From the recording Passion Play
Hands of Heaven is one of the ‘spirit’ songs of the set and is reminiscent of the brilliant work of UK’s keyboard wizard Dave Stewart and singer Barbara Gaskin. I was playing with the idea of painting a character in rich detail revealed through the song lyric. So, I borrowed a character from an older song of mine, an old wretch (the “Rag Man”), and gave him the starring role in this one.
Ultimately, Hands of Heaven is about me and my own spiritual quest, as I’d started to break away from utility-grade Christianity. I have an idea that a person can more easily find ‘God’ by looking inward, not outward. Is it not also possible to have a relationship with the Divine without all that guilt, shame, and dogma we so often attach?
Lyrics
Hands of Heaven
darkly glows the corner streetlamp
lonely is the night
dead shadows behind dull haunted wandering eyes
searching ruin stumbling through sad cinders
Rag Man, in robes of filth
down on his knees he cries
to any kindly god tonight
who might let him in
“take me up in your hands of heaven
rain sweet grace on this unforgiven
no I have no life to show
I’ve nothing here to give you
hold me there in your hands of heaven
sinking starving my fate forsaken,
pray see through these sins today
I only want to know you
I want to know you…”
and he keeps on wanting, wanting…
frozen in fear, then off and running
old cold closet ghosts
time after time
they’ve all but run him down
straight ahead his angel’s coming
come to take him home
she shines…
now he sees
it’s to the god inside him that the Rag Man prays
in these passion plays
“take me up in your hands of heaven
rain down mercy on this unforgiven
no I have no life to show
I’ve nothing left to give you
hold me there in your hands of heaven
sinking starving my fate forsaken,
pray see through these sins today
I only want to know you…”
kyrie eleison
mercy sweet mercy
kyrie eleison
“take me up in your hands of heaven
can it be that I’m not forsaken?
though I have no one but me
it’s through me that you’ll show you
hold me there in your hands of heaven
fortune smiles where no fate’s mistaken
pray there is no judgment day
I only want to know you
I really want to know you…
I want to know you…”
Music & Lyrics by George Wallace 30 July 2004
© 2005 Celestial Songs (ASCAP)