SACRED PROMISE SONGS
Partly because I was a professional guitarist for ten years (playing classic R&R, soul, and jazz) spanning junior and senior high school on Long Island, and four years as an undergraduate at Cornell University, I have had a love and appreciation for music (and I still play privately). Over the years certain songs have spoken to me, and I have listed a few of them below (along with some of their lyrics) which curiously speak to the premise (and promise) of THE SACRED PROMISE. Please note – as a scientist, I view these songs as being creative, beautiful, even inspiring, but not necessarily true. For a scientist, what ultimately matters is the evidence. However – and this is an important however – every now and again scientific evidence validates what people feel and hope is true. Since THE SACRED PROMISE is a book that speaks to “evidence-based hope,” I include these songs as an illustration of how art and science can sometimes complement, and even enhance, each other. And when this happens, it is cause for appreciation and celebration....The first song I heard which reminded me of the theoretical possibility of a greater spiritual reality is “You’ve Got a Friend.” I still experience chills when I hear either Carole King or James Taylor sing this song. I became aware of this song’s potential relevance to life after death in the early 1980’s while I was a professor at Yale University. You may notice how this song speaks of the great promise – the seeming “one hundred percent” commitment – that true friends can make to “be there” when you “call out my name.”You’ve Got a Friend (composed by Carole King,
made famous by James Taylor)
You just call out my name,
And you know where ever I am
I'll come running,
To see you again.
Winter, spring, summer, or fall,
All you have to do is call.
And I'll be there, yes I will,
You've got a friend
The most recent song I have heard which reminds me of the serious possibility of a greater spiritual reality is the just released (December 2010) song titled “Best of Joy.” This sweet yet serious song was composed by Michael Jackson, and was going to be made public at the very last (i.e. 50th) performance of what promised to be his greatest (and farewell) concert “This Is It.” Best of Joy shows a side to MJ that many of us may not have appreciated.
If I were to pick a theme song for THE SACRED PROMISE, I would say that this is it. Talk about sacred promise and loving commitment: “I am forever; we are forever.” Best of Joy (composed and performed by Michael Jackson,
released a year and half after he passed)
I gave you joy, your best of joy
I am the moon light you are the spring, ours life’s a sacred thing
You know I always will love you, I am forever.
I am forever, I am forever
We are forever, we are forever.
I am your friend, through thick and thin.
We need each other, we’ll never part; our love is from the heart.
In the process of watching the moving documentary “This Is It” I happened to pay close attention to the lyrics of the classic R&R song “I’ll Be There” written by Bobby Darin (which made me smile because I used to play Bobby Darin songs in high school). Though I’ll Be There was written as a love song, it can be viewed from a higher perspective – again, of great promise, commitment, and caring.I’ll Be There (composed by Bobby Darin,
made famous by Michael Jackson)
You and I must make a pact
We must bring salvation back,
Where there is love, I'll be there. (I'll be there)
I’ll reach out my hand to you
I’ll have faith in all you do.
Just call my name and I’ll be there. (I’ll be there).
I can vividly recall the gallery I was perusing (at the Tlequepaque Arts & Crafts Village, advertised to be “The Art and Soul of Sedona”) when I first heard Josh Groban perform “To Where You Are.” I immediately purchased the CD and played this extraordinary song multiple times on my return trip to Tucson. The song speaks of “forever love” and the greater spiritual reality of being only a “breath away.”To Where You Are (composed by Richard Marx and Linda Thompson,
made famous by Josh Groban)
As my heart holds you
Just one beat away
I cherish all you gave me everyday
'Cause you are my
Forever love
Watching me from up above
And I believe
That angels breathe
And that love will live on and never leave
Another promise (and commitment) related song performed by Josh Groban which speaks to the existence of a greater spirituality is “For Always.” Between the melody, lyrics such as “beyond here and on to eternity,” and Groban’s interpretation, the song is stellar.For Always (composed by John William,
made famous by Josh Groban)
You take my hand
though you may be so many stars away
I know that our spirits and souls are one
We've circled the moon and we've touched the sun
So here we'll stay.
For always, forever
Beyond here and on to eternity
For always, forever.
The last song included here is titled “Look Up From Your Life.” It is a song written for “un-believers,” as James Taylor explains. The song expresses the challenge of our “needing to surrender.” For me, the issue is not about surrendering to faith. Rather it is the need for us to “surrender” to scientific data. The implication is that we need learn how to accept (and integrate) new evidence which requires our revising our conventional western scientific beliefs about a purely material-based universe. I resonate with JT when he sings “though I hate to see you surrender, you need to surrender, we must find you a way to look up from your life.”Look Up From Your Life (Composed and performed by James Taylor,
a song for “un-believers”)
So much for your moment of prayer
God's not at home
There is no there there
Lost in the stars
That's what you are
Left here on your own
You can only hope to live on this earth
This here is it, for all it's worth
Nothing else awaits you
No second birth
No starry crown
For an un-believer like you
There's not much they can do
It would turn you away
Though I hate to see you surrender
You need to surrender
We must find you a way to
CHORUS:
Look up from your life
Up from your life
Look on up from your life
Look up from your life
Most of these songs can be heard on YouTube. Lyrics are also available on the web (e.g. at http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/j/james_taylor/). I encourage you to read the lyrics, listen to the songs, and wonder “what if” all this, and more, is true….