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Opinions, references, and quotes (more of the same ol' me)

I seem to be slowly evolving into a lurker on this list.  The more I
continue to read everyone's threads the more I tend to think that
someone, eventually will say what I would have said anyway.  I have been
waiting this "lift up christ" debate out, but seem somehow compelled to
throw in a few words of my own.

I don't know why now, but this new tide of christian vs secular lyrics
reminded me of a quote I heard on the radio around the turn of the
decade.  It was George Michael and he was talking about his new
single--I believe it was _Praying for Time_.  He said one of the things
that made this song so popular was the way he paid close attention to
the words when he wrote it.  He said he wanted a song that was both
powerful and ambigous--one that would appeal to numerous people and be
open to diverse interpretation.

This type of emotive ambiguity isn't too far removed from Linford's
pen.  I for one (being a christian) can see christian images in Linfords
lyrics--also being a human being I can see lots of other images too:  I
see religious possibilities in _Someday_, _Cast me Away_, Gentle
Wounds_, If I'm Drowning_, and Paul and Virginia_ and that's just off
the first album (and going from memory).  I also see love songs, _P&V_,
_Should_, _Guilty_, _Rhapsodie_, Grey Monologue_, _June_, _Falling
(DoaT)_.  I think of abortion when I hear _Sleep Baby Jane_.  I feel
embittered anger laced with confusion and pain followed with a yearning
for acceptance when I hear _Daddy Untwisted_.  And then there's GDBD
(thr) which is just as diverse for me.  I hear religion, sex, love,
hope, melancholy, remorse and epiphany.  All in all the songs of OtR (to
me) are not primarily christian.  I see Linford as trying to touch upon
something more powerful than he is--something that stirs the soul--the
human condition if you will.  I see him as a great writer--one that is a
product of his environment.  Linford is not as opaque as I once believed
him to be.  He writes from his heart, and he writes to fullfil a
purpose.  That purpose is to make great music.  If it just so happens to
be tinged with christian faith, or latent sexual desires so be it.  I
wouldn't have it any other way.  

Let's not jump to anymore conclusions.  Just because someone states that
they see a certain image in a song doesn't mean that's the only image
they see.  When people descirbe something that's emotionally close they
don't always couch it with a disclaimer.  We mention what is powerful to
us and why--not what's powerful and why someone else may see something
different.  Believe me there's plenty of room in these songs for optimal
interpretation by all.

M

"When an Over The Rhine song works, it generally means different things
to different people.  (We've learned a lot about our songs from our
listeners.)"---OTR

and doesn't this say it all?
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