From the recording Palms and Crosses (Tomorrow Will Decide)
After seeing the movies The Baader Meinhof Complex and The Battle of Algiers, I thought about all the people who spent their lives striving for something they never achieved, perhaps dying in despair--Phil Ochs, Ulrike Meinhof, my mother, Jesus (the man).
And I thought about the highs of Palm Sunday to be followed by betrayal, humiliation and death by crucifixion. Had they wasted their lives in a futile struggle? The line, "one week palms, next week crosses," came to me. Then I thought, "Tomorrow will decide what yesterday means."
I devoted each stanza as well as the bridge to mother/child scenes--Mary at the crucifixion, a mother on a picnic with her kids, a mother with her kids on Independence Day, and a couple of women shopping for a wedding gift and musing over a dream-catcher.
Lyrics
This week palms, joy and praise
hearts are lifted, voices raised
next week nails and crowns of thorns
the mother of god herself will mourn
a handful of stragglers remain at the scene
asking themselves what it is that they’ve seen
Best go home, assess our losses
one week palms, next week crosses
one week palms, next week crosses, mostly life goes on unseen
all I can say is tomorrow will decide what yesterday means
single mom with three small kids
picnic lunch under the bridge
cast a line, catch a few fish
eat spaghetti off a styrofoam dish
Throw your ball, Ride your bike
There you go, Just play nice
Look, mom, look! You got a bite.
He stole your bait.
Story of my life.
one week palms, next week crosses
mostly life goes on unseen
all I can say is tomorrow will decide what yesterday means
mother with her children on the fourth of july
waving sparklers on a cordoned off street
I told you keep your shoes on, don’t blame me
if you wind up with glass in your feet
Birthday parties, wedding gifts
gotta run to the store, can you give me a lift?
Ooh, this looks cool. What’s it do?
It catches dreams. Ah, that isn’t true
How do you know? You gotta believe
All right, ask, thou shall receive
Give me back the friends I lost
Yeah, that’s right, just like I thought
one week palms, one week crosses, mostly life goes on unseen
all I can say is tomorrow will decide what yesterday means
all I can say is tomorrow will decide what yesterday means