James wrote this song while he was reading a lot near-death experiences in the books by Raymond Moody. Despite their different cultural and religious backgrounds, the people in his studies all had similar experiences of unconditional love when they died.
Another idea that came to James was that music contains an energy that can guide us. So, each song or piece of music is like a point on a map, and, as we discover, sing and listen to music, we move on our spiritual journeys. Where we are going is up to us.
lyrics
A POINT ON THE MAP OF HEAVEN
(James Carlson)
Sometimes your arms feel five miles long
Your life like a seaweed mess.
Your feet dragging slow, through three feet of snow,
And where you’re going is anyone’s guess.
Ghosts from the past, cold, dark and shakey,
Have blocked out every light.
So you’ve struggled to cut out the memories
To make it through the night.
CHORUS:
But this song is a point on the map of heaven,
A reminder that someone is there
To lighten what we bear.
This song is a point on the map of heaven,
Reaching down from above
With a message of love.
You’ve searched for some hope in the things you’ve collected
Books, toys, trinkets and cars.
You’ve buried your soul in drink, drugs and a hole,
But you still haven’t got very far,
But you still haven’t found your star.
The games that you’ve played have made you half crazy.
There’s always a fire to put out.
If you could just fix everything you‘d have some peace,
But you still haven’t figured that out,
Still it’s never the way it works out.
CHORUS
CODA
It doesn’t matter what you believe.
You don’t need to believe anything at all,
Grace is there for you, it’s for anyone.
Love is bigger than you can imagine.
Just own your life and love.
credits
from Points on the Map of Heaven,
released March 16, 2021
Lucie Carlson: violin/voice
James Carlson: accordion/voice/arrangement
Music/Lyrics: James Carlson
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