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.
Sidewalk Soliloquy
Mark Heard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why do I feel so all alone
People should laugh
People should love
I'm in a crowd a hundred strong
Watching the people walk alone
Moments of life squandered away
that I can't understand
Maybe I'm just a much too simple man
Whenever I smile and nod my head
Folks look at me like I was dead
What can I say
Where can I run
No one has heard me say hello
They're deaf dumb and blind for all I know
What can I do
What can be done
Maybe I'm just too soft
Too easy to bruise and scar
Maybe I've let my feelings go too far
But if I am wrong to feel this way
Then I am wrong most every day
What can I do what can I say
Once there was One Who spoke of this
He told us why it's like it is
And we're all to blame
It's such a shame
The song Sidewalk Soliloquy by Mark Heard reflects on the feeling of loneliness and disconnection that can arise even when surrounded by people. The opening lines express this sentiment as the singer wonders why they feel so alone despite being in a crowd of a hundred people. They express a desire for people to laugh and love, highlighting the idea that being among others should bring joy and connection. However, instead they witness “moments of life squandered away” as people seem to walk alone and disconnected from one another.
The second stanza continues to explore the singer’s feelings of disconnect as they express frustration that even when they smile and nod their head, people seem to see right through them. They wonder if anyone can hear them say hello, further emphasizing the idea of feeling unseen and unheard. The bridge section muses on the possibility that the singer’s sensitivity and emotionality might be part of the problem, “Maybe I’m just too soft / Too easy to bruise and scar / Maybe I’ve let my feelings go too far.”
The final stanza offers a glimmer of hope by referencing the “One Who spoke of this” and suggested that “we’re all to blame” for the lack of connection and community. Overall, the song offers a poignant and relatable reflection on the challenge of finding true connection in a world where technology and busy schedules often conspire to keep us isolated from one another.
Line by Line Meaning
Whenever I venture from my home
Every time I step out of my comfort zone
Why do I feel so all alone
I immediately feel lonely despite being surrounded by people
People should laugh
Laughter is a natural and essential human expression
People should love
Love is a universal need and should be present in all interpersonal relationships
I'm in a crowd a hundred strong
I am in the midst of a group of people consisting of at least one hundred individuals
Watching the people walk alone
Observing people who appear to be isolated and without companionship
Moments of life squandered away
The precious time people have on earth is being wasted by not enjoying it with others
Maybe it's just a thing
It could simply be a phenomenon that is difficult to comprehend
that I can't understand
Something that I am unable to grasp the full concept of
Maybe I'm just a much too simple man
Perhaps I lack the intellectual capacity to fully comprehend the situation
Whenever I smile and nod my head
When I attempt to be friendly and engage with others
Folks look at me like I was dead
People appear indifferent to my presence and ignore my attempts to interact with them
What can I say
What can I do or say to make this situation better?
Where can I run
Where can I go to escape this loneliness?
No one has heard me say hello
No one acknowledges my greeting
They're deaf dumb and blind for all I know
It's as though they can't hear me, can't speak to me, and can't see me
What can I do
What actions can I take to remedy this situation?
What can be done
Is there a solution to this problem?
Maybe I'm just too soft
Perhaps my empathetic personality is not compatible with society's norms
Too easy to bruise and scar
My sensitivity allows me to be hurt easily and deeply
Maybe I've let my feelings go too far
I may have allowed my emotions to take over and blur my judgment
But if I am wrong to feel this way
If people think that my emotions are misplaced or inappropriate
Then I am wrong most every day
If this is the case, I must be facing this kind of rejection on a daily basis
What can I do what can I say
What actions, words or attitude should I have towards this situation?
Once there was One Who spoke of this
Referring to the historical figure of Jesus Christ
He told us why it's like it is
Jesus explained the reason behind the brokenness and loneliness in the world
And we're all to blame
Every person shares a responsibility for the state of the world
It's such a shame
It's a pity that people are experiencing such isolation and pain
Contributed by Camden N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.