Here we are on another Tuesday! Are you excited? I sure am! Tuesday's are the absolute best day of the week!!! If you'd like to know why, check out one, two, or thirty Tuesday's Musical Notes in the archives. There are over 500 blogs of some of the best music ever imagined from which you can choose. They will certainly give you a taste of why Tuesday is so revered by this blog. 
Welcome! We are supremely glad that you clicked on the link or searched, or maybe just stumbled upon our humble blog filled with music and musings! It's Tuesday's Musical Notes, a part of the Cross & Kin Family Entertainment empire. Well, as long as you consider a blog and a YouTube channel (Cross & Kin YouTube channel) an empire, yup it's an empire! We like it around here and we hope you will too!!! If you don't dig what we're laying down, maybe you need to say...
No need to adjust the fine-tuning on your computer, tablet, phone, or other such device (you can't adjust the fine-tuning on them anyway). What you are witnessing is the progression of time, not any ailment in your ocular senses. Did you notice how the key of our great song today got lower as the years went by? Also, I have to confess, I dig the mop top Jackson Browne as opposed to the Grandpa Jackson Browne hairdo. Yet I digress (even as I look into the mirror with intrigue and introspection...)
There is a definitive sound that emanated from Southern California in the early to mid-70s. I suspect artists like The Eagles (Tuesday's Musical Notes - The Eagles), Linda Ronstadt (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "When Will I Be Loved" (Linda Ronstadt)), Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Poco, and Little Feat paint the picture of the sound that you may very well be humming right now. These were bands that bridged Country, Folk, and Rock into an amalgamation of great music without sacrificing any of the mentioned genre's standards.
The songwriting was rich and sometimes very deep, expressing the desire for freedoms of a generation that had previously been tamped down without the "in your face, protest volume" of the sixties. In some respects, this sound even satisfied the Rock-N-Roll naysayers who said that you could never understand the lyrics of the "new music". While these same folks heard the lyrics they still didn't always resonate with the meaning. Yet, they tolerated the music because the sound was more appealing to a wide variety of folks. And thus Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart was born.
Enter Jackson Browne. He was just 16 in 1967 when one of his songs was recorded by Nico (Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Sunday Morning" (The Velvet Underground)). Thus began a progression of songwriting that would take Jackson Browne into the orbit of Rock-N-Roll royalty. He co-wrote the 1972, #12 single, "Take It Easy" with The Eagles which was released shortly before his self-titled debut album (sometimes mistakenly referred to as Saturate Before Using). By this point, he was known in the music industry as a gifted songwriter, but as his album got airplay, the world would soon see that his songwriting prowess was not the only skill he possessed.
"Doctor My Eyes" was the very first single released by Browne and soon became a radio staple, soaring up to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, you know, that other chart by Billboard and establishing him as a recording artist. With vocal background assistance from contemporaries Graham Nash and David Crosby (Tuesday's Musical Notes - Crosby, Stills, & Nash (and sometimes Young)), the studio version of the single, features The Section (band) - wikipedia.org)
"Doctor My Eyes" is a song about how the singer has seen and is facing the trials of life and how that sight and determination can skew the perspective and dull the senses for the remainder of his life. The music is ironically circumspect with its upbeat tempo and lively instrumentation against the subdued, melancholic lyrical content to the point of the song having an upbeat pessimism. That's why the song seems to resonate with virtually everyone as seemingly there does come a point in time when you can become numb to the repetitive things in life, and you need to step back and reevaluate. This reexamination can be an eye-opening (or closing) experience... depending on who you might encounter as you process your pondering, going your way, say as you are walking on a road to Damascus...
What...just...happened?!!! Saul of Tarsus, the persecutor of Christians in Jerusalem, asksthe High Priest of the Jews for a warrant to go to Damascus to begin grabbing up believers there and sending them back in shackles to Jerusalem to be prosecuted. With his entourage in tow, Saul sets out, but as we read in the story, his journey to Damascus becomes a different kind of sightseeing trip.
Tuesday's Musical Notes loves this portion of the Biblical narrative. We've covered it before in Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Blinded By The Light" (Manfred Mann's Earth Band)and while not directly referencing our passage from Acts, we've visited how God communicates in Tuesday's Musical Notes - "The Voice" (The Moody Blues). Give them a read when you can, they both offer a different perspective on those 2 great songs.
"...'Cause I have wandered through this world and as each moment has unfurled..."
Saul has an encounter with a powerful light all around him and for the first time in his life, he heard The Voice. Saul falls to his knees and listens as The Voice asks him why is he perpetrating this persecution. At this point, Saul cannot see but he has the will and courage to ask The Voice, whom he might be, possibly the Lord, whom he knows as Yahweh. Jesus then confirms that it is indeed Him and continues the interrogation of Saul regarding his motivations to wreak havoc on the church. Saul's entourage could add nothing to the conversation as they too heard The Voice but were speechless at what they were witnessing.
The NASB says that Saul's eyes were open but he could not see. Seems a fitting phrase for many folks around us today perhaps. Saul's assistants helped him along the remainder of the trip to Damascus. Saul was so impacted by this encounter that he neither ate nor drank anything for 3 days. I don't know about you, but I start getting hangry after about 3 hours. But I digress... One would imagine this deprivation would cause Saul's other senses to kick in. It seems that he has a great deal of introspection during these 3 days as well. "...Doctor, my eyes, tell me what you see I hear their cries, just say if it's too late for me..."
Enter Ananais (Nope, this is a different one from chapters 4 and 5. Tuesday's Musical Notes- "Honesty" (Billy Joel)). The Voice spoke to him as well. Yet his response to Jesus was significantly different from Saul's. Much like in Philip's story from last week, Ananais didn't question who it might be telling him to go. Jesus gave Ananias the street address and name of the occupant. He also told him that Saul of Tarsus was there waiting for him. And he was to do what? Lay hands on him and restore Saul's sight? Ananias did however question the mission as he had heard about Saul's perspective on the church, knew that Saul had the documentation necessary to arrest any believer, and was fearful of what Saul might do upon their encounter. God unpacks the rationale for Ananias and instructs him once again to go. As incredible as all of this sounded, Ananias got up and went.
"...Doctor, my eyes cannot see the sky. Is this the price for having learned how not to cry?..."
Ananias' obedience resulted not only in Saul regaining his sight but getting the ability to see for the first time in his life. He had experienced Jesus as only the apostles had. Saul, in direct contrast to who he had been before, believed and was baptized. I find it interesting that in each iteration of the Scripture, Ananias calls Saul, "brother Saul" Was there evidence to Ananias of the life change that had occurred in Saul? " Doctor, my eyes have seen the years And the slow parade of fears without crying. Now I want to understand..."
The Bible goes on to say that Saul revived his body by eating after he had his soul revived by his interaction with Jesus. From there Saul goes, hangs out with, and was ministered to by the very disciples of Jesus he was intent on arresting and dragging away in shackles. These folks had the ultimate opportunity to affirm everything that Saul had experienced. The Lord had assured Ananias to not be afraid and then God gave them a reason for rejoicing!!! "...Doctor, my eyes, tell me what is wrong. Was I unwise to leave them open for so long?..."
With what they potentially faced with Saul as their guest, I guess we really can rest in that whole "Do Not Be Afraid" command found throughout the Bible. There is practically enough for one a day for a year! If we live in that reality, maybe, just maybe, we won't have to cry out to an optometrist!
'Til Tuesday,
Loving HIM by Loving You,
randy
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