The 1992 recording "III Sides To Every Story" by the American rock band Extreme is not only great music, but also has a very important Christian message for us all.
"A new day is coming."
The album is presented in three separate sections, the meaning behind "Three Sides to Every Story":
Yours, Mine and The Truth.
This article focuses on the final chapter.
The Truth
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| Reality is humbling, isn't it? |
"The Truth" is fittingly the section which gives us the Christian message.
This section is an entire concept piece within the overall concept of the album, called "Everything Under the Sun", which is just over 21 minutes in total. And, like the overall album, it is also presented in three interrelated sections:
Rise N' Shine, Am I Ever Gonna Change?, and Who Cares?
These three distinctly separate pieces of music are all woven together in concept and meaning, as well as melodically, at the end for the awesomely powerful and ingenious "big finish" crescendo - patterned after the great symphonies of history.
The Book of Daniel
The first piece in Everything Under the Sun is called Rise n' Shine.
It references Daniel and his prophecies and interpretation of the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar, who was deeply troubled by a dream he had - so troubled that he could no longer sleep.
He could not remember anything about the dream, except that it disturbed him to his very core. The King made it his mission in life to find anyone who could tell him his dream, and give him the interpretation of its meaning.
Many astrologers, sorcerers, magicians and Chaldeans arrived and attempted to give this King answers in order to gain favor with him, but soon were all proven to be frauds, and held to be given the sentence of death.
Only Daniel could provide the King the answers he sought - to know what the dream was, and also to know what it meant. Daniel not only gave King Nebuchadnezzar his answers, but he gave all the glory for his knowledge to God, a Living God - not the King's god, Bel, significantly - which humbled the King, for he had now seen for himself that only this man, Daniel, who believed so strongly and completely in his Living God, could provide him the answers he wanted and needed so badly.
Because the matter was revealed to Daniel he went unto Arioch, chief of the executioners, and told him not to destroy the "wise men" (sorcerers), but to bring him in before the king so he could give him the interpretation. So, the "wise men" were saved because of the man of God. The only reason why the wicked gain any blessings is because of the presence of the righteous in God. (Genesis 18:26-33, Acts 16:25-26; 27:22-24).
I'm sure that many of you are very familiar with all of this and the rest of The Book of Daniel, but for those who want to learn more, I recommend that you spend some dedicated study time at this excellent site.
In addition to the references in this song to Daniel and his dream showing him "what's yet to come" (in the latter days), there are many other Biblical references within the three parts of "Everything Under the Sun" - the title itself being a reference to Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven", and other verses.
Other prominent Biblical ideas on display in this piece include:
"All is Vanity", also from Ecclesiastes.
"Falling short in the end" - (Romans 3:23); "For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God."
"One more sheep has just gone astray" - (Isaiah 53:6); "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."
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| "Heavenly Reality" |
"This peace I seek till thy kingdom comes" - (Matthew 6:10) "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven."
The Musical Masterpiece
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| Nuno Bettencourt |
In addition to the amazing songwriting of vocalist Gary Cherone and Portuguese-born virtuoso guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, this piece features groundbreaking audio production in its heavy use of a 70-piece symphony orchestra.
It is without a doubt the best use of classical instrumentation and orchestration being combined with modern rock instrumentation and arrangements that I have ever heard.
I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do, and that its message speaks to you loudly and clearly. I would also encourage all of you who do enjoy it to buy a copy or download if you can still find it. Sadly, the record label (A&M) has chosen to take this masterpiece out of print.
The complete lyrics for Everything Under the Sun follow below:
Dawn wakes the silence, of a fainted lullaby
Day breaks the eyelid, from a song sung in my eye
Night rests in peace, as the sun mourns the sky
All's accounted for sheep, over a horizon's I
RISE, RISE 'N SHINE, A NEW DAY IS COMING
RISE, RISE IN TIME
FOR EVERYTHING'S UNDER THE SUN
And when you see a south wind blow
Forecasting, you will know, a hot day, will be on the way
(Foolish one)
You analyze the earth and the sky, I ask you why,
you can't analyze the signs of the present time
I had a dream, not unlike the one from old
Of a man king, whose head was made of gold
Stand castles of sand weather the sundials rise 'n fall
Chasing wind through your hands, 'til water runs dry the well
DREAM, DANIEL, DREAM
FOR WHAT'S YET TO COME
SEE, DANIEL, SEE
FOR EVERYTHING'S UNDER THE SUN
And in the West, a cloud appears
For shadows of a coming shower near,
Oh, so near
(Hypocrites)
You analyze the earth and the sky, I ask you why
you can't analyze the signs of the present time
Vanity, yes, all is vanity
Vanity, yes, all's futility
For one that dies, another's born
Where laughter's heard, comforters mourn
There's a time for everything
A song for love, even abhor
An olive branch, or winter's war
THERE'S A TIME FOR EVERYTHING, UNDER THE SUN
UNDER THE SUN
RISE, RISE 'N SHINE, A NEW DAY IS COMING
RISE, RISE IN TIME
FOR EVERYTHING'S UNDER THE SUN
RISE, A NEW DAY IS COMING
WELL, THERE'S A TIME FOR EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN
YOU KNOW A TIME FOR EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN
BECAUSE A NEW DAY IS GONNA BE COMING
I'm tired of being me, and I don't like what I see
I'm not who I appear to be
So I start off every day, down on my knees I will pray,
for a change in any way
But as the days go by, I live through another lie,
if it's any wonder why
AM I EVER GONNA CHANGE?
IF I SAY ONE THING, THEN I DO THE OTHER
SAME OLD SONG THAT GOES ON FOREVER
AM I EVER GONNA CHANGE?
WILL I ALWAYS STAY THE SAME?
IF I SAY ONE THING, THEN I DO THE OTHER
SAME OLD SONG THAT GOES ON FOREVER
AM I EVER GONNA CHANGE?
WELL, I'M THE ONLY ONE TO BLAME
IF I THINK I'M RIGHT, I WIND UP WRONG
IT'S A FUTILE FIGHT THAT'S GONE ON TOO LONG
Please tell me if it's true, am I too old to start anew,
'cause that's what I want to do.
But time and time again, when I think I can,
I fall short in the end.
So why do I even try, will it matter when I die?
Can anyone hear my cry?
AM I EVER GONNA CHANGE?
WILL I ALWAYS STAY THE SAME?
IF I SAY ONE THING, THEN I DO THE OTHER
SAME OLD SONG THAT GOES ON FOREVER
AM I EVER GONNA CHANGE?
WELL, I'M THE ONLY ONE TO BLAME
IF I THINK I'M RIGHT, I WIND UP WRONG
IT'S A FUTILE FIGHT THAT'S GONE ON TOO LONG
AM I EVER GONNA CHANGE?
WILL I ALWAYS STAY THE SAME?
IF I SAY ONE THING, THEN I DO THE OTHER
SAME OLD SONG THAT GOES ON FOREVER
AM I EVER GONNA CHANGE?
WELL, I'M THE ONLY ONE TO BLAME
IF I THINK I'M RIGHT, I WIND UP WRONG
IT'S A FUTILE FIGHT THAT'S GONE ON TOO LONG
AM I EVER GONNA CHANGE?
I'LL TAKE IT DAY BY DAY
MY WILL IS WEAK,
AND MY FLESH TOO STRONG...
THIS PEACE I SEEK TILL THY KINGDOM COMES
Tell me, Jesus, are you angry?
One more sheep has just gone astray
A hardening of hearts, turning to stone
Wandering off, so far from home
So many children, losing time
Walk in darkness, looking for a sign
Chasing their rainbows, the future looks bright
Slowly we're losing sight of the light
WHO CARES?
WHO CARES?
WHO CARES?
TELL ME WHO CARES?
WHO CARES?
WHO CARES?
WHO CARES?
WHO CARES?
TELL ME WHO CARES?
WHO CARES?
All alone, out in the cold
Can't look back, am I growing old?
I chose a path, is this my fate?
Am I finding out the truth too late?
WHO CARES?
WHO CARES?
WHO CARES?
TELL ME WHO CARES?
WHO CARES?
Here I am, a naked man
Nothing to hide, with empty hands
Remember me, I am the one
Who lost his way, your Prodigal Son
AM I EVER GONNA CHANGE?
WILL I ALWAYS STAY THE SAME?
I SAY ONE THING, THEN I DO THE OTHER
SAME OLD SONG, GOES ON FOREVER
RISE, RISE 'N SHINE
A NEW DAY IS COMING.
MY WILL IS WEAK
AND MY FLESH TOO STRONG...
THIS PEACE I SEEK TILL THY KINGDOM COMES
Final Thoughts
As you become more aware each day and feel the suffering of so many beautiful souls in our troubled world, just draw closer to God in each moment, because a new day IS coming.
It really is.
This is God's promise to all of us, and He is the only one who never lies. :)
All Original Content (C) Copyright 2011 LVB Research. All Rights Reserved.
