John Mark McMillan | Mercury and Lightning | Live From My Basement

"Mercury and Lighting" live and acoustic from my basement studio in Charlotte, NC.

Thoughts behind the song:

So… What happens when you’ve made a living singing about God, inspired thousand of people, sang on stages around the world with your best friends, and then one day you realize that what you now believe (or think you believe), seems offensive to the people who look up to you, respect you… and, yes, buy your music? When your “brand” (read: “identity) is characterized by “honesty” and, (I hate this next word ) “authenticity”, how in the world do you honestly and authentically (yuck) continue with your work when you’re not sure if YOU even believe in what you’re doing? ⁣
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⁣Well, first you have a panic attack. Next you exhaust all your friends through hours of laborious conversation. Then you go to counseling. After that, you throw caution to the wind and record an album documenting the whole messy situation anyway. You’ve never made records to pacify an audience or make money. Plus your “audience” (read: highly cherished extended friend group) are mostly intelligent, kind, and willing to walk with you through the journey. Besides, many of them are on the same path and might need company…⁣
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⁣You decide that maybe faith has never been your responsibility. Faith itself has always been a gift from God, and not a thing you generate yourself. There’s a term for that: “self righteousness”. So you learn to chill out, and trust the powers that led to your existence, cause you can’t know what you don’t know. And the little you can honestly say that you DO KNOW about God is utterly obsession worthy. And you’re obsessed. You’ve always been obsessed with God. ⁣
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⁣In the end you decide that maybe you didn’t lose your faith at all, just a little self righteousness. And if true faith means handing everything over to God, that must include even (and especially) your own ability to believe. So, ironically, in the process of making your little record about doubt you start to think that you actually became, for the fist time in your life, a true believer. ⁣

Lyrics:
I've been chasing God
I've been chasing mercury and lightning
And I've been pressing hard
I've been coming up short
Lately, I've been thinking about
What's gonna happen with you and I
I need a new religion
Or I need a new lie

I've been on the phone
I've been chasing mercury and lightning
Pressing for the deal to close
I've been coming up short
Lately, I've been thinking about
What's going on between you and I
I need a true religion
Or I need a new lie

I swear I've heard the echoes of a voice
Like a dream that you feel, but you don't remember
I've known it ever since I was a boy
Like a word on the tip of my tongue
I swear I've heard the echoes of a voice
Like a dream that you feel, but you don't remember
I've known it ever since I was a boy
Like a word on the tip of my tongue