Music With Meaning (vol. 2)

A long while ago, my father had a juke box in the basement that would play 45 records (that's right, a record not a cd or tape!). And one song that really got me fired up was "And When I Die" by Blood, Sweat, and Tears. What I like most about the song was its tempo changes. I used to walk around the pool table (yup, full size pool table, we also had a pinball machine!) until during the slower parts and would run during the faster parts. I mean, I felt inspired to run since the song was telling me that the devil was right behind me chasing me! It was exhilarating for a 6 year old.

Today, I still like the song. No, I don't run around the pool table (in fact my father no longer has the juke box or the pinball machine - and with all the clutter in their basement these day, I'd break my leg if I tried to run around the room), but I now better appreciate the lyrics.

"And When I Die"
by Blood, Sweat, and Tears

I'm not scared of dying,
And I don't really care.
If it's peace you find in dying,
Well then let the time be near.
If it's peace you find in dying,
And if dying time is here,
Just bundle up my coffin
'Cause it's cold way down there.
I hear that its cold way down there.
Yeah, crazy cold way down there.

Chorus:

And when I die, and when I'm gone,
There'll be one child born
In this world to carry on,
to carry on.

Now troubles are many, they're as deep as a well.
I can swear there ain't no heaven but I pray there ain't no hell.
Swear there ain't no heaven and I pray there ain't no hell,
But I'll never know by living, only my dying will tell.
Yes only my dying will tell.
Yeah, only my dying will tell.

Chorus

Give me my freedom for as long as I be.
All I ask of living is to have no chains on me.
All I ask of living is to have no chains on me,
And all I ask of dying is to go naturally.
Oh I want to go naturally.

Here I go,
Hey Hey!
Here comes the devil,
Right Behind.
Look out children,
Here he comes!
Here he comes! Hey...

Don't want to go by the devil.
Don't want to go by demon.
Don't want to go by Satan,
Don't want to die uneasy.
Just let me go naturally.

and when I die,
When I'm dead, dead and gone,
There'll be one child born in our world to carry on,
To carry on.
Yeah, yeah...

I think about the words. To me, it is almost a prayer. OK, not your typical prayer, but one where we pray to go peacefully and see our way to heaven. And that when we go, there will be something beautiful left in our place - a newborn child.

The day my mother-in-law died, I turned this song up loud in the car, and sang it at the top of voice. It hurt my heart to do it, but yet I felt that I was praying for a peaceful journey for my mother-in-law to heaven.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am not a religious person; I don't pray in what would perceived as conventional ways. But I would consider myself spiritual. I find comfort in the idea of a heaven, that there is a God, and that when we die we pass on to something greater.

(Sure, this song sure does seem like a strange place to find God, eh?)