Category Music

Why? By Michael Card

Todd R 1 Comment

I’ve been trying to come up with something to post for Good Friday and remembered a comment someone made at church last Sunday that the nails weren’t what held Christ to the cross.  It was His love that held Him there.  He could have chosen to come down at any time, but of course He would have failed in His mission to save sinners.

This reminded me of the song “Why?” by Michael Card, released way back in 1988.  Read the lyrics below and/or listen to the song in the link.  The song is a potent reminder of what Jesus went through on the first Good Friday long ago.

Why did it have to be a friend
Who chose to betray the Lord?
And why did he use a kiss to show them
That’s not what a kiss is for?

Only a friend can betray a friend
A stranger has nothing to gain
And only a friend comes close enough
To ever cause so much pain

And why did it have to be a thorny
Crown pressed upon his head?
It should have been a royal one
Made of jewels and gold instead

It had to be a crown of thorns
Because in this life that we live
For all that would seek to love
A thorn is all the world has to give

Why did it have to be a heavy cross
He was made to bear?
And why did they nail His feet and hands
His love would have held him there

It was a cross for on a cross
A thief was supposed to pay
And Jesus had come into the world
To steal every heart away
Yes, Jesus had come into the world
To steal every heart away

Scenes From a Memory: My Favorite Album

Todd R Leave a comment
Daily writing prompt
What’s your all-time favorite album?
View all responses

Today, I’ve decided to answer another writing prompt: “What’s your all-time favorite album?” It’s clearly off-topic for this blog, but I say why not?

I mostly listen to rock music of all types. Everything that could remotely be called rock, from Metallica and Rush to Imagine Dragons and twenty øne piløts to The Beatles and Led Zeppelin. But my clear #1 album is, in my opinion, the best album from Dream Theater, the only band I really listen to in their sub-genre of rock, progressive metal. Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From a Memory is great from start to finish and the only album I regularly listen to in order all the way through and lose myself in. The complex musicianship and interesting lyrics distract me from whatever I might need an escape from.

An interesting fact about the album is that they released an earlier song called Metropolis Part 1 and never intended to write a part 2.  After a lot of fan questions and pressure, the band took some of the lyrical themes and musical ideas from the first song and turned it into this complete album.

Scenes From a Memory is a concept album telling the story of a man is tormented by memories that are not his own, so he goes under hypnosis in an attempt to figure out what’s going on. He discovers that his memories are actually from a woman who died decades earlier while involved in a tragic love triangle. The album ends with a great twist ending (I won’t spoil) that would be great in any movie or TV show.

Musically the album is wave after wave of heavy, catchy riffs and amazing solos, including the instrumental “The Dance of Eternity” and its 108 time signature changes in 6 minutes. Everything works and goes along with the changing moods of the story.

If you’re into this kind of music, check out this album if you haven’t already. If its not your cup of tea, that’s probably more likely…