Dark Hotel

K.S. Rhoads--a brilliant musician, poet, singer--is creator of a song I cannot stop playing. Your best introduction to it will be by listening to it on his MySpace page and then scrolling down a bit to purchase the CD, also available on his page.

In a time where we can iClick only one catchy song and ignore the full story an entire CD tells, you will not want to make the iMistake of only hearing this one song. His entire debut album is lovely in all of its melancholy/lamenting glory. I cannot stop listening to it.

And I cannot believe that I pay only a few dollars to experience a show where he shares his music right here in Nashville. His live performance is captivating. It feels like watching genuine emotion ask genius musicianship to dance . . . the waltz, hip hop and then ballet. Check him out soon, Nashvillians, before he blows up and wins a Grammy!

Ok . . . my Rhoads rave aside, let's talk about this song in particular. It's the essence of what I hope to capture in the lament book I'm writing--a simple, raw plea. I want to share the lyrics with you (as I hear them, so I hope they're correct because I have not found the lyrics posted anywhere):

Dark Hotel
K.S. Rhoads

my voice is broken, got a broken string,
a broken wing, and everything
makes me want to cry
and my only love is gone away to stay
can't even look forward to the end of the day
to come home to her at night

oh lord, give me peace
and put my sorry, singing, saddled soul at ease




and bring me hope
i need a little, just a little
and give me strength
i need a little, just a little
an offering of faith
i need a little, just a little
bring me hope
i need a little so I can hold on

dream of dying in a dark hotel
like a silver coin drowning at the bottom of a well
the bluebird’s back, singing in the willow
washing his wings in the water on my pillow

so wake me up
in autumn leaves
to the part of me that still believes
there’s beauty on the other side of the river

oh lord, give me peace
and put my sorry, singing, saddled soul at ease

and bring me hope
i need a little, just a little
and give me strength
i need a little, just a little
an offering of faith
i need a little, just a little
bring me hope
i need a little so I can hold on

get me out of this wishing well
dream of dying in a dark hotel
break me out of this prison cell
only love can save me now