All of us will lose people we love at some point in our lives. We often will wish that we could sit down with them again and spend time just having a conversation. This concept was beautifully captured through lyrics and a music video by Reba McEntire as part of her Not That Fancy album which was released in 2023.
The song is a tribute to her mother, Jacqueline, who passed away in 2020. “The music video for ‘Seven Minutes In Heaven’ is just really sweet and simple,” McEntire says (via CMT). “We tried to imagine what it might be like to go to heaven and sit down with someone you’ve lost. The heartbreaker is that you only get to spend seven minutes with them. For me, that person is my Mama. I hope that the fans can imagine who that person is for them and find some comfort in knowing that someday, they’ll get to spend forever with that person they love.”
Lyrics
I wouldn't ask Cash why he wore all black
Or have Elvis sing me a song
I wouldn't ask why Kennedy died
'Cause I know that I wouldn't have long
I wouldn't small talk with Peter by those pearly gates
I'd ask him to let me on in
And I'd say somebody waiting on the other side
That I'd really like to catch up with
If I had seven minutes in Heaven
I know just what I'd do
Take a walk down those golden streets
And find a quiet corner booth
I wouldn't spend all my seconds asking God questions'
Cause he knows I'd be back soon
If I had seven minutes in Heaven
I'd spend them all with you
How's the fishing up there
Have you been getting our prayers
We've been sending them every night
The only issue here is, oh, Lord, we miss you
But I swear, we're doing alright
Does the weather get colder?
Do you ever grow older?
Does it feel like the blink of an eye?
I'm so glad to be here
And I sure hope they serve beer'
Cause, for me, it's been a long time
If I had seven minutes in Heaven
I know just what I'd do
Take a walk down those golden streets
And find a quiet corner booth
I wouldn't spend all my seconds asking God questions'
Cause he knows I'll be back soon
If I had seven minutes in Heaven
I'd spend them all with you
And when it's last call, I'll hug you
And I'll tell you, I love you
But I won't say goodbye, goodbye
Right now, I got to leave
But the next round's on me
And I know it won't be the last time
If I had seven minutes in Heaven
Then I know just what we'll do
Oh, we'll take a walk down those golden streets
And find that same old corner booth
But I might take a few seconds to ask God some questions
I didn't last time I was through
If I had seven minutes in Heaven
I'd spend them all with you
If I had seven minutes in Heaven
I'd spend them all with you
Songwriters: Olivia Rudeen, Matthew Wynn.
By performing this song, the singer is also performing a death ritual. There is wisdom about pain in some of our oldest rituals of death. People gather, typically telling stories about the sweet, silly, or loving things the person did. We honor their courage, perseverance, and contributions to our lives at the same time we weep over the knowledge that we will never see them again. The rituals teach us that the pain of loss is rich and varied and reflects our caring and connection. We honor what loved ones stood for and promise to carry that forward. We acknowledge their flaws and resolve not to repeat them. We find in their lives instructions for what to appreciate and value. We laugh and we cry, extracting the array of thoughts and feelings that accompany the loss of anything important.
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