8:00 PM

doubt

yes, indeedy, folks - it's time for another sandra lyric. this time, though, it's a more philosophical song inspired by CS Lewis' marvelous book Till We Have Faces, which i wrote a paper on. (it was actually the best paper i've written to date, so you know what that means - i've been a bum writer for the last year.)

anyway, if you don't know the book, you should go read it. i won't even try to help you understand any of it - i'm not going to facillitate you not reading it. you can make that horrid decision on your own. ;-)

ok, here's the song. if you haven't read the book, you probably won't have any idea what it's about. (if that occurs, see above.) ps, the tune to this song is magnificently appropriate.

doubt
You whisper in some other language
gospel songs and hidden things
and when i call You in the midnight
i cannot find a phone that rings
You show to one Your kindest favor
and make one go numb

so speak it plain or leave it out
cause i see it plain - love drawn with doubt
i'm made to serve my own device
till You speak it plain

You take my troubles like a river
You drain them slow down to the dregs
i pour myself down through the floorboards
and paint my image in the glass
in myth and reason we uncover
what effort could not win

so speak it plain or leave it out
cause i see it plain - love drawn with doubt
i'm made to serve my own device
until You come and set things right
i have no words and i have no face
till You speak it plain

i wanna know this love without a doubt
i wanna know this love will find me out
i wanna know that the wrong will be made right
i wanna know some peace tonight

and in the dark and holy places
i just come undone

so speak it plain or leave it out
cause i see it plain - love drawn with doubt
i'm made to serve my own device
until You come and set things right
i have no words
i have no face
until You come to speak it plain
i have no words and i have no face
till You speak it plain
would You speak it plain?

i wanna know love without a doubt
i wanna know love

9 comments:

Darren said...

I haven't read the book but I think I know a little what the song is talking about, if only because I see my own weaknesses in it. I'm really enjoying your posts on songs. I think I might have to buy her cd.

Lauren said...

you "think" you "might have to"???

www.sandramccracken.com - that's what it's all about.

i'm glad you're liking these - i was starting to wonder if i was losing my audience...

i'm obviously obsessed, so it's a blast for me to think about the lyrics as i type them up.

for those of you not so sandra-inclined as darren... tough luck! (i really won't be this sandra-crazed for much longer...)

Unknown said...

Rumor has it (as I'm sure you know) that Till We Have Faces was Jack's favorite of his own writings.

One more for the road: a professor recalled the story of a heated argument in a classroom years ago, in which two feminists screamed that a man cannot know what it's like to be a woman. The Professor came back the next day with two books--each with title pages and all other identifying marks removed. They read it, and said "Yes, that's what it's like to be a woman! No man could've written that!"

To which the Professor said, "No, my dears, but it was: C. S. Lewis wrote that book...and that's what it's like to be human."

Darren said...

I'm no longer just thinking about it. I ordered her newest cd and the hymns one. Also, there is a new shane and shane sampler out with them doing some bluegrass. I heard one of the three songs on it and it's awesome. It's a bluegrass version of blessed assurance. And it's only three bucks! You can get the link to order it through their myspace page (myspace.com/shaneandshane). I don't know if you can order it any other way.

Lauren said...

aron - who can argue with the man himself?

darren - that's totally the shane concert i went to -> they play with the peasall sisters, and it's wicked good (if that's possible)...

no, i'm not secretly from boston.

y'all pray it up for me, ok? i was just in a major car accident and i'm seriously freaked out.

Darren said...

Are you okay?

Lauren said...

my neck is rather sore, and my knee got a little banged up, but i'm intact and should be fine. however, my car is pretty bad off. :-( i really love that car - she's been my companion for almost 7 years. not sure about whether she's totalled or not.

Darren said...

Praise God it wasn't worse. I'll be praying for you. I hope you're not too rattled.

Anonymous said...

You were in a CAR accident!? Ahhh! I'm glad you're ok!

That book is so utterly amazing...but everything he writes is.

- Meg