Curses
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Sections:
Lyrics
Sworn to love and cherish always
Sworn as their provider all your days
You've seen that look in each of their eyes
So helpless, so demanding
You feel the strain of labor in vain
The curses rain and few are left standing
Never have I seen the righteous forsaken
Never abandoned in the flood lands
Never have I seen their children out begging
Never have I seen them slip through your hands
Ignorance or apathy, which way?
"We don't know and we don't care," they say
And as we watch the family die
An orphan choir rehearses
Their daddies left without a goodbye
Will you, my man, buckle under these curses?
Never have I seen the righteous forsaken
Never abandoned in the flood lands
Never have I seen their children out begging
Never have I seen them slip through your hands
Curses fall on another deserter
Curses fall on another deserter
Curses fall on another deserter
Never have I seen the righteous forsaken
Never abandoned in the flood lands
Never have I seen their children out begging
Never have I seen them slip through your hands
Recorded Appearances
About The Song
From Squintlets, "The Lament..." promotional Squint CD, 1993:
The song Curses takes a verse from the Bible in Psalm 37 where the psalmist says, "I was young and now I'm old, but I've never seen the righteous forsaken nor their children begging bread." I think it contrasts men who essentially desert their wives and children, turning them into our society's version of widows and orphans. It takes one particular guy that just says, "Man, don't do it."
...
The song Curses takes a verse in the Bible from Psalm 37--"I am old but I once was young..." [pause] "...I am young but I was old..." [laughter] I'll never forget that verse in the Bible, Psalm 37! [laughter]
From InnerView: Steve Taylor, Visions Of Gray, November 1993:
DV: How 'bout "Curses?"
ST: "Curses" had...
DV: A.W.O.L. dad.
ST: Yeah, had the same sort of impetus that, um, the song on the Chagall Guevara album, one that I can't remember, ah...
DV: "Rub of Love?"
ST: "Rub of Love" [said simultaneously] Yeah, right. I don't get the number of people, the number of men in particular, who essentially abandon their children. You know, our church just recently decided the new orphans and widows were single moms and their children. Which I think is essentially true, you know. 'Cause fathers just abandon their children and it's like, you know, you're on your own, or if alimony's comin', it's given begrudgingly. Others gotta take responsibility for the lives that they brought into the world. And there was also a sense, especially on the chorus, you know, taken from the Psalms "I was young, but now I'm old and I've never seen the righteous forsaken, the children begging for bread."
I felt like, in the band we experienced that. The Lord's provisions, very succinctly, because there were definitely times when we were down to bare bones and we were on our knees before God, you know, "Get us some money here. Figure something fast for us to do. We've got no other ideas." And God provided. Um so, sort of finger-wagging leveled with God's providence.
From Steve Taylor on Staring into the Sun: Squint or You'll Miss It, True Tunes News, Winter 1993:
Was there a specific event that inspired "Curses?"
It was basically inspired by the experience with the band. Althought our situations don't compare to some people's struggles, there were times when it was pretty tight, especially for the guys with kids. That Psalm (38) was one that we came back to often in our prayers. I think it says "I was young but now I am old and I've never seen the righteous forsaken, or their children out begging for bread." Contrast that with the fact that there's a whole new generation of widows and orphans because so many fathers abandon their responsibilities. I'm happy with the way that one turned out.
From The Flying Chicken, The Monkey Temple, The Cotton Castle, Campus Life, March 1994:
Based on Psalm 37, this song delivers an impassioned warning to a man who contemplates deserting his family, contrasted with the faithful promise of a loving God who will never desert his children. ("I have never seen the righteous forsaken, or their children begging bread.")
