Mark Boone: Music- Lyrics

• MP3 play whole song, hi-fi (broadband)

THIS SONG CAME TO ME SHORTLY AFTER “TWENTY FOUR”, AND I WAS SO BLESSED AS THE LORD SHARED WITH ME THIS UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE. WHILE I KNOW OF NO EVIDENCE THAT SUGGESTS THAT THE THIEF CRUCIFIED WITH OUR LORD HAD KNOWN HIM EARLIER, I FIND IT HIGHLY LIKELY THAT HE WAS INDEED A CONTEMPORARY OF JESUS; ALMOST CERTAINLY HAD HEARD OF HIM, HEARD HIM PREACH, POSSIBLY WAS AMONG THE 5000 MEN AT THE MIRACULOUS LOAVES AND FISHES FEEDING, AND OTHER EVENTS OF RECORD.

I HOPED FOLKS WOULD ALLOW ME SOME ARTISTIC LICENSE, BECAUSE I TOOK IT A STEP FURTHER AND IMAGINED THAT THIEF AS A YOUNGSTER GROWING UP WITH JESUS IN NAZARETH AS CARPENTERS KIDS… BUT TAKING FAR DIFFERENT PATHS. WITH FOOT TRAVEL BEING THE MOST COMMON FORM OF TRANSPORTATION, PEOPLE OF THAT TIME DIDN’T HAVE LARGE CIRCLES OF TRAVEL AND MOST LIKELY, EVERYBODY KNEW EVERYBODY! ANYWAY, I BELIEVE THIS COULD HAVE BEEN THE WAY IT WENT DOWN, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE CONJECTURE ISN’T NEARLY AS IMPORTANT AS THE FACTS OF THE EVENT, AND THAT, BY OUR SAVIOR’S VERY WORDS,THE EX-THIEF EVEN NOW IS AMONG THE CLOUD OF WITNESSES THAT URGE AND ENCOURAGE THOSE OF US STILL RUNNING THE RACE.

YES, THE BACKGROUND NOISES ARE AARON AND ME "WORKING", AS I AM SURE JESUS DID WITH HIS EARTHLY DADDY. SOME MAY NOT APPRECIATE MY SENTIMENT, BUT I LOVE MY SON DEARLY, AND I THANK THE LORD MANY TIMES A DAY FOR THE PARALLELS I CAN DRAW TO HIS LOVE TOWARD ME.

MEB

THE THIEF

REMEMBER ME IN CHILDHOOD SCENES, OF WANT AND POOR, AND NAZARENES
I RAN AWAY- YOU STAYED AND LEARNED WHAT YOUR FATHER TAUGHT YOU WELL…

YOU CAME TO TOWN- JERUSELEM, JUST TWELVE YEARS OLD, AND EVEN THEN
I WATCHED YOU TEACH WITH GRACE AND TRUTH. PEOPLE STARED IN AWE AT YOU.

YOU BECAME THE SON OF MAN, REACHING OUT WITH GOD’S OWN HAND…
HEALED THE SICK AND RAISED THE DEAD, I WAS ONE OF THOSE YOU FED-
DO YOU REMEMBER ME, MY CHILDHOOD FRIEND… REMEMBER ME?

I HEARD YOU PREACH A YEAR AGO. I DIDN’T CHANGE. I KNOW YOU KNOW.
BUT NOW I SEE, IT’S CLEAR TO ME- YOU’RE NO ORDINARY MAN!

A LIFE OF CRIME, AND I MUST PAY. FOR WHAT I’VE DONE I’LL DIE TODAY.
THEY DRIVE THE NAILS… I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING TO ME

NOW WE’RE HANGING SIDE BY SIDE, AND YOU DON’T DESERVE TO DIE
OH THEY WATCH IN DISBELIEF, SON OF GOD BESIDE A THIEF
WILL YOU REMEMBER ME, MY DYING FRIEND… REMEMBER ME…

AND THE PAIN THAT’S IN YOUR EYES; IT IS SO MUCH MORE THAN MINE
‘CAUSE YOU ARE DYING TO SAVE THE WORLD- WHEN YOU COME INTO YOUR KINGDOM, LORD
REMEMBER ME, IN PARADISE… REMEMBER ME…
MY DYING FRIEND… OH LORD, MY GOD… REMEMBER ME…