Written by: Aaron Tate
Appears on: 40 Acres, Guild 3, Chronicles
Lyrics:
Out on these Texas plains you can see for a million lives
And there’s a thousand exits between here and the state line
About the last time that I saw you
You said call me Pandora, call me a fool
And I’m thinking this view it could do you some good
So drop these scales and take a look
There’s 40 acres and redemption to be found
Just along down the way
There is a place where no plow blade has turned the ground
And you will turn it over, ’cause out here hope remains
‘Cause out here hope remains…
Out here the Texas sky is as big as the sea
And you’re alone in your room like an island floating free
Your spirit’s hanging in a bottle out on a tree
You say that you’re the black sheep, I say you’re still family
So throw that bottle to the waves
They’ll bring you in to me and from the shore you will see
Out here the Texas rain is the hardest I’ve ever seen
It’ll wash your house away, but it’ll also make you clean
Now these rocks they are crying too
And this whole land is calling out for you
See also: MusicBrainz, iTunes.
The basic theme of this song is the vision of freedom and cleansing through God. As the band has said many times before, the whole idea of this song (and the 40 Acres album) is the wonderful work of redemption. We can be created anew and given a fresh start when we give our lives to Christ, and then each day after that.
Aaron uses a wonderful historical allegory to get his point across. When slavery ended, emancipated slaves were given ’40 acres and a mule’ to begin their lives and newfound freedom. Aaron compares our lives in Christ to this, as we get ’40 acres and a mule’ everyday.
“You said call me Pandora, call me a fool”…A reference to the Greek mythological figure, Pandora, who was given a box and told never to open it. When her curiosity was piqued, she could resist the temptation no longer and foolishly opened the box, releasing evil and illness to spread across the world.
“So drop these scales and take a look”…this might refer to the scales dropping from Paul’s eyes after his conversion experience in Acts 9:18.
“Your spirit’s hanging in a bottle out on a tree”…this is a reference to the story “The Spirit in the Bottle” by the Brothers Grimm.
“There is a place where no plow blade has turned the ground…”…this paints a picture of the fresh start that God’s redemption gives us. Land that has never been plowed before. A true fresh start.
“And you’re alone in your room, like an island floating free”…this line could be in reference to the famous quote from John Donne’s Meditation #17 which said, “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.”
Why is CC no longer playing verse one in concert? Any ideas? I can’t figure it out…
I don’t understand how the fables tie into redemption… What is the other person curious about?
Also, I sort-of understand the island reference, but it could be made clearer. Is the dependence being highlighted that which we have on God?