It's been a long, cold, lonely winter...

Got Haunting?

Howdy Blogland.

I have been surprised at the amount of interactivity I have experienced on this blog over the last 2 weeks. Seems as though folks have been very curious about "Jesus is Haunting Me" - what the music is like, why I wrote it, had I recorded it yet, etc.

Read the posting prior to this for the "back story" and lyrics.

I have to say some of you have been mighty opinionated as to how this should be treated. Which I take as a compliment that folks are making it their own. I describe to some that it is a sassy rocker - a bit of a rebellious thang that describes my annoyance with the omnipresence of the Holy Ghost when I have other things on the agenda.

I started jotting notes for this tune a couple of years ago, but only finished it up in the last 6 months - primarily, because I "live" this song. I live "in" this song. If I completed it - action would be in order. Maybe I have crossed that bridge.

Anyway - as I described the feel of the song to those asking - they seemed disappointed. I think they were looking for something more - thoughtful. Something deeper than "ticked off." Something more - well - haunting.

You guys win. I have changed the music to suit the listener this time.

I plan to make this blog more interactive in the future. I value your opinions and want to hear from you.

Below is a rough demo. Tell me what you think.

Brian


Jesus is Haunting Me by bhilligoss

Steadfast Haunting

“I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears…

…Ah, fondest, blindest, weakest,
I am He Whom thou seekest!
Thou dravest love from thee, who dravest me."

From “The Hound of Heaven”
Francis Thompson – 1889


Francis Thompson was an English Poet, often homeless and confessed opium addict who died of tuberculosis in 1907 at the age of forty-seven. “The Hound of Heaven,” his most famous poem, is an autobiographical account of how the Holy Ghost relentlessly pursued his wayward soul. 186 lines beautifully describe the struggle, conflict, betrayal, and his eventual surrender to The Hound’s steadfast love.

I ran across this poem about 2 years after I started my own careful consideration of these hauntings. Acknowledgment of the “situation” leads to more relentlessness. More banging. More baiting. More bugging. More begging. Polite persistence awaits me with an echoed voice reminiscent of Rex Allen Sr. and a Godly presence that only Christ, himself, could pull off.

Here is my version of Mr. Thompson’s account. I’ve had a difficult time finding an audience for this song.


Jesus is Haunting Me

Jesus is haunting me, Jesus is wanting me
Jesus is preying on me, he’s haunting me

Every turn, don’t learn, ignore all the friction
I’m against the grain, feel no pain, and hide my religion
I’m a fake it til I make it and fair weather Christian at best

Every look, on the hook, he’s showin me the good book
In my face, side the head, he’s hiding under my bed
A waitin’ and a baitin for the right time to reel me in

Jesus is haunting me, Jesus is wanting me
Jesus is preying on me, he’s haunting me

In the shadows, in the yard, on the hood of my car
He’s lurks and he works overtime chasin me far
I’m shaken, and awakened, he is scarin’ the hell out of me

Now I’m on the line, this time, everything is mighty fine
No doubt, devil’s out the first round, last bout
Oh Lord, My Lord, Thanks for being there for me

Jesus is haunting me, Jesus is wanting me
Jesus is praying for me…
He’s wanting me. He’s wanting me.

He’s haunting me.

Brian Hilligoss © 2008