Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Let the Mystery Be

I heard this fantastic song the other day while listening to my local public radio station's folk show. It made me smile. It's "Let the Mystery Be," a catchy, sincere little song about religious skepticism and living for what's most important. It's sung by Iris DeMent and can be found on her 1992 album Infamous Angel. I found this old video of her singing it:



I just love it. I think it's my new theme song. It's just a sweet, simple statement of religious uncertainty but also a reverence for life and love. Here are the lyrics:

Everybody's wonderin' what and where they all came from.
Everybody's worryin' 'bout where they're gonna go when the whole thing's done.
But no one knows for certain and so it's all the same to me.
I think I'll just let the mystery be.

Some say once you're gone you're gone forever, and some say you're gonna come back.
Some say you rest in the arms of the Saviour if in sinful ways you lack.
Some say that they're comin' back in a garden, bunch of carrots and little sweet peas.
I think I'll just let the mystery be.

Everybody's wonderin' what and where they all came from.
Everybody's worryin' 'bout where they're gonna go when the whole thing's done.
But no one knows for certain and so it's all the same to me.
I think I'll just let the mystery be.

Some say they're goin' to a place called Glory and I ain't saying it ain't a fact.
But I've heard that I'm on the road to purgatory and I don't like the sound of that.
Well, I believe in love and I live my life accordingly.
But I choose to let the mystery be.

Everybody's wonderin' what and where they all came from.
Everybody's worryin' 'bout where they're gonna go when the whole thing's done.
But no one knows for certain and so it's all the same to me.
I think I'll just let the mystery be.
I think I'll just let the mystery be.

7 comments:

ms. kitty said...

Isn't that a great song? I love it!

Anonymous said...

Iris is just plain wonderful. Catch one of her shows; she's still writing great songs and her singing is better than ever.

Diggitt said...

Wonderful song. I wanted to use it at my mother's memorial service in 1995, but was shouted down by other family members. So it can be used at mine!

Anonymous said...

I love this song too. But I'm pretty sure the lyric is "munchin' carrots and little sweet peas." i.e. be reincarnated as a rabbit

Anonymous said...

Anonymous here again. Oooops....I stand corrected. I looked it up, and the lyric apparently i "bunch of carrots...." Although, really, I like mine better.

John Dehlin said...

Is there a different link? This one died, I think. Can't wait to listen!

Stephen Merino said...

Yeah, the video got pulled. I just put up a new one.