LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE: AFTER THE FALL OF HUMANITY

Here is an English paper I wrote at Campbell in 2002:

Ben Currin
20th Century Lit.
Dr. Tate

LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE: AFTER THE FALL OF HUMANITY

Language is a symbolic theme in several literary works. The importance of language, of course, is how to use it to express oneself and what part language plays in self-expression. Language seems to be a fascinating mystery. Where did it come from? How did it come about? Why are there so many languages in the world? These are just a few of the questions that people ask. Language seems to be an issue that even literary circles have grappled with---being that language is needed in order to write. Language as a theme is found in Robert Frost’s, Gerald Manley Hopkins’, T. S. Eliot’s, James Joyce’s, William Butler Yeats’ and several other writers’ works.
In Frost, language is viewed in his placement of words and images of nature. Frost’s poem, “After Apple-Picking” seems to suggest a connection to ‘the fall of humankind’ and the effect of that single event. In the poem, it is clear that the meaning of the poem can be viewed from several different angles. This plays a part in the use of language in this poem which is to show after Adam and Eve’s fall from grace language became more complex so that expression was harder to show.
The Babylon event, another biblical reference, also has a role in the breakdown of language and expression, but it is the fall of Adam and Eve that plays the main role in this breakdown. After the fall mankind has been unable to communicate fully with God and that accounts in one way for the need for Christ to be an intercessor on our behalf. In this way prayer became necessary whereas before it wasn’t needed because humans weren’t blinded before the fall and could see and hear God firsthand. Wittgenstein and Willard Van Ormond Quine conducted philosophical research on language and suggested the same principles in slightly different terms.
Gerald Manley Hopkins seems to have followed in the same vein as Frost in his use of language, but with more experimentation. Hopkins could have been a surrealist to some extent in the way that he plays with language to express himself. Hopkins’ poem, “The Wreck of the Deutschland,” is the best illustration of what poets can do with language when they play around with it. In the poem Hopkins places words in weird places and forms unique phrases to achieve his goal.
T. S. Eliot plays with the theme of language much in the same way as Hopkins does, except Eliot inserts foreign phrases into a few of his poems. William Butler Yeats, also, plays with foreign words and phrases. Eliot’s “The Waste Land” seems to deal with the breakdown of language on the deeper level. Language for Eliot seems to be a reflection of how fragmented life is. This comes across especially in the manner which Eliot wrote the poem in several fragmented parts. This is also illustrated in the spaces where Eliot inserts foreign phrases into the poem.
James Joyce carries on the language tradition of Lewis Carroll in his (Joyce’s) usage of language. Joyce followed the surrealistic path of Carroll and invented new ways to use language. Just like William Shakespeare, Joyce would find ways to invent words where convenient. This all goes back to the problem of expression as it was effected by the fall of humankind. After the fall, humans were unable to express themselves in the clear manner that they wished to express themselves, so humans began to experiment with languages and could make up their own way of expressing themselves when in doubt---which includes inventing new words and languages.
Yeats utilizes the theme of the fall of humanity as well. This is shown in the poem “Adam’s Curse,” which speaks of poetry itself. In “A Dialogue of Self and Soul” Yeats reflects upon the language of a person’s heart versus the language of a person’s soul. In this poem Yeats expresses a Platonic/Socratic duality of existence. This duality is a theme common in several world religions so by necessity Yeats played with this theme. Duality is also found in “Byzantium,” another poem of his that deals with language in it’s form of a symbolic image.
“Vacillation” another poem of his follows the same vein as “A Dialogue of Self and Soul” and contains a section in it that deals with the language of self and the language of the heart. In this poem, Yeats is still looking for an answer to the question of what truthful language is---but doesn’t arrive at a clear answer. This suggests the duality of life, which Yeats expresses in several of his poems. It also suggests the choices that humankind are forced to make daily which runs along on the lines of ‘freedom of the will.’ This also goes hand in hand with the issue of predestination.
William Carlos Williams follows the same tradition of Hopkins in the way that they both play with the placement of words and phrases in their poetry to achieve their goals. William Carlos Williams also displays a surrealistic quality in some of his poems such as “Paterson.” “Paterson” could be a pun on father and son---being that ‘pater’ is Latin for ‘father.’ This may suggest a connection with Jesus---after all Jesus is the Word of God and therefore is the ‘Supreme Language’ of life.
This plays with the some of Heidegger and Nietzsche’s ideas which lead to some of the poets of the 20th Century to play around with the idea of inventing one’s own religion or a new religion. This goes along with the idea of ‘supreme fiction’ or literature relation with religion. It took language to make the bible after all and the bible is also a work of literature.
In conclusion, language then is viewed in different ways by different people and is also necessary for proper communication and expression. Several writers play with the theme and the idea of language and develop their own understanding of language’s place in the world. Several poets such as Shakespeare, Joyce and Carroll have invented their own words and languages in the manner which they see fit. It is clear that language has been effected by the fall of humankind and has presented a language barrier between cultures and a generation gap as well.
It also has made a communication barrier between humans and God which lead to the necessity for Christ to be an intercessor on our behalf to God through our prayers---for the Cross is the bridge which fills this gap. In any case, language is an enigma in existence that is a paradoxical problem of life which can’t be explain until one reaches the great beyond and even then it probably still can’t be fully explained.

How An April Fool's Blessing Should Sound

Here's a jabberwocky poem I wrote in 2002 at Campbell:

JABBERWOK MONKGOOK BLESSING

Trebbly, mungle. marred and feared---
Round the cornhuskine ran da beard.
Tibbly, tabbly, down we prabe,
Fornfer, farver and deprage.
Rangle, rengel, noun non not.
Brabe, breadfood eat wam hot.
Ningle, nangle, namby pamby pan,
Fring, frang, bring, brang bran.
Tibble, tabble, worg-wang whoge---
Ning, Nang, sing-sang houge.
Veeb, vabe, veerdy freuden bows,
Weevle ringle-rangle browden rose.
Ginzle, ganzle, tingly tows and deplose
Habitate nate nang-norton robe nose.
Neezle, Nayzel repose on trivvle, travle green
Beezel, bangnawl; tinge-tang, tounge-tied sing.
Now, let’s eat the feast before us, beezy gazey
And before it gets lost in dingy, dangnobbon hazey!

CBFNC General Assembly Day 2

The theme of the 2009 General Assembly:

About 4 or more hours ago, I returned from 3 long Spirit-filled days at my first CBFNC General Assembly. Anyways, Day 2 was a day of fellowship around displays on CBF friendly missions and other projects that CBF takes part in. I will blog on all the displays in subsequent posts. Also going on around this time was a gathering of Baptist Women in Ministry of North Carolina in another church in Fayetteville, in which another FBC-Wilmington resident member, Mary Margaret Brooks was recognized for her years of service to the Baptist community. She is a dear friend of our family as she kept me in the nursery when her husband Lamar was the pastor of our church at FBC-Laurinburg in the early 80's. See also: Baptists Today Blogs: BWIM NC celebrates preaching without words. A deli lunch was provided for the exhibitors which my mom, my grandmother and I assisted with and Snyder Memorial Baptist Church of Fayetteville, NC for non-exhibitors. After lunch, people milled around and/or attended various breakout sessions. My grandmother and I attended these 2 breakout sessions:

Charles Barrett Howard: Preacher, Professor, and Philanthropist, Glenn Jonas ...............................................................B1052
(2:15 p.m. - Annual Meeting of the NC Baptist Historical Society - Room B1052) and New Church Start Track
Emerging Faith Communities in the 21st Century, Beverly Hatcher and Pete Zimmerman ............................................ A2002.

I'll blog more on them later. All through the day I ran into old friends, Campbell people, blogging buddies and new friend which is a testimony to the openness of CBF. At dinnertime, we ate in the Fellowship Hall with Jim Everette---we have to get ideas for the 2013 General Assembly as FBC-Wilmington is hosting that one. Following dinner was our evening worship service with Dr. Fred Craddock preaching on “Hearing What is Said.” The main theme of Craddock's sermon was truly listening to what people say. An audio and video of the service should be available soon on the CBFNC official website. Sitting beside us on the front left pew with us was a family friend, Steve DeVane, taking pictures for the Biblical Recorder. Tony Cartledge was taking pictures and blogging from the front right pew for Baptists Today.

Baptist State Convention of North Carolina Decides No Longer To Cooperate With CBF

Although, I wasn't at the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina as I was at a CBF dinner with my mom, my grandmother went with a group from Campbell---so we heard bits and pieces from her and attendees of both events. Anyways, here's what Tony Cartledge had to say about the decision of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina to no longer give to CBF:

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2008
BSCNC to no longer "tolerate" CBF
Encouraged to “pull out a can of spinach” and “put an end” to toleration of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF), messengers to the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSCNC) annual session pulled out their ballots and approved a new budget structure that eliminates any option for contributing to CBF.

The action came Nov. 12, during discussion of a proposal to scrap the four cooperative giving plans the BSCNC has offered for more than a decade.

The initial proposal, from the Cooperative Program Giving Committee, would have retained an option by which churches could designate 10 percent of their gifts to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF).

Matt Williamson (right), pastor of Oak Forest Baptist in Fletcher, offered an amendment to eliminate the CBF option, saying the BSCNC should not partner with an organization that might send new converts to a church that does not teach inerrancy. “I will die on the hill of inerrancy,” he said.

Eric Page, of Victory Baptist in Columbus, said keeping the option would imply that the BSCNC tolerates CBF. Like the cartoon character Popeye, he said, the convention should “pull out a can of spinach and put an end to it.”

The proposal also called for funding for theological education at North Carolina Baptist divinity schools, budgeted at 10.9 percent of the current Plans B and C, to become a sharply reduced two percent option. The proposal was approved with that option intact. The BSCNC is currently in the middle of a two-year budget cycle, so the new structure will not take effect until 2010.

(Read More: Here).

Also, Big Daddy Weave had this to say:

The Demonization of Moderates: NC Baptists Oust CBF
Messengers to the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina decided today that Churches will no longer be allowed to support the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship through the BSCNC beginning in 2010. Check the Biblical Recorder for the story later today.

One NC Baptist fundamentalist had this to say about the decision over on his blog, Southern Baptists in NC:

The reason this amendment passed is that NC Baptist are Southern Baptist they are not CBF Baptist. (This statement is something the Baptist General Convention of Texas would do well to heed.) NC Baptist are trying their best to say that we do not want anything to do with CBF. If there are churches that desire to be CBF then have at it. However, do not try to tell the world that you are Southern Baptist and be part of an organization that was organized as a result of being disgruntled with doctrines Southern Baptist believed and held dear. What does this mean for BSCNC? It means that the churches that were bypassing the convention are now going to need to stop. It means that we are in this together and thus we need to support the budget together.

Also, there needs to be a call now to the head offices in Cary that NC Baptist have clearly stated we are not CBF. Thus, an employee at the convention offices should be a member of a NC Baptist church not one that is dually aligning themselves with the CBF and the BSCNC. We had the clarion call today during the budget vote that we will not even give you an opportunity to send funds through us to the CBF. We certainly should be able to say we want you attending a BSCNC church.

And here is a response to the BSCNC's decision from a moderate North Carolina Baptist. The blog post is appropriately titled Demons.

I am sitting in my office after spending the last day and a half at the Baptist State Convention of NC. I witnessed a historical moment, and it breaks my heart.

The Baptist State Convention has, for about 18 years, provided 4 giving plan options for churches to contribute their missions giving through the state convention. One of those plans, plan C, provided for 10% of our total giving to the state to go to CBF national. For years now, the multiple giving plans have been under attack, with the primary focus being on plan C. In the last couple of years, the state had determined that the 10% apportioned to CBF would not count as NC Cooperative Program giving. Last year, the state formed a committee to investigate a single giving plan that would preserve multiple options. That committee brought its recommendation today. There would be a single giving plan, and churches could check a box on their giving form if they desired a portion of their proceeds to go to CBF. An amendment was brought from the floor to remove this check box. After a secret ballot vote, the amendment passed. After years of efforts, plan C was officially dead.

This isn’t what broke my heart. Anybody with a brain has been able to see this handwriting on the wall for years. There are going to be those who argue, as there were today, that churches can just send their money directly to CBF and negatively designate the SBC out of their missions giving. CBF churches are still welcome in the Baptist State Convention of NC, they will say.

They are lying.

Those who spoke in favor of the amendment based their arguments on 2 points: CBF doesn’t affirm the inerrancy of Scripture, and CBF isn’t true Baptist. There were calls for the convention to “take a stand”. And so they did. They thought they were taking a stand against some faceless organization. Instead, they took a stand against Christian men and women I serve and work with every day. They called me, my church members, and my peers in ministry enemies. They demonized us.

That is what breaks my heart. They made people I love and respect into demons in order to get what they wanted. I could have lived with a decision that said, “We are SBC, and we want a plan that says we are SBC only.” I would not have agreed with it, but I could have respected it. I can’t respect this. Especially when I know it is going to be followed by somebody saying, “We aren’t kicking you out. You can still send your money to us.”

When the announcement of the vote was made, there was no comment or response. A couple of folks clapped, though not as many as I honestly expected. The President just moved on to the next item of business. The convention moved on and left behind Christ-loving, Christ-serving people who had just been accused of not being true Baptist or even true Christians, people and churches who have been a part of the state convention for decades. I’m sure some will say it was just an example of the convention saying, “Get behind me, Satan.”

Funny, Jesus said those words to Peter, the rock upon which he would build his church.
To those CBF pastors, laypeople, and churches who winced at being made to feel like demons, my heart hurts with you and for you. My prayer for all of us is that we will be able to put aside the hurt and anger that rises in our belly at being called a demon so that we might fully concentrate on being the rocks upon which Christ will build His kingdom.

Texas Baptists should pay attention to the fundamentalist from North Carolina cited above and the actions taken today by the fundamentalists in the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. What happened today in North Carolina is just one of MANY examples which demonstrate that Cooperation with Fundamentalists is not possible. It just ain't.

Fundamentalism by definition seeks power and control. First, the state convention cuts the CBF option off. Second, the state convention decides to tell its employees which Baptist churches are OK to attend and join. Power and Control.

We can be nice and drop the fundamentalist tag and just call 'em Southern Baptists - as if a good many of those Southern Baptists are not fundamentalists. That what some folks here in Texas are doing. They pretend that somehow moderates and fundamentalists can work together under the same roof. They pretend that somehow a Baptist organization can be supportive of both Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and George W. Truett Theological Seminary. They pretend that a Baptist organization can support programs which affirm Women In Ministry while also accommodating an institution that wants to keep women out the pulpit and in the home; baking cookies, cleaning, and birthing babies, Quiverfull style.

Naive? You Bet'cha. That's putting it charitably. Why any person who eschews fundamentalism would want a better relationship with a Baptist group completely controlled by fundamentalists is beyond my comprehension. Some Texas Baptists need to pay attention to what happened in North Carolina and Georgia this week. They need to read a book or two. A primer on fundamentalism is apparently needed. Or, just keep that head in the sand.

The ONLY Way to Cooperate With a Fundamentalist Is To Obey Him.

Labels: North Carolina Baptists, Texas Baptists

posted by big daddy weave at 11:17 am

I guess us "evil Moderate/Progressive/Liberals" are too leprous to cooperate with, because we may taint the Fungelical Pharisees with all this talk of female pastors, errant bibles, tolerance and Christo-centric social justice and what not.

LAZARUS AS A BIBLICAL AND NON-BIBLICAL MOTIF: Bibliography

LAZARUS: AN ANNOTATED MLA BIBLIOGRAPHY
--------------------------------------
Barker, Kenneth I. And John R. Kohlenberger. (Eds.). (1994). Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary Volume 2: New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House.
---
Barnstone, Willis. (Ed.). (1984). The Other Bible: Jewish Pseudepigrapha, Christian Apocrypha, Gnostic Scriptures, Kabbalah, Dead Sea Scrolls. San Francisco: Harper Collins Publishers.
Includes information on other sources from biblical times which mention resurrection.
---
Blake, William. (1984). Songs Of Innocence And Songs Of Experience. NY: Dover Publications, Inc.
Not used in paper but this source helps to see Blake's use of religious imagery at his best.
---
Borg, Marcus J. (1994). Jesus In Contemporary Scholarship. Valley Forge, PA: Trinity Press International.
Briefly skimmed over for background information.
---
Brel, Jacques. (N/A). My Death. ---lyrics to a song. (Mort Schuman and Eric Blau, trans.) Paris: N/A.
Used in presentation.
---
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics. (Website). Link:
Cited in paper for use of song.
---
Cat Stevens.Com. (Website). Link:
Cited in paper for use of a few songs. Individual links to the lyrics of these songs can be found in the citations of the text.
---
Currin, Ben. (1999). Chess-Piece. ---song lyrics. Laurinburg, NC/Buies Creek, NC: T/H Songs, Inc./GB Lyrics, C. O.
0->----(2002). Electric Ghost-Land. --- song lyrics. Laurinburg, NC/Buies Creek, NC: T/H Songs, Inc./GB Lyrics, C. O.
Both of these songs that I wrote are used in my presentation.
---
Dylan, Bob. (1985). Lyrics, 1962-1985. NY: Alfred A. Knopf.
Used to cite most of Dylan's lyrics that are cited in the paper.
---
Eliot, T. S. (1971). Four Quartets. San Diego: Harcourt, Inc.
Briefly mentioned in paper.
---
Ellmann, Richard and Robert O' Clair. (Eds.). (1988). The Norton Anthology Of Modern Poetry. NY: W.W. Norton & Company.
Used for literary background.
---
Fairhairn, Patrick. (1989). Typology Of Scripture. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications.
Pages 338-339 are paraphrased in the text.
---
Gill, Andy. (1998). Don't Think Twice, It's Alright: Bob Dylan, the early years. NY: Thunder's Mouth Press.
Not really used but helpful in interpreting Dylan’s songs, although it is more prevalent for one to interpret them for themselves.
---
Headlam, Arthur C. (1914). The Miracles Of The New Testament. London: John Murray.
Pages 226 and 334 paraphrased in the paper.
---
Kissinger, Warren S. (1979). The Parables Of Jesus: A History Of Interpretation and Bibliiography. London: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
Briefly skimmed over for information on the Lazarus parable.
---
Kysar, Robert. (1993). John: The Maverick Gospel. Louisville, KY: John Knox, Press.
Not used for any other purpose beyond background information.
---
Lewis, C. S. (1947). Miracles: A Preliminary Study. NY: The Macmillan Company.
Quote used from page 180 in paper.
---
Lomax, John A. and Alan Lomax. (Eds.). (1947). Best Loved American Folk Songs. NY: Grosset & Dunlap.
Used for Folk song reference in text.
---
Maclaren, Alexander. (1978). Expositions of Holy Scriptures: Saint John Chapters 1-14. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.
Quoted page 98 in paper.
---
My Back Pages: A Closer Look At The Music Of Bob Dylan. (Website). Link: < http://hem.passagen.se/obrecht/backpages/chords/>
Cited in paper for use of song.
---
Nelson’s Electronic Bible Reference Library. (1997). [Computer Program]. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Used for background information and biblical texts.
---
O’ Day, Gail. (1995). The New Interpreter’s Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press.
Helpful commentary source.
---
Pete Seeger’s Songs. (Website). Link: < http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/JimCapaldi/songsby.htm>
Individual links to songs cited in paper.
---
Ramsey, I. T. , G. H, Boobyer, F. M. Davey, M. C, Perry and Henry J. Cadbury. (1978). Theological Collections 3: The Miracles And The Resurrection. London: S. P. C. K.
Quoted page 91 in paper.
---
Raising Lazarus. (Website). Link: < http://www.textweek.com/art/raising_lazarus.htm >
Source for artwork in paper.
---
Rimbaud, Arthur. (1994). Poems. (Paul Schmidt, trans,). Toronto: Alfred A. Knopf.
Discussed in paper and presentation.
---
Smith, Jr., D. Moody. (1999). Abingdon New Testament Commentaries: John. Nashville: Abingdon Press.
Another commentary.
---
Sting Lyrics. (Website). Link: < http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/sting/lazarusheart.html>
Link for ‘Lazarus Heart’ lyrics.
---
Stokes, Niall. (1997). U2: Into The Heart. NY: Thunder’s Mouth Press.
Another song interpretation book.
---
The Songs Of Woody Guthrie. (Website). Link: < http://www.geocities.com/Nashville/3448/dyingdoc.html>
Link for song lyrics to song referenced in paper.
---
The U2 Lyrics Archive. (Website). Link: < http://lyrics.interference.com/u2/ >
Link for song lyrics to song referenced in paper.
---
Thompson, G. R. (Ed.). (1970). Great Short Works Of Edgar Allan Poe. Tokyo: Harper & Row, Publishers.
Mentioned in paper.
---
Wardlaw, Ralph. (1853). On Miracles. NY: Robert Carter & Brothers.
Mentioned In Text.

LAZARUS AS A BIBLICAL AND NON-BIBLICAL MOTIF: Lazarus's Effect On Culture Part 5---Oral Presentation

Presentation (Outline Interspersed With Source Selections)
I) Bible References
II) Literary References
III) Art References
IV) Musical References
Some odds in ends not in the paper:

CHESS-PIECE ---about God being in control
(Currin)

If I were a Chess piece
I would be a pawn in Your game
Speaking all my words in Your Name
Worthless in the eyes of many
Valuable in the eyes of You, worthless in the eyes of many

Unworthy to get down on my hands and knees
But only able to wallow in the mud
Go all the way down
To the cold, cold ground
Because I’ve been washed by Your Blood
I’ve been washed by the Blood of the Sacrificial Lamb
I’ve been washed by the Blood of the Son of Man

You, who died for our sins
Died for me
And I can only be a Chess piece
God, I’ll go wherever You want me to go
For whenever You move me, I know
That I’m getting closer to Heaven

Closer than I’ve ever been before
And when I pass away
I know that You, Jesus will be by my side at the grave
All I’m living for is to be more
Like You
Who is the Absolute Truth
Which sets my spirit free
Listen closely and you’ll hear Him, He is calling you and me

And if I were a Chess piece
I would be a pawn in Your game
Speaking all my words in Your Name
Worthless in the eyes of many
Valuable in the eyes of You, worthless in the eyes of many

Unworthy to get down on my hands and knees
But only able to wallow in the mud
Go all the way down
To the cold, cold ground
Because I’ve been washed by Your Blood
I’ve been washed by the Blood of the Sacrificial Lamb
I’ve been washed by the Blood of the Son of Man

I am only a Chess piece made of dirt
And I know that You still feel the hurt
From the Cross, whenever we stray away
From You--showed us how to pray and now I’m running on Blind Faith
Sometimes people get so judgmental and sink like Peter
When all they really need to do is keep--

Their eyes on Your Wonderful Face and You
Are the Supreme Law and Judge of All the Land, the Absolute Truth
And when we do sink, I know that You
Always pick us right back up, forever, forever and ever

Well, the Cross is like a balance beam
And we go from one extreme
To the other
Some Christians drift from lover to lover
Some talk the talk, but never walk the walk
Others are too blind to see what it’s all about

When God is the only thing stable in a world that’s falling apart
Still we mess things up and keep on breaking Your Perfect Heart
Well, life isn’t easy
There are so many obstacles that get in the way
But as long as You move us where to go
We’ll always be able to defeat the foe

Jesus came to show us the Way
And how we should be
And I am just a Chess piece for You
To move, wherever You choose
Elohim, Adonai, Hashem
For the greater of men

So if I were a Chess piece
I would be a pawn in Your game
Speaking all my words in Your Name
Worthless in the eyes of many
Valuable in the eyes of You, worthless in the eyes of many

Unworthy to get down on my hands and knees
But only able to wallow in the mud
Go all the way down
To the cold, cold ground
Because I’ve been washed by Your Blood
I’ve been washed by the Blood of the Sacrificial Lamb
I’ve been washed by the Blood of the Son of Man

I am a Chess-Piece, Chess-Piece for God
And just for Him, I’ll go
Chess-Piece for God
He moves me where to go

© 1999 T/H Songs, Inc.
© 1999 GB Lyrics, C.O.

ELECTRIC GHOST-LAND
(Currin)

My love is like the grave, I want to enter in
And rise above it, when we begin a-new
So my love, let me die in you, tonight, in your eyes of blue
So that I may become alive, once again
Let me in your temple to taste the wine
For it’s there that I’ve been seeking for to find

Eyes like rain and lips like smoke
In you lies my only hope
Building up and destroying time
Is the only way to make up your mind
In this electric ghost land, where we wander and fall

My colors have all gone gray from trying to find my way
The more you push me away, the harder I’ll try
To reach you with my intimate prayer inside
For you can kick the darkness outta the night, until it bleeds like the day
In this electric ghost land, where we wander and fall

It’s a little too much for me, a simple touch helps me to feel
For in your eyes like wine, I have found what is real
There the Truth and the Light shine
In the colors of your mind like a sacred sunshine
In this electric ghost land, where we wander and fall

My love is like the grave, I want to enter in
And rise above it, when we begin a new life
So my love, let me die in you, in your arms, tonight
So that I may become alive, once again
Let me in your temple to taste the wine
For it’s there that I’ve been seeking for to find

In you, I’ve found my salvation, my celebration
My benediction, my conviction, my holiday
My first aid, my secret dreams, my convocation
For in you all my fears and pains are taken away
In this electric ghost land, where we stumble and fall

In you, I’ve found the shelter over my head
The comforter for my bed, my broken piece of bread
In you, there’s a communion of faith that tears away all doubt
In you, I’ve found my exit, my only way out
In this electric ghost land, where we stumble and fall

In you, my candle can be set a-glow through an icy winter rain, through snow
Selfless deliverer, fill up my flask with your soul’s wine
Self-full giver, I’m standing at your bars, save me from dying
For you are the only one that I really want to know
In this electric ghost land, where we stumble and fall

My love is like the grave, yeah, my love is like the grave, I want to enter in
And rise above it, rise above it, when we begin once more
So my love, let me die in you, die in you, tonight, it’s all I’m living for
(To be tied down to you, so that I may be truly free)
So that I may become alive, become alive, once again
(And so that we can become what we were made to be)
Let me in your temple to taste the wine, your sweetly divine wine
For it’s there that I’ve been seeking for to find, seeking for to find..............

© 2002 T/H Songs, Inc.
© 2002 GB Lyrics, C.O.

Oh Sister



Words and music Bob Dylan and Jacques Levy
Released on Desire (1976) Hard Rain (1976) and Budokan (1978)
Tabbed by Eyolf Østrem

The Hard Rain version is basically the same as the album version. The Budokan version is
sung over a sustained Gm.

G Bm C (/b Am) G
Oh, sister, when I come to lie in your arms
G Em C G
You should not treat me like a stranger.
G Bm C (/b Am) G
Our Father would not like the way that you act
G Em C G
And you must realize the danger.

Oh, sister, am I not a brother to you
And one deserving of affection?
And is our purpose not the same on this earth,
To love and follow His direction?

F C
We grew up together
G
From the cradle to the grave
F C
We died and were reborn
G D (/c-b-a)
And then mysteriously saved.

Oh, sister, when I come to knock on your door,
Don't turn away, you'll create sorrow.
Time is an ocean but it ends at the shore
You may not see me tomorrow.

My Death
(Jacques Brel. Translation: Mort Schuman/Eric Blau)





My death waits like an old Drouet
So confident I'll go his way
Whistle to him and the passing time
My death waits like a Bible truth
At the funeral of my youth
We drank for that and the passing time
My death waits like a witch at night
As surely as our love is bright
Let's not think about the passing time

CHORUS:
But whatever lies behind the door
There is nothing much to do
Angel or devil, I don't care
For in front of that door, there is you

My death waits like a beggar blind
Who sees the world through an unlit mind
Throw him a dime for the passing time
My death waits there between your thighs
Your cool fingers will close my eyes
Let's not think of that and the passing time
My death waits to allow my friends
A few good times before it ends
So let's drink to that and the passing time

CHORUS

My death waits there among the leaves
In magician's mysterious sleeves
Rabbits and dogs and the passing time
My death waits there among the flowers
Where the blackest shadow, blackest shadow cowers
Let's pick lilacs for the passing time
My death waits there in a double bed
Sails of oblivion at my head
So pull up the sheets against the passing time

CHORUS


"Lazarus Heart"
(Sting)




He looked beneath his shirt today
There was a wound in his flesh so deep and wide
From the wound a lovely flower grew
From somewhere deep inside
He turned around to face his mother
To show her the wound in his breast that burned like a brand
But the sword that cut him open
Was the sword in his mother's hand

Every day another miracle
Only death will tear us apart
To sacrifice a life for yours
I'd be the blood of the Lazarus heart
The blood of the Lazarus heart

Though the sword was his protection
The wound itself would give him power
The power to remake himself at the time of his darkest hour
She said the wound would give him courage and pain
The kind of pain that you can't hide
From the wound a lovely flower grew
From somewhere deep inside

Every day another miracle
Only death will keep us apart
To sacrifice a life for yours
I'd be the blood of the Lazarus heart
The blood of the Lazarus heart

Birds on the roof of my mother's house
I've no stones that chase them away
Birds on the roof of my mother's house
Will sit on my roof some day
They fly at the window, they fly at the door
Where does she get the strength to fight them anymore
She counts all her children as a shield against the pain
Lifts her eyes to the sky like a flower in the rain

Every day another miracle
Only death will keep us apart
To sacrifice a life for yours
I'd be the blood of the Lazarus heart
The blood of the Lazarus heart

In My Time Of Dyin'

sung by Bob Dylan on the self-titled album (1961) Written by ?

The song is basically just a finger-picking/bottleneck exercise over a sustained chord in open
D/E tuning. It's all in the singing... :-)

Capo 4th fret
Basic chord 000300





Well, in my time of dying don't want nobody to mourn
All I want for you to do is take my body home
Well, well, well, so I can die easy
Well, well, well
Well, well, well, so I can die easy
Jesus gonna make up, Jesus gonna make up
Jesus gonna make up my dying bed.

Well, meet me Jesus, meet me, meet me in the middle of the air
If these wings should fail to me,
Lord, won't you meet me with another pair?
Well, well, well, so I can die easy
Well, well, well
Well, well, well, so I can die easy
Jesus gonna make up, Jesus gonna make up
Jesus gonna make up my dying bed.

Lord, in my time of dying don't want nobody to cry
All I want you to do is take me when I die
Well, well, well, so I can die easy
Well, well, well
Well, well, well, so I can die easy
Jesus gonna make up, Jesus gonna make up
Jesus gonna make up my dying bed.

In the Garden

Words and Music by Bob Dylan
Released on Saved (1980)
Tabbed by Eyolf Østrem

G+ (=Gaug) = 321003 or 355443





B F# G#m G+
When they came for Him in the garden, did they know?
Cm G+ Eb F
When they came for Him in the garden, did they know?
G C/G G7 C/G
Did they know He was the Son of God, did they know that He was Lord?
G C/G G7 C/G
Did they hear when He told Peter, "Peter, put up your sword"?
A D/A A7 D/A
When they came for Him in the garden, did they know?
B E/B B7 E/B
When they came for Him in the garden, did they know?

F# B/F# F#

When He spoke to them in the city, did they hear?
When He spoke to them in the city, did they hear?
Nicodemus came at night so he wouldn't be seen by men
Saying, "Master, tell me why a man must be born again."
When He spoke to them in the city, did they hear?
When He spoke to them in the city, did they hear?

When He healed the blind and crippled, did they see?
When He healed the blind and crippled, did they see?
When He said, "Pick up your bed and walk, why must you criticize?
Same thing My Father do, I can do likewise."
When He healed the blind and crippled, did they see?
When He healed the blind and crippled, did they see?

Did they speak out against Him, did they dare?
Did they speak out against Him, did they dare?
The multitude wanted to make Him king, put a crown upon His head
Why did He slip away to a quiet place instead?
Did they speak out against Him, did they dare?
Did they speak out against Him, did they dare?

When He rose from the dead, did they believe?
When He rose from the dead, did they believe?
He said, "All power is given to Me in heaven and on earth."
Did they know right then and there what that power was worth?
When He rose from the dead, did they believe?
When He rose from the dead, did they believe?

When He rose from the dead, did they believe?
When He rose from the dead, did they believe?
He said, "All power is given to Me in heaven and on earth."
Did they know right then and there what that power was worth?
When He rose from the dead, did they believe?
When He rose from the dead, did they believe?

Dead Man, Dead Man

Words and music Bob Dylan
Released on Shot of Love (1981)
Tabbed by Eyolf Østrem

A true two-chord song! One of his many reggae-influenced songs from this period. The Am
could/should be livened up with flourishes in the G-direction, underlining the reggae rhythm -
something like:

: . . . :
|-----0-0-----0---|----
|-----1-1-----1---|----
|-----2-2-----2---|----
|-----2-2-----2---|----
|-----0-0-----0---|----
|---------3-------|----

or even better with Am played 577555, when you'll get that high, ringing a on the first string.






Am
Uttering idle words from a reprobate mind,

Clinging to strange promises, dying on the vine,
E
Never bein' able to separate the good from the bad,
Am
Ooh, I can't stand it, I can't stand it,

It's makin' me feel so sad.

Dead man, dead man,

When will you arise?
E
Cobwebs in your mind,
Am
Dust upon your eyes.

Satan got you by the heel, there's a bird's nest in your hair.
Do you have any faith at all? Do you have any love to share?
The way that you hold your head, cursin' God with every move,
Ooh, I can't stand it, I can't stand it,
What are you tryin' to prove?

Dead man, dead man,
When will you arise?
Cobwebs in your mind,
Dust upon your eyes.

The glamour and the bright lights and the politics of sin,
The ghetto that you build for me is the one you end up in,
The race of the engine that overrules your heart,
Ooh, I can't stand it, I can't stand it,
Pretending that you're so smart.

Dead man, dead man,
When will you arise?
Cobwebs in your mind,
Dust upon your eyes.

What are you tryin' to overpower me with, the doctrine or the gun?
My back is already to the wall, where can I run?
The tuxedo that you're wearin', the flower in your lapel,
Ooh, I can't stand it, I can't stand it,
You wanna take me down to hell.

Dead man, dead man,
When will you arise?
Cobwebs in your mind,
Dust upon your eyes.

New Year's Day
(Bono/U2)




Yeah...

All is quiet on New Year's Day
A world in white gets underway
I want to be with you
Be with you night and day
Nothing changes on New Year's Day
On New Year's Day

I will be with you again
I will be with you again

Under a blood red sky
A crowd has gathered in black and white
Arms entwined, the chosen few
The newspapers says, says
Say it's true it's true...
And we can break through
Though torn in two
We can be one

I...I will begin again
I...I will begin again

Oh...
Maybe the time is right
Oh...maybe tonight...

I will be with you again
I will be with you again

And so we're told this is the golden age
And gold is the reason for the wars we wage
Though I want to be with you
Be with you night and day
Nothing changes
On New Year's Day
On New Year's Day

Surrender
(Bono/U2)





Oh, the city's alight
With lovers and lies
Bright blue eyes
Oh, the city is bright
It's brighter than day tonight

Surrender, Surrender
Surrender, Surrender

Sadie said she couldn't work out
What it was all about
And so she let go
Now Sadie's on the street
And the people she meets you know
She tried to be a good girl and a good wife
Raise a good family
Lead a good life
It's not good enough
She got herself up on the 48th floor
Gotta find out
Find out what she's living for

Surrender, Surrender
Surrender, Surrender

Tonight...

Oh, the city's afire
A passionate flame
It knows me by name
Oh, the city's desire
To take me for more and more
It's in the street, getting under my feet
It's in the air, it's everywhere
My love for you
It's in the things I do and say
If I wanna live I gotta
Die to myself someday

Papa sing my sing my sing my song
Papa sing my sing my sing my song...

Love Rescue Me
(Bono/Bob Dylan)




Love rescue me
Come forth and speak to me
Raise me up and don't let me fall
No man is my enemy
My own hands imprison me
Love rescue me

Many strangers have I met
On the road to my regret
Many lost who seek to find themselves in me
They ask me to reveal
The very thoughts they would conceal
Love rescue me

And the sun in the sky
Makes a shadow of you and I
Stretching out as the sun sinks in the sea
I'm here without a name
In the palace of my shame
Said, love rescue me

In the cold mirror of a glass
I see my reflection pass
See the dark shades of what I used to be
See the purple of her eyes
The scarlet of my lies
Love rescue me

Yea, though I walk
In the valley of shadow
Yea, I will fear no evil
I have cursed thy rod and staff
They no longer comfort me
Love rescue me

Sha la la...sha la la la
Sha la la la...ha la la...
Sha la la la...sha la la la
Sha la la la...sha la la
Sha la la la...sha la la la
Sha la la...
I said love, love rescue me

I said love
Climb up the mountains, said love
I said love, oh my love
On the hill of the son
I'm on the eve of a storm
And my word you must believe in
Oh, I said love, rescue me
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah...

Yeah I'm here without a name
In the palace of my shame
I said love rescue me

I've conquered my past
The future is here at last
I stand at the entrance
To a new world I can see
The ruins to the right of me
Will soon have lost sight of me
Love rescue me

One
(Bono/U2)



Is it getting better
Or do you feel the same
Will it make it easier on you now
You got someone to blame
You say...

One love
One life
When it's one need
In the night
One love
We get to share it
Leaves you baby if you
Don't care for it

Did I disappoint you
Or leave a bad taste in your mouth
You act like you never had love
And you want me to go without
Well it's...

Too late
Tonight
To drag the past out into the light
We're one, but we're not the same
We get to
Carry each other
Carry each other
One...

Have you come here for forgiveness
Have you come to raise the dead
Have you come here to play Jesus
To the lepers in your head

Did I ask too much
More than a lot
You gave me nothing
Now it's all I got
We're one
But we're not the same
Well we
Hurt each other
Then we do it again
You say
Love is a temple
Love a higher law
Love is a temple
Love the higher law
You ask me to enter
But then you make me crawl
And I can't be holding on
To what you got
When all you got is hurt

One love
One blood
One life
You got to do what you should
One life
With each other
Sisters
Brothers
One life
But we're not the same
We get to
Carry each other
Carry each other

One...life

One

Wake Up Dead Man
(Bono/U2)



Jesus, Jesus help me
I'm alone in this world
And a fucked up world it is too
Tell me, tell me the story
The one about eternity
And the way it's all gonna be

Wake up, wake up dead man
Wake up, wake up dead man

Jesus, I'm waiting here boss
I know you're looking out for us
But maybe your hands aren't free
Your father, He made the world in seven
He's in charge of heaven
Will you put in a word in for me

Wake up, wake up dead man
Wake up, wake up dead man

Listen to your words they'll tell you what to do
Listen over the rhythm that's confusing you
Listen to the reed in the saxophone
Listen over the hum of the radio
Listen over sounds of blades in rotation
Listen through the traffic and circulation
Listen as hope and peace try to rhyme
Listen over marching bands playing out their time

Wake up, wake up dead man
Wake up, wake up dead man

Jesus, were you just around the corner
Did You think to try and warn her
Or are you working on something new
If there's an order in all of this disorder
Is it like a tape recorder
Can we rewind it just once more

Wake up, wake up dead man
Wake up, wake up dead man
Wake up, wake up dead man

Grace
(Bono/U2)



Grace
She takes the blame
She covers the shame
Removes the stain
It could be her name

Grace
It's a name for a girl
It's also a thought that
Changed the world

And when she walks on the street
You can hear the strings
Grace finds goodness
In everything

Grace
She's got the walk
Not on a ramp or on chalk
She's got the time to talk

She travels outside
Of karma, karma
She travels outside
Of karma

When she goes to work
You can hear the strings
Grace finds beauty
In everything

Grace
She carries a world on her hips
No champagne flute for her lips
No twirls or skips
Between her fingertips

She carries a pearl
In perfect condition
What once was hurt
What once was friction
What left a mark
No longer stings

Because grace makes beauty
Out of ugly things

Grace finds beauty
In everything

Grace finds goodness
In everything

LAZARUS AS A BIBLICAL AND NON-BIBLICAL MOTIF: Lazarus's Effect On Culture Part 4---Conclusion

Some concluding remarks on the Lazarus narrative are as follows: Lazarus is a symbolic figure in the bible and has been utilized far beyond the bible, in other symbolic ways. Lazarus is viewed as a symbolic figure in different ways in different cultures. Lazarus is a unique motif present in the bible and in all art-forms beyond the bible. The two major purposes Lazarus serves as a symbol are: Lazarus as a symbol of resurrection and Lazarus as a symbol of belief and trust. Two other uses of the Lazarus figure are: Lazarus being a witness for Christ and Lazarus being a symbolic figure that represents aspects of God’s mission to humankind through the life and death of Jesus. These purposes are major factors of the reason in which John included the Lazarus narrative in his Gospel. The use of the Lazarus theme outside of the bible vary from art-form to art-form. Lazarus appears as a metaphor for many different themes within literary sources. He is, also, present in the visual arts such as paintings, sculptures and movie films. The symbol of Lazarus is pertinent in music as well and is mainly used in the lyrics of songs, but not so much straightforward instrumental songs. In conclusion, Lazarus has had a profound effect on his culture (around the time of Christ and the early years of the Christian church) as well as our culture.

LAZARUS AS A BIBLICAL AND NON-BIBLICAL MOTIF: Lazarus's Effect On Culture Part 3

Another point that is closely related to the use of the symbol of Lazarus in the literary and art world is the use of Lazarus in the musical world. The Lazarus symbol is found more directly in song lyrics rather than music in it’s naked and raw form. (Although, the Lazarus symbol can be seen in songs with just music itself such as instrumental songs written about Lazarus which usually contain rising metrical notes, but these are merely subdued references to the Lazarus motif and are indirectly connected to the Lazarus narrative itself).
Some hymns may utilize elements of the Lazarus motif, but there are too many hymns which contain hints of the Lazarus theme so for sake of time and space---focusing on the more obscure references to Lazarus in song lyrics is more suitable for a brief survey of how the Lazarus theme has cropped up in non-biblical sources. The first song that comes to mind is the folk song, “Po’ Laz’us.’ Specifically the eighth stanza which says: “Laz’us’ sister run an’ tol her mother.../‘Po’ Laz’us dead, Lawd, Lawd, po’ Laz’us dead.’”# Although this song is about an outlaw named Lazarus, the lines in the eighth
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# - Lomax, 309.

stanza bear a striking resemblance to Mary and Martha’s plea to Jesus. The Lomaxes state about this song: “the ballad takes up the story (of this desperado and in dramatic terms seeks in purpose the issue of)...describing the death of this tough guy with obvious sympathy and in powerfully tragic lines.”#
Another song of interest is the traditional song, ‘In My Time Of Dyin’.’ The main thought of the song is summed up in the first stanza which is as follows:
Well, in my time of dying don't want nobody to mourn
All I want for you to do is take my body home
Well, well, well, so I can die easy
Well, well, well
Well, well, well, so I can die easy
Jesus gonna make up, Jesus gonna make up
Jesus gonna make up my dying bed.#
The Lazarus/Jesus connection comes in full focus in this traditional song. The main purpose in this song is to convey a sense of comfort in knowing that Jesus will meet us when we die. This song reinforces the use of Lazarus as a symbol for the resurrection of believers.
A curious song by Woody Guthrie entitled ‘The Dying Doctor (aka The Company Town Doctor)’has a stanza which conveys the following scene:
I quit my job as the family doctor
I nailed up my shingle and went on my own
I carried my pillbag and waded those waters
I set by a deathbed in many a home.
I saw you catch rainwater in rusty washtubs
I saw you come home dirty up out of your pits
Watched you ride with your coffin up to your graveyard
With not a nickel to pay your burying debt.#
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# - Lomax, 289.

# - My Back Pages: A Closer Look At The Music Of Bob Dylan--- “In My Time Of Dyin’”---http://hem.passagen.se/obrecht/backpages/chords/

# - The Songs Of Woody Guthrie--- http://www.geocities.com/Nashville/3448/dyingdoc.html

This song may suggest a messianic figure and/or possibly a Lazarus type figure. The doctor in the song seems to represent Jesus; on the other hand, the doctor may appear to be the Lazarus figure in the song. Whatever the case may be, there is more depth in the song than appears to be on the surface. It is impossible to take this song on face value alone, but perhaps Guthrie doesn’t expect one to read much into his songs or maybe he does?
Pete Seeger, one of Woody Guthrie’s contemporary, also, takes up the Lazarus theme in a few of his songs. One of which is the following song:
IN DEAD EARNEST

If I should die before I wake,
All my bone and sinew take
Put me in the compost pile
To decompose me for a while.

Worms, water, sun will have their way,
Returning me to common clay
All that I am will feed the trees
And little fishes in the seas.

When radishes and corn you munch,
You may be having me for lunch
And then excrete me with a grin,
Chortling, "There goes Lee again."

'Twill be my happiest destiny
To die and live eternally.#
This song is one that infers the resurrection of believers in a satirical joke which pokes fun at death and dying in a very dark comical way. Seeger only contributed to the
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pete Seeger’s Songs--- http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/JimCapaldi/indeadearnest.htm

music of this song, but Seeger’s ‘Where Have All The Flowers Gone?’ is another song that makes an indirect connection to the Lazarus motif. This connection is seen in the lines: “Where have all the graveyards gone?/Gone to flowers, everyone.”# Here again is the presence of the recurrent theme in John and the bible as a whole of the resurrection of believers, this theme is also represented in the Lazarus figure as stated elsewhere here. The connection in this song with Lazarus and the resurrection of believers, again, is only one of indirectness and only can be seen if reflected upon hard enough.
Bob Dylan, a disciple of Woody Guthrie, utilizes the Lazarus theme in several different ways. In, the song, ‘Oh, Sister,’ Dylan expresses the theme of resurrection in the following verses: “We grew up together/From the cradle to the grave/We died and were reborn/And then mysteriously saved.”# This emphasizes the element of salvation present in Christian resurrection. Dylan’s ‘In The Garden’ conveys a different message dealing with elements of the Lazarus motif. “Nicodemus came at night so he wouldn't be seen by men/Saying, ‘Master, tell me why a man must be born again.’.../...When He (Jesus) rose from the dead, did they believe?”# These verses seem to get at the heart of Dylan’s Lazarus connection. The born again motif echoes resurrection themes and Christ’s ascension to Heaven is the way in which most Christians view the resurrection of Christians. ‘Saving Grace’ off of the same album, Saved, states: “Well, the death of life,
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# - Pete Seeger’s Songs--- http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/JimCapaldi/WhereHaveFlowers.htm

# - Dylan, 382.

# - Dylan, 448.

then come the resurrection/Wherever I am welcome is where I’ll be.” In this statement, Dylan reiterates the themes that he plays around with in the previously mentioned song. “Dead man, dead man/When will you arise?/Cobwebs in your mind/Dust upon your eyes.”# The chorus of the song, ‘Dead Man, Dead Man’ by Bob Dylan directly communicates a connection with the Lazarus story. The “When will you arise?” line echoes Jesus’ statement: “wake up (or) Lazarus, come forth.” The word ‘arise’ is a clever pun on resurrection and the arisen Christ. The whole of this song is a statement pointed to non-believers, especially the ones whom are politicians, which calls non-believers to wake up.
A song that Sting did a song entitled ‘Lazarus Heart, ’ which shifts the focus away from using the metaphor of Lazarus as a Christian theme. In some essence a messianic figure is present in the lyrics, but in a more secular way. The refrained chorus of the song is as follows:
Every day another miracle
Only death will keep us apart
To sacrifice a life for yours
I'd be the blood of the Lazarus heart
The blood of the Lazarus heart.#
This refrain suggests that in human love we become like Lazarus through self-sacrifice; in turn, this reiterates the messianic theme in the song. Jesus sacrificed Himself for others and so should we for others.
In a Woody Guthriesque song, Bruce Springsteen (the Boss) writes the following
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# - Dylan, 459.

# - Sting Lyrics--- http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/sting/lazarusheart.html

lines:
The highway is alive tonight
But nobody's kiddin' nobody about where it goes
I'm sittin' down here in the campfire light
Searchin' for the ghost of Tom Joad

He pulls prayer book out of his sleeping bag
Preacher lights up a butt and takes a drag
Waitin' for when the last shall be first and the first shall be last
In a cardboard box 'neath the underpass
Got a one-way ticket to the promised land.#
Underneath those lines, death is the main theme, as well, death is seen as the main theme for the whole of the song. The Lazarus connection is seen in the line: “The highway is alive tonight, “ because Lazarus was made alive, but this may just be wishful thinking connection wise being that highways are generally alive anyways. The other connections are eerie and reflect the Boss’s obsession with folk music, because folk songs normally display religion in darker terms than we think about.
Cat Stevens, one of the most prolific songwriters of the twentieth century and perhaps the VERY BEST, also, uses the Lazarus motif in more obscure and indirect references. The song, ‘Tuesday’s Dead’ has the following lyrics:
If I make a mark in time, I can't say the mark is mine.
I'm only the underline of the word.
Yes, I'm like him, just like you, I can't tell you what to do.
Like everybody else I'm searching thru what I've heard.

(Refrain): Whoa, Where do you go? When you don't want no one to know?
Who told tomorrow Tuesday's dead

Oh preacher won't you paint my dream, won't you show me where you've been
Show me what I haven't seen to ease my mind.
Cause I will learn to understand, if I have a helping hand.
I wouldn't make another demand all my life.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# - Bruce Springsteen Lyrics--- http://www.xs4all.nl/~maroen/engels/bruce.html

What's my sex, what's my name, all in all it's all the same.
Everybody plays a different game, that is all.
Now, man may live, man may die searching for the question why.
But if he tries to rule the sky he must fall.

Now every second on the nose, the humdrum of the city grows.
Reaching out beyond the throes of our time.
We must try to shake it down. Do our best to break the ground.
Try to turn the world around one more time.
Yeah, we must try to shake it down do our best to break the ground
Try to turn the world around one more time.#
This song uses the Lazarus metaphor in a more uncontrolled manner, possibly in order to show the spiritual confusion that Cat Stevens was experiencing at the time when he wrote this song. The verse: “Reaching out beyond the throes of our time” possibly suggests what is to come in the next life and ‘break the ground’ lyric conveys a sense of spiritual angst towards sin and how to break free from it. The answer to this of course is faith in Jesus, in which we receive the gift of resurrection. (However, Cat Stevens looks at this song in retrospect and sees it as one of the many cobblestones that was laid in his journey to his conversion to Islam and changing his name to Yusuf Islam thereafter).
Another song of his, ‘Sitting’ was written at an even more spiritually confusing time in his life. He knows he is bound to die someday and he needs to know the answer to what lies beyond death and the answer to the key to the universe and the purpose of life, etc. The same old questions that plague all of our minds at some point in our lives. Lazarus as a motif shows up in this song in a few of the pun-like words. (For these see the full song lyrics for ‘Sitting’ under the Presentation heading). One other example from Cat Stevens which plays with the Lazarus symbol is the song ‘King Of Trees’ off of the
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
# - Cat Stevens.Com--- http://catstevens.com/discography/songs/00112.html

Buddha And The Chocolate Box album. Specifically these lines relate to Lazarus’ connection with the resurrection of Christ and His people:
And if my mind breaks up
In all so many ways
I know the meaning of
The words I love you
And if my body falls inside
An early grave
The forest and the evergreens
Are coming to take me back
So slowly as I roll
Down the track.#
These lines speak specifically and very directly of a resurrection of some sort. The ‘King of Trees’ of the title on a more indirect level could be a metaphor for Jesus as He is hanging on the cross, but glancing at the rest of the song it seems to be merely conveying as sense of salvation through nature which several classic poets and authors played with. The resurrection reference is referred to in the lines: “The forests and the evergreens/Are coming to take me back.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# - Cat Stevens.Com--- http://catstevens.com/discography/songs/00015.html

LAZARUS AS A BIBLICAL AND NON-BIBLICAL MOTIF: Lazarus's Effect On Culture Part 2

Another way that Lazarus is used as a symbol in a non-biblical context is through the medium of works of art (paintings, sculpture and other visual arts). Here are twelve different paintings from the 400s A.D. to the 20th century which show Lazarus and artists’ interpretations of the Lazarus character:
(Raising of Lazarus, Ivory Carving, 400's A.D. Faith Central, New Zealand.) This ivory carving by an unknown artist is one of the earliest artistic interpretations on the raising of Lazarus. In this carving, Lazarus is seen in a shroud which was the common burial custom of Jesus’ day. The message in this work of art is to show the mystical elements of Christ’s divinity which is clearly shown by the rod that he holds in His hand. The raising of Lazarus for many can be seen as a magical moment in Jesus’ ministry. Lazarus’ symbolic function in this carving comes across as being that he was merely another person involved in one of Jesus’ miracles.

(Scenes from the Life of Christ: 9. Raising of Lazarus, Giotto di Bondone, 1304-1306. Web Gallery of Art.) In this painting by Bondone, Lazarus is seen in a funeral wrap, but is shown with a halo crowning his head. This seems to suggest the symbolism as Lazarus being a believer in Christ. Bondone actually did more than one painting of the raising of Lazarus which suggests that he was aware of the significance of this event and it’s inclusion in John’s Gospel. In Bondone’s other painting of this scene, the scene is basically set up in the same way as this painting interprets it.

(St Lazarus between Martha and Mary, Unknown Spanish, c 1490. Web Gallery of Art.) In this painting by an unknown Spanish artist, Lazarus is seen fully raised between two women considered to be Mary and Martha. The title of the painting ‘St. Lazarus between Martha and Mary’ seems to be evidence that whoever the artist may be was in the faction of believers whom believed that Lazarus was the ‘Beloved Disciple.’ The title’s link between Lazarus and the sainthood raises the possibility to this belief.

(The Resurrection of Lazarus, Sebastiano del Piombo, 1517-19. Web Gallery of Art.) Piombo’s painting displays a different take on the raising of Lazarus all together, in the way that he sets the scene up. Lazarus is shown still being weak from death and smelling of death. Sebastiano del Piombo uses his interpretation of the Lazarus scene to show the disbelief of several members of the crowd assembled at scene and by doing this he shows that Lazarus was an important figure in Jesus’ ministry. Piombo captures all the elements of sensations (sight, smell, sound and feeling) present at the raising of Lazarus by his use of colors and motion in the painting. It is a lively interpretation of Lazarus’ resuscitation.

(The Raising of Lazarus, Rembrandt, 1630. Web Gallery of Art.) Rembrandt’s painting of Lazarus being raised has an eerie like presence to it. It seems to depict the seen in a more Gothic manner than the other artists’ interpretations. Whatever the case may be with why Rembrandt chose to interpret this scene in this particular way doesn’t really matter---this painting still has relevance for viewing the Lazarus motif used in the art world. Perhaps the main reason why this painting is puzzling is the meaning of the painting to individual interpreters as opposed to the meaning of the painting to the artist---one suggestion may be that he is trying to play with humankind’s fascination/obsession with death and what comes after death.

(The Raising of Lazarus (etching), Rembrandt, 1632. Olga's Gallery.) Here is another work of art by Rembrandt which clearly gives further evidence that Rembrandt may have planned to interpret the raising of Lazarus in a rather Gothic light in order to convey a more concrete image of ancient tombs. This etching of Rembrandt’s shows the raising of Lazarus from a different perspective and with the absence of color displays the darkness of a tomb. The use of blank white space symbolizes the light Lazarus may have seen after being dead for however long he was dead till Jesus raised him.

(The Resurrection of Lazarus, Jean-Baptiste Jouvenet, CGFA, 1706, canvas, Musée du Louvre, Paris.) This is an interesting painting, because it appears to show two men raised from the dead (unless I am mistaken). Jouvenet seems to be interested in the same aspects of the Lazarus scene as Piombo was with his use of stimulating several sensations all at once to transport the person whom looks at this painting to the scene of Lazarus’ raising itself. Jouvenet recognizes the importance of the symbolic Lazarus figure too which also links him with Piombo’s thinking.

( The Raising of Lazarus, William Blake, c 1800. Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums.) William Blake was not only a GREAT classic poet, but an artist as well---in this impression of Lazarus being raised from the dead, Blake offers a glimpse of the holy aspect of the miracle of the Lazarus scene in John. In this portrait, Blake’s main goal is to portray the divine and the messianic features of Christ. Blake, also, utilizes the Lazarus theme in several poems of his. Blake has an interest in religious themes in general and plays around with them in his poetry and artwork though his poetry gives him better grounds to play with and develop his use of religious themes.

{The Raising of Lazarus, Gustav Dore, 1865. Felix Just's "Gospel of John" site. [The inscription under the picture itself states: “Resurrection Of Lazarus--- And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.... (John 11:43)”].} Dore did a whole study of the major scenes in the 4th Gospel in black and white. This was one among the many biblical interpretations that he did. Once again, the absence of color suggests the way an ancient tomb would seem to those who entered it. Lazarus is covered in a ghost-like shroud which represents the spiritual resurrection of believers.

(The Raising of Lazarus (After Rembrandt), Vincent Van Gogh, 1890.) Van Gogh’s study of the Lazarus narrative is a focused study of Rembrandt’s painting. The focal point seems to be the relationship between Jesus and Lazarus in the narrative and beyond the narrative itself. The vibrant usage of color in Van Gogh’s painting represents the light and warmth felt when in Jesus’ presence and also the feeling Lazarus must have had after being risen.

(Lazarus, William Congdon, 1961. Christus Rex.) William Congdon’s interpretation of the Lazarus symbol is more of an avant-garde artistic approach. Lazarus is clothed in a purple shroud which represents his resurrection. (One side note: purple in many cultures of the ancient world was a symbol of royalty. For example: Roman emperors had purple stripes on their togas and wore purple cape-like cloaks over them. {This is why Jesus is seen in a purple robe in some artists’ depictions of Him.} Other colors were representative of other ranks of status held by Roman citizens.). Jesus is the white blob to the left which shows that He is ‘the Light.’ Congdon displays the Lazarus scene in an Impressionistic style, eventhough it is rather avant-garde---it still echoes the more classic styles of art. Congdon is trying to emphasize that the main importance of the Lazarus narrative is the relationship between Jesus and Lazarus. This is what made the narrative important and for that reason alone the reader is impacted.

(The Raising of Lazarus, Alfred Leslie, 1975. Bayly Art Museum, University of Virginia, Oil on Canvas, Leslie is an American artist born in 1927.) Leslie’s approach to the Lazarus text brings to mind various mummy movies more than it does the Lazarus text, but nevertheless is representative of a more modern artistic interpretation of the Lazarus symbol. Leslie takes a bold approach in his rendering of the Lazarus story, but shows the person who looks at this painting that Lazarus was just another dead man before Jesus came along. Likewise, before a person accepts Jesus into their lives, they are just another person dead to themselves until the moment that they receive Christ.

Lazarus appears to be in more paintings than sculptures and motion pictures, but is represented in those fields in more subtle manners. Some examples of sculptures in which the Lazarus symbol can be found are: the sculptures of Christ’s ascension and the sculptures which represent the Greco-Roman views of the gods or other divine beings raising the dead. Some film examples are: the appearance of Lazarus in movies about Christ or the bible, horror films and more artsy films.

LAZARUS AS A BIBLICAL AND NON-BIBLICAL MOTIF: Lazarus's Effect On Culture Part 1

Lazarus has a profound effect on the world of literature and art, in several different ways depending on the interpretation of the writer or the artist. The Lazarus symbol is taken in light of the personal meaning of the Lazarus figure to the writer or artist. Several examples of the use of Lazarus in the world of literature and art are given below. These represent the different arts and the different interpretations of Lazarus as a motif in these different styles of the different universal arts.
Lazarus can be seen as a symbol in several literary works. T. S. Eliot writes of the Lazarus symbol in two of his poems, at least. In the one where he mentions Lazarus’ name, he mistakes the Lazarus that was raised for the Lazarus in Jesus’ parable. Arthur Rimbaud echoes the Lazarus theme in the lines: “...Soldiers whom Death, unflinching Lover, has sown/In our wasted furrows, to flourish again...”# In this passage, the resurrection comes to mind in the line about flourishing again. Poe, most likely dealt with the Lazarus motif, no doubt because the Gothic Romantics were obsessed with the idea of death and the concept of dying. ‘Annabel Lee’ is an example of where this can be found, only she doesn’t come back. She is dead for good. Other literary figures have dealt with the theme of Lazarus, but for sake of time and space, these few examples will have to do. (Side-Note: Nick Drake was a folk-singer from the late 60s to the early 70s who seems to have been influenced by Gothicism and Romanticism, because he has a grim view of life and death).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# - Rimbaud, 40.

LAZARUS AS A BIBLICAL AND NON-BIBLICAL MOTIF: Main Biblical Point

Lazarus is used as a symbol in the bible in relationship to the believer of Christ. Lazarus if he is the ‘Beloved Disciple’ then a possible interpretation on the symbolism of Lazarus is that he represents the mature Christian. Another way of saying this is that he represents what God wishes us to become. Wardlaw deals with arguments concerning the resurrection of Jesus and the dead in his book. In it he suggests that the transformation of the Christian is part of the resurrective process of life. Here resurrection is a state of becoming. (See Chapter 4 in this book for more details).#
Lazarus is used as a witness for Jesus and is used in the context of the other Gospels as a major facet in the cause for Jesus being crucified. As already discussed, this issue is sometimes misinterpreted. Another issue that goes hand and hand with this one is the issue of the ‘Beloved Disciple’ as mentioned above. If Lazarus was that important and was the so called ‘Beloved Disciple’ then why did it take so long for Jesus
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# - Wardlaw, 128ff. (Loosely Paraphrased)

to arrive on the scene? In the NIV Bible Commentary there is a statement that says that Jesus took four days to arrive on scene and resurrect Lazarus.# This leads into the main viewpoint of which Lazarus is seen as symbolizing in which the majority of scholars have taken but seem to differ on the way they see it.
Lazarus is also viewed as a symbol of Christ’s resurrection. Also, in conjunction with Lazarus being used as a symbol of Christ’s resurrection , Lazarus is also viewed as a symbol of the resurrection of believers or eternal life. Fairhairn discusses the Greco-Roman views of resurrection on pages 338-339 in Typology of Scripture. In this book, it is evident that Lazarus is used symbolically in a way to illustrate true resurrection as opposed to the heretical interpretations of resurrection taught in John’s day. Ramsey and his co-author’s say that: “before his death Jesus and his disciples were spared the Problem that has bothered men ever since, even down to the recent publication of a teacher in this (Niebuhr’s) school, the relationship of a resurrection conceived as a historical event to future theological belief.” # Lewis goes on to put the theme of Lazarus in a different light: “the Raising of Lazarus differs from the Resurrection of Christ Himself, because Lazarus, so far as we know was not raised to a more glorious mode of existence, but merely restored to the sort of life he had before.”#
Lazarus’ effect on culture beyond the biblical context can be found in the
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# - Barker, 324. (Loosely Paraphrased)

# - Ramsey, 91.

# - Lewis, 180.

relationship between the readers and their interpretation of the text. This is an extension of the biblical context and leads into the context of application of the biblical text. The Lazarus figure is a symbol outside of his biblical usage which is particularly evident in poetry and in the way we view are Christian life. An example of Lazarus being utilized as a way of viewing our Christian life is how we have nothing to fear about death because Christ has been there and conquered it and will be there for us when it is our time to face death. This is one of the reasons why Lazarus (the symbol) was important in his day as well as ours.
The symbolic figure of Lazarus was important in biblical times and is just as important in today’s time, because of this device’s effect on the readers and those who heard the Lazarus narrative. The usage of this device varies from biblical times compared to our times though with not much difference in the main emphasis of the symbol. The Lazarus narrative is mainly seen as a metaphor for the resurrection of the dead on both sides of the time spectrum---meaning the past and now. One way that Lazarus as a symbol is expressed now is through the literary, musical and visual arts.