Saturday 23 February 2013

sung out


I was in between jobs in the late 90s when I saw the VHS copy of Allison Anders' film Grace Of My Heart which is said to be a thinly-based biopic of Carole King.  It was a commercial flop that I assumed went straight to video despite a wonderful original soundtrack written by Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello.  

The talented Illeana Douglas plays aspiring singer/songrwriter Denise Waverly as the film follows her struggles in her turbulent personal and professional life.

The heart of the film is the hauntingly beautiful song "God Give Me Strength".  It's not cheese.  It's deeply sad, poignant, honest, raw and emotional, and has been the running soundtrack of my few days past.  

Do yourself a favour and listen, will ya?


Now I have nothing, so God give me strength,
'cause I'm weak in his ways,
and if I'm strong, I might still break.

And I don't have anything to share
that I won't throw away into the air.
That song is sung out.
This bell is rung out.

He was the light that I'd bless.
He took my last chance of happiness.
So God give me strength.

God, if he'd grant me his indulgence and decline,
I might as well wipe him from my memory.
Fracture the spell as he becomes my enemy.
And maybe I was washed out
like a lip print on his shirt.

See, I'm only human, I want him to hurt.
I want him, I want him to hurt.

Since I lost the power to pretend
that there could ever be a happy ending.

That song is sung out.
This bell is rung out.

He was the light that I'd bless.
He took my last chance of happiness.
So God give me strength.
God give me strength.

2 comments:

  1. We're doing this now, B?
    mutha...

    ReplyDelete
  2. I cannot believe someone loves this song as much as I do! And I can't believe someone loves this movie (let alone saw it!) too!
    John Turturro is fab in this film. Great to know Im not alone!

    ReplyDelete