I Am A Servant
ALSO RELEASED ON: The Vineyard, The Belfast Bootlegs, Survivor, Instigator, The Very Best Of Larry Norman, Snowblind, Siege At Elsinore, Live At The Elsinore, Frisbee, Slinky, Lost Unto This World
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Version 1 is a full studio recording
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Version 2 is a live band recording, from the Flevo Totaal Festival in Holland in 1989. Larry is backed by the Finnish band Q-Stone, with Dan Cutrona playing piano. The song is sung as a duet with Elisabeth Odegaard
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Version 1 is a full studio recording. It is a remix by another artist
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lyrics version 1
I am a servant, I am listening for my name
I sit here waiting, I've been looking at the game
That I've been playing, an' I've been staying much the same
When you are lonely you're the only one to blame
I am a servant, I am waiting for your call (Aah aah)
I've been unfaithful, so I sit here in the hall
How can you use me when I've never given all
How can you choose me when you know I quickly fall
So you feed my soul and you make me grow
And you let me know you love me
And I'm worthless now but I've made a vow
I will humbly bow before thee
Oh please use me, I am lonely
I am a servant, getting ready for my part
There's been a change, a rearrangement in my heart
At last I'm learning there's no returning once I start
To live's a privilege, to love is such an art
But I need your help to start
Oh please purify my heart
I am your servant
I sit here waiting, I've been looking at the game
That I've been playing, an' I've been staying much the same
When you are lonely you're the only one to blame
I am a servant, I am waiting for your call (Aah aah)
I've been unfaithful, so I sit here in the hall
How can you use me when I've never given all
How can you choose me when you know I quickly fall
So you feed my soul and you make me grow
And you let me know you love me
And I'm worthless now but I've made a vow
I will humbly bow before thee
Oh please use me, I am lonely
I am a servant, getting ready for my part
There's been a change, a rearrangement in my heart
At last I'm learning there's no returning once I start
To live's a privilege, to love is such an art
But I need your help to start
Oh please purify my heart
I am your servant
lyrics version 2
[Larry]
I am a servant, I am listening for my name
I stand here waiting and I keep looking at this game
That I keep playing, I keep staying much the same
When you are lonely, well you're the only one to blame
[Elisabeth]
I am a servant, I am listening for your call
I've been unfaithful, so I sit here in the hall
How can you use me when I've fallen so quickly Lord
How can you choose me when you know I quickly fall
[Larry]
So you touch my soul, you help me grow
You let me know you love me
I might feel worthless now, help me make a vow
To humbly bow before thee
Oh please use me, I am lonely
[Both]
I am a servant, getting ready for my part
There's been a change, a rearrangement in my heart
At last I'm learning, no returning once I start
To live's a privilege, to love is such an art
But I need your help to start
Oh please purify my heart
I am your servant
I am a servant, I am listening for my name
I stand here waiting and I keep looking at this game
That I keep playing, I keep staying much the same
When you are lonely, well you're the only one to blame
[Elisabeth]
I am a servant, I am listening for your call
I've been unfaithful, so I sit here in the hall
How can you use me when I've fallen so quickly Lord
How can you choose me when you know I quickly fall
[Larry]
So you touch my soul, you help me grow
You let me know you love me
I might feel worthless now, help me make a vow
To humbly bow before thee
Oh please use me, I am lonely
[Both]
I am a servant, getting ready for my part
There's been a change, a rearrangement in my heart
At last I'm learning, no returning once I start
To live's a privilege, to love is such an art
But I need your help to start
Oh please purify my heart
I am your servant
lyrics version 3
I am a servant, I am listening for my name
I sit here waiting, I've been looking at the game
That I've been playing, an' I've been staying much the same
When you are lonely you're the only one to blame
I am a servant, I am waiting for your call (Aah)
I've been unfaithful, so I sit here in the hall (Aah)
How can you use me when I've never given all
How can you choose me when you know I quickly fall
So you feed my soul and you make me grow
And you let me know you love me
And I'm worthless now but I've made a vow
I will humbly bow before thee
Oh please use me, I am lonely
I am a servant, getting ready for my part (Aah)
There's been a change, a rearrangement in my heart (Aah)
At last I'm learning there's no returning once I start
To live's a privilege, to love is such an art
But I need your help to start
Oh please purify my heart
I am your servant
I am your servant [x6]
I sit here waiting, I've been looking at the game
That I've been playing, an' I've been staying much the same
When you are lonely you're the only one to blame
I am a servant, I am waiting for your call (Aah)
I've been unfaithful, so I sit here in the hall (Aah)
How can you use me when I've never given all
How can you choose me when you know I quickly fall
So you feed my soul and you make me grow
And you let me know you love me
And I'm worthless now but I've made a vow
I will humbly bow before thee
Oh please use me, I am lonely
I am a servant, getting ready for my part (Aah)
There's been a change, a rearrangement in my heart (Aah)
At last I'm learning there's no returning once I start
To live's a privilege, to love is such an art
But I need your help to start
Oh please purify my heart
I am your servant
I am your servant [x6]
"This is one of Larry's most personal songs and he records it here with an unusual layering of notes which he sings into the orchestral arrangement with his voice, holding these airy notes against each other until they resolve. Larry sings the lead in a very broken and submitted way as though he is unable both to hit the notes or live the life. Other artists would have radio airplay with their versions. This was not Larry's attempt to "perform" the song but to make it "real", beyond its existence as a structured song."