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.
The Last Time
Mark Heard Lyrics
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This could be the last breath that I take
This could be the last time that I pray
This could be the day I fly away
This could be the last time I sing a song
This could be the day I say so long
This could be the last meal that I eat
This could be the last beat my heart beats
But I can't place such a bet
So I won't just sit and fret
Until I'm gone
This could be the last day my eyes see
This could be the last day you see me
This could be the last night in my bed
This could be the last thought in my head
I won't cast my life to the wind
I'll treasure as much as I can
While I can, I can
Though I may be gone before too long
As long as I am here I'll sing this song
This could be the last time
This could be the last time
This could be the last time...
The lyrics of Mark Heard's song "The Last Time" are a reminder of the fleeting nature of life and a call to appreciate every moment. The repetition of "this could be" emphasizes the uncertainty of life and the possibility of it being our last. The lyrics cover various aspects of life, from waking up and taking a breath to singing a song and even eating a meal. The song seems to be contemplating the various scenarios that could lead to our end, but instead of dwelling in fear, the singer chooses to not take life for granted and to appreciate the moments we have.
The lyric "This could be the last night in my bed" hits especially hard, as it highlights the intimate and personal nature of our mortality. The song also acknowledges the reality that we may not have control over when our time comes but emphasizes that we do have control over how we choose to live our remaining days. Ultimately, the song encourages listeners to cherish life and live it to the fullest, even if it may be for the "last time."
Overall, "The Last Time" is a sobering but ultimately uplifting reminder to appreciate life and live in the moment. It emphasizes the importance of not taking things for granted and cherishing the time we have, while acknowledging the inevitability of our mortality.
Line by Line Meaning
This could be the last time I awake
I might not wake up anymore - this could be my final day.
This could be the last breath that I take
The end may be close, and I could take my final breath any moment now.
This could be the last time that I pray
I may not have the chance to pray again, so I should make the most of the opportunity.
This could be the day I fly away
Today might be the day that I leave this world behind and fly away to another realm.
This could be the last time I sing a song
I might not have the chance to sing again - this could be the final song I ever perform.
This could be the day I say so long
This might be the last time I bid farewell to someone.
This could be the last meal that I eat
I may not have the chance to eat again, so I should savor every bite of this meal.
This could be the last beat my heart beats
My life could end soon, it's possible that this is the final beat of my heart.
But I can't place such a bet
Unfortunately, I can't predict when my life will end - I can only live in the moment and be grateful for each day.
So I won't just sit and fret
I won't waste precious time worrying about something I can't control.
Until I'm gone
I will keep on living, loving, and enjoying life until the very end.
This could be the last day my eyes see
I might not see another sunrise after today.
This could be the last day you see me
This might be our final goodbye.
This could be the last night in my bed
I may not wake up tomorrow, so I should appreciate the warmth and comfort of my bed tonight.
This could be the last thought in my head
I might not see the light of another day, so this could be my final thought.
I won't cast my life to the wind
I won't squander or risk my life but choose to live it wisely.
I'll treasure as much as I can
I will cherish every moment I have and every person in my life.
While I can, I can
I will make the most of every opportunity while I still have the chance.
Though I may be gone before too long
My life may be short, but it doesn't mean it can't be meaningful.
As long as I am here I'll sing this song
As long as I am alive, I will continue to make the most of my life and live with purpose.
This could be the last time
Any moment now, my life could end - this could be my last chance to do anything and everything.
This could be the last time
I cannot predict when my end will come - this could be the final time for anything.
This could be the last time...
This could be it - the end of everything for me. But, I will not let that stop me from living my life to the fullest right now.
Contributed by Chase A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.