Eric Church - “Lightning”
Eric Church’s new release assumes a bold and controversial challenge: making a condemned murderer into a sympathetic figure. It’s not the first song to address capital punishment (see: “Sing Me Back Home”), but among the only to so unequivocally embrace the perspective of the condemned. The subject of Haggard’s classic is faceless and nameless, and his pre-death recollections are the kind of innocent nostalgia shared by those who die by causes other than the order of the state. Church attempts actual narrative, introducing a victim, circumstance, a human perpetrator, and even what some might see as a mitigating factor. Country artists like to sing about prisoners, but few have used the subject to stake out territory for purposes other than the development of an outlaw persona.
The political message of this lyric, or whether one even exists, doesn’t interest me and I suspect that much of the speculation to that end will reveal the critic’s personal bias more than the lyric’s content. Some will argue that Church’s lyric is ineffective, and it’s undeniable that it’s imperfect. Church is among the best of the mainstream singer-songwriters, but he lacks the ability of a Kristofferson or Haggard to make “Lightning” into something truly transcendent and classic. At times “Lightning” occupies an uncomfortable middle-ground between character development and emotion evocation that diminishes the lyric’s potency. Imperfections aside, “Lightning” might be the finest piece of songwriting to hit radio in of 2007 and Chuch’s powerfully understated performance makes it one of the very best single releases of the year.
Watch: Eric Church, “Lightning”:
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November 24, 2007 at 11:21 pm Permalink
In an interview, Merle Haggard said that he doesn’t think writing can be as transcedent today because all the good stories are gone. While ALL stories may not be gone, I do believe that we will be hard pressed to find another Merle, Kris, or Johnny. However, I think this song does step out of the box of what artists in Nashville are doing today, especially on their debut cd. The fact that Eric takes this risk, and gets his label to put the song out there speaks to the ability of the song.
November 25, 2007 at 12:59 am Permalink
The same ground has been covered by Steve Earle at least a couple of times ( “Over Yonder (Jonathan’s Song)” and “Billy Austin“). “Over yonder” is based on his real life interaction and eventual friendship with a prisoner, Jonathan Nobles, who was put to death despite his transformation while in prison into a better man. I don’t agree with Earle’s politics and don’t particularly care for his music, but the story is pretty powerful.
As for “Lightning,” I think the middle-ground you mentioned dominates the song. Nothing suggested creates any sort of empathy and the lack of remorse is most likely the culprit. Church’s vocal is too descriptive is it’s narration and really detracts from the material by being a little to upbeat. I think there are slight glimpses of greatness, but it’s not quite there as you suggested in the review. How awesome is this lyric, though: “Tonight I ride the lightning / To my final judgement day”
Oh, and on a side note, the song isn’t being released as a single.
November 25, 2007 at 2:09 am Permalink
I plead ignorance when it comes to Steve Earle. I don’t like his music and thus don’t listen to it. I haven’t heard either of the songs that you mention, though I’m still willing to speculate about their political message, which prima facie distinguishes them from the Church cut.
I hadn’t read that Capitol wasn’t releasing this as a single. Music vidoes are expensive and labels usually aren’t willing to make them for new artists until it’s apparent that the song is going to chart, so I’m surprised that they’d make a video for a song that they have no intention of sending to radio. However, it’s been getting a fair amount of play on CMT so perhaps they’ve found a good alternative way to increase Church’s popularity.
I maintain that the song is very well done, though admittedly calling it among the best of the year isn’t saying as much as one would expect. It does suffer from the problems that you mention, but I don’t agree with those who criticize this song for being “ineffective” (you mention empathy). I have a similar problem with Whitney Self’s comments over at CMT blog. I don’t think that empathy is what Church was going for; if it was, I think that he would’ve thrown some remorse in there like you suggest. His inclusion of the killer’s daughter seems to me more designed to personalize the external effects of the deed than to inspire empathy for the condemned.
November 25, 2007 at 6:44 am Permalink
Thus far no one has mentioned the “Green Green Grass of Home”, originally a hit for Johnny Darrell and covered by many artists. It’s not a very political song, but it is sung from the perspective of the condemned. Also Marty Robbins’ “The Chair” is worth a listen
November 25, 2007 at 9:52 am Permalink
I’ll compare this song with another death row song from a completely different genre, the 1984 Metallica classic “Ride the Lightning.” In that song, the protagonist also knows he is guilty, but is angry that men get to decide his fate, not God, and from there it gets to a much more visceral telling of the electric chair experience for that prisoner. This is not a guy who, despite his crimes, wishes to die.
“Lightning,” however, seems to focus too much, for me at least, on the spiritual redemption and seeming inevitable salvation of the main character. I half expected the video to climax with a phone call from the governor commuting the sentence - hallelujuah! Let’s face it; those condemned to death usually have committed not just a murder, but a murder of a heinous variety. I’m not espousing a pro- or anti- position on the death penalty, just asking for a bit more realism in describing those sentenced to death versus some Hollywood-style feel-good ending that sends this fellow to Heaven (instead of, let’s say, Hell).
The performance and musical development of the song are top-notch. There’s no doubting that. I find a lot lacking in the lyric, personally.
November 25, 2007 at 4:50 pm Permalink
it’s a little lacking in the lyric department, i agree. but i have to say that church must have balls the size of car tires to even record this song nowadays. it’s a courageous move. not something nashville is known for. church doesn’t have the lyrical gift of a steve earle or a willie nelson (at least not in this song), but hey, who does? it’s a start and he gets props for that.
November 25, 2007 at 8:33 pm Permalink
It’s a solid song (though certainly not in the class of Earle’s Over Yonder or Ellis Unit One), a top notch performance and one of the best videos I’ve seen since Cash’s “Hurt.”
November 25, 2007 at 11:40 pm Permalink
I do happen to like Steve Earle, and though I have not loved every incarnation that his music has taken, I do love his conviction. When he sings something, you can sense that he absolutely, without fail, means it. I heard him do a KGSR sound bite the other day and it was one of the more compelling things I heard that day. Does Eric Church seem truly convicted about his position? Nah.
November 26, 2007 at 7:44 am Permalink
This was my favorite track on the Eric Church record and it is THE song that got him both his publishing and record deals. So I can see where Capital would release a video of it. He’s sold pretty well for a guy without a big single and has developed a decent following. I wish radio would play this song (at least for something different) but they won’t so kudos to Capital for greenlighting a video that will likely bring more people to the record.
November 26, 2007 at 7:55 am Permalink
The Earle songs are surprising non-political considering his stance on the issue.
I figured empathy was the goal considering the comments the VP of Capitol Records made in the article a I linked to and you mentioned in the first sentence that he was trying to make a condemned murderer into a sympathetic figure. In that regard, the song is ineffective. And because it’s so middle of the road and doesn’t choose sides, it doesn’t cause anyone to discuss the merits of the death penalty. It’s not controversial and therefore ineffective in that regard as well. I think if you’re going to record a song from the perspective of a condemned man, you need to make people feel something one way or the other, otherwise, there’s no way to identify with the song.
November 26, 2007 at 7:59 am Permalink
absolutely. i don’t feel a lot when i listen to the eric church song. it doesn’t really move me. whereas listen to ‘billy austin’ by steve earle. every time i hear that song, i can feel the straps go around my chest and smell death. that’s what a good lyric does. it takes you there.
November 26, 2007 at 11:35 am Permalink
Brady, I’d distinguish between sympathy and empathy. I think any good lyric portrays the singer in a positive light. Because the song is sung in the first person, this requires portraying the murderer in a positive light, though it does not require that we feel sorry for him or feel the emotions that he is feeling (the definition of empathy).
Regarding controversy, as I previously wrote, country music is funny in that there are some topics that are so off limits that simply referencing them is incredibly controversial. I don’t think that the death penalty rises to the level of the examples that I provided in the article, but the point is that you don’t have to take a clearly defined political stance to be controversial. I think that the early response to this song suggests some controversy despite Church’s ambiguity.
November 26, 2007 at 11:54 am Permalink
First, I wanted to say that I believe the label has pulled Sinners Like Me from radio because of the success from the Lightning video, so I do believe they might be releasing Lightning as a single now.
I do believe that Church has the conviction that Jeff wondered about. While maybe his conviction isn’t behind his POSITION on the death penalty in this song (since it doesn’t take a side either way), there isn’t another artist I’ve seen that delivers his songs with more conviction than Church. While he might not say what he believes in in the song, it’s clear he believes in the topics he’s delivering to the public and I truly admire that in a songwriter. A lot of modern country music doesn’t take a chance or take a stand and I think it’s refreshing to hear from an artist who does so!
November 26, 2007 at 12:07 pm Permalink
Lightning is a very POWERFUL video. No matter if it is a controversal one. But Eric really put a lot of real life in this song. And the video makes me feel I am part of the song. Really brought a new light to the song in my eyes. What is so wrong in pointing out someone realized his wrong and asked forgivness from god and his child? I am really glad to see Eric exspress this part of life. And I stand up and applaude him for his OUTSTANDING job on the video. Never felt so touched but a song in my life.
November 26, 2007 at 12:21 pm Permalink
I feel that this video is so powerful for the song, I was taught that country songs and songwriting tell the story of a person’s life. And in this case, Eric writes from the point of view of in this case the criminal. This song and video are both AMAZING!!! Which may be why it debuted at #2 on the CMT Pure 12 Pack.
November 26, 2007 at 12:38 pm Permalink
I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK GOD NOONE IS BASHING ANYBODY AND SOMEONE SAID WHAT THEY THINK IS WRONG WITH SOMETHING AND DIDN’T DO IT IN A DEMEANING MANNER
AS FOR THE SONG AND VIDEO HISTORY WILL TELL IF ITS STRONG ENOUGH TO BREAK THE CAP THAT HAS BEEN PUT ON ERIC BY COUNTRY RADIO(I GUESS HE PLAYS TOO LOUD OR DOESN’T HAVE ENOUGH HAIR GEL LOL) TIME WILL TELL
November 26, 2007 at 1:06 pm Permalink
I’d just like to put in a good word for Johnny Cash’s “25 Minutes to Go,” not to mention “I Hung My Head” and especially “Sam Hall”:
The Sheriff, he come too
And he said, “Sam, how are you?”
And I said, “Well, Sheriff, how are you?
Damn your eyes!”
November 26, 2007 at 3:32 pm Permalink
The discussion has been great, but I think that Eric didn’t want the song to pick a side. If you listen to Eric Church, many of his songs do pick a side on certain issues (How ‘Bout You, Before She Does). However, I think this song is about storytelling, and what Eric is trying to get across her is not empathy, sympathy, or choosing a side on the death penalty. I think he is choosing to simply tell the story of a man facing death who is remorseful for his actions. The spiritual aspects of the song hit much harder for me than the trying to create empathy. He’s speak of this early in the song and finishes near the end with another line
Example:
I can feel the fires burnin’
As the devil guards my door
I hit my knees in search of Jesus
On a cold, jailhouse floor
Also,
Tonight I ride the lightning
To my final judgment day
November 26, 2007 at 3:33 pm Permalink
Also, the inspiration for this song was after watching the movie “The Green Mile” which might explain some of the issues in the song and why it be crafted in such a fashion
November 26, 2007 at 4:12 pm Permalink
What a great review….thank you for it :) Also, thanks for the great discussion.
I agree with Corey, I don’t believe Eric is picking a side, nor does he expect viewers/listeners too. Just telling a story.
I think the video is extremely well done. It actually follows the song quite well and follows in the story telling vein.
Job well done Mr. Church!
November 26, 2007 at 4:33 pm Permalink
Of all the songs on “Sinners Like Me” this is the one, and only, song I would pass up…unil now. The video is deep, dark and powerful. I LOVE the video and the more I watch it, I think the videography is just as powerful.
*Awesome*
November 26, 2007 at 8:53 pm Permalink
I agree that Lightning is one of the finest pieces of songwriting of the year, and the video is very powerful. I love the song and the video. I also love that people are discussing Lightning and helping to promote Eric Church, he will be around a long time, the day will come when people will be talking about a new artist and saying “but he’s no Eric Church”.
November 27, 2007 at 11:09 am Permalink
WELL SAID LAURIE
WELL SAID
November 27, 2007 at 6:21 pm Permalink
Forgiveness?
Redemption?
Right?
Wrong?
Heaven?
Hell?
I dare say Mr. Church has definitely accomplished his goal of making people “think”. I’m guessing the majority of us wouldn’t be discussing these particular topics on any given day. To me, that constitutes a powerful piece of songwriting.
….I believe the video does a remarkable job of developing each character and allowing the viewer to see the events unfold from all perspectives and then draw their own conclusion as to which “side” they’re on.
……I love hearing this song on the record because all the “white” noise isn’t edited out….you can hear him take a breath and to me…that’s real……I don’t care for albums that have been so over produced all the “real” is gone……I do believe “Lightning” captures this “realness” not only on tape, but also on video………
Amazing.
November 27, 2007 at 7:56 pm Permalink
Well, it seems to me we’re not discussing the murder or the death peanlty per se - we’re just discussing a song about murder and the death penalty. And the lyrics of that song still seem weaker than they ought to be. In addition, there seems to be no ambiguity about the upward flight of the protagonist’s soul post-execution, and I have trouble with that type of declarative statement about what God will or will not forgive. I seem to recall “Thou shalt not kill” being up in the Top 10 commandments (will it reach #1 with a bullet?).
I still love his performance, the composition, and the production, but my problems with the lyrics make it hard for me to confer greatness on the track in full.
November 27, 2007 at 8:50 pm Permalink
I have to say, I love this man’s music…BUT I must admit, this is NOT my favorite song on his album. However, I DO love the video. It’s very raw. The acoustic ending, with the crackling and all…all I can say is WOW.
I can’t remember who said it, but someone mentioned the fact that the crime didn’t really seem to fit the punishment. I have to agree with this statement. As a student in the legal field, I’ve thought that for a long time. I know, from my research, that a murder committed during the commission of a felony (armed robbery) doesn’t necessarily warrant the death penalty. That is usually reserved for particularly heinous crimes…HOWEVER, in a capital case, such as murder, the death penalty is almost always an option. (IF the trial court is in a state that does support capital punishment.)
I remind myself, though, that this is a song..or a story, if you will. And with every good story, you can bet you’ll find the author has taken a bit of artistic license.
Again, it’s a good song and an awesome video. Hats off E..ya done good!
November 27, 2007 at 11:08 pm Permalink
The recent comments about Dale Watson got me to remembering the song “Yellow Mama” on his latest album. It’s not exactly the same, but both are from the point of view of a murderer. I’d give the nod to the Watson cut, but as always, I’m sure it just comes down to a matter of opinion.
November 29, 2007 at 11:11 am Permalink
Finally a good Eric Church review. Thanks for appreciating some hard work. Hopefully radio and tv will give this song and video some air time.
November 30, 2007 at 1:15 pm Permalink
The guys here posted a link to a wonderful article detailing Johnny Cash’s live prison albums at Folsom and San Quentin on today’s main news thread.
There’s a quote from Cash in the liner notes they use in the article that I think is apropos of a more common way prison is viewed from the prisoner’s perspective…
Cash wrote this: “Folsom Prison Blues – the culture of 1,000 years is shattered with the clanging of the cell door behind you. Life outside, behind you, immediately becomes unreal. You begin to not care that it exists. All you have with you in the cell is your bare animal instincts.
“I speak partly from experience; I have been behind bars a few times, sometimes of my volition, sometime involuntarily. Each time I felt the same feeling of kinship with my fellow prisoners.
“Behind the bars, locked out from society, you’re being rehabilitated. Corrected. Re-briefed, re-educated on life itself. Without your having the opportunity of really reliving it. You’re the object of a widely planned program combining isolation, punishment, taming, briefing, etc., designed to make you sorry for your mistakes. To re-enlighten you, or do what you should or shouldn’t do outside, so that when you’re released, if you ever are, you can come out clean, to a world that’s supposed to welcome you and forgive you.
“Can it work????? Hell no.”
December 14, 2007 at 11:37 am Permalink
I felt disconnected from this song, but it was better the second time I heard it.
I would have like to seen them go a different direction with the video. It doesn’t always have to be a literal translation for the video.
What I do like about this song is he’s telling a story.
I don’t think it became the instant-number-one, career-making song that Capitol probably expected with it.
July 27, 2008 at 5:43 pm Permalink
Great review, this was one of my favorite songs a few months ago and I must say I was really taken away with the lyrics and Church’s performance of them. I don’t really think there is a political vibe to this song, and Church should be applauded for accomplishing the song without speaking to that aspect of the issue.
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