With a keen eye of observation and a wise man’s knowledge, Ray Wylie Hubbard composes and performs a dozen songs that couldn’t spring from anywhere else but out of his fertile rock and roll bluesy poet-in-the-blistering-heat southern noggin. ”I like to look at both enlightenment and endarkenment,” he declares. “I feel comfortable observing each.”
His 2010 album "A. Enlightenment B. Endarkenment" demonstrates the kind of talent that every great songwriter yearns for. Throughout the album, his focus remains on the song-constructing and performing stories set to music that resonate in a way that is completely his own. Hubbard recruits an ensemble of accomplished musicians to make the album’s larger than life outlaw tunes echo from track to track. Among the musicians featured on the album are Kevin Russell (The Gourds), Gurf Morlix (Lucinda Williams, Robert Earl Keen), Bukka Allen (Ian Moore, Jack Ingram), Billy Cassis (Bob Schneider,Double Trouble, Soulhat), Ray Bonneville (B.B. King, JJ Cale, Muddy Waters), Seth James (Percy Sledge, Delbert McClinton), David Abeyta (Reckless Kelly) and The Trishas as well as his own son, Lucas Hubbard.
The writing and recording of A. Enlightenment B. Endarkenment came on the heels of Hubbard’s first screenplay endeavor, which was funded and filmed with a cast of icons including Kris Kristofferson, Dwight Yoakam and Lizzy Caplan. A weekly radio show, constant touring, and producing kept him busy, but didn’t manage to steal the Texan singer-songwriters focus. The outcome of the album is a juxtaposition of songs like “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” a fundamental gospel piece, and “Drunken Poet’s Dream,” cowritten with Hayes Carll.
Resurrection
Ray Wylie Hubbard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like Easter in the air
And he woke up Sunday morning
With some flowers in his hair
Looking like he face of Jesus in his final agony
That they found in that old winding sheet
He was long gone he was gone when they rolled away the stone
Something come a shining in that smoky little room
Lit up like a thousand candles in a Middle Eastern tomb
An angel lay on the mattress and spoke history and death
With perfume on her lingerie and whiskey on her breath
He was long gone he was gone when they rolled away the stone
And they found him in the desert picking flowers for the muse
Sometimes he's the fire, sometimes he's the fuse
He's loading up his saddlebags out on the edge of wonder
One is filled with music the others filled with thunder
He was long gone he was gone when they rolled away the stone
Well I never thought to ask him but the thought seemed mighty slim
If he ever much believed in God Or God believed in him
But they both believed in a woman and the truth that set him free
Now he wonders in confusion for he's lost his poetry
And He was long gone he was gone when they rolled away the stone
And they found him in the desert picking flowers for the muse
Sometimes he's the fire, sometimes he's the fuse
He's loading up his saddlebags out on the edge of wonder
One is filled with music the others filled with thunder
He was long gone he was gone when they rolled away the stone
He was long gone he was gone when they rolled away the stone
He was long gone he was gone when they rolled away the stone
The song "Resurrection" by Ray Wylie Hubbard tells a story of a man who rises above his past, though it is unclear if it is literally or figuratively. The lyrics describe a heavy feeling, like Easter in the air, and the man waking up on a Sunday morning with flowers in his hair. The man is described as looking like the face of Jesus in his final agony when he was found in an old winding sheet. He had been gone before they rolled away the stone, which could be a reference to Jesus' resurrection.
The song continues with an image of a smoky room where an angel lay on a mattress, speaking about history and death with perfume on her lingerie and whiskey on her breath. The man is described as long gone, but found in the desert picking flowers for the muse. He is sometimes the fire, sometimes the fuse, and loading up his saddlebags out on the edge of wonder. One bag is filled with music and the other with thunder.
The man is portrayed as lost without his poetry, and the lyrics suggest he may have lost some of his faith. However, the truth that set him free is believed to come from a woman that he and God both believed in. Overall, the song invokes religious imagery to tell a story of a man overcoming his past and moving forward, though it remains open to interpretation.
Line by Line Meaning
There was something heavy coming down
An unknown force or presence was descending upon the singer.
Like Easter in the air
This presence was similar to how the Easter holiday is celebrated.
And he woke up Sunday morning
He woke up early on a Sunday, which is traditionally a holy day in Christianity.
With some flowers in his hair
He had adorned himself with flowers, which could be symbolic of fertility or rebirth.
Looking like he face of Jesus in his final agony
The artist's appearance could be interpreted as looking like Jesus Christ during his crucifixion.
That they found in that old winding sheet
The singer's appearance was reminiscent of a figure found in a shroud or burial garment.
He was long gone he was gone when they rolled away the stone
The singer had already departed, or moved on, before the figurative stone was removed to reveal his departure.
Something come a shining in that smoky little room
A bright light, or a spiritual presence, appeared in a small, dimly lit area.
Lit up like a thousand candles in a Middle Eastern tomb
The light or presence was as bright as the lights used in tombs in the Middle East, particularly during religious ceremonies.
An angel lay on the mattress and spoke history and death
There was an angelic figure present, who spoke about historical events and death itself.
With perfume on her lingerie and whiskey on her breath
Despite appearing angelic, the figure had the scent of perfume and alcohol on her, perhaps indicative of both good and bad traits.
And they found him in the desert picking flowers for the muse
The artist was found in a desert, presumably gathering flowers for inspiration or artistic purposes.
Sometimes he's the fire, sometimes he's the fuse
The singer is unpredictable, often being either the source or the instigator of explosive situations or creative endeavors.
He's loading up his saddlebags out on the edge of wonder
The singer was preparing himself to embark on an adventure, perhaps one that was unknown or dangerous but exciting.
One is filled with music the others filled with thunder
One of the singer's saddlebags contains music, while the other contains something more explosive or volatile.
Well I never thought to ask him but the thought seemed mighty slim
The artist never thought to ask the artist about his beliefs, but the idea that he believed in God was unlikely.
If he ever much believed in God Or God believed in him
The artist's skepticism about the existence of God or if God believed in him is being questioned.
But they both believed in a woman and the truth that set him free
Despite doubts about God, the singer and God both believed in a woman and her ability to give him freedom through truth or inspiration.
Now he wonders in confusion for he's lost his poetry
The singer is now experiencing confusion and uncertainty in his creative endeavors, perhaps because of a loss of inspiration or lack of purpose.
He was long gone he was gone when they rolled away the stone
The artist had already moved on by the time the people involved realized it or attempted to discover what had happened.
He was long gone he was gone when they rolled away the stone
The artist had already departed, or moved on, before the figurative stone was removed to reveal his departure.
He was long gone he was gone when they rolled away the stone
The artist had already departed, or moved on, before the figurative stone was removed to reveal his departure.
Contributed by Landon A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.