I’m supposed to be rehearsing Wagner’s Bridal Chorus and Mendelssohn’s Wedding March for a wedding at my home church this weekend, and the only thing I can bring myself to play after long are these two gorgeous ballads from Chris Rice’s Smell the Color 9 album; “Belong” and “Home Tonight.” Especially the latter, as I’ve just figured out the tricky little chord sequence that bookends the song and forms a bridge between verses and want to keep playing it until it becomes second nature to me. The lyrics aren’t quite as powerful divorced from the music, but I love the picture of longing that he paints in them:
Ive come to my senses
How did I get so far from home
The lies dissipating
Revealing Im so alone
And I remember now how strong love can be
And I wonder how did I ever leaveBurn your fire on the altar
Leave a candle on the porch
Im still too far away to see it
But Im aching for its warmth
And Im so tired and cold and dark and lonesome
But still I hear your song inside
So sing it louder if you want me home tonight
Sing it loud now, cause Im comin home tonightThis isnt the first time
Ive wandered away from home before
Youd have every reason
To slam and dead-bolt the door
But I remember now how strong your love can be
And I wonder how you might welcome meBurn your fire on the altar
Leave a candle on the porch
Im still too far away to see it
But Im aching for its warmth
And Im so tired and cold and dark and lonesome
But still I hear your song inside
So sing it louder if you want me home tonight
Sing it loud now, cause Im comin home tonightInto your arms, to my back yard
Where I used to play
How I miss the days…So burn your fire on the altar
Leave a candle on the porch
Im still too far away to see it
But Im aching for its warmth
And Im so tired and cold and dark and lonesome
But still I hear your song inside
So sing it louder if you want me home tonight
Sing it loud now, cause Im comin home tonight
Hey…a wedding’s only a once in a lifetime event. A Chris Rice cover is forever!
Oh yeah, and I’m posting this from a really neat program called Zempt, which is a stand-alone weblogging client specifically made for Moveable Type. It’s quite cool…those of you with MT weblogs, check it out!