“‘Finding My Way’ [which replaced the Buddy Holly cover ‘Not Fade Away’ on the debut album] is a prime example of early 1970s hard rock, with prototype Rush guitar and bass attack. It features a highlight in Geddy’s screeching, ‘Sang some sad songs.'”and “is the most Led Zeppelin-like of the debut album’s composition, Geddy trying out the odd “ooh yeah” over a drumless verse. “The first track on the first album, this is the recording the band chose to give first impressions.” The song was the first one the band heard played on the radio. “Geddy said he will never forget hearing himself on the radio for the first time. ‘It really freaked me out when DJ David Marsden played ‘Finding My way’ on CHUM-FM.’ Marsden got an unusual phone call that day. ‘My request lines were ringing and I believe in talking to the people, so I picked up the phone with Rush playing and the voice said, “David, how are you doing? It’s Alex calling.” My reply, “Okay, Alex, what do you want to hear?” and Alex said, “No, I just wanted to thank you for playing our record. It’s the very first time I’ve heard it on the radio.” CHUM-FM continued to play the dsc. It also got air time in Montreal, but that was about it for radio.” After the release of the debut album, Rush opened for ZZ Top at the Allen Theater in Cleveland. They opened with ‘Finding My Way’ and the crowd went crazy! They obviously knew the material. They got an encore. Listen to the first live version of the song with Neil, at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, opening for Uriah Heep, on Aug. 14 1974. At a couple of points it sounds like someone in the audience trying to imitate Geddy’s wail.
Yeah, oh yeah!
Ooh, said I, I'm comin' out to get you
Ooh, sit down, I'm comin' out to find you
Ooh, yeah
Ooh yeah
Findin' my way!
I've been gone so long
I've lost count of the years
Well, I sang some sad songs
Oh yes, and cried some bad tears
Look out! I'm comin', whoa, whoa
Look out! I'm comin', whoa, yeah
I'm runnin', finding my way back home
Oh yeah!
Yeah, oh, yeah!
Ooh, said I, I'm comin' back to look for you
Ooh, sit down, I'm goin' by the back door
Ooh, yeah
Ooh, yeah
Findin' my way!
You've done me no right
But you've done me some wrong
Left me lonely each night
While I sing my sad song
Look out! I'm comin', whoa, whoa
Look out! I'm comin', whoa, yeah
I'm runnin', findin' my way back home
I'm comin'
Ooh, babe, I said I'm runnin'
Whoa, babe, I said I'm comin' to get you, mama
Said I'm runnin'
Ooh, babe, I said I'm comin' for you, babe. I said I'm runnin'
Ooh, yes, babe, I said I'm comin' to get you, babe
I said I'm comin'
Ooh, yeah
I'm findin', I'm findin' my way back home
Well, I've had it for now, livin' on the road
Ooh, yeah
Ooh, yeah
Findin' my way!
Rush's "Finding my way" is what I like to call a "returning" song. A home coming song if you like. A song that charts a journey home. In the lyrics we find verses like "I've been gone so long" and "Well, I've had it for now, livin' on the road". It is a song of repentance. Of knowing where you have gone wrong and returning, Doing a 360 degree in the road and setting out back to a better life. The scripture passage this morning in Isaiah 55 comes from the Old Testament and speaks the same thing as the Rush song, it's a "returning" passage.
Can't God always be found? Isn't God always near? While it is true that God does not forsake those who seek him (Psalm 9:10) and that "those who seek God shall not lack any good thing" (Psalm 34:10), it is also true that there are times when the Lord seems either more or less accessible.
These people that are on the receiving end of Isaiah's prophesy are coming to the end of a decades-long exile that was punishment for their sins. During this exile, they felt that the Lord had abandoned them. Now the prophet is bringing them word that their exile is drawing to a close and that the Lord has drawn near once more. It is a golden moment, one that they dare not allow to pass unacknowledged. If they seek the Lord now, "while he may be found," the Lord will have mercy on them and pardon them (v. 7). If they fail to seek the Lord now, the implication is that Yahweh will abandon them to their wickedness. During their exile, they have known what it feels like to be abandoned. Now is their opportunity to reverse that. All they have to do is to "seek the Lord while he may be found" and to "call upon him while he is near." They are coming home.
There are rich possibilities in this verse. There are times and seasons when it is easy to seek and find the Lord. There are moments it seems when we for no apparent reason, feel mysteriously drawn to the Lord. Our response in those moments will determine the direction that we will take––possibly for the rest of our lives––for eternity. It is vitally important that we admit the Lord into our lives in those moments when "he may be found"––when "he is near."
Of course it could be said that God is near all the time. In this passage the prophet is calling out for people to return home and more than that calling for people to return to God. It's a moment of the call to freedom and life. It's a moment to forsake all that has gone before and to do a 360 degree turn and get out of you current cicumstances and return to God who will give you safe haven and will welcome you with open arms (Luke 15 and the story of the prodigal) In Isaiah it's a call to give up exile life and come home.
"let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts" (v. 7a). "The wicked" in this context are the Jewish exiles who have so accommodated themselves to life in Babylon that they have no intention of joining the exiles who will soon journey to Jerusalem. In our context, wickedness and unrighteousness have a thousand faces––religious rebellion, failure to love our neighbour, thievery, unchastity––the list goes on and on.
"and let them return to Yahweh, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon" (v. 7b). It is these estranged people (v. 7a) whom the Lord seeks to save––not the best of the best but the worst of the worst. Those on the margins. The Lord will show such people mercy––will abundantly pardon them––will set them on a new course. The Servant will make his grace powerful enough to change lives. Sounds like Jesus.
But first these people must return to the Lord. There will be no grace apart from their response to the Lord's offer of mercy. The Rush "Finding my Way" Echoes Isaiah 55:6-7. We hear of a tiredness on the road and a desire to return to where his heart is. It's this that Isaiah is proclaming and inviting. May we with the lyrics of the song say "I'm findin', I'm findin' my way back home"
No comments:
Post a Comment