39 - The Nights are Hot and Black as Ink

I'm not one of those people who has an issue with classic songs being covered by current artists.  Especially if they do an amazing job with it.  This is one of those songs.  For me, I didn't know the original.  So this cover version introduced me to it.  And, to date, I don't know if I have ever checked out the original.  Mainly because this version just does it for me.

And, I have to respect a musician who doesn't just agree to do it because it'd be cool.  I read that the singer made sure to get approval from the original artist before agreeing to do it.  That's a level of class and respect you don't often hear about.  At least I don't.

The song appeared at the end credits of the movie for which it was recorded, and named after.  The movie, stars Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle.  It's a moving story about a man, Sandler, who lost his family in the 9/11 attack on New York, as he reconnects with his old college roommate, Cheadle.

The performances are chilling and gut wrenching.  There is humor, but the movie is a drama and has a heavy story.  Sandler is captivating and Cheadle plays a great everyman.  It's not a movie I can watch repeatedly.  But it is powerful and worth the watch.  The movie is:  Reign Over Me.

Not a film for kids.  It has an R rating for language and sexual references.

Song 39
        "Love Reign O'er Me" from The Who, as covered by Pearl Jam from the movie sound track, Reign Over Me.

The Autumnness of the song comes from the driving tone of the song that starts out much simpler.  Like many songs on this list, it's the dramatic build up that takes me into this season I love so much.  There is a passionate chill in Vedder's voice as he belts out the lyrics in this song.  He doesn't hold anything back.  For someone just hearing this song, I wouldn't have known it was a cover.  His energy behind his singing made me think this was something coming right out of his soul.

Only love Can bring the rain
That falls like tears
From on high

Love, reign o'er me
Reign o'er me, oh rain on me
Love, reign o'er me, rain on me
Rain on me

The imagery of love falling like rain, and having reign takes me to thoughts of God and what He has done in my life.  Like the cold wet rain drenching the East Coast from Sandy, (or any other rain) we can either accept that we will get wet, or run and hide like it is going to ruin our day.

It's rain.  Water.  Aside from violent storms like Sandy, rain is a healing, healthy thing.  It restores life to dry lands.  So in the latter aspect of, love raining, it is a refreshing of love to heal the land or soul that is dry and barren of love.  Be it that they no longer feel it, or it is not shown to them.

As for the reigning thought...well, what greater cause is there to live for besides love?  I don't just mean the romantic chocolates and flowers kind of love, but real, deep blue hero stuff.  The kind of love that sends a father rushing to the side of their child at the thought of danger.  The kind of love that spurs on the single mother to get up every day to take care of her family.

That kind of love that is instantaneous and also a deliberate daily choice.  We could all stand to have some more of that in our lives.  Rained down upon us, and reigned over us as a law of life.

So go rain a little love on someone today.

grace, peace + hope-Jesse