Music # 5 'Diamonds on the Inside' Ben Harper

The two tracks from this album which I've seen used creatively in various settings have been 'Blessed to Be a Witness' and 'Picture of Jesus'.

Blessed To Be A Witness
Corcovado parted the sky
And through the darkness
On us He shined
Crucified in stone
Still his blood is my own
Glory behold all my eyes have seen
I am blessed to be a witness

Some have flown away
And can't be with us here today
Like the hills of my home
Some have crumbled and are now gone
Gather around for today won't come again
I am blessed to be a witness

So much sorrow and pain
Still I will not live in pain
Like good questions never asked
Is wisdom wasted on the past
Only by the grace of God do I
I am blessed to be a witness

Picture of Jesus
It hangs above my altar
Like they hung Him from a cross
I keep one in my wallet
For the times I feel lost
In a wooden frame with splinters
Where my family kneels to pray
And if you listen close
You'll hear the words He used to say

I've got a picture of Jesus
In His arms so many prayers rest
We've got a picture of Jesus
And with Him we shall be forever blessed

Now it has been spoken
He would come again
But would we recognize
This king among men
There was a man in our time
His words shine bright like the sun
He tried to lift the masses
And was crucified by gun

He was a picture of Jesus
With Him so many prayers rest
He is a picture of Jesus
In His arms so many prayers rest
With Him we shall be forever blessed

Somedays have no beginning
Some days have no end
Some roads are straight and narrow
And some roads only bend
So let us say a prayer
For every living thing
Walking towards a light
From the cross of a King

We long to be a picture of Jesus
In His arms so many prayers rest
I long to be a picture of Jesus
With Him we shall be forever blessed

Both fit really well with themes around the Easter story.'Picture of Jesus' suggests a slideshow of different images both traditional and contemporary plus some modern day Jesus imagery of people incarnating his call, life and example to us in ordinary ways to call and inspire us to do/be likewise. 'Blessed to Be A Witness' is inspired by the image of Christ on Corcovado Mountain in Rio this song features a capella with Ladysmith Black Mambazo aka the backers on Paul Simon's 'Graceland'.

I have also used 'Picture' in connection with clips from the film 'Pay It Forward'. Key scenes include the classroom assignment, kids responses and kevin's answer, and his mothers discussion with the heroine addict through to the explanation of 'Pay It Forward'.