Two Weeks

The band known as The East Pointers just released an album called What We Leave Behind. On that album is a song to which many will be able to relate. It is called “Two Weeks” and deals with the emotions of leaving home to work at a job in a far-off province for “two weeks on” and “two weeks off.”

To most of us, the idea of working for a mere two weeks and having two weeks off from work sounds appealing. But, as the song-writers say, “Nobody warned me, nobody told me I’d leave there so broken, come back so lonely.” The reality of leaving a wife and family behind to find employment in another place is a necessity for many in Canada and particularly for those who live in economically depressed areas such as Newfoundland and the Maritimes (YYG is the Charlottetown airport code). The song goes on to speak of the losses felt from being away for two weeks. Marriages and relationships with children suffer in this situation, and depression and reliance on alcohol or drugs may also contribute to the loss of money, friends, and a future. The song is one person’s haunting account of a life lived in fragments - two weeks at a time.

The East Pointers is an up-and-coming band from whom we can expect to hear a lot more. The majority of their music is East-Coast Traditional Celtic fare that appeals to those with twitchy feet, who can’t wait to get up and dance. Their ballads are filled with a sense of mournfulness that will tug at the heart-strings of all. Watch for one of their shows at a venue near you. 

Two Weeks
(Words and music by T. Chaisson, K. Chaisson, J. Charron, G. Sampson)
(From the album, What We Leave Behind, http://eastpointers.ca) 

Monday morning minus 18
Another West Jet YYG to Calgary
I always knew she’d get used to me leaving someday

A lot less words now her tears have run dry
I can tell by the way she doesn’t hold me as tight
That she’s thinking maybe she’s better off alone

Nobody warned me
Nobody told me
I’d leave there so broken and come back so lonely
I’m killing my soul for the life that I’m leaving behind
Two weeks on
Two weeks off
My blood is wearing thin and my stomach’s in knots
Too much thinking about the time you’ve lost
When it’s two weeks on and two weeks off

I punch in hide the whiskey on my breathe
By the time the night comes I take whatever I can get
Blowing black gold money I shoulda sent home

Two more days and I’m east coast bound
I’ll be praying she’s there when the wheels touch down
Maybe there’s a job home that’ll keep me this time

Nobody warned me

Nobody told me

I’d leave there so broken and come back so lonely

I’m killing my soul for the life that I’m leaving behind

Two weeks on

Two weeks off

My blood is wearing thin and my stomach’s in knots

Too much thinking about the time you’ve lost

When it’s two weeks on and two weeks off 

Nobody warned me

Nobody told me

I’d leave there so broken and come back so lonely

I’m killing my soul for the life that I’m leaving behind

Two weeks on

Two weeks off

My blood is wearing thin and my stomach’s in knots

Too much thinking about the time you’ve lost

When it’s two weeks on and two weeks off 

Monday morning minus eighteen, another West Jet YYG to Calgary

(I am sending out a special thanks to CBC Music and to my daughter, Twila, for introducing me to this amazing band.)

  

Broken and Sinful from the Start

Yesterday, I quoted Scot McKnight saying, "sinfulness has spread throughout the human race from its first beginnings and ... each individual has contributed their own share to it." Adam and the Genome (Venema and McKnight, 2017, BrazosPress). It made me think of this song by Jonathon Foreman:

Broken from the Start

(words and music by Jon Foreman)
(Listen while you read the lyrics)

(Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Life is a gift like fresh cut roses
Cut from the branch and brought inside
It's a slow contradiction, it's beauty in a vase
When our cords are cut that's when we start to die

(Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh)
Lately death and life get so confusing
I can't tell the difference here tonight
Lately every breath feels like I'm kissing death
And when time is dead I cease to be alive

If you hide yourself deep inside
Deep inside
In time you've got nothing left to hide
There's nothing left inside
Tonight, honey
I'm gonna break your heart
Mine was broken from the start
Broken from the start

Death and life, cords cut, starting to die, hiding yourself until there is nothing left to hide. Signs of The Fall and signs of our own sin. 

Broken

I am damaged on the inside

My soul don’t quite work true

There are foul spots on my right side

And my wrong side’s looking cruel

I am broken on the upside

Spirit’s broken down

There’s downsides to this arrangement

But I’m hanging in for now

Broken, damaged, injured,

Wounded, cracked, beat-up

Somehow we are all the same

So down we must look up

You know what I am feeling

Cause you are broken too

You’re hiding it away from me

I'm hiding this from you

There are people who are dying

Those who need my care

Seems “my give-a-damn” is busted

Can’t quite seem to care

Broken, damaged, injured,

Wounded, cracked, beat-up

Somehow we are all the same

So down we must look up

Broken, but I want to be whole

Damaged, and needing repair

Wounded, but desiring healing

Injured, and lacking care

The wounds that I am feeling

I can’t heal on my own

Heaven come and help me now

As on my knees I groan

Ten Thousand angels never

Would be enough to heal

The damage done by demons

Who are biting at my heels

Broken, damaged, injured,

Wounded, cracked, beat-up

Somehow we are all the same

So down we must look up

(Lyrics by Key of Zed: Mike Charko and Keith Shields)