If I could sing.... Guilty

Todays song would come around halfway through my setlist. It is by the band Daniel Amos, who of course is fronted by Terry Scott Taylor as mentioned before.

The song is Guilty, and it is one of my favourites from the Motorcycle album. This is one of the songs that has split the DA fanbase. There seems to be at least one on each album and this is the one from motorcycle. Sorry no youtube, or iTunes links I can point you to for this one, only the lyrics.

Guilty

from the album "MotorCycle"

Words and Music by Terry Taylor
©1993 Twitchen Vibes Music / Brainstorm Artists Int'l. (ASCAP)
Well I'm in a mess
What can I do?
yeah, I've second-guessed
so have you
but I've been all wrong baby
Ad nauseam baby
I'm gonna break the circuit,
put aside all my disguises
Don't run away screaming out
or worse, start laughing now that I'm

(chorus)
Guilty (take me back)
Guilty (take me back)
Guilty (take me back)
Take me back now
that's all I ask now
Take me back 'cause I'm guilty

Couldn't face the wrong
in myself
So I condemned
somebody else
You were in reach baby
I've been impeached baby
I'll plead for your acceptance
so I can walk the straight line again
What a big grim process this is
but I can't hide any longer cause I'm

(chorus)

Absolve me from the wrong I've done
Lay your hands on me and I will overcome
heal me now
and seal me now
in your gracious love
your fathomless love
'cause I'm

Guilty, Guilty

Well I'm on my knees again
and I got my heart in hand
Girl I pray you understand
I'm a tired and broken man

Guilty, Guilty

I'll make it simple as I can
to say exactly what I am
I'm guilty baby, I'm guilty baby,
I'm guilty, guilty, guilty

Guilty, Guilty

I'm not the man I used to be
and it's so easy girl to see
I caused you misery
so let the judgment fall on me
and I'll tell you honestly
for the record here's my plea
I'm guilty baby, I'm guilty baby
I'm guilty, guilty, guilty...

Apart from the bridge with the absolving it is a guy singing to his baby, his girl saying he done wrong I'm guilty.

Musically in the fully and lushly produced motorcycle album, the album that has a theremum (sp?) and songs that segue into one another, layers and guitar battles this song stands out.

It's harsh, it's jarring, it's coarse. Terry screams I'm guilty I'm guilty! with the harmonies and smoothness of the rest of the album this one sticks out like a broken thumb, painful and obvious.

And that is why I like it.

Being guilty is painful.
Being guilty is harsh
It is jarring
It sticks out

You don't like being guilty.

Look at a lot of the apologies these day. I'm sorry my actions caused you to feel that way, I'm sorry you are hurting.

They are are apologies when you aren't apologising, pure cop outs and not facing up to the coarse harsh facts.

Where is the "I'm guilty I was wrong I'm sorry for what I did"?

The song is so honest in it's approach to guilt. Julie Millar in her song "My Psychiatrist" had this line.

I thought that when I felt guilty my mother was the cause
Now I find the reason is only that I was.

I am the cause of my guilt you are the cause of yours. We cannot blame our childhood, or the way we were raised, or how rich or poor we are... we make the choice each time we do wrong things and if those things hurt someone we are guilty baby.



...and the song also shows the only way out of guilt.

Forgiveness.

In his screaming, in his desperation in the agony of his calling out I'm guilty - he is calling out for forgiveness.

Forgiveness - The only balm that will soothe the burning guilt.

To all the people who read this that I may have hurt.

Take me back 'cause I'm guilty.