This song is nine and a half minutes you will never get back. I dare you to take a second plunge and make it an even 19:00.
Like the biblical Jonah, this song had to go through some serious obstacles to finally realize its objective. These include but are not limited to gas company line repair (jack hammering outside my studio), crying babies (my own), a paper cut under my fingernail, schedule conflicts, too much coffee, laziness, frustrations, not enough coffee, and many failed attempts to just say the right words.
lyrics
The good Lord came to me and said,
"Boy, you got to go where you don't want to go."
The good Lord came to me and said,
"You got to do what you don't want to do."
He said, "I'm sending you, you got to go where you don't want to go."
I tried to run. I tried to hide. I did go where no one could find me.
And he sent a great big fish to swallow me whole.
In the belly of a whale, its so deep, deep, deep.
The bottom of the sea is so deep, deep, deep.
The pressure is crushing me, it's so deep, deep, deep.
The ocean is closing in now, it's deep, deep, deep.
Squeezing my skin, it's so deep, deep, deep.
It's the heartbeat of a whale going beat, beat, beat.
All I can feel going beat, beat, beat.
It's taking over now beat, beat, beat.
Everything going dark beat, beat, beat.
All I want to do is sleep so deep, deep, deep
Beat, Beat, Beat
I got out. I want to tell the world that I survived.
I got out. I want to tell the world that I am alive.
Pull up my socks and I wipe my eyes.
There is hope on the other side.
Pull up my socks and I wipe my eyes.
There is hope on the other side.
The muses spoke to me and said,
"Boy, you got to sing a song you don't want to sing."
The spirit is moving me, it says,
"You got to stand where you don't want to stand."
They said, "you got to sing a song you don't want to sing."
I tried to run. I walked away. Shut my mouth, got nothing to say.
He sent a great big song that swallowed me whole.
I'm in the belly of a song, it's so loud, loud, loud.
Hit bottom again, it's so loud, loud, loud.
Force a goofy grin, it's so loud, loud, loud.
Starting to panic now, it's so loud, loud, loud.
Got to get out, it's so loud, loud, loud.
It's the heartbeat of a song going beat, beat, beat.
It's taking over now going beat, beat, beat.
All I can feel going beat, beat, beat.
Everything going black beat, beat, beat.
All I want to do is sleep so deep, deep, deep
Beat, Beat, Beat
I got out . I want to tell the world that I survived.
I got out. I want to tell the world that I'm alive.
Stomp your feet and hold someone's hand.
There is hope on the other side.
Stomp your feet and grab someone's hand.
There is hope on the other side.
Brothers and Sisters, if you’re down and out, Old Brother Jack’s got a story for you today.
Brothers and Sisters, if you’re floating on a pond enjoying some sunshine. You’re floating on your back looking up at the sky and somebody comes along and drains all the water out of the pond. Now you’re lying on your back in the mud, surrounded by old tires and rusty refrigerators. You’re lying in the mud and it’s as thick as cement. You can’t stand up, you are stuck (it’s a metaphor children, figure it out).
Well, things are as bad as they’ve ever been. There’s no way out. You don’t know how you got here. You’re full of despair and woe. You’re thinking about giving up on this whole thing, thinking about turning your head to the side and taking a big swallow of mud to end it all.
Hold on children. I’m urging you now. Just be patient. It’s as bad as it’s ever been but pretty soon that sun will come out and dry up that mud. You can stand up, dust yourself off, and move on.
You say, "but Brother Jack, I’m not that patient. What if the sun doesn’t show up? What if... What if..." Then holler for some help, children. This world’s a messed up place but there’s still some good people in it. If you holler for help, somebody will come along and give you a hand, pull you up out of that mud. You can stand up, brush yourself off and move on. Maybe you’ll even make a new friend.
"But Brother Jack, what if nobody hears me?" Holler louder! Maybe you can put a little rhythm to it. Hum a little melody in between shouts. Turn it into a song. It can’t be any worse than some guy yakking over top the same chord for six or seven minutes. Before you know it, the sun will show up and dry up all that mud. You can stand up, dust yourself off and move on. You'll be singing your brand new song.
"But Brother Jack, what if I holler for help and somebody comes along and they slip and fall and they’re stuck in the mud too? Brother Jack, that’s the worst evil in the world. Wouldn’t it have been better to swallow that mud rather than drag somebody down with me?" Hold on children! We all end up in the mud at some point and now you’ve got somebody to talk to while you’re both laying there in the mud. Pretty soon that sun will come up and dry up all that mud. You’ll both stand up. You can dust each other off and move on. You definitely made a new friend now.
I’m not trying to make light of a serious topic, children. Brother Jack’s been there before. I’ve been floating on the pond when somebody drained all the water out. Matter of fact, I think I drained the pond myself on more than one occasion. I’ve been laying in that mud, surrounded by old tires and rusty refrigerators. Things are as bad as they’ve ever been. No way out. I was stuck.
Just when it couldn’t get worse, I looked up at that sky and it started to rain. I was up to my eyelashes in mud. Old Brother Jack thought about taking a big swallow of mud and ending the misery. Something urged me to wait. Hold on, don’t give up. There's something more for you to do. It might not be much but this world’s a better place with you in it. To my surprise, the sun came out, dried up all that mud. I stood up, dusted myself off and moved on.
I got out. I want to tell the world that I survived.
I got out. I want to tell the world that I am alive.
Clap your hands and we'll sing together.
There is hope on the other side.
Clap your hands and shout together.
There is hope on the other side.
Brother Jack gleans inspiration from old fashioned gospel music, foot-stomping drinking songs, and long winded storytellers. He has a love for words, both written and sung. If you like weird folk music and storytelling, check out Brother Jack!
Nora Brown continues to bring nuance and resonance to her modern interpretation of Appalachian folk and bluegrass on her latest LP. Bandcamp New & Notable Aug 30, 2022
West Virginia country-folk singer-songwriter Trae Sheehan aims to find a balance between the traditional and the modern on his new LP. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 29, 2020
Beautifully played and full of moving vocal performances, the Bay Area singer/songwriter's latest is a stellar work of art. Bandcamp Album of the Day Feb 3, 2023
