Tough Act

Shakespeare stated in As You Like It this often-repeated phrase:

All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts

This analogy to life fits the way that we often live. It’s not that I necessarily intend to “play a role”. I may simply be doing what I always do, living the way I always live. And yet, I do “act” differently around my family and friends than the way I “act” when around strangers. Perhaps it is because I am afraid of what others will think of me. Or maybe my behavior at home is not appropriate for business or other public interactions with people. So, I “act” more formally at work, at the store, or at church, to better fit the situation.

And yet, regardless of the situation in which I find myself, I am presenting who I am and what I stand for to those around me. If I am a significantly different person at work than I am when at church, if I fail to stand up for truth because of what I fear others will think about me, then I am being false to what I believe, and I am failing to truly follow Jesus in all parts of my life. Following Jesus can be “tough”, when the world expects me to follow its directions.

And that brings me to today’s song. One of the things that can make the lyrics of a song memorable is to use a common phrase in a new and unique fashion. That is the case with Tough Act To Follow by Crumbächer from the 1987 album Thunder Beach. The song writer here alludes to Shakespeare’s theme of being an actor on a stage, and describes his activities using the language of the theater. The turn of phrase here is the tough act of following Jesus, trying to be sincere and true to His calling in all facets of life. Enjoy this unique song!

Watching my story’s plot unwind
Making up endings in my mind
Waiting for the curtain
I see You standing in the wings
Cheering me on through every scene,
How can You be so certain?
Oh, my Jesus…

You’ll be a tough act to follow, it’s a
Tough act to follow You
But, after all the parts that I’ve played through,
I will follow You.

Spotting the mark,
I’ll take Your cue
Knowing my role is subject to
The crowd’s interpretations
Under the pressure to succeed,
Will I inspire them to read
Between these rough translations?
Oh, my Jesus…

You’ll be a tough act to follow, it’s a
Tough act to follow You
But, after all the parts that I’ve played through,
I will follow,

You’ll be a tough act to follow, it’s a
Tough act to follow You
But, even when the lights go down, it’s true:
I can follow You.

I will follow
Yes, I will follow You
Follow You
I will follow

You’ll be a tough act to follow, it’s a
Tough act to follow You
But, after all the parts that I’ve played through,
I will follow

You’ll be a tough act to follow, it’s a
Tough act to follow You
But, even when the lights go down, it’s true:
I can follow you

You’ll be a tough act to follow, it’s a
Tough act to follow You (oh, you know it’s true)
After all the parts that I’ve played through,
I will follow You

You’ll be a tough act to follow, it’s a
Tough act to follow You (I will follow you)
But, even when the lights go down, it’s true:
I will follow.