The Story Within The Lyrics

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The Story Within The Lyrics

What causes someone to relate to a particular song? It could be the emotion a person feels from the song or the story that the artist creates through his or her lyrics. Lyrics can simply be seen as words of a song, but it is possible for lyrics to tell a story. In The Amen Corner, James Baldwin illustrates the complicated relationship between Margaret and Luke within the lyrics of the song that opens the play.

It appears that the opening song is focused on God. However, specific lyrics relate to the dialogues that Margaret and Luke have throughout the play. The first two lyrics of the song as “One day I walked the lonesome road / The spirit spoke unto me” (Baldwin 6). This depicts why Margaret left Luke. The audience can infer from the first lyric that Margaret walked out on Luke and that she uses the Lord as a reason for her departure. Trying to explain to Luke why she left, Margaret says, “I had to go. The Lord told me to go” (Baldwin 59). The spirit that was mentioned in the second lyric of the song is referring to the Lord. The Lord becomes Margaret’s motive for walking on her isolated road. The congregation continues to sing “And filled my heart with love— / Yes, he filled my heart with love” (Baldwin 6). Baldwin repeats these lyrics, which means they are significant in some way. These lyrics represent the love that Margaret once felt for Luke. At one point Margaret finally says, “I never stopped loving you, Luke” (Baldwin 86). She admits truthfully to Luke how her heart was always filled with her love for him.

In addition to God being a reason why Margaret left, the chorus of the song reveals that she also left because of how her and Luke were living. Near the end of the choru...

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...ms wrapped around me” (Baldwin 7). This is similar to what happened to Luke when Margaret let down her guard and confessed how she still loved Luke. The last words that Luke said were, “I’m glad you’s come back to me, Maggie. When your arms was around me I was always safe and happy” (Baldwin 86). The arms of Jesus and the arms of Margaret both serve as a comforter to the person being held.

Baldwin knew what he was doing from the start when he used this particular song to open this play. Literally, he shows his audience how appropriate this song is to be sung among people in a congregation because the words talk about God. It takes the mind of a close reader to be able to read between the lyrics and find its true significance in the work. While many could see this song as an ordinary introduction, it takes work to actually see the story within the lyrics.

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