Passion Sacrificed to Keep from Going Crazy

All the recent wedding preparations and celebrations brought to mind one of my favorite songs of all time. As I was driving from Atlanta to Montgomery for a bridal shower a few weeks ago, I broke out Waterdeep's album Sink or Swim while the boys were napping. And I cranked it up. While grooving to some great songs like "And" and "18 Bullet Holes," I finally get to my absolute favorite: "Both of Us'll Feel the Blast."

Really, who else would equate the experience of a newly married couple to an explosion? And include admissions of our brokenness and need for Jesus and a picture of the final marriage supper of the Lamb? Only Don Chaffer, that's who. And the lyrics still all ring true so well, even after being married for over 8 years, that I had to put it on repeat for a while. I feel like there are still many days when I wake up and think "we ain't never done this thing but but I guess that's how it goes/ You breathe deep as it comes to you and hold tight when it blows..." In a few months we're going to be a family of five and I can only imagine how bringing up another new life is going to rock our world.

I've been considering doing a series on all the music that has shaped my life over the last several decades. I hope you will find some new-to-you artists to appreciate, since our favorite artists will likely never be featured on Glee. Mostly, too, I've realized that people who have only known us in the last 5 years or so have no idea about our history with the independent music scene and how Gaines and I met, so I plan to combine it all somehow. I need to call it something less cheesy than "My Musical Journey," but give me time.

I suppose this song is an appropriate introduction, since I think we included it in our wedding rehearsal dinner slideshow lo those many years ago. (But I can't check, because the presentation was saved on a laptop that was stolen out of Gaines' trunk one night while he was eating dinner in Midtown, not long after we were married. Backup your files, people!)

I wanted you to be able to hear Waterdeep perfom, so I've included a video from a live show they played last year. You get an idea of the song, but they cut off part at the beginning, so I included the full lyrics below. Seriously, if you buy one album this week and don't have this one yet, go get it. Or just get the song off iTunes. Waterdeep will thank you.

Both Of Us’ll Feel The Blast
Written by Don Chaffer

We're both dirty, baby- that's just the way it goes
We'll try to cut the fuses off before everything blows
And if it blows and both of us are standing real close by
Then both of us'll feel the blast and both of us'll die
But dying's overrated, it's a ticket on a train
And as long as I can hold your hand, I'll know that I'm still sane
Maybe I'm an idiot for thinking that that's true
But I believe that Jesus knew what He was doing when He gave me you

Lately I've been wondering- what are we gonna do
When we wake up in the morning and its just me and you?
Cause we ain't never done this thing but I guess that's how it goes
You breathe deep as it comes to you and hold tight when it blows
And if it blows and both of us are standing real close by
Then both of us'll feel the blast and both of us'll die
And dying's underrated, it's a ticket to the feast-
The one we're all invited to, from the greatest to the least

I hope we sit together when Jesus serves the wine
So I can look into your eyes when I taste it the first time
And I know there's no secrets when you're sitting at that table
But I believe we'll smile real knowingly when we read the label
And it says "passion sacrificed to keep from going crazy."
We'll tip our glasses to the Host who used to look so hazy
And drink it down all sweet and slow and slip inside His mind
And realize as it goes down- this is communion wine
This is communion wine
This is communion wine
This is communion wine