John of Arc is an interesting person in history. Burned as a heretic, then proclaimed to be a Saint by the church. She, a woman, helped lead the French to vivctory against the English. And claimed she could hear the voice of God.
I rediscovered her in a song by the Decemberists called Joan in the Garden.
I am enamored by this song. It is absolutely beautiful. And stirring. And disturbing. Long like a Pink fFoyd song, poetic like a prophecy, powerful like the screams of a mother to God to save her child.
Its interesting the use of Hosanna. Which some mistake to mean something akin to Hallelujah. But it actually means, God Help Us. Or God Save Us.
These are the lyrics. Feel free to discuss what the song means to you, or what tour take is on the song, and if the Christian connection is relavent to Christians. Or relavent to us in these current times. But I reccomend listening to the music too to get a feel for it.
In a book I found
Joan in the garden
I will write this down
I will lay her heart in mine
For a time
Write a line
Erase a line
In the dawning light
As she left her body
Gifted second sight
Did she lay her dowry by
Lay it by
Write a line
Erase a line
And if you listen closely
You can hear them singing ho, oh, oh, oh
And if you listen closely
You can hear them singing ho, oh, oh, oh
Hosanna
Make her ten miles tall
Make her arms cleave mountains
Let her tempters fall
Make her tears weep fountains by
Now to try
Write a line
Erase a line
And if you listen closely
You can hear them singing ho, oh, oh, oh
And if you listen closely
You can hear them singing ho, oh, oh, oh
Hosanna
Just another tinsel ornament
Another troubled sky
We are folded in the firmament
Catch us as we fly
I don’t remember what I ought to be
I only know what’s right
I’m suspended from the orrery
Bursting into light
And If you listen closely
You can hear them singing
Hosanna, hosanna
And if you listen closely
You can hear them singing
Hosanna, hosanna yeah!
Hosanna yeah!
Hosanna, hosanna yeah!
Hosanna yeah!
Hosanna, hosanna yeah!
Hosanna yeah!
Over stone and grapevine
Over the souls on the breadline
There’s a reckoning at hand
Our hand
See them flayed at the flagpole
Catch it all on your console
We have come at your command
We stand
We stand
Blessed babe on display
Break her skull on the parquet
Wayward mariner awake!
We pray
She is daughter and son
The imperium undone
All the autocrats are laid
To waste
To waste
Oh holy whore androgyne
Come and sunder the stop signs
Break it all so we can build again
Bring on duke or dauphin
Blood will flow like a fountain
As it ever was, so it will be again
Will be again
As it ever was, so it will be again
Will be again
As it ever was
So it will be again, again
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna yeah!
Hosanna yeah!
Hosanna yeah!