Ben Harper - changing the world one song at a time

A few years ago I was watching a little TV on Saturday night and flipped over to Austin City Limits to see who was playing that week. Turns out it was Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, a band that I had never heard of before. They sounded really good and I dug the sound so went out and bought a few of their albums that I put in now and then on road trips or on the way to work. They put me into such a great mood and really push me to loop a little deeper at the day to day lives we plod through.

This morning I was listening to the is song “Diamonds on the Inside” and for some reason it just reminded me of several amazing truths about my life and how much I appreciate being able to wake up and face the world every day. It gave me alot of encouragement. Not just the lyrics.. but everything. The beat, the style, the lyrics, his past, my past.. everything. So I’ll do what ACL did for me… Introduce (or perhaps remind some of you) to Ben Harper.

Side Note: To those that have a newfound love of Marc Ford, who has been playing with Bingham recently… Marc also went out and played with Ben Harper for a time. That should tell you what caliber this guy is. Hope you enjoy him like I do…

“Diamonds On The Inside” by Ben Harper

I knew a girl, her name was truth
She was a horrible liar.
She couldn’t spend, one day alone
But she couldn’t be satisfied.

When you have everything,
You have everything to lose.
She made herself a bed of nails
And shes plannin’ on puttin’ it to use.

Cause she had diamonds on the inside
She had diamonds on the inside
She had diamonds on the inside
Diamonds

A candle throws it’s light into the darkness
In a nasty world, so shines the good deed.
Make sure the fortune that you seek
Is the fortune you need.

So tell me why,the first to ask,
Is the last to give, everytime.
What you say and do not mean
Follow too close behind

Cause she had diamonds on the inside
She had diamonds on the inside
She wore diamonds on the inside
Diamonds

Like a soldier standing long under fire
Any change comes as a relief.
Let the giver’s name remain unspoken
For she is just a generous thief.

But she had diamonds on the inside
Cause she had diamonds on the inside
She wore diamonds on the inside
She wore diamonds
Oh diamonds
She had diamonds
She wore diamonds
Diamonds

2 Comments

Suzy on April 30th, 2008

Funny you mention him today. I caught Ben on one of the concert channels over the weekend preforming with Jack Johnson at his Hawaii music festival. I guess I had never really paid much attention to him before, but have been listening to his music this week. The dude’s got it in my opinion.