artist Archives - Keith Shields

Comedian

Some songs are so good it is almost irreverent to interpret the lyrics. Steve Taylor says that he worked twenty years on one of the songs on his Goliath album. There was not a week went by when he was not rolling this one around in his mind and coming up with better ways to say…

Art and Argument

“Any authentic work of art must start an argument between the artist and his audience.” – Rebecca West This sentiment is one to which I want to pay close attention as I write a second book. Since the author provides one half of the conversation and the reader provides the second half, I would do…

Unmerited Grace

The last ten minutes of a Steve Taylor interview on the Cultivated podcast from April 15, 2017, describes the tension felt by Steve Taylor and a great many other artists. Interviewer: “I want to talk about the impulse to be an artist, the impulse to make these things and send them out into the world.…

Beauty Left the Room

Charlie Peacock is a gifted song-writer and jazz player known best for his song “In the Light,” recorded by himself and by DC Talk. One of his lesser known songs is called “Beauty Left the Room.” The lyrics follow here. Beauty Left the Room (Lyrics and Music by Charlie Peacock) (Listen while you read the…

Follow-Up to Big Smoke

The Del Barber deer story and my own Blackbird story from yesterday’s post led me to think of this powerful song. I Hung My Head (Words and Music by Sting) (Performed by Sting – listen here and Johnny Cash – listen here) Early one mornin’ with time to kill I borrowed Jeb’s rifle and sat…

Big Smoke

Del Barber (composer and performer; album: Praireography, 2014) (Listen while you read the lyrics) Blinded by the city lights No one can see you stallin’ It’s been so long since you’ve seen the prairie stars You’re not sure you can recall them But there is something here for you to find You may have found…

To Writers and Bloggers of This World

Writers and bloggers of this world, will you hear the words of Annie Dillard? For those who have ears to hear, this is the life. I do not so much write a book as sit up with it, as with a dying friend. During visiting hours, I enter its room with dread and sympathy for…

Cape Breton Island

My wife and I just returned from a week of vacation in Nova Scotia. We particularly enjoyed our time on Cape Breton Island traversing the Ceilidh trail and Cabot Trail. Nova Scotia is a proud land with a noble history. Scottish Highlanders, with their distinctive Scottish Gaelic language, were cleared out of the Highlands of…

Learning From Artists

My friend, Andrew, is blogging once again and invited some interaction with his thoughts about Christian music. You can find his thought-provoking, original, blog here. His blog got me thinking about some of my opinions about what gets labeled “Christian” music. There is plenty of good worship music out there that can be used to praise…

Grand Optimist

Okay, I will confess, I am obsessed with a song. I have listened to it dozens of times in the last few days. Ever since I saw it performed on the Juno Awards I have been obsessed with Dallas Green’s song, “The Grand Optimist.” Dallas Green who performs as “City and Colour” won the songwriter…