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How Shall We Sing the Lord’s Song in a Strange Land? Lyrics by Andrew Hudgins

The Never-Ending

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We crept up, watched a black
man shovel dry bursts of dirt
into the air. Engrossed,
he didn't see me till
my friend hawked hard and then
stepped out of sight. The man
jerked back, convinced I'd come
to spit on him. Held there
by guilt that wasn't fairly mine,
I braced for what he'd say.
Instead, he smiled, forgave
the sin I hadn't sinned,
and turned back to his work.
I stumbled off and yelled,
Goddamn you! at my friend,
who laughed. Behind us, sand
exploded from the hole, caught wind,
and drifted slowly down
past headstones. Within a month
two boys found the black man hanging
from a hickory, his face
vague in a mis of gnats.
And every time they told the story
the gnats grew thicker, fiercer.
But I believed. I ached
the guiltless ache of dreams
and shuddered. A family that
I never saw mourned him.
Their lives changed and that change
spread out past my small-by
imaging -- though I
tried hard to follow it,
at twelve already remembering
how, ten years old, I'd stand
before the mirror and aim
a flashlight in my mouth.
White cheeks glowed red. I knew
that when I flicked the switch
I would no loner shine
with bloodlight, like stained glass.
I would return to the flesh
I'd always been. Back then,
I thought that if I could
I'd forgive nothing -- I'd
change everything. But that's
before I learned how we
get trapped inside the haunts
and habits of this world.
While we drink coffee, gossip,
my cousin's daughter pounds on
the piano. It drives me nuts.
But Ellen's used to it.
The child plays till she drops,
and then we lug her
-- elongated and limp -- to bed.
My cousin tuckers her in,
chooses one music box
from dozens on a shelf, winds it,
and sets it by her child's
damp head. The girl hums, drifts
from one world she creates
into another. A dark
circle of drool surrounds her head.
My cousin loves her with
the tenderness we save
for something that will ruin
our lives, break us, nail
us irretrievably
into this world, which we,
like good philosophers,
had meant to hate. This world,
this world is home. But it
will never feel like home.
Credits
Andrew Hudgins

Andrew Hudgins

About “How Shall We Sing the Lord’s Song in a Strange Land?” by Andrew Hudgins

Read the complete lyrics to "How Shall We Sing the Lord’s Song in a Strange Land?" by Andrew Hudgins from the album "The Never-Ending". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music, Literature.

"How Shall We Sing the Lord’s Song in a Strange Land?" is performed by Andrew Hudgins. from the album "The Never-Ending" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "How Shall We Sing the Lord’s Song in a Strange Land?", explore more songs by Andrew Hudgins using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"How Shall We Sing the Lord’s Song in a Strange Land?" is credited to Andrew Hudgins. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"How Shall We Sing the Lord’s Song in a Strange Land?" appears on "The Never-Ending".

Visit the Andrew Hudgins artist page at /artist/andrew-hudgins for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.