Influenced by his Pentecostal Church and the Blues Radio Times, with his parents Millsap created a sound between country, alt-country, folk, traditional. americana, blues and rock. While Millsap plays harp, acoustic- and slideguitar, you also find acoustic-bass and violin in his band.
Discography:
2012 - Palisade" 18.04. - Okrahoma Records
2014 - Parker Millsap - 04.02. - Okrahoma Records
2016 - The Very Last Day - 25.03. - Okrahoma Records
2018 - Other Arrangements
For further informations have a look on the german version of this last.fm wiki.
Heaven Sent
Parker Millsap Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Spent my days becoming you
Sunday morning, evening too
Sitting in your second pew
Torn apart, my spirits spent
I fell in love on accident
Wondered just what Jesus meant
Papa I don't need a preacher
I ain't some kind of creature
From some old double feature
I just want to make you proud
Of the kind of love I've found
But you say it's not allowed
Say that its a sin
It's how I've always been
Did you love me when he was just my friend?
Tried my hardest not to be
But I locked the door and I broke the key
Jesus died upon that tree
Daddy do you think he'd covet me
Red and yellow black and white
We are precious in his sight
So why can't I sleep through the night?
I just want to make you proud
Of the kind of love I've found
But you say it's not allowed
Say that its a sin
It's how I've always been
Did you love me when he was just my friend?
Papa you're the one that taught me
And with his blood he bought me
Daddy you're the one that claimed
That he loved me through the flame
Now why can't you do the same
Now I've been born again
But first I was born in sin
Did you love me then?
The song "Heaven Sent" by Parker Millsap is an emotional and introspective reflection on love and acceptance, particularly in the context of a strained relationship between a father and son. The opening lines of the song, "Raise me straight and raise me true, spent my days becoming you, Sunday morning, evening too, sitting in your second pew," depict a deep sense of belonging and loyalty to a religious and cultural heritage that has been passed down by the father. However, the singer's own personal journey, which includes falling in love with another man, challenges this sense of belonging and leads to conflict with his father's beliefs.
The lyrics then move to a plea for acceptance as the singer questions why his father can't accept his love as "heaven sent." He tries to reconcile his sexuality with his father's values, and the chorus "I just want to make you proud of the kind of love I've found, but you say it's not allowed, say that it's a sin, it's how I've always been" illustrates the internal struggle and tension he feels. The reference to "Red and yellow, black and white, we are precious in His sight" alludes to the biblical teaching of inclusivity and compassion, but the singer's father's strict interpretation of religious doctrine makes it difficult for him to find solace.
The song's poignant conclusion is a heartfelt appeal to his father to show the same kind of love and acceptance that Christ exemplified. The line "Now I've been born again, but first I was born in sin, did you love me then?" adds a stirring layer of complexity as the singer seeks an answer to a question that potentially goes to the heart of his sense of personal identity. Ultimately "Heaven Sent" is a deeply personal and evocative song that explores universal themes of love, identity, and acceptance.
Line by Line Meaning
Raise me straight and raise me true
As a child, you taught me principles to make me a virtuous and authentic individual.
Spent my days becoming you
I looked up to you and did my best to follow your example while growing up.
Sunday morning, evening too
Sitting in your second pew
We attended church services every Sunday, and as a family tradition, we would always sit in the same spot - the second pew.
Torn apart, my spirits spent
I fell in love on accident
Wondered just what Jesus meant
When he said all love was Heaven sent
After realizing I was in love with someone of the same gender, I felt conflicted and unsure about how this fit into my religious beliefs that I had grown up with, including Jesus' teachings about love.
Papa I don't need a preacher
I ain't some kind of creature
From some old double feature
I don't need a religious leader to tell me who or how to love. I'm a human being, not some kind of monster from a B-movie.
I just want to make you proud
Of the kind of love I've found
But you say it's not allowed
Say that its a sin
It's how I've always been
Did you love me when he was just my friend?
I want to earn your approval and show you that my love is just as real and good as any other, but you're telling me it's wrong and sinful. Did you only love me when you didn't know the truth about my relationship?
Tried my hardest not to be
But I locked the door and I broke the key
Jesus died upon that tree
Daddy do you think he'd covet me
I tried to deny my feelings and be someone that you would accept, but in the end, I couldn't fight it any longer. If Jesus sacrificed himself out of love, wouldn't he accept my love too?
Red and yellow black and white
We are precious in his sight
So why can't I sleep through the night?
We're all God's children, so why is my love not as valid or valuable as others'? The rejection and lack of acceptance is causing me a great deal of pain and distress.
Papa you're the one that taught me
And with his blood he bought me
Daddy you're the one that claimed
That he loved me through the flame
Now why can't you do the same
Now I've been born again
But first I was born in sin
Did you love me then?
You raised me with the teachings of Jesus and claimed that he loved and saved me, but why can't you extend that same love and acceptance to me? I've come to embrace my identity fully, but I know you see it as a stain on my soul. Did you not love me when I was just a baby, undeserving of any blame or judgement?
Contributed by Grayson R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.