Quick Sunday Night Check-in

Hi everyone, and Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates it. Hope the Easter Beagle was good to you today.

Apologies for the gap between posts; I've made it past my major deadline at work, but things are still quite busy with the remaining work for my projects. It isn't difficult, but there's a lot to do. And quite honestly, I'm running on fumes.

It isn't just work, although that is certainly a major factor. I think this deserves its own post, so perhaps I'll save it for the next one. For now, suffice it to say I'm weary. Not tired - weary. I've learned the hard way what happens when I don't listen to my body, so I'm taking steps to address this before it gets out of hand. More to come on that.

I thought I'd end with two songs that are semi-related to Easter. The first is "The End of the World," from U2's Achtung Baby.

While it doesn't get discussed much now, U2 were identified as a Christian band early in their career, with many overt references in their songs. This song, from 1991, is a later example of that influence. The lyrics are a conversation between Jesus and Judas Iscariot, told from Judas's point of view. It is a powerful song from one of their masterpieces:

The Edge's guitar work on this is just astonishing. Such a great song.

The second song is from Robbie Robertson's self-titled debut album from 1987. Like many great songs, "Broken Arrow" is open to interpretation. Robertson is half-Jewish and half-Native Canadian, and the lyrics contain several instances of Native American/Canadian symbolism (a broken arrow is a symbol of peace, while a bottle of rain represents a wish for prosperity for the recipient).

I tried for years to decipher the meaning of this song. Late one night, I suddenly realized that while they could certainly be taken as a love song - and, judging from Robertson's anguished vocals, an intensely personal love song - but also as Jesus talking to God.

Who else is gonna bring you a broken arrow?
Who else is gonna bring you a bottle of rain?
There I go
Moving across the water
There you go
Turning my whole world around

Can you feel what I feel?
Can we make it so that's part of the deal?
I will hold you in these arms of steel
Lay your heart on the line
This time

Can you see what I see?
Can you cut behind the mystery?
Count the beads of sweat that cover me
Can you show me a sign
This time?

Who else is gonna bring you a broken arrow?
Who else is gonna bring you a bottle of rain?
There I go, moving across the water
There you go, turning my whole world around

I'm gonna come when you call
I'll get to you if I have to crawl
I will meet you by the witness tree
Leave the whole world behind
This time

Who else is gonna bring you a broken arrow?
Who else is gonna bring you a bottle of rain?
There I go, moving across the water
There you go, turning my whole world around

Regardless, it is a remarkable song from one of my very favorite albums. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.