Listen now to the gospel according to Eliza Gilkyson.Byline: Paul Denison The Register-Guard Despite its biblical title and sociopolitical so·ci·o·po·li·ti·cal adj. Involving both social and political factors. sociopolitical Adjective of or involving political and social factors concerns, Eliza Gilkyson's "Land of Milk and Honey land of milk and honey land of fertility and abundance. [O.T.: Exodus 3:8, 33:3; Jeremiah 11:5] See : Abundance land of milk and honey proverbial ideal of plenty and happiness. [Western Cult. " is not a preachy preach·y adj. preach·i·er, preach·i·est Inclined or given to tedious and excessive moralizing; didactic. preach album. But if you listen carefully, you'll hear some gentle prayers, hymns and sermonettes. You'll feel like you're in church. Pastor and music minister Gilkyson will call your kind and prayerful prayer·ful adj. 1. Inclined or given to praying frequently; devout. 2. Typical or indicative of prayer, as a mannerism, gesture, or facial expression. attention to the sad plight of others, including: A man who burned his candle down with drink and drugs (`Dark Side of Town'). A half-Cree woman who was raped by her brother and her father as a child and ended up in prison for murder (`Ballad of Yvonne Johnson'). A female suicide bomber Though the majority of suicide bombers have been male, female suicide bombers have carried out a number of attacks since 1985. The first known suicide attack by a woman was carried out in Lebanon on April 9, 1985. and children swimming in a factory-polluted pool (`Tender Mercies," which was inspired by a photograph of a boy diving into a smelting-plant waste pool on the Albania-Kosovo border). In a time of war, the Rev. Gilkyson sounds a call for action and offers guidance for the fearful. The call for action is her own "Hiway 9," a Texas-drawl song about a quick-draw president: "So the little man gathered all his chickenhawks in/ And the neo-cons and his daddy's kin/ They had their own clear channel and a hell of a spin/ And a white man hidden in a black man's skin." Just like the Sept. 11 commission, Gilkyson spreads the blame (`Well we got caught sleeping at the sentry post/ Now we're standing toe to toe with what we feared the most') and urges us to make up for that lapse: "Get the big trucks rollin' down Hiway 9/ With food and water and an Internet line/ Run to the polls when it comes the time/ 'Cause the big truck's rollin down Hiway 9." Guidance for the fearful comes from none other than the late Woody Guthrie Noun 1. Woody Guthrie - United States folk singer and songwriter (1912-1967) Guthrie, Woodrow Wilson Guthrie in "Peace Call," a song he wrote during the Korean War Korean War, conflict between Communist and non-Communist forces in Korea from June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953. At the end of World War II, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel into Soviet (North Korean) and U.S. (South Korean) zones of occupation. and published during the Vietnam War Vietnam War, conflict in Southeast Asia, primarily fought in South Vietnam between government forces aided by the United States and guerrilla forces aided by North Vietnam. ; the songbook is now out of print. Gilkyson is the first to record it. Patty Griffin, Mary Chapin Carpenter Mary Chapin Carpenter (born February 21, 1958) is a five-time Grammy Award-winning American country/folk singer-songwriter and guitarist with a diverse musical style. Biography Childhood and Iris Dement de·ment tr.v. de·ment·ed, de·ment·ing, de·ments 1. To make (a person) insane. 2. To cause (a person) to lose intellectual capacity. join her on this one, in which Guthrie becomes the voice of God: "Thick war clouds will throw their shadows, darkening dark·en v. dark·ened, dark·en·ing, dark·ens v.tr. 1. a. To make dark or darker. b. To give a darker hue to. 2. To fill with sadness; make gloomy. 3. the world around you/ But in my life of peace your dark illusions fall/ Think and pray along the way, embrace the ones around you/ Get ready for my call of peace." Another hymnlike song, although light and lively enough for children to enjoy, is "Runnin Away" by the late Terry Gilkyson, Eliza's father. In this one, birds chase a mouse, a cat chases a bird, a hound dog chases a cat, a boy frightens a hound and the devil chases the boy. But, "The mean old devil gotta run along too/ 'Cause the almighty hand of the big mamu/ Is gonna blow him away away away/ Everybody gotta pay when the day is through. "Oh, hurry up sinner ...' Pastoral counseling Three of Eliza Gilkyson's more personal songs suggest that she would do well at pastoral counseling among the lonely hearts. Listen to "Wonderland," in which she urges people to accept the real love they find and not be fooled by romantic notions; "Not Lonely," about the pleasures of solitude for "a one-man woman flying solo for a time"; and "Separated," in which she admits to ambivalence about "this longing that lives in us all" but declares that "I don't want to play Ophelia in the end/ Or lose myself to anyone ever again." If you wander in to Gilkyson's revival meeting, which will be in session Saturday night at Sam Bond's Garage, do not let her leave the pulpit without singing her new album's title song. Gilkyson's "Land of Milk and Honey" is the CD's best track, partly because of the five-person "anti-choir." Depending on who's traveling with her, the song might not sound quite the same live - unless the audience joins in on the chorus, which wouldn't be a bad idea. But the words she wrote and the way she sings them guarantee that this powerful little three-verse song will be around for a long time - just like Shakespeare, who provided the opening and closing: "Oh, what fools these mortals be. .../ Oh, what fools we mortals be, each and every one." But the best lines are Gilkyson's: "Bound to some relentless gyre/ Dispassionate dis·pas·sion·ate adj. Devoid of or unaffected by passion, emotion, or bias. See Synonyms at fair1. dis·pas and true/ Pay the price for ice and fire/ That's what God's children do/ Sacrifice love's mystery/ For fantasy and pleasure/ Doomed to repeat history for ever and ever. ... "Wayward world I weep for thee ..." Say amen. Paul Denison can be reached at 338-2323 or pdenison@ guardnet.com. CONCERT PREVIEW Eliza Gilkyson When: 9 p.m. Saturday Where: Sam Bond's Garage, 407 Blair Blvd. How much: $10, 431-6603 CAPTION(S): Eliza Gilkyson will unleash a righteous musical sermon on Saturday at Sam Bond's Tabernacle Tabernacle (tăb`ərnăk'əl), in the Bible, the portable holy place of the Hebrews during their desert wanderings. It was a tent, like the portable tent-shrines used by ancient Semites, set up in each camp; eventually it housed the Ark , er, Garage. |
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