“Oh My God”

Posted on 09.27.06 in Music and there are 13 comments.

Have you heard this song by Jars of Clay? It’s amazing. I cannot listen to it without nearing tears at the end and just wanting to sit and think. It’s one of those songs that should never be played on the radio because there would need to be about 5 minutes of silence after the song ended so that listeners could grasp what they just heard.

It’s not an easily moving song like Redeemer or I Can Only Imagine. You need to really listen to it, read the words and then listen again. It’s only .99 cents at iTunes, I highly recommend you scour your couch cushions if necessary to buy and listen to this song. Then stop by here and tell us what you think.

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For those of you not drinking the iTunes koolaid, you can listen to “Oh My God” for free at Rhapsody:

Oh My God at Rhapsody

A small Firefox plugin player may need to install to enable play.  Took about 20 seconds and no browser restart.  Not sure what’s required for other browsers.

I haven’t fully digested the song yet.  I totally need to buy this album, though.  Jars of Clay has always been one of my favorites.

By the way, Kat’s “friend”, Leigh Nash, makes an appearance on track 10, “Mirrors & Smoke”.

Its an amazing song.  The entire Jars album “Good Monsters” is by far my favorite in a long time.

The day after I got the CD and listened to the entire thing I gave it to my wife.  “Oh My God” was the only song I told her to listen to.

Also “Surprise” has some equally stirring lyrics.  “Peace is not the heroin that shouts above the cost”

Curtis,
Nice tip. I’ve never tried out Rhapsody. Looks like a good opportunity.

(By the way, Leigh is still sitting in my friend request box. I haven’t actually approved her yet. Frankly, I’m thinking about completely bailing on Myspace. I’ve been inundated with seedy or random friend requests...)

It looks like I might have to buy the whole album as well. I own “Work” and “Oh My God” and they’re both GREAT songs.

Ryan,
Once I install this Rhapsody plugin I’ll be sure to check out “Surprise” I love lyrics that really make me think.

What did you wife say after you played the song for her?

She played it about 6 more times, then promptly put the CD in her car.  (I have it back now!)

Two days afterwards she told me the words to the last line of Oh My God was “this is our greatest offense” - I had thought the word was defense.

Hey! I’m not seedy or random…

... well, maybe a bit random… but not seedy.

And yes, the song is great.  It’s just a great album.  But then, I’ve enjoyed all of Jars’ various experiments.  I’m one of the only people I know who really liked their second album, Much Afraid.  They’ve been a musical and lyrical step ahead of their peers and sometimes their audience all along.  Good stuff.

cach,

Now you know another who liked the Much Afraid album.  My favorites on that one are Fade to Grey, Frail, and Hymn.

Cach,
You’re not random OR seedy....

I’ll have to check out Much Afraid.

Ryan,
Wow. That sure changes the meaning of that line…

Yes, I had to look up the lyrics after I heard it the first time. I’ve always been a big lyric reader, though. In fact, when I used to buy cd’s I’d read all the lyrics and liner notes and imagine how the songs went before I listened to the cd. (Yes, I bought cd’s without knowing any of the songs. I’ve been told that’s weird.)

Ryan, I agree that “Good Monsters” is the best album I’ve heard recently.  I bought it the day it released, mostly because of “Oh My God”, but I don’t think there is a bad song on the CD.  When I’m listening in my car, it’s hard for me to get past the first two tracks ("Work" and “Dead Man").  My favorite line in “Dead Man” is the first line of the second verse: “I woke up from a dream about an empty funeral, but it was better than a party full of people you don’t really know.”

Another of my favorite tracks is “Light Gives Heat” with the African Children’s Choir.  Listen to it while thinking about the situation is Africa now, and then imagine Bono singing a duet with Dan (see this interview, toward the end: http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/interviews/JarsOfClay2006.asp).

I have to say when I first heard Work and Dead Man in the ‘mini-monsters EP’ on iTunes I was more excited than I’ve been for any CD release (other than my own).  But when it came out I was very disappointed.  Those two songs were to me the only standouts after listening twice, and I felt kinda bait-and-switched.  But the thing is that I was looking more at melodies/hooks type of stuff and real rockin’.  I kept reading that this was going to be a real rock album and I think that led to disappointment since really most of the songs are low-key other than those two (and maybe Good Monsters). 

But as I’ve been listening to it, and paying attention to the lyrics and song-crafting, I’m more and more into it, and in fact, really loving it.

And I love the dramatic build of this song ‘Oh My God’.  I have to be honest (in keeping with the spirit of the album I guess!), I don’t quite understand the lyrics of the first two verses.  What do they mean by:

Oh my God, look around this place
Fingers reach around the bone
You set the break and set the tone
Flights of grace and future falls
In present pain
All fools say “Oh my God”

I thought it might be about their recent trip to Africa for Blood:Water Mission.  In their blog they mentioned that they visited a church in Rwanda where mass killings were done and bones still remained.  But now I am not so sure.  Why would they then say ‘fools say Oh my God’?  Maybe because we didn’t act to stop it?

And how about the next stanza:
Oh my God, why are we so afraid?
We make it worse when we don’t bleed
There is no cure for our disease
Turn a phrase and rise again
Or fake your death and only tell your closest friends
Oh my God.

What is this talking about?  I haven’t a clue!

I think one of my favorite lines from Jars was “even we don’t understand Dan half of the time”

Kat...yes you’re weird. 

Stephen, I’m really liking “Surprise”

“peace is not the heroin that shouts above the cost”

talk about a mind-bending line Dave.

I believe there’s sarcasm in the first line.  We see and hear about all this bad stuff and our only response is ‘Oh my god’.

The second line I believe is compelling us to do something.  “Turn a phrase and rise again” is a fantastic line.  “just respond verbally and then go about your day” or just try to disapeer from the planet so you don’t have to deal with anything.

My opinion.

You know what line caught my attention on the first listen through?

Whores and angels...will always say.

Thanks for the call to attention, “Kat”. 

I looked up the lyrics (terrific)—and I also now see I can get the “Oh My God” ringtone for my mobile.

You’re welcome Brant.

I don’t know if I could handle that song as my ringtone though, I think I’d be apt to give all my money to every telemarketer or charity that calls - either that or I’d just answer the phone weeping all the time.

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