Slaid Cleaves’ music is marked by both the quirky blend of isolated eccentricity and steely resilience of his Yankee upbringing and the weathered soul of Texas, the state he has called home for over a decade now. First registering on the national folk scene by winning the Kerrville Folk Festival’s New Folk competition in 1992, Cleaves released his national debut No Angel Knows (Philo/Rounder) in 1997, following a string of self-released albums and many nights logged in folk clubs as both a performer and a soundman. Met with effusive critical praise, No Angel Knows was followed by Broke Down (Philo/Rounder) in 2000, which expanded his audience exponentially by virtue of its exceedingly well-crafted songs and rugged Gurf Morlix production. In addition to the title track, a Rod Picott collaboration that won Song of the Year at the Austin Music Awards in 2001, Broke Down featured a couple of interpretations of other writers’ songs prefiguring Slaid’s later work, including a poignant reading of fellow Austinite Karen Poston’s “Lydia.”
Following Broke Down came 2004’s Wishbones (Philo/Rounder), a richly detailed exploration of life’s darker corners where still a ray of hope somehow shines. Wishbones climbed to the top of the Americana Radio chart coming in at #1 for 2004 while Slaid toured relentlessly promoting the album. It was after the recording of Wishbones that Cleaves began to consider the endeavor that became Unsung. “Over the years,” Cleaves explains, “as I grew as a songwriter, my songs began to make up the bulk of my sets. But I continued to throw in the odd song by a hero or friend, both in my shows and on the records I made. I did that partly out of tribute to my influences, but also to give my set, or album, some context and some variety.” These are songs from the songwriter trenches – compositions Cleaves first heard at late-night song-swaps, open-mic nights, during downtime at recording sessions, and on modest self-released CDs. Thanks to the work of producers David Henry and Rod Picott (a long-time Cleaves cohort and fellow Mainer), the performances and backdrops on Unsung are as evocative and captivating as the songs themselves. Cleaves’ gifts as an interpreter are such that the line between singer and song vanish completely.
"Cleaves tells gorgeously compact stories in a voice packed with Texas trail dust." -- Entertainment Weekly
"...one of the finest singer-songwriters in Texas." -- Neil Strauss, The New York Times
This Morning I Am Born Again
Slaid Cleaves Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I no longer look for heaven in your deathly distant land
I do not want your pearly gates don't want your streets of gold
This morning I was born again and a light shines on my soul
This morning I was born again, I was born again complete
I stood up above my troubles and I stand on my two feet
My hand it feels unlimited, my body feels like the sky
This I was born again, my past is dead and gone
This great eternal moment is my great eternal dawn
Each drop of blood within me, each breath of life I breathe
Is united with these mountains and the mountains with the seas
I feel the sun upon me, it's rays crawl through my skin
I breathe the life of Jesus and old John Henry in
I give myself, my heart, my soul to give some friend a hand
This morning I was born again, I am in the promised land
This morning I was born again and a light shines on my land
I no longer look for heaven in your deathly distant land
I do not want your pearly gates don't want your streets of gold
And I do not want your mansion for my heart is never cold.
The lyrics to Slaid Cleaves's song "This Morning I Am Born Again" speak to the idea of spiritual rebirth and the singer's rejection of traditional notions of heaven and material wealth. The opening line, "This morning I was born again," suggests a spiritual awakening, a moment of clarity or revelation that has allowed the singer to see the world in a new light. The "light" that "shines on [his] land" and "soul" could represent this newfound awareness, a sense of enlightenment that has transformed his perspective.
The second stanza emphasizes the singer's newfound sense of strength and confidence. He no longer feels weighed down by his troubles and stands tall, feeling limitless and connected to the vastness of the universe. The reference to "yonder planets" reinforces this idea of expanded horizons and boundless possibility. The singer's past is "dead and gone," and he is living fully in the present moment.
The final stanza touches on the singer's sense of generosity and altruism. He is willing to give of himself to help others, embodying a spirit of compassion and empathy. He has rejected the idea of a distant, materialistic heaven, preferring instead to feel at home in the world around him. The repeated lines from the first verse serve as a refrain, reinforcing the singer's rejection of traditional notions of wealth and status.
Overall, "This Morning I Am Born Again" is a powerful meditation on spiritual transformation and the rejection of traditional societal expectations. It encourages listeners to embrace their inner strength and find purpose and meaning in their daily lives, rather than looking to external sources for validation or salvation.
Line by Line Meaning
This morning I was born again and a light shines on my land
I have been reborn this morning, and I feel a light shining on my life
I no longer look for heaven in your deathly distant land
I don't seek heaven in a faraway place that seems out of reach
I do not want your pearly gates don't want your streets of gold
I don't desire the stereotypical rewards of heaven, such as pearly gates and streets of gold
This morning I was born again and a light shines on my soul
I feel renewed and enlightened at the core of my being
This morning I was born again, I was born again complete
I have been reborn in a holistic and comprehensive way
I stood up above my troubles and I stand on my two feet
I feel empowered to rise above my challenges and to stand on my own
My hand it feels unlimited, my body feels like the sky
I feel like I have unlimited potential and that I can soar to great heights
I feel at home in the universe where yonder planets fly
I feel like I belong in the vast and infinite universe where planets exist
This I was born again, my past is dead and gone
My past is behind me, and I have been reborn free from its burden
This great eternal moment is my great eternal dawn
This present moment is the start of a never-ending and significant new beginning
Each drop of blood within me, each breath of life I breathe
Every part of me is connected to the natural world and to the essence of life itself
Is united with these mountains and the mountains with the seas
I am interconnected with the earth and all its natural formations
I feel the sun upon me, it's rays crawl through my skin
I appreciate and embrace the warmth and vitality of the sun on my skin
I breathe the life of Jesus and old John Henry in
I take inspiration from both the divine and the human qualities of Jesus and the legendary character John Henry
I give myself, my heart, my soul to give some friend a hand
I am willing to give all of myself to help a friend in need
This morning I was born again, I am in the promised land
I feel like I have reached a state of fulfillment and satisfaction in my life
And I do not want your mansion for my heart is never cold.
I don't need grand material possessions to feel content, as my heart is already full of warmth and kindness
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: CLEAVES GUTHRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind