Monday 13 January 2014

What's in a word? (Part 2)

by Kolyn Amor


Over the festive season my partner went to see the Mission perform in Köln (all right for some!) and got a little too close to Mr. Hussey for my liking!

Their latest album ‘The Brightest Light’ is quite reflective in many ways and contains a track entitled ‘Litany for the Faithful’ (or ‘Litanei für die Gläubigen’ if you happen to be German!) One definition of a litany is ‘a ceremonial or liturgical form of prayer consisting of a series of invocations or supplications with responses that are the same for a number in succession’ - the repetition of words one could say, in order to evoke meaning within a community in an attempt to be part of ‘The Word.’ Perhaps this song does or doesn’t fit within that definition, but as a repetitive reflection of life I personally find it works as much as any words can.

If the word’s on the tip of your tongue(s) then maybe you could try to ‘The Word’ up...

I've sang you songs of candlelight and razor blades
I've sang you songs of being loved and betrayed
I've sang you songs of redemption and righteous crusade
I've sang you songs that made you laugh and made you cry
I've sang the blues and I've sang you lullabies
I've sang you songs of flaming one night stands and long goodbyes
I've sang you songs that rejoice and celebrate
I've sang of love by design and by fate
I've sang you songs of ache and lust and appetites to sate
I've sang you songs of the holy and divine
I've sang you songs of devils and cheap wine
I've sang you songs of fawning courtesans and concubines
I've sang you songs of sadness and of pain
I've sang you songs of the needle and the vein
I've sang the songs of the tears washed away by the rain
I've sang the songs of loss of grief and despair
I've sang the songs of destruction and repair
I've sang you songs of hope belief and faith in prayer
I've sang you songs of birth and of death
I've sang you songs of air and of breath
I've given you songs born of cocaine and crystal meth
I've sang the songs of ageing ruin and decay
I've sang you songs of the hunter and his prey
I've sang the songs of disenchantment fear and dismay
I've sang you songs of blame and accusation
I've sang you songs of shame and recrimination
I've sang you songs of regret guilt penance and salvation
I've sang you songs the words of others and made you believe they're mine
I've sang the songs of heaven of Gods and stars that shine
I've sang you songs that have touched you sent shivers down your spine
I've sang the songs that made your heart sing
That made you feel like a bird on the wing
That made you soar and sometimes roar I made you sing
But I can't bring myself to sing
Of ever leaving you

Of ever leaving

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