First, this song is written by Livgren and Walsh, with both writing the lyrics. So, we can't really know, unless they clarify for us, who is responsible for what part. This song has never seemed like it's really about Einstein, so it was no surprise to me that Livgren "updated" it on his Prime Mover album to be about Jesus, with some select lines modified. For example, the only change in the lines here ("He had a different idea / A glimpse of the master plan / He could see into the future / A true visionary man") is "the Master knew the Plan." It is obvious that in his later work, Livgren is Protestant-certain he has finally found the truth (or, more exactly, returned to his youthful religion because he felt he found nothing better). Other lines are modified as well, of course.
This song was always about Jesus, but under the collaboration with Walsh, who has his share of religious references despite not moving the direction of Livgren and Dave Hope in Kansas, and maybe to avoid "controversy" of being branded Christian rock at the time, they "muted" the fact. All the places that qualify or question the divine truth of Jesus in the first version are "corrected" in the later version.
Moreover, Einstein certainly did not know and could not see into the future. He was wrong about quantum physics in his own day and the cosmological constant later. None of this makes sense about Einstein: "And he tried, but before he could tell us he died
When he left us the people cried Where was he going to?"
In the original, Jesus is just a man, a true visionary man who was trying something new, but not the Son of God yet in Livgren's or Livgren's & Walsh's estimation. In the redo, Livgren plainly makes it that the song is about Jesus.
@Talastra Absolutely correct, I've always thought it was about Jesus, THANK YOU for referencing the Prime Mover album, I never knew he updated the lyrics, and "The Master knew the plan " isn't the only updated lyric. It's about JESUS. :)
@Talastra Absolutely correct, I've always thought it was about Jesus, THANK YOU for referencing the Prime Mover album, I never knew he updated the lyrics, and "The Master knew the plan " isn't the only updated lyric. It's about JESUS. :)
First, this song is written by Livgren and Walsh, with both writing the lyrics. So, we can't really know, unless they clarify for us, who is responsible for what part. This song has never seemed like it's really about Einstein, so it was no surprise to me that Livgren "updated" it on his Prime Mover album to be about Jesus, with some select lines modified. For example, the only change in the lines here ("He had a different idea / A glimpse of the master plan / He could see into the future / A true visionary man") is "the Master knew the Plan." It is obvious that in his later work, Livgren is Protestant-certain he has finally found the truth (or, more exactly, returned to his youthful religion because he felt he found nothing better). Other lines are modified as well, of course.
This song was always about Jesus, but under the collaboration with Walsh, who has his share of religious references despite not moving the direction of Livgren and Dave Hope in Kansas, and maybe to avoid "controversy" of being branded Christian rock at the time, they "muted" the fact. All the places that qualify or question the divine truth of Jesus in the first version are "corrected" in the later version.
Moreover, Einstein certainly did not know and could not see into the future. He was wrong about quantum physics in his own day and the cosmological constant later. None of this makes sense about Einstein: "And he tried, but before he could tell us he died When he left us the people cried Where was he going to?"
In the original, Jesus is just a man, a true visionary man who was trying something new, but not the Son of God yet in Livgren's or Livgren's & Walsh's estimation. In the redo, Livgren plainly makes it that the song is about Jesus.
[Edit: left out a word]
@Talastra Absolutely correct, I've always thought it was about Jesus, THANK YOU for referencing the Prime Mover album, I never knew he updated the lyrics, and "The Master knew the plan " isn't the only updated lyric. It's about JESUS. :)
@Talastra Absolutely correct, I've always thought it was about Jesus, THANK YOU for referencing the Prime Mover album, I never knew he updated the lyrics, and "The Master knew the plan " isn't the only updated lyric. It's about JESUS. :)