Jason & The Long Road To Love-Pray For You

I haven't been to church since I don't remember when

Things were goin' great 'til they fell apart again

So I listened to the preacher as he told me what to do

He said you can't go hatin' others who have done wrong to you

Sometimes we get angry, but we must not condemn

Let the good Lord do His job and you just pray for them

I pray your brakes go out runnin' down a hill

I pray a flowerpot falls from a window sill and knocks you in the head like I'd like to

I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls

I pray you're flyin' high when your engine stalls

I pray all your dreams never come true

Just know wherever you are honey, I pray for you

I'm really glad I found my way to church

'Cause I'm already feelin' better and I thank God for the words

Yeah I'm goin' take the high road

And do what the preacher told me to do

You keep messin' up and I'll keep prayin' for you

I pray your tire blows out at 110

I pray you pass out drunk with your best friend and wake up with his and her tattoos

I pray your brakes go out runnin' down a hill

I pray a flowerpot falls from a window sill and knocks you in the head like I'd like to

I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls

I pray you're flyin' high when your engine stalls

I pray all your dreams never come true

Just know wherever you are, near or far, in your house or in your car,

wherever you are honey, I pray for you.

I pray for you

I have been reading Hamlet recently, and for those of you who have not already read the book, Hamlet is more of an analyst and as a prince, he is careful and clever.  Even though Hamlet knows that his uncle killed his father and married his mother, he waits for the perfect time to seek his revenge.  Rather than rashly going to murder his uncle for his greed and villainy, Hamlet patiently waits to drive out the snake in the end.  

In this song, he is using a holy method (praying) to cover up and excuse his malicious thoughts and intents.  Hamlet's uncle, Claudius, may have done something completely unmoral and corrupt, but Hamlet understands that he should first be subtle about this new knowledge before actually acting on it.


This relates to our daily life; even if you are frustrated or angry, it doesn't mean that rash behavior is acceptable.  Sometimes we have to step back a bit and not act on our emotions immediately.  It's okay to dislike someone and wish that karma ruins them, but there's no need to physically harm them in any way.  Mentally attacking them is better than physically attacking them (though by no means am I telling you to curse everyone who you dislike...).   As the lyrics say "Sometimes we get angry, but we must not condemn", we have to realize that other people might not be having a good day, so we can't just automatically classify them as rude or mean or disgusting, and then condemn them.  And besides, thinking about the evil ways you can get back at them will brighten up your mood without actually doing anything to them.  

Matthew West-Hello, My Name Is

Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh (ah oh),
Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh (ah oh),
Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh


Hello, my name is regret
I’m pretty sure we have met
Every single day of your life
I’m the whisper inside
That won’t let you forget

Hello, my name is defeat
I know you recognize me
Just when you think you can win
I’ll drag you right back down again
‘Til you’ve lost all belief

Oh, these are the voices. Oh, these are the lies
And I have believed them for the very last time

Hello, my name is child of the one true King
Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh
I’ve been saved, I’ve been changed, I have been set free
"Amazing Grace" is the song I sing
Hello, my name is child of the one true King

Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh
Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh

Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh

I am no longer defined
By all the wreckage behind
The one who makes all things new
Has proven it’s true
Just take a look at my life

Hello, my name is child of the one true King
I've been saved, I've been changed, I have been set free
"Amazing Grace" is the song I sing
Hello, my name is child of the one true King

Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh (ah oh),
Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh
Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh (ah oh),

What love the Father has lavished upon us 
that we should be called His children
I am a child of the one true King

What love the Father has lavished upon us 
that we should be called His children

Hello, my name is child of the one true King
I've been saved, I've been changed, I have been set free
"Amazing Grace" is the song I sing
Hello, my name is child of the one true King

Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh (ah oh),
Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh (ah oh),
Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh

I am a child of the one true King

Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh (ah oh),
Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh (ah oh),
Whoa oh ah oh ah oh oh...

As I was reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, this song was stuck in my head.  It works perfectly in my opinion.  I don't want to spoil the book too much (and I definitely recommend it), so I'll try my best to find the right combination between explaining the correlations and keeping it ambiguous.  

In The Kite Runner, Amir regrets his childhood mistakes and decisions, and tries to forget about it.  In fact, he lives as an insomniac for fifteen years, constantly haunted by his past. Little details bring him back to the day where he used Hassan's loyalty and lied to him, when he watched Hassan get sexually abused, and when he lied to kick Hassan out of the house.  Therefore,  regret is "the whisper inside that won't let [him] forget".  

Amir had also believed that his father loved Hassan more than him, and had continually attempted to vie for his father's affections.  He always felt defeated, because he was not like his father and he was painfully aware that his father was disappointed in him when he cried or didn't stand up for himself or others.  Even after his relationship with his father became better, Amir realized it was because of Hassan.  

And when Amir realized that those he trusted the most had lied to him the most, he was heartbroken.  His whole life had been a mass of small lies to cover up a large one.  "Oh, these are the lies/ And I have believed them for the very last time".  

However, he is suddenly forced to remember everything and given a second chance to forgive himself and wash away his guilt.  Because of the ordeals he goes through, he starts praying again, realizing that there is a God.  Everything that Amir left behind in Afghanistan (his regrets, his fears, his insercurities) are finally resolved, and thus he has been saved, changed, and set free.