Elbow’s new album, Build a rocket boys!, came out this week. I think Guy Garvey, their lead singer and songwriter, is a true poet. I have used Elbow’s music in a church service before. There is real beauty in the music Elbow makes. This song when I heard it really moved me and made me think ‘this should be the anthem of the church’.

It’s perfect for a re-telling of the Prodigal Son (if you’re not sure why, look a the lyrics below).

 

The lyrics are:

 

You’re a law unto yourself

and we don’t suffer dreamers

but neither should you walk the earth alone

 

So with finger rolls and folding chairs

And a volley of streamers

We can be there for tweaks and repairs

Should you come back home

 

We got open arms for broken hearts

like yours my boy, come home again

 

Tables are for pounding here

And when we’ve got you surrounded

The man you are will know the boy you were

 

And you’re not the man who fell to earth

You’re the man of La Mancha

And we’ve love enough to light the street

Everybody’s here

 

We got open arms for broken hearts

like yours my boy, come home again

We got open arms for broken hearts

like yours my boy, come home again

 

Everyone’s here

Everyone’s here

The moon is out looking for trouble

And everyone’s here

Everyone’s here

The moon wants a scrap or a cuddle

And everyone’s here

 

We got open arms for broken hearts

like yours my boy, come home again

We got open arms for broken hearts

like yours my boy, come home again

 

Everyone’s here

Everyone’s here

Everyone’s here

Come home again