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.
Your World Or Mine
Mark Heard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hanging on to fantasy
While the other one grins and bears it
Saying, God bless reality
Talking like total strangers
On the Tower of Babel
YOUR WORLD OR MINE
YOUR WORLD OR MINE
ALL OF THE TIME
YOUR WORLD OR MINE
TONIGHT
YOUR WORLD OR MINE
COLLIDE
One of us is palms and tropics
Want to make the winter warm
In the air there's poems and topics
Warming up all the chilly hearts
Drift this world through different seas
Pair of refugees
One of us is trying so hard
To be a better human being
While the other one grins and bears it
Saying love is what you need
We're aliens from outer space
With smiles on our faces
The song “Your World or Mine” by Mark Heard discusses the two completely different worlds that exist within two people in a relationship. The opening line sets the tone for what is to come: “One of us will never grow up, hanging on to fantasy.” This line suggests that one person in the relationship has a sense of immaturity, holding on to their childhood fantasies instead of facing the reality of the relationship. The other person in the relationship “grins and bears it” as if they understand that they cannot escape reality, so they make peace with it. They know that they have to accept the good and bad of the relationship, saying “God bless reality.”
The chorus repeats “Your world or mine” several times, highlighting the idea that these two people have different worlds they live in. The relationship can be tumultuous because each person has their own set of priorities, experiences, and beliefs. They communicate like “total strangers on the Tower of Babel,” meaning that they struggle to understand each other and often speak different languages. They may interpret the same situation in different ways, leading to disagreements.
The song ends with the lines “We’re aliens from outer space, with smiles on our faces.” This suggests that despite the differences, both people are trying to make the relationship work. They understand that they are not from the same world and do not always see eye to eye, but they have found reasons to smile and appreciate the good in their differences.
Line by Line Meaning
One of us will never grow up
One person in the relationship refuses to let go of their childhood ideals and fantasies.
Hanging on to fantasy
This individual clings to their imagined world rather than living in reality.
While the other one grins and bears it
The other person in the relationship accepts reality as it is, even when it is less than ideal, and tries to make the best of it.
Saying, God bless reality
They believe that living in reality is a blessing, even if it is not perfect, because it allows them to grow and learn from their experiences.
Talking like total strangers
Despite being in a relationship, the two are so different that they struggle to communicate effectively.
On the Tower of Babel
Their differences in ideals and personalities make it feel as though they are speaking different languages and unable to connect.
One of us is palms and tropics
One person has a warm and tropical personality, always striving to bring warmth and comfort to those around them.
Want to make the winter warm
They hope to use their personality to bring warmth and comfort to those who are feeling cold, both literally and metaphorically.
In the air there's poems and topics
Their personality exudes creativity and a love of expression, always finding new topics and things to write about and share with others.
Warming up all the chilly hearts
Their warmth extends beyond the literal to metaphorically warming the hearts of those around them, spreading love and joy wherever they go.
Drift this world through different seas
Together, they navigate through the world, but they each do so in their own unique way, with different experiences and struggles.
Pair of refugees
Despite being together, they each feel a sense of displacement and uncertainty in the world, as though they are always searching for a place to belong.
One of us is trying so hard
One person in the relationship is actively working on themselves, striving to improve and become a better person.
To be a better human being
They believe that their ultimate purpose is to grow and evolve as a person, constantly seeking self-improvement and self-awareness.
While the other one grins and bears it
The other person in the relationship is content to simply accept themselves as they are, not actively seeking self-improvement or change.
Saying love is what you need
This person believes that love and acceptance are the most important things in life, trumping any need to change or improve oneself.
We're aliens from outer space
Their differences in perspective and ideals make it feel as though they come from completely different worlds, unable to fully connect or understand each other.
With smiles on our faces
Despite their differences, they both maintain a positive outlook on life and try to find joy in the little things, always striving to make the best of their situation.
Contributed by Ava N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.