4th century BC
Plato
- Idealism — forms over particulars
- The Republic ethic: “God is not the author of evil”
Notes
Track ten is the album's first breath of dark humor, and after four heavy songs it is a mercy. It is a comic talking-blues built on the bones of A Boy Named Sue - a man named heretic, and the name making his whole life a fight. I expected the world to call me names. But I am here to tell you about the names I got from the church.
The joke is the contradiction, and it is exactly true. The Arminians called me a hyper-Calvinist, the worst of the worst. The Calvinists turned right around and called me an antinomian. One man called me a heretic on a Monday and a compromiser by that Friday - and brother, it was the very same man. For years I fought every one of those names, figuring if I won enough rounds they would take the name back. You cannot win a name back. That is the comic engine of the whole song.
But the twist lands earnest, the way the true things do. The song has me getting low one night and having it out with God - why would You let them name me clean out of everywhere a man can stand? And the answer comes back quiet. Son, I let them hang that name on you, every contradictory one, because a man who is welcome everywhere will never leave the camp. And the truth was always out past the fence. I named you out on purpose. So the comedy turns into the album's hinge. Call me Heretic, I will answer to it now. It was the name on the road that led me to the truth - and it turned out to be the gift.
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Well I have been a believer most of my life now
And in all of that time I have been called a lot of things
Now I expected the world to call me names, the world has always done that
But I am here to tell you about the names I got from the church
[Verse 2]
The Arminians, they called me a hyper-Calvinist, the worst of the worst
And the Calvinists turned right around and called me an antinomian
One camp said that I was too hard, one camp said I was too soft
One man called me a heretic on a Monday
And a compromiser by that Friday
And brother, it was the very same man
[Chorus]
They made me a man named Heretic
Heretic, that was the name
You carry a name like that into a room
And the room is never the same
A man named Heretic learns to keep his back against the wall
A man named Heretic learns to scrap
[Verse 3]
So for years and years I fought about it, I fought about it everywhere
I would not let a single name go by without a swing
I figured if I won enough of the rounds they would take the name back someday
But you cannot win a name back
No sir, you cannot win a name back
[Verse 4]
So I got down low one night and I had it out with God
I said Lord, every camp on earth has shown me to the door
I said Lord, they have named me clean out of everywhere a man can stand
I said why would You let them do it
Why would You ever let them name me out
[Bridge]
And it came back quiet, the way the true things always do
Son, I let them hang that name on you, every contradictory one
Because a man who is welcome everywhere will never leave the camp
And the truth was never in the camp
The truth was always out past the fence
I named you out, son
I named you out on purpose
[Final Verse and Outro]
So you can call me Heretic, I will answer to it now
It is just the name on the road that led me to the truth
A man named Heretic turned out to be the only kind of man
Who was ever going to find his way outside the camp
They made me a man named Heretic
And Lord, it turned out to be the gift
Commentary