Even the title is a play on words. Reflections can be cast by light or by
shadows. Reflections can be a memory or thought relived. Casting my gaze
as a fishing lure. Fishing for wisdom. --- The Sea of Forgetfulness appears
to be a scary place for the Believer until that Sea swallows up (and makes
disappear) the reflections of the Believer's faults and mistakes, to never be
seen again! Lessons are learned daily, and once the mistakes are removed
and purged you have a clear view of the Promised Land, laying just ahead
of you as a soon to be reached treasure, what we are fighting for all along.
This song was inspired on June 1st, 2000, when a certain special person
in Virginia showed kindness- but my "puppy beaten one time too many"
atmosphere of fear and mistrust fed on itself and I drove the person from me.
Still, I wrote the song at about that time, and was intending on letting her hear
it so she could know that she was the inspiration that God used to cause me
to return to Him after two years of cold, hard rebellion. Before I had the
chance to play it, I messed up and blew it once again... and I hid in my shell
for another whole year, staying away from God, or so I thought I was doing,
staying away from all people except those necessary for daily functions at
work, even being rough and rude to the ones that were insistent upon trying
to break through my shell. And at 5'10" and 240 lbs, I could turn on a hard
voice and menacing, bothered look that would keep them in their yards. I
hid in my lonely world until I felt I could come out and come back and see if
The Lord really have mercy on me and give me another chance. (2001) If
not, then I planned to just go away and never return. By God's grace, He
simply pulled me up on my feet gave me a swat, and said, "Welcome back,
son, now go get 'em!" I thought what an idiot I had been, when that was all
I had to do in the first place: JUST GO BACK! --- About a week after I
wrote that song I was in Lake Zurich, Illinois, and after having eaten a
wonderful meal at a three star restaurant with huge wooden bears in the
front garden... I grabbed my guitar and walked over to the pavillion on the
hill overlooking the lake. I cast my gaze accross the lake in the direction of a
beautiful red sunset, and began to play this song. Singing, "In the direction
of the sunset, accross the lake I cast my gaze..." suddenly, I stopped. I froze
in awe for a second and said, "Whoa. Unreal." This was the first time the song
had been played not in a private room. Under this awe it was a full minute
before playing resumed. I will never forget that day in June, 2000.
I was in no condition at that time to have a relationship. I was too wounded
and the only relationship I needed was with the Lord Jesus Christ. I was
looking into the face of a second chance when I wrote this song. And spent
the next year running, again, just as hard as I could.
Where could I go? What part of the earth that The Lord Jesus Christ made
could I run to that His eyes could not see, or His hands didn't hold me up or
His Heart didn't touch me? Oh... and Angela, my sister and my friend...
thank you. Reaching out to me wasn't in vain. However scarred and wounded,
I did come back. This is what my destiny is. Because I am a Christian.
Drop "D" tuning, key of "A"
Several times in the 1990's I heard the music of Michael Hedges. He is revered by many to be the greatest guitarist that ever lived. I agree. In 1996 whilevisiting my friend Charles in Georgia, he said, "Philip, I have a video you have got to see." We watched Michael Hedges in a live performance at a college and from the start my mouth hung open in unbelief. No human being should have that kind of capability and still sound pleasing to the ears. He played in 22 different tunings. I was so deflated about my own gift that I literally put my guitar away for months. I felt like a penny in comparison to a silver dollar and was extremely humbled. I knew something greater had just been shown me,
and didn't know it at the time but my music and style were about to undergo a
major change and quality increase. When I received news of Michael's death
(in a car accident in California) I went to my home to be alone for the rest of
the day. Such a tragic loss! And how untimely. The guitar master that ultimately
re-instilled in me a new passion for playing quality music would be taken at a
time that I needed to hear him progress. THEN... strangely enough, something
happened. My eyes were opened to the downward spiral of Michael's latest
music, spiritually. I had a choice to make... "God" or "anything else". I had to
choose God. --- "Free" is what I am. "Free" is a tribute to Michael's early music,
"Free" is a tribute to my ENORMOUSLY musically multi-talented Mom. "Free" is
an expression of the joyous hopping and flying about of the beautiful, free, and
happy bird that I am. "Free" has words, but I have taken a vow not to sing them
in public until after a landmark happening occurs.
From Standard "E" tuning: big "E" string up to "G"
and small "E" string down to "D" Played in Key of "G"
world's greatest guitarist