The View From Here
Posted to Wikipedia by
Bob Bennett, himself, on 2007-07-27
In July, 2007, Bob posted these
song-by-song blurbs to the
Wikipedia
entry for The View From Here. All was well until December, 2008;
when one of the many
Wikipedia Deletion Police took it upon himself to vandalise the
entry by removing these notes. After a couple of weeks of playing the
edit war game I (Christopher Rath) finally gave in and moved the
information to this page. At some time in the future I will attempt to
move these notes back to Wikipedia; but, in the mean time, they will be
available here. Note, Bob's current
notes for the songs on this CD (as opposed to this historical set of
notes) can be found on his
website. |
These song-by-song blurbs were originally composed by
Bob Bennett for inclusion in the CD booklet for "The View From Here"; however, cost constraints made
inclusion of the booklet unworkable. At that time, Bob forgot to write about the
album's closing song "All Hail The Power Of Jesus' Name", and so that song is
accurately missing from this section. Also included here is the original full
length dedication to his Mom.
- Dedication
- This album is lovingly dedicated to my Mom: Betty Jane Bennett. While every
one of us was reeling and grieving in the days following the horror of September
11th, a good part of my family was gathering daily in Mom's hospital
room at St. Patrick's in Missoula, MT. We were astounded that Mom battled back
from a certain death and we have rejoiced in every stolen day that has
followed. From the very first time I picked up a guitar (some 37 years ago
now), she always told me: "Bobby, you have to sing every song with oomph."
(which I took to be her way of saying that you always mean it ... you never, ever,
phone it in). I love you very much, Mom.
- The View From Here
- Written with Tom Prasada-Rao. Tom definitely gave the song it's cool and
gentle groove. Tom came over one afternoon and I was in another whiney mood
about how my second-floor apartment really has this horrid view and how Southern
California has no night sky to speak of. I just started singing lines about
it and we took off from there. Even I was surprised at the "something" we built
out of all the "nothings" we kept stumbling over.
- Defiant Lamb
- Originally written for the Moody radio program "Proclaim". They wanted a
song that somehow tied into four specific parables. I managed to do that and
write about my own conniving and ingratitude as well.
- A Life That Is Not My Own
- Written mostly for my oldest son Paul upon his graduation from Marine Basic
Training in April, 2001. But also triggered by the incredible plight of my friends
Steve & Sandy who almost lost their adoptive son due to the most inane and unfair
of legal technicalities; actually now a landmark case of sorts in California
adoption law.
- Still Rolls The Stone
- For many years, my second least favorite of my songs. (The first was and
still is "Whistling In The Dark", but that's a whole other story.) I avoided
this song like the plague. Then I slowed it down, cut some repetition, played
it with my fingers instead of a flatpick and it felt new and better. So I resurrected
it ... so to speak!
- The Kings Of Summer Street
- Written with songwriter extraordinaire Don Henry. We had so much fun with
the hang time, we barely got around to the work! A fictional story that seems,
nonetheless, wholly true.
- The Communion Rail
- For the Church. And for His beloved servants: my dear friend and pastor
Fr. Stephen Felkner and a new friend, Fr. Jamie Howison. Here my late-in-life
Anglican heritage makes its way into a song. I used to think the Lord's Supper
was "merely symbol", now I'm pretty sure it's more than that. But I don't always
know or understand the shape of that "more". Whether through remembrance or
elements or a combination of both, I cannot say. I am tempted to wonder if the
Eucharist is a little like gravity, operative whether fully understood or not.
I also appreciate the constant renewal and restoration which precedes my coming
to the communion rail.
- Lord Of The Past
- A simple phrase uttered by my friend Michele that led to the title of this
song. If God is not in the business of changing the past (at least not so far),
maybe He can change how I relate to what has gone before. Faith or belief does
not render me only a "new creature", I am also a person who is still reaping
what I have done and failed to do. I sing this song in the push and pull of
these "competing truths".
- We Were The Kings
- As soon as Don and I had written the bulk of "Summer Street", I got this
idea to write a song about these same guys as old men. This was the hardest
song to write that I've ever attempted. Part of it was dealing with the heartache
of saying goodbye. Part of it was that I drew from feelings and observations
about my own father and also my lifelong friendship with one guy. And so I must
dedicate this song to my oldest and best friend Dan Rupple. Yes, the details
are made up, but the "him and me" is as true as it gets. May we live to be the
old men we used to laugh about when we were young!
- Heart Of Hearts
- Written by the late Mark Heard. Doubt always seems to move in right next
door to Faith. Mark never feared to write about that juxtaposition. And a lot
of folks in the church "neighborhood" just didn't want to hear a guy sing about
a town that wasn't Mayberry. My reaction when I heard him? Finally, a guy who
understands me! I hope I honor his memory with this version and, if he's listening,
I hope he likes it!
- Man Of The Tombs
- A biography that somehow managed to become autobiography as well. One day,
if things work out as I hope they will, I will meet this man. The italic subheadings
in a lot of Bibles call him "The Gadarene Demoniac". I want to know his name,
shake his hand and ask him to tell me the real story that I could only imagine
here.
©Copyright 2007, Bob Bennett
Last updated:
2015/02/15 @ 13:33:56 (
)