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.
When His Luck Runs Out
Mark Heard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He got things
He got two of anything you could name
Two Cadillacs
Two homes
Too many friends
And he's never alone
If there's one thing a lucky man don't need it's a doubt
Where's he gonna be when his luck runs out?
WHEN HIS LUCK RUNS OUT
WHEN HIS LUCK RUNS OUT
WHEN HIS LUCK RUNS OUT
WHEN HIS LUCK RUNS, LUCK RUNS, LUCK RUNS OUT
He buys caviar, he buys wine
He buys Japanese businessmen's time
Black cigarettes rolled up in France
A skosh of extra room
In the seat of his pants
When he throws a party
Well, you better come out
Listen to everybody wonder
While he sings and shouts
Where's he gonna be when his luck runs out?
Lady luck
She's a top-notch babe
She give and give
'Til you got it made
Like I said, she's a hot-shot
Got what it takes
To take what you've got
She's a religion and the man is devout
But she can leave him praying in the poor house
Where's he gonna be when his luck runs out?
The lyrics to Mark Heard’s song “When His Luck Runs Out” speak of a man who seemingly has it all. He has two of everything, can afford to buy caviar and wine, and even hires Japanese businessmen's time. He throws extravagant parties, and has too many friends to count. But despite his luck, the song suggests that he is just one step away from being down and out. The lyrics ask the question, “Where’s he gonna be when his luck runs out?” The song talks about Lady Luck being a top-notch babe, who can give and give, and make you feel like you’ve got it all. She’s a religion, and the man in the song is devout. But the song suggests that she can leave him praying in the poorhouse.
The song speaks to the fleeting and unpredictable nature of luck. It warns against becoming too comfortable or reliant on success or good fortune. The song seems to suggest that being lucky is not a guarantee of a happy or fulfilling life. Instead, the lyrics encourage listeners to question what happens when luck runs out, and to prepare for the possibility that it might. The lyrics suggest that luck is not something to take for granted, and that we should not measure our worth solely by it.
Line by Line Meaning
He is a lucky man
He has an abundance of material wealth
He got things
He has many possessions
He got two of anything you could name
He has duplicate of almost anything
Two Cadillacs
He has two Cadillac cars
Two homes
He owns two houses
Too many friends
He has a large circle of friends
And he's never alone
He is always surrounded by people
If there's one thing a lucky man don't need it's a doubt
A fortunate person is usually always confident
Just one step away from being down and out
A wealthy man is close to being destitute
Where's he gonna be when his luck runs out?
What will happen if he loses his wealth?
He buys caviar, he buys wine
He enjoys extravagant expenses like caviar and wine
He buys Japanese businessmen's time
He pays for the time and attention of Japanese business people
Black cigarettes rolled up in France
He smokes premium French cigarettes
A skosh of extra room
He takes good care of himself physically
In the seat of his pants
His pants have enough room for his comfort
When he throws a party
He hosts grand parties
Well, you better come out
People should attend his parties
Listen to everybody wonder
People are curious about his wealth
While he sings and shouts
He enjoys being the center of attention
Where's he gonna be when his luck runs out?
What will happen if he loses his wealth?
Lady luck
Fortune or chance
She's a top-notch babe
Fortune is highly valued
She give and give
Fortune keeps on giving
'Til you got it made
Until you have become successful
Like I said, she's a hot-shot
Fortune is quite powerful
Got what it takes
Fortune has the power to fulfill needs
To take what you've got
Fortune can also take away one's wealth
She's a religion and the man is devout
Fortune is revered and the man has deep faith in it
But she can leave him praying in the poor house
Fortune can also leave someone in poverty
Where's he gonna be when his luck runs out?
What will happen if he loses his wealth?
WHEN HIS LUCK RUNS OUT
WHEN HIS LUCK RUNS OUT
WHEN HIS LUCK RUNS OUT
WHEN HIS LUCK RUNS, LUCK RUNS, LUCK RUNS OUT
Repeated emphasis on the likelihood of losing his fortune
Contributed by Sebastian G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.