Music Mondays - The one about death

This past weekend, I did my 6th funeral/memorial service since last November and my 8th in the last 13 months. In a sense, I've been in a "season" of death. More accurately, I've been walking along side many others going through seasons of death. 

I believe that's why, after belatedly buying Needtobreathe's latest album, their song "Be Here Long" hit me right square in the heart.

I have heard good songs that dealt with what I can only describe as "the real stuff" of death. Death Cab for Cutie's "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" and Twenty One Pilot's cover of "Cancer" are two stand-outs for their poignancy, even if the former doesn't match my theological convictions. And there are certainly scores hopeful Christian offerings, too numerous to even begin to link to. 

But what this song does is offer a glimpse into the raw struggle of grief. It never gives up our hope in Christ, but for anyone who has been devastated by the loss of someone close to them, these lyrics ring absolutely 100% true to life. 
As Christians, we like to say, we don't grieve as those who have no hope. Certainly true, but let's leave ourselves room for the grieving part of that equation. This song certainly does:

I know I can't keep it together 

but I know that you want me to

Oh, I'm swimming in the grief
And there's no anchor that could hold me down
I don't want any relief
'Cause I don't wanna let you go right now

Yeah, I know you found the promise land
But I'm still here and I'm missing you

I gave you the best of me
Loved you more than anything
But we don't get to be here long

For any of you who have read to the end, here's the studio version as a bonus: