Hard To Get
Rich Mullins and A Ragamuffin Band Lyrics
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Hear the prayers of those of us who live on earth
Who are afraid of being left by those we love
And who get hardened by the hurt
Do you remember when You lived down here where we all scrape
To find the faith to ask for daily bread
Did you forget about us after You had flown away
Still I'm so scared, I'm holding my breath
While you're up there just playing hard to get
You who live in radiance
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in skin
We have a love that's not as patient as Yours was
Still we do love now and then
Did You ever know loneliness
Did You ever know need
Do You remember just how long a night can get?
When You were barely holding on
And Your friends fall asleep
And don't see the blood that's running in Your sweat
Will those who mourn be left uncomforted
While You're up there just playing hard to get?
And I know you bore our sorrows
And I know you feel our pain
And I know it would not hurt any less
Even if it could be explained
And I know that I am only lashing out
At the One who loves me most
And after I figured this, somehow
All I really need to know
Is if You who live in eternity
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in time
We can't see what's ahead
And we can not get free of what we've left behind
I'm reeling from these voices that keep screaming in my ears
All the words of shame and doubt, blame and regret
I can't see how You're leading me unless You've led me here
Where I'm lost enough to let myself be led
And so You've been here all along I guess
It's just Your ways and You are just plain hard to get
The song "Hard to Get" by Rich Mullins is an emotional prayer that seeks to understand God's ways from the perspective of human experiences. The lyrics speak of the struggles, doubts, and pains that come with living on earth, and the frustration of feeling ignored by God. The song is a cry for help to a distant God who seems "hard to get". As the song progresses, Mullins shifts to a tone of surrender, acknowledging that he cannot fully comprehend God's ways, but trusts that God is present and leading him even in his confusion.
The first verse starts with a call to God who lives in heaven to hear the prayers of those who live on earth. This is followed by an expression of fear of being left by loved ones and the hardening of the heart that comes with being hurt. The song goes on to question God's memory and whether he remembers the struggles of living on earth. Mullins then goes on to acknowledge that despite his doubts, he has memorized every word of God and declares his fear of being left alone with God playing "hard to get".
In the second verse, Mullins recognizes that despite the love he feels, it is not as patient as God's love. He then goes on to ask if God ever knew loneliness, need, and the agony of a long night. He also mentions the pain and betrayal of his friends who fall asleep and do not see the blood running in his sweat. The song ends with the refrain "It's just Your ways and You are just plain hard to get", which shows that Mullins acknowledges that he cannot fully understand God's ways, but finds comfort in knowing that God has been with him all along.
Line by Line Meaning
You who live in heaven
Addressing God who lives in heaven
Hear the prayers of those of us who live on earth
Requesting God to listen to the prayers of people on earth
Who are afraid of being left by those we love
People on earth are afraid of being abandoned by their loved ones
And who get hardened by the hurt
People on earth develop hardness due to their painful experiences
Do you remember when You lived down here where we all scrape
Asking God whether He remembers living on earth himself
To find the faith to ask for daily bread
Struggling to have faith to ask God for their daily needs
Did you forget about us after You had flown away
Questioning if God forgot people after leaving earth
Well I memorized every word You said
Reminding God that every word spoken on earth is remembered by people
Still I'm so scared, I'm holding my breath
People on earth are still scared and holding their breath with uncertainty
While you're up there just playing hard to get
God seems distant and unreachable to people on earth
You who live in radiance
Addressing God who lives in radiance
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in skin
Requesting God to listen to the prayers of people who live in human bodies
We have a love that's not as patient as Yours was
Acknowledging that human love is not as patient as God's love
Still we do love now and then
Despite being imperfect, people on earth still love occasionally
Did You ever know loneliness
Asking if God ever experienced loneliness
Did You ever know need
Asking if God ever had any needs
Do You remember just how long a night can get?
Asking God if He remembers how it feels to have endless nights of suffering
When You were barely holding on
Referencing God's suffering and endurance during His time on earth
And Your friends fall asleep
Recalling how God's friends fell asleep while He suffered
And don't see the blood that's running in Your sweat
Noticing how people miss the suffering of God when it is happening
Will those who mourn be left uncomforted
Questioning if God will leave the mournful ones without comfort
While You're up there just playing hard to get?
While it seems that God is distant and unreachable, is He really like that?
And I know you bore our sorrows
Affirming that God carried the sorrows of people on earth
And I know you feel our pain
Acknowledging that God feels the pain experienced by people
And I know it would not hurt any less
Realizing that knowing these things still does not make the pain hurt any less
Even if it could be explained
Even though the pain could be explained, it would not hurt any less
And I know that I am only lashing out
Admitting to God that the person is only expressing anger towards Him
At the One who loves me most
Even though it is God who loves the person most
And after I figured this, somehow
After coming to this realization in some way
All I really need to know
All that the person needs to know is
Is if You who live in eternity
Asking God if He, who lives in eternity
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in time
Listens to the prayers of mortal beings who live in time
We can't see what's ahead
People on earth cannot perceive the future
And we can not get free of what we've left behind
People are unable to break free from the past
I'm reeling from these voices that keep screaming in my ears
The person is still being affected by negative voices that are tormenting them
All the words of shame and doubt, blame and regret
Reminding God about the negative voices that cause shame, doubt, blame and regret
I can't see how You're leading me unless You've led me here
The person is unable to understand God's guidance unless they are lost
Where I'm lost enough to let myself be led
The person needs to be lost enough to follow God's lead
And so You've been here all along I guess
Acknowledge that God has been present through every situation, even if it feels like He is not
It's just Your ways and You are just plain hard to get
The ways of God may be difficult to understand and His presence may feel distant.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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R U
A beautiful rendition of an already beautiful song. Thank you for this crystal clear version.
ExaltHIMvdo
One of the most profound songs on the album it is featured on. :) GBY.