Month of Music Day 13 PFR Last Breath/Life Goes On Great Lengths Last Breath I’m not here to reform you Nor am I here to take you away I’ve been sent with a message And now moving off in a south-bound parade [Chorus:] If this were my last breath I tell you where I’ll be Then I’d ask you if you’d be there with me Nobody knows how long you will be here Still you hazard your faith As my last day grows closer I rest in the confidence I have been saved [Chorus:x2] If this were my last breath I tell you where I’ll be Then I’d ask you if you’d be there with me You don’t know how long And I don’t know how long Life Goes On The sun will shine I’ll smile from time to time And sin the song Cause life goes on [Chorus:] But it won’t mean a thing Without you and the love you bring It won’t mean a thing Without you The wounds will heal Starting over ain’t no big deal They rebuilt Rome And life goes on [Chorus:] But it won’t mean a thing Without you and the love you bring It won’t mean a thing Without you The lesson learned We all must take our turn And carry on 'Cause life goes on

My Take:

Did you know that PFR stands for Pray For Rain? The story goes that they wanted to be named Pray For Rain, but there was another band with that name, so they shortened it to PFR. That sounded fine to me, until I heard the same story about FFH. Coincidentally, their first album was named 'Pray for Rain.' It's strange that I still remember that anecdotal story, so many years after it lost all importance. But that's how I am with PFR. I like this band because I like this band. Again, I don't need a reason, I just do. In fact, I remember every song, every word, every chord change. When I got to see them live, besides being so excited that Jars of Clay was the opening act, I found myself singing the words along with them. That was the first time I gave serious thought to this "CCM" thing. That, and I truly believe the PFR is the closest thing to the Beatles since...the Beatles. There is no true genre they fall in, besides really really good guitar-driven rock. The thing that impressed me first was how well textured 'That Kind of Love' of off Goldie's Last Day sounded. Then to hear 'Goldie's Last Day,' which actually sounds like a Beatles song, you would think that this was one of the greatest bands of all time. But that isn't what happened. Though they had marginal success, they never caught on. Though technically superior in every way, bands like Jars of Clay and dc Talk were pushed ahead, and PFR slowly disappeared. It's fitting, then, that they never got so popular that they got the OBSOI (Over-Blown Sense Of Importance). Still, in 1997 they split up, pursuing solo careers. Those never really took off, and in 2004 they got back together to to record a new album. But their success, or the lack thereof, reminds me of a lot of people. Working so hard in obscurity, then your opening act has better-looking hair, next day they're in Teen Beat, and you're still designing t-shirts for a living. Like Caedmon's Call, I could only pick one song, and not 30 others. But the reason I chose to pick these two songs is that they are really great songs, musically, lyrically, spiritually. Even then, they get no credit, regardless of their musicianship or the message behind them. They also have a seamless blend between the two, and it makes them sound like they are one song. But examine the text:

If this were my last breath I tell you where I’ll be Then I’d ask you if you’d be there with me

Even with the loud rocking song in the background, how can you mistake this message? It's an alter call, cleverly disguised as your life. And that's what our lives, aren't they? They write books about what you do, not what you intended. The song is angry, sung in a manner to get a response. It's important to get an answer now. We don't know how long we've got to get the answer, and the default is no. The singer knows the answer, and is spreading the news. Consider this your last chance. I'm totally serious. Now, what's your answer? See? No Church, no preacher, no revival service, no Holy Ghost go to preaching clothes, just a question. Whatever your answer, isn't it nice to know that the World didn't just stop there? That even if you've looked at my invitation and chose to decline, that the Sun'll still come up tomorrow?

The wounds will heal Starting over ain’t no big deal They rebuilt Rome And life goes on

I worked briefly in Suicide Prevention. Like, long enough to get the training and sit by a phone. Never rang, thank God. I don't think I could really live with it, messing up, getting it wrong. I really screw up when I talk to humans. They teach you that it's not your fault. That some people just want to tell somebody that they are doing what they are doing. Those are the ones you can't save - they just want a witness. You really hope that they are calling to get somebody to listen and stop them from killing themselves. The message of Christianity is that there is hope, that there is a tomorrow. Something that I've taken with me through the years is the phrase "what a difference a day makes." I'm not a patient person, but I've really slowed down from my impetuous youth. Since the cancer that took my Mother, the sickness of my Father, and now my decent into pain management, I've learned to slow down. It was Paul who wrote that we'll run, then walk, then crawl in the Word. I always thought that was backwards, as we should get faster with age. That isn't how it works. When we are young, we have fire and energy, and it has to be channeled by those who have been there and know what they're doing. Those are the ones walking behind, making sure the runners are doing right. And they are all over-watched by those who have the years, and know all, but time has ravaged their body, and they come to the realization that we are finite beings on this Earth. So much from two little songs. I love PFR. I miss PFR. But life does go on, and even good things go away, no matter how much they should really stick around forever. It makes me understand how really old people can be so accepting of death, they are tired of the bad things. I can relate. But I'm still young. I still have races to run, and to teach. I hope to walk many more years. I hope to more in this life, and I keep my hope for the future... But it won't mean a thing without you...

status: published
author: John Stansbury
cms: wordpress
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  similarterms: life thing song breath time answer long hope chorus years love message makes beatles band people story rain songs album