love, love
She is naive, but she's still lovable and mine to cherish
Say she must be mad, the girl has got no nerves
Some may think she's crazy, but she's actually unflappable
Never throws no stones, knows no dirty words
She doesn't engage in negative behavior or use vulgar language
She will stumble on something good to say
In the darkest scene of your darkest day
Even in the most desperate situation, she will find some positivity to offer
She don't feel no threat in living
Asks if I've got a kiss to give her
She doesn't feel scared of life and just wants me to show her some affection
She doesn't seem to dream, hears no distant drums
She doesn't have big aspirations or hear the call to adventure
Says I worry too much, thinks I'm just plain glum
She thinks I'm too serious and not happy enough
She doesn't lie awake, doesn't feel no rain
She sleeps soundly and doesn't even notice the negative things in life
She's the only one that I know who's sane
Compared to others, she's like a calm and normal person
She don't hear no shells exploding
Says why don't I hold her closer
She's not affected by the violence around us and wants me to be closer
Says "I am what I am"
She is content with who she is
Contributed by Jeremiah H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.