Jason Morehead“Casimir Pulaski Day“ – the title refers to an Illinois holiday celebrating Revolutionary War hero Kazimierz Pulaski – is one of the album’s most powerful songs. Stripped of the embellishments that color so much of the album, the song is an acoustic ballad a la Seven Swans. As with Michigan’s „Romulus“, „Casimir Pulaski Day“ is from the perspective of a young protagonist dealing with loss and betrayal. This time, however, it’s the loss of a loved one and the apparent betrayal of God Himself („Tuesday night at the Bible study/We lift our hands and pray over your body/But nothing ever happens“).
It’s a beautiful song, and touches on one of the most basic issues of Christianity – how do you reconcile the gorgeous promises of a faith with your own disappointments and discouragements? – with the simplest of lyrics. „All the glory that the Lord has made/And the complications when I see His face“, Stevens sings. „All the glory when He took our place/But He took my shoulders and He shook my face/And He takes…“.
I personally love the fact that the song does not end on the sort of cheerful, „Trust in God and everything will be GREAT“ note that sadly defines so much of Christian art. Rather, the song ends on a more pensive, ambiguous note with a tenuous measure of hope conveyed by the slowly building layers of trumpet and voices that fill the song’s final seconds. Which is to say, the song is much more inline with my personal experiences attempting to live out a life of faith and belief.
Quelle: opuszine.com
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[indent] Life is Art. Art is Life. But have you met my wife? (Robert Forster) [/indent][/color]