Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Give to Live" (Sammy Hagar)

Welcome to Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!  It is officially the first Tuesday of Fall, well unless you live in the South and then its the extended version of the DVD we are watching called, Summer - Friend or Foe?  One meteorologist recently suggested that September is a mythical month this year as August seems to have gone into extra innings... 

While it's still hot down here there are signs of fall none the less.  Football is back in stadiums, (unless you are a Razorback fan and then its questionable as to whether we are seeing football...).  Trees are beginning to surrender to the season commonly referred to as "my yard has put on the nicest shade of leaf of late, don't you think?"  The days are getting shorter and it seems with a few exceptions our humidity has gone down.  It is finally fall!  

It is no surprise to Notes readers that Fall is our favorite time of the year.  Even with the business that school beginnings bring, the thought could be thought that things might slow down just a bit.  While it is only a fleeting thought to be thought, it is one worthy of dreams and the occasional salute by breathing slower as you drink a pumpkins spice whatever it is you like.  

Fall brings with it the anticipation of many holiday peaks.  Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and then New Years all happen within a 3 month period of time.  With these seasons comes a giving spirit that seems to be more prevalent during this quarter of the year.  Something that we should all strive for year round is permeated and amplified through the months of October, November, and December.  It seems there truly is the idea that at THIS time of the year one must give to live...

"Give to Live" by Sammy Hagar from the June 23, 1987 album I Never Said Goodbye 

Sammy Hagar has been around as a musical influencer since 1973.  At that time he was in the band Montrose and saw the release of 2 albums with that band.  Since that time he has been a major player on 25 albums.  12 solo albums, 4 albums as the lead of Sammy Hagar and the Waboritas, 4 records with the brother Van Halen (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Right Now", Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Dreams"),  2 platters with the super-group Chickenfoot (Hagar, Michael Anthony (Van Halen) Joe Satriani, Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers) and 1 record each with his new band Sammy Hagar and the Circle (Vic Johnson, Anthony  and Jason Bonham (John Bonham's (Led Zeppelin) son), and super-group Hagar, Schon, Aaronson, Schrieve (HSAS) (Hagar, Neil Schon (Journey (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)")), Kenny Aaronson, Michael Schrieve (Santana (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Evil Ways").  

In his 71 years of life (yep, you read that right, Sammy is 71) and his 46 years in the music business, The Red Rocker has seen it all.  Bands coming and going, successful business ventures, authoring 2 books, including the best selling biography, Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock. (His other book of all things was a cookbook:  Are We Having Fun Yet: The Cooking and Partying Handbook)  He's seen 4 children born and generations of adoring fans come and go.  

"Give to Live" was one of 2 singles released from I Never Said Goodbye.  It topped the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in 1987.  The song was also performed as a part of Van Halen's subsequent tours.  

"Give to Live" took a more insightful tone for Hagar than some of his other solo fare.  It touches on heartache and the need for one to give love to get love, a sentiment rooted in a foundational book of which we should be more familiar.

In the second half of Genesis 14, God shows Abraham what it means to give to live.  Abraham had just rescued Lot from the war between factions of the land and was returning home.  He gave his personal resources and sacrificed the lives of his servants so that Lot and his family, as well as some of the other inhabitants of Sodom, could live.  Abraham then encounters the King of Sodom and the King of Salem (what would become Jerusalem), Melchizedek. These kings wish to reward Abraham for the rescue of their people.  You can read more on this encounter here: Genesis 14:17-24 New American Standard Bible/The Message Paraphrase of the Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel

The short and long of it...Abraham would not take anything from the kings that could potentially be seen as the enriching himself from other parties.  He would only take what his men had already eaten and used in the battle to return those who had been taken prisoner in the war.  The Kings misunderstood what give to live meant.  While their intentions may have been honorable, Abraham did not want to be seen as getting anything from them.  His wealth and resources were to only be attributable to God and his own hard work.  He understood that rewards were only for those whom God chose to bless and those who worked hard.  No one, but God would receive the credit for Abraham's wealth.

In our western culture, some of the work ethic apparent in Abraham's life appears to have gone by the wayside.  But as we see in today's passage, this Biblical principle asserts what should be the mentality that those who are able bodied enough should work for the resources they wish to gain.  

Please do not misunderstand. I believe in helping folks who cannot work or have found themselves on hard times.  I wonder however if the church and believers have bequeathed that role to government.  I believe I remember reading someone say something about the care of orphans and widows...somewhere...

Generosity seems to be out of vogue of late.  I don't mean to say that those with wealth don't give, I question their motives however. It seems that generosity even among believers is not what it could or should be.  If it were, the aforementioned government programs would not be necessary.  Oh for a few widows with a mite to give...

Abraham took care of his own.  So much so, that he went into the middle of a war to rescue a nephew.  How many of us can say we are that tight with our brother's/sister's son?  Abraham saw a family member in need and he determined to take care of it.  Regardless of the choices said family member had made.  Are we that compassionate with our own family...friends...coworkers...church family?  What are we willing to give to live?

God rewards Abraham for his give to live attitude.  How?   You'll have to read next week to find out...Only at your source for Musical Musings on Messianic Messages...aka Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!  

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving You,

randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "War" (Edwin Starr)

Hey there!  It's the best day of the week!  It's Tuesday and it's time for our weekly excursion into the realms of memory makers and change agents.  That's right!  Live from Searcy!  It's Tuesday's Musical Notes!!!  Cue the band with the opening theme music!!!

Today, we feature a song and a topic that is different for the Notes.  Seems we've been doing that a lot lately.  Today we have a song that was written for a group to put on their album, given to a solo artist to record as a single, covered by a couple of other folks and continues to resonate with those who hear it.  What is good for?  HUH!!!

 "War" by Edwin Starr from the 1970 album War & Peace

"War" was written for The Temptations and recorded on their March 6, 1970, album Psychedelic Shack.  Protests over the Vietnam War were finding their way into newspapers and the evening news.  Motown, not wanting their premier act to come across poorly with more conservative music lovers, decided that the tune would not be released as a single by the Temptations.  Due to the overwhelming popularity of the song and requests by radio and the public for the single, Motown acquiesced by providing the song with one of their B-list artists.

Edwin Starr made the song his own and in June of 1970 scored his first and only #1 hit.  "War" remained on Billboard's Hot 100 for 3 weeks.  It replaced "Make it with You" by Bread in the #1 spot and was replaced by Diana Ross's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".  "War" was listed as the #5 song of the year in Billboard's end of the year charts for 1970.  

With the war in Vietnam, war protests became a popular thing.  Don't get me wrong, our 1st Amendment rights provide for us to speak our mind about any subject regardless of its governmental or social standing.  Tuesday's Musical Notes supports this right.  With the advent of television, news about wars became a part of a nightly routine.  Protests were news at the time and so it seems that ever since Vietnam if the United States enters a conflict, someone protests as loudly as they can.  Sometimes these are peaceful, other times, not so much.  

So we ask with Motown writers Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, War...What is it good for?

The Bible is filled with episodes that include war.  Jesus even speaks about war and its role at the end of time.  The Gospel according to the disciple Matthew, chapter 24, verses 1-14 New American Standard Bible, The Message paraphrase of the Bible, King James Version of the Bible parallel  But what stance does the Bible take?  Does it side with protesters in declaring war to be killing of young innocent lives for world domination or does it side with the hawks who wish to see that world domination?

To get an idea about the answer to the above question, let's go to where the first war in the Bible is recorded.  Take a moment and read this passage:   Genesis 14:1-16 NASB/The Message/KJV

Notice that our main character, the patriarch Abraham (name changed after his covenant with God), was not involved in the war.  Abraham only became engaged when his nephew, Lot (remember he's the one that took the best land when he split from Abram), was captured by the group of 4 kings who were engaged in war with 5 kings of the area.  In context, we must remember that this war was probably not in the scope of thousands of men fighting, but more along the lines of city/kingdoms that had armies of hundreds.  The Bible does not take sides on this war.  It merely notes the occurrence when 5 kings rebelled against the 4 kings who were over them.  

The Bible does note that once Abraham was made aware that Lot and his family had been captured, that Abraham took action.  He gathered 318 of his men to rescue Lot, his family, and his goods AND the people of the land Lot had been living around.  God used Abram through a "skirmish" to free his family member and the people of the land.  One would think this a good thing.

As we continue to read through the Bible, we see times where God uses the tool of war to mete out justice on folks who are wicked, including His chosen people Israel.  Studying the Old Testament specifically shows how Israel was warned time and again about their sin and when they chose to continue in their disobedience, God in His righteousness had to take action by using surrounding nations and the war they brought with them as an act of discipline, but ultimately restoration.  

But what about in modern times?  Was World War I a justifiable war?  How about the defeat of Hitler? Was that a good thing?  There are many arguments regarding Korea and Vietnam that Tuesday's Musical Notes is not adept enough to begin the conversation. But were there good things that came about as a result of those wars?  

The generation that saw World War II has been described as The Greatest Generation.  Why is that?  One of the reasons is that the generation was forced to prioritize truly important things.  Many men were away serving in the war, many women were doing there part by filling in in factories and keeping the country running.  This generation HAD to figure out what "today" looked like without the advice of Ellen or Oprah.  And yes, during this time, this generation turned to God.  

Please read what I am about to say as non-judgmental a statement as possible. The generation that survived 2 World Wars were forced to cope with life and death every day.  The generation that has HEARD about wars in Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan have not.  That is not something that my generation or those who come after me can say.  Have we lost our ability to cope because we've not been forced to cope with any real hardship?

Tuesday's Musical Notes is not advocating for the destruction that another World War would cause.  We are not campaigning for the draft to be reinstated (however, for perspective, in Israel EVERY student who graduates from high school goes immediately into a military branch for 2 years).  The Notes is not suggesting anything more than this:  It is incumbent on our generation to ensure that when we are in times of war that do not immediately affect us (let's face it, as we are right now), that we lovingly challenge, equip, and engage in the next generation in ways that cause their coping mechanisms to be prepared for a time when war MAY immediately affect us.

So, there you have it.  War does have a purpose.  Our responsibility lies in making sure we use times of "peace" to be as prepared as we can to cope with the horrors that are...War...HUH!  What is it good for?....  

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving you,

randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Don't Come Around Here No More" (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)

"Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, `and what is the use of a book,' thought Alice `without pictures or conversation?"   Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Chapter 1

"Blessed are the weird people, the poets & misfits, the artists, writers, and music-makers, the dreamers and the outsiders, for they force us to see the world differently" - Jacob Nordby, Pearls of Wisdom: 30 Inspirational Ideas to Live Your Best Life Now

You may have noticed in recent weeks that The Notes has been following a chronological pathway taken from the Bible.  If you haven't noticed...surprise!!! We're working through the Bible one song at a time!  Most theologians place the story of Job in the spot that would have been today's blog, however, we've already covered this righteous man in Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Nowhere Man" As we travel through that will occur on occasion and we'll fill in the gaps by providing the links to those particular songs and scriptures.  And now on with the show!!!

Welcome to Tuesday and Tuesday's Musical Notes, the best blog on the planet read by an average of 14 people per day since its inception in May of 2012!  That comes up to roughly 35,837 clicks on the blog that combines pondering with percussion, musings with mellophones, and thoughts that provoke with trumpets that pronounce!  Thanks for stopping by!  Tell your friends!  Search the archives!  Man the battle stations!!!  Dive!  Dive! Dive!  

Sorry, just got a little carried away.  It's easy to get carried away with a song like the one featured today coming exclusively from your source for all things musically messianic, syncopatedly spiritual, and...well you get the idea.  From here on out it gets a little weird but blessed none the less...

"Don't Come Around Here No More" - by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers from the 1985 album Southern Accents  

Cowritten by Tom Petty (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "You Don't Know How it Feels", Tuesday's Musical Notes -"I Won't Back Down", Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Running Down a Dream")  and David A. Stewart (Eurythmics, Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Would I Lie To You"), "Don't Come Around Here No More" peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The music video, featuring a hooka smoking Stewart, was pretty quickly placed in heavy rotation on MTV in support of the song.  

The Alice in Wonderland theme of the video is said to have come from Stewart being invited to a party at the home of Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks'.  When Stewart awoke the next morning, Nicks was trying on Victorian-style clothing reminding him of Alice in Wonderland.  Former boyfriend Joe Walsh ( Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Life's Been Good") showed up at Nicks place and during the ensuing argument Stewart heard Nicks say the phrase..."Don't come around here no more" to Walsh.  And so in lies the inspiration...Truth is stranger than fiction Bianca. My Favorite Wife trailer

Regardless of the motivation, there are times in your life when it is in all parties best interest if you separate.  Let's face it, situations and people change with time.  This disengagement doesn't have to mean that you know longer care for the person, you can continue to have strong feelings for them, however, circumstances can come to the point where both parties realize it is best to dissolve the current relationship.

Such is the case in the Israeli patriarch Abram and his nephew Lot.  In Genesis 13 - New American Standard Bible/The Message paraphrase of the Bible/King James Version of the Bible parallel, we see that Abram, Sarai, and Lot were back from their "interesting" trek to where they started and where God had placed them in the first place.  Notice how the NASB notes in the back half of verse 3, ..."to the place where his tent had been at the beginning." and in verse 4 "to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly..."  that the Bible notes Abram's disobedience by going to Egypt in the first place.  Has there ever been a time in your life when you suspected you weren't really where you were supposed to be and you wind up back where God had placed you?  Just a thought.  Now back to today's story.

When Abram, Sarai, and Lot were where God had planted them in the first place, Abram and Lot began to accumulate wealth.  Some of this wealth came in the form of livestock.  This became a problem as Abram's men began to quarrel with Lot's men over well rights and land.  Abram, not wanting there to be any ill will among the men as well as a family member, suggested that he and Lot develop separate parts of the land God had given them.  The Bible doesn't explicitly say that Lot got the better end of the deal, but in looking at the geography of the land at the time, he certainly chose what was more pleasing to the eye.  This causes problems that we'll cover soon, but just know that once again, this action does not seem to be sanctioned by God.  God doesn't speak until the detachment had occurred.  

When God does speak He reaffirms the promise that He will make Abram's ancestors into a great nation.  This nation is the nation of Israel.  

I wonder if the reason God did not speak about Lot's departure was that He wanted Abram and Lot to work things out.  Yes, there are times when severance of affiliation is the only recourse that can happen, yet many times, especially to those who believe in Jesus, leave-taking seems to be the go-to.  "Let's agree to disagree and go our own way" is not a biblical mandate for those who have been redeemed.  Paul tells the Corinthian church that believers are to live in peace as a part of their lifestyle of rejoicing for their salvation.  2 Corinthians 13:11 NASB/The Message/KJV  This would appear that we are to live at peace...together.  

Abram and Lot's parting shows that sometimes the only solution is to don't come around here no more.  But, is this the divine One's plan?  What about our relationships?  Are we living in peace with those who believe or do we allow the trappings of this world to distract us from the building up of each other that we are to do?  Are we in the place God has for us to be able to do those things for others or are we off wandering around in Egypt looking for food instead of relying on God's provision?  "How good and pleasant it is when we dwell together in unity and praise the Lord".  Psalm 133:1 NASB/The Message/KJV  

Be where God puts you, rely on his provision, be at peace with God's people and you should never have to say to anyone...don't come around here no more...or share a giant cup of tea with a Mad Hatter...

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving You,

randy

Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Would I Lie to You?" (The Eurythmics)

Welcome to Tuesday and today's Tuesday's Musical Notes!  I'm Randy Cross from Searcy, Arkansas and we have a packed-out, 80's filled blog ready to roll for you today!  So let's get started by spinning a song that peaked at #5 on Billboard's Hot 100 and was in heavy rotation at MTV upon its release.  Here are Annie and Dave, better known as the Eurythmics with "Would I Lie to You?"

"Would I Lie to You?" - from the April 1985 album Be Yourself Tonight by The Eurythmics  

Be Yourself Tonight was the 4th of 9 studio albums by the multi-platinum duo of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart.  Most folks know this British team as the band The Eurythmics.

For the decade 1980-1990, Annie and Dave made some incredible music together.  Their debut album,  1981s In the Garden didn't achieve much success but the follow-up, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) dominated the charts.  The title track from the 1983 album went all the way to # 1 and made The Eurythmics an overnight success, paving the way for the release of 6 more albums in the next 6 years, each one building upon the achievements of the previous.  

The band took the next decade (1990-1999) off to work on solo and other projects after the rigors of touring, writing and producing began to strain Annie and Dave's relationship.  The Eurythmics rejoined in 1999 and produced their last studio effort, Peace.  After the completion of the tour to support Peace (all proceeds were donated to Greenpeace and Amnesty International) they did a European tour and returned to solo efforts in 2000.  

The turn of the century saw continued acclaim for solo efforts by Lennox and Stewart as Annie won the Academy Award for Best Song in 2003 for "Into the West", the closing credits theme from the Peter Jackson film Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and in 2004 Dave would win a Golden Globe for Best Original Song from a Motion Picture his collaboration with Mick Jagger, "Old Habits Die Hard" from the movie Alfie.

Today's featured song promotes a new musical direction for The Eurythmics.  They transitioned away from the synth-pop of "Sweet Dreams" and went to a more standard rock and roll/blues feel.  The horn section intro immediately let the listener know that this was not the norm that had come to be expected from The Eurythmics. And it worked.  Be Yourself Tonight became The Eurythmics best selling studio album.  It did so solely on the strength of its songs as no tour came on the heels of its release.  There was no tour as Annie Lennox was recovering from vocal fold nodules.  This ailment proved so bad that she also missed 1985's Live Aid.  No kidding.  Would I lie to you?

Lying has been a previous topic here at The Notes. In Tuesday's Musical Notes: "Little Lies" we saw that deceit and disobedience walked hand in hand to see the downfall of mankind in the garden.  We also mentioned a few other Biblical accounts that had similar results for those who lied.  You can check out that blog by clicking on the link.  You can also read many more of Tuesday's Musical Notes by going to our archives. 

But today, we want to narrow in on Abram and Sarai.  In Genesis 12 New American Standard Bible/The Message paraphrase of the Bible/King James Version of the Bible we come to God's story in relation to mankind through Abram and his wife Sarai.  We see that they have a relationship with God.  So much so, that when God tells them to pull up stakes from everything they know and go to Cannan, Abram and Sarai step out in faith and head that direction.  God makes some pretty specific promises to Abram at this point regarding the land once they arrive.  But once they are settled a famine hits.  I don't know about you but this would at the very least cause me to have pause with regards to God's instruction.  It seems that it, in fact, may have shaken Abram somewhat as well.  

Once the famine hit, Abram made the decision to go to Egypt so his family wouldn't starve.  The Bible narrative says nothing about God giving Abram this instruction.  "Would I lie to you?'  This is Abram's first mistake.  God had just promised that the land would be Abram's.  It seems somewhat strange that Abram left his birthplace, got promised his new digs, and then leaves them.  Is Abram on his own here?

He then heads for Egypt.  From this time on in the Bible, the land of Egypt is rarely a good place.  It is a type or example of the unrighteous world to which mankind is to abstain.  Abram decides to go to seek provision for his family and on the way gets a brilliant idea. (yes, that's sarcasm)  

The Bible describes Sarai as a "beautiful" woman.  Abram's trepidation level was already heightened.  He's kind of got that whole "stranger in a strange land" thing going on.  The culture of the time treated women as property.  Abram was fearful that someone in authority would see Sarai and decide to plunder and kill Abram so they could take Sarai as a wife.  Abram instructs Sarai to say that she is his sister to keep everyone alive.  Abram's fear seems strange as God had told him earlier "And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”  "Would I say something that wasn't true?"

Fear, however, can be a powerful motivator.  So much so for Abram that he determined to take matters into his own hands.  His lack of trust in God and disobedience to God caused one of his biggest fear to come true.  Sarai was taken into Pharoah's house.  Because the Egyptians thought Sarai was Abram's sister, Abram was treated like royalty.  God, however, did not approve as He had big plans for Sarai as well.  

Abram's attempted deception displeased God, caused pain for others, and got Abram and Sarai kicked out of the country.  

We read later on that Abram did not relay this lesson to his children as his son Isaac attempts the same disinformation ploy. Genesis 26:1-16 NASB/The Message/KJV 

Here are some things to consider from Abram and Sarai's story.    We can always trust God.  He has a plan.  We can determine that plan by listening to His Word.  We can never trust our own heart because it is susceptible to fear, pride, disobedience, and contempt.  Lying denies God's plan for our lives and attempts to circumvent that plan. Lying always impacts more folks than the primaries which are involved.   

So friend, what famine are you facing? 

"Would I lie to you?  Would I like to you honey? Now would I say something that wasn't true?  I'm asking you sugar would I lie..."

'Til Tuesday,

Serving HIM by serving You,

randy