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.
You Can't Hide
Mark Heard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I got some good news too
What you see ain't what you get
When your whole life is through
But I've got a promise in the Bible
And I believe it's true
God loves me, and it's plain to see
That same love's good for you
And the saints are singing in the sunshine, forever has begun
And you can't hide from the name of God's only begotten Son
And the saints are singing in the sunshine, forever has begun
And you can't hide from the name of God's only begotten Son
Well, you can say I'm crazy,
You can say I'm blind
Better speak your mind now,
'Cause you won't be able
To come to judgement time
'Cause I've got a promise in the Bible
and I believe it's true
Jesus is my friend and He's comin' again
Is He comin' again for you?
And the saints are singing in the sunshine, forever has begun
And you can't hide from the name of God's only begotten Son
Oh, the saints are singing in the sunshine, forever has begun
And you can't hide from the name of God's only begotten Son
Oh, I've got a promise in the Bible
And I believe it's true
God loves me and it's plain to see
That same love's good for you
And the saints are singing in the sunshine, forever has begun
And you can't hide from the name of God's only begotten Son
Woah, the saints are singing in the sunshine, forever has begun
And you can't hide from the name of God's only begotten Son
The lyrics of Mark Heard’s song “You Can’t Hide” speak about the inevitability of death and the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ. The song starts off with the singer sharing bad news and good news, emphasizing that what one sees in life is not all there is. There is more to life beyond what is visible to the physical eye. He then talks about the promise in the Bible which he believes is true. The promise is that God loves him, and that love is good for everyone.
The chorus of the song emphasizes that the saints are singing in the sunshine, and forever has begun. The name of God's only begotten son cannot be hidden from, as it is the source of eternal life. The singer then challenges people who may think that he is crazy or blind, telling them to speak their mind now as during the judgment time, it will be too late. He states that Jesus Christ is his friend and is coming again, asking if he’s coming again for you.
Overall, the song speaks about the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ and that the love of God is available to anyone who believes. It encourages listeners to be prepared for Christ’s return as they cannot hide from his name.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I got some bad news to tell you,
I need to inform you of something unpleasant,
But I got some good news too
But don't worry, there's also something positive to share.
What you see ain't what you get
Appearances can be deceiving.
When your whole life is through
Especially in retrospect, when your life is complete.
But I've got a promise in the Bible
However, I have a promise made in the Bible.
And I believe it's true
I am convinced of its truth.
God loves me, and it's plain to see
It's obvious that God loves me.
That same love's good for you
That same love is beneficial for you as well.
And the saints are singing in the sunshine, forever has begun
The faithful are rejoicing in the afterlife, eternity has commenced.
And you can't hide from the name of God's only begotten Son
And you cannot evade the influence and power of Jesus Christ.
Well, you can say I'm crazy,
Some people might accuse me of being insane,
You can say I'm blind
Or suggest that I am unable to see the truth.
Better speak your mind now,
It's best to voice your opinions now,
'Cause you won't be able
Otherwise, when the time for judgement arrives,
To come to judgement time
You will not be prepared for the final reckoning.
Jesus is my friend and He's comin' again
I have a personal relationship with Jesus and I believe He will return.
Is He comin' again for you?
Will Jesus return for you as well?
Oh, I've got a promise in the Bible
I keep repeating this promise made in the Bible,
And you can't hide from the name of God's only begotten Son
And remember, you cannot escape the name and message of Jesus.
Woah, the saints are singing in the sunshine, forever has begun
Again, the faithful are rejoicing in the afterlife, eternity has commenced.
And you can't hide from the name of God's only begotten Son
Once more, the message is that you cannot evade the influence and power of Jesus Christ.
Contributed by Jonathan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.