Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Thoughts on classic country hit, The Grand Tour by George Jones


The Grand Tour by George Jones

This great song starts off with and ends with, "Step right up, come on in."  Those six words give the listener an instant invitation into the heart of the singer.  The tour he takes us on shows the emptiness literally in his home and figuratively in his heart.  When I first heard this song, back in my younger years, I assumed he was telling the story of a man who had a wife who lost her life after years of marriage.  This is not the case, though the song leads you to believe this until the last line which is "Oh she left me without mercy, Taking nothing but our baby and my heart."  This woman left this man in an urgent way.  She bolted, taking only her baby.  She left her expensive jewelry, most of her wardrobe, and at least some baby items.  This leads you to believe her life was in danger.  You have to assume this story has a history of domestic abuse of some kind (at least mentally).  So the listener goes from feeling sorry for this old man who has lost his wife in her golden years to a shocking revelation that she didn't die, she quickly got out of dodge and took their child with her.  It reminds me of the movie Enough with Jennifer Lopez.  In the movie she was being beaten by her husband and the child was becoming dangerously close to being struck too.  Before this could happen, JLo's character took the kid and left town.  So in The Grand Tour I am assuming a similar situation.  After the story concludes the song ends with those six words again, "Step right up, come on in."  Almost letting us know there is more to the story.  It leaves us interested in what happened the days or years before he invited us in for the Tour.  So titling my blog after this country hit is not a way for me to announce a similarity to this song and my life.  Let me make it clear, I would never lay a hand on a woman or child in anger.  Though I do relate this blog to the "Step right up, come on in" line.  I want to use this blog to let folks into my life and thoughts of current events and interesting topics.  Therefore, this IS a Grand Tour by Mitch and who knows, there might be a twist at the end that is unexpected.  So in the honor of Southern Hospitality, step right up and come on in to take my online Grand Tour.  

Gospel thoughts from the song and situation:
There is a basic and simple relation in this song.  The beginning of this post mentions an emptiness in his home and heart stemming from the loss of his companion.  It almost seems like his whole worth comes from having this security and person in his life.  I'm sure he had trouble showing his love to her seeing how she went AWOL on him.  Nonetheless, he definitely feels a void in his heart with her and the baby now gone.  It is apparent that he needs more in his life, a since of purpose, a true joy rooted in something that never fails.  The Gospel and only the gospel does this.  We are all broken, imperfect people and the only way we can have true joy as we are designed is for us to take what God did through Jesus in the gospel and allow God to make that our identity.  Nothing else can give us the true satisfaction in our life, the Gospel is permanent.  So the man in this song needs to hear and apply the words from one of my favorite authors and preachers Tullian Tchividjian.  He tweeted recently, "When you understand God’s grace, pain leads to freedom because deep suffering leads to deep surrender!"  Maybe a situation like his in this song will finally reveal his sin and need for a savior found only in Jesus Christ.  What does God offer to us through His Son?  The answer:  An entrance into His Kingdom, "Step right up, come on in."

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