12 Songs of Christmas - Song 10

Song 10 - Holy Emmanuel by Terry Scott Taylor.

A pleasant sound enveloped me as I entered church tonight. It was our carol service and I was helping get things ready for it and was a little flustered - this song met me as i entered the sanctuary.

I was going to post another song but decided upon this one. Terry Taylor is the lead singer/song writer of Daniel Amos and if you have known me for any length of time then you know they are my favourite band and the music of Terry's is my number one. During dark times in my life when I've been about to give up on my faith (and life) it has been his music which has kept me going on. He's not the best singer, but what he does do impresses me. This is a quieter song and i think his rock voice is better but I do like the honesty of his voice here. His lyrics I do put up amongst the best out there though.

Wisemen still looking for Him
Children still come and adore Him
We will bow down before Him
The Savior is born in Bethlehem

We sing Holy, Holy, Holy
Noel, Noel
Singing Holy, Holy
God Emmanuel

Prophets foretold the story
Angels proclaim His glory
Brightest Star of Morning
The Savior is born in Bethlehem

The lyrics speak for themselves here - as long as you remember what Emmanuel means - God with Us.

Also playing with a pink midget

Along with catchup (see below) I'm also playing The Midget the Speck and the Molecule. The latest by the Swirling Eddies.


Around 4 years ago I paid for it, and it arrived in the weekend.

WHAT! four years ago you say?

Yeah around four years ago.

Gather 'round children, the tale, it goes like this....

The Swirling Eddies are one of the many bands by Terry Scott Taylor. Except he calls himself Camarillo Eddie in this one. Back in the '90's they brought out some awesome albums. They made me laugh, think and wince. However as with all brilliant and creative artists the conservatives Christian record companies didn't like the fact they didn't have a JPM (Jesus Per Minute) Ratio of 1 or greater. In fact it might have been .000001. And they also did stuff like saying the televangelist who takes your money as "pledge of faith" are actually sinners who worship money not God.

Short story they are not given cheques to produce albums.

Four years ago in an attempt to get things going a pre-order request was made. In this, what would happen is the fans would pay money in advance for the album. When they had enough money from pre-orders they would fly the band members in, book a studio, write, record, order in pizza etc... Then get the artwork done and have it all manufactured, packaged and posted out.

This was all completed last year, what with not as much money coming in as was needed, gall Bladder removals and other things.

At the time of delivery the offer was also made that a few of the members are in the same town does anyone want their copy autographed.

I said yes.

Then Terry moved house.

Then he found the CD in the packing signed and sent them back. Mine was posted.

It got lost in the mail between here and the USA.

In January another was sent out - not autographed but that is OK.

It didn't get here. So just over a week ago another was sent out.

Then the second one arrived on the weekend.

Yeah!

Told the people doing the sending about the extra and was told for my troubles keep the extra one that will turn up.

So I have been listening and really enjoying the latest from the Eddies in 10 year. Burger Roy Al. Just rocks in this one.

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.

TenNapel gets a movie deal and the book isn't even out yet.

I just spotted at Ain't it cool news, the TenNapel website and Peter Chattaway announcing that the new Doug TenNapel graphic novel has had it's movie option sold, and that Sam Raimi is down to direct.

I'm looking forward to this. Both the movie and the book.

I got into Doug because he is also a fan of Terry Scott Taylor, and Terry is my number one favourite musician (One of his songs will be my if I could sing songs later today). Terry did the soundtrack to a few of Doug's video games (Neverhood, Skullmonkeys and Boombots) and Doug did the artwork on a couple of Terry's albums ("the best of" and BibleLand). Doug also created Earthworm Jim.

A little bit after all this Dougs first big Graphic novel came out (Creature Tech) I had money so I amazon'ed it and loved it. How can you not love a story that has lines like

"My peers claimed that the giant space eel did not exist! They said I was crazy! Now that I have spent my fortune on a laboratory in the wilderness, swapped hands with a demon, and called a giant space eel to earth perhaps they won't think I am so crazy after all!!!"

Only two of Dougs stuff I have not enjoyed immensely Gear and Black Cherry the rest I heartily recommend - go spend money now!