However, there is a particular band called Explosions in the Sky who really doesn't need to be excited about their music because I've got enough excitement for the entire band and a few audience members combined. (I have heard that they ARE a passionate band and therefore they are well-known for their live music... it's now on my bucket list to see them live.) Mind you, I don't really think of myself as a very passionate person, but many people have told me that they admire the passion they see inside of me, so I'll just take their word for it. I have, however, figured out clues as to when I'm passionate about something--I study it. I annotate it.
Also, I can't shut up about it. My friend Hannah and I have very deep heart conversations, and I mentioned Explosions in the Sky to her several times because they are so deeply embedded into my heart in the background of some of the subjects we talk about. Hannah became curious, so I recommended a few songs. She was converted after that. I burned a couple of CDs for her and handed them over.
I only have two albums out of six by this band because their music is so complex and beautiful to me that it takes me months to absorb and process each album. Every single song has a purpose and a meaning, and I LOVE figuring out how God fits each song into my life. Explosions in the Sky is how I hear God. It's my worship music. You already know I'm a writer and that I love words. I love song lyrics too. But see, Explosions in the Sky is a purely instrumental band. No singer, no leader of the group, just a bunch of guys all contributing equally. And I like that sort of harmony. And I like that there are no words. Your emotions, your dreams, your experiences... those are the lyrics.
Honestly, I have no idea if any of the guys in this band love God or not. And even more honestly, I don't really care. It would be fantastic if they all do, but if God wants to use people who don't even love Him to make His voice clearer to some people who yearn to hear it... hey, can't argue with that. Their music doesn't bring you down like a lot of music does now--it lifts your head. It makes you look up from the ground.
I would love to write about each song and what they mean to me all in one post, but that wouldn't be fair. It would mesh them all together and take the beauty away from the individuality of the songs. So I may scatter some songs throughout my posts. We'll see.
What is the point of this long intro, you ask? Some background, I guess. Some sharing of the passion I have for their music. I don't need to be a musician--I've got a Musician practically DJing for me. And that's pretty okay.
One of the albums is called The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place (which is always a good reminder). It's the the closest to love songs they've got and will ever get. There is such a celestial sound to this album... it sounds the way heaven should.
The first song is called First Breath After Coma. It's meant to signify waking up from a deep sleep, and the drums create a heartbeat throughout the song. I think of the heartbeat as God's... and then at the very end, the heartbeat seems to expand and beat faster and it merges with another heartbeat--ours after He wakes us up to His existence.
It's also worth noting that Tammy wrote a bunch of letters consisting of things the Lord asked her to write down for the youth. One of my letters stated that the Lord really wanted me to just lay my head on His chest and listen to His heart beat for me. My thoughts immediately went to this song... and so that's what I hear when I listen to this.
Don't be disappointed if you don't experience what I do with their music. Sometimes when someone talks about their passion, we get intrigued and expect to feel the same. It's okay if you don't... we all hear God differently, and this is how I hear Him.
It's long, but it's worth it.
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