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.
True Confessions
Mark Heard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With the best of our motives illumined
Then it sinks with a sigh in the dusk of the heart
And our virtue lies worthless as rumour
You can be what you like if you like what you are
We reflect but the sum of our creeds
But we don't seem to seize on the tenets we hold
When we see our mistakes we ache with regret
And the pain makes a lasting impression
But we are stoics at heart when the time is at hand
To beat our breasts and make a true confession
In Mark Heard's song "True Confessions," the lyrics speak to a sense of disillusionment with humans' tendencies towards fleeting morality and shallow reflection on our beliefs. The opening lines paint a picture of the cyclical nature of the sun and how it illuminates the best of our intentions, only to leave them in the dusk of our hearts as worthless rumors. This analogy is a reflection on how our good deeds can sometimes feel futile and meaningless, particularly when our motives are not genuine or when we fail to hold ourselves accountable to our beliefs.
The second verse presents a call to action, reminding us that we can be what we want if we truly believe in ourselves and our values. However, the reality is that we often fail to fully embrace our beliefs, allowing them to slip through the sieve of our actions. We only realize our mistakes in hindsight, and the pain of that regret lingers long after the moment has passed. Despite this, we are stoic in our confession of wrongdoing, failing to hold ourselves fully accountable and failing to make true amends.
Overall, the song is a reflection on the complexity of the human experience and how we often fall short when it comes to living up to our beliefs and values. It urges us to take a deeper look at ourselves and our actions, to hold ourselves accountable and to strive to do better.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh the sun runs its course from the east to the west
The natural cycle of life progresses from beginning to end, moving onward regardless of human doings.
With the best of our motives illumined
We always start with the best intentions, wanting to do good and be good in whatever we choose to do.
Then it sinks with a sigh in the dusk of the heart
Despite our initial enthusiasm, eventually our commitment and passion fade away and we are left feeling unfulfilled and empty inside.
And our virtue lies worthless as rumour
Our ideals and values become meaningless if we don't live up to them in our actions; they are as meaningless as idle gossip or hearsay.
You can be what you like if you like what you are
You have the freedom to choose who you want to be, but you must first be content with who you are in order to find true fulfillment and purpose in life.
We reflect but the sum of our creeds
We are the sum total of our beliefs and convictions, and they shape our perceptions and actions in life.
But we don't seem to seize on the tenets we hold
Despite claiming certain beliefs and values, we often don't fully embrace or embody them in our daily lives, leading to a disconnect between our words and actions.
And they slip through the sieve of our deeds
Our good intentions and values often fall by the wayside when faced with the challenges and temptations of real life, leaving us feeling unfulfilled and hypocritical.
When we see our mistakes we ache with regret
After failing to live up to our own expectations, we feel a deep sense of sadness and regret for not doing better.
And the pain makes a lasting impression
Our failures and shortcomings leave a lasting emotional impact on us, shaping our future actions and decisions in life.
But we are stoics at heart when the time is at hand
Despite feeling strong emotions and regrets, we often hide our true feelings and put on a stoic facade when faced with the need to admit our faults and apologize.
To beat our breasts and make a true confession
In the end, we must humble ourselves and admit our mistakes in order to move forward and find redemption, even though it may be difficult and painful to do so.
Contributed by Claire T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.