Written by: Beck Hansen
Versions:
- Heaven Can Wait (2:41)
Available on IRM and 1 other release.
CreditsBeck Hansen: Bass, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Percussion, Piano, Producer, Vocals
Brian Lebarton: Bass, Percussion
Matt Sherrod: Drums
David Ralicke: Saxophone, Trombone
Matt Demeritt: Saxophone (Tenor)
Chris Bautista: Trumpet
Charlotte Gainsbourg: Vocals - Heaven Can Wait (Sunset Sound Session)
Available on Sunset Sound. - Heaven Can Wait (Chris Taylor Of Grizzly Bear remix) (2:15)
Available on Heaven Can Wait Remixes.
CreditsChris Taylor: Keyboard / Synthesizer, Remix
Charlotte Gainsbourg: Vocals
Beck Hansen: Vocals (Background) - Heaven Can Wait (Nosaj Thing remix) (3:17)
Available on Heaven Can Wait Remixes.
CreditsNosaj Thing: Remix
Charlotte Gainsbourg: Vocals
Beck Hansen: Vocals (Background) - Heaven Can Wait (Jackson Escalator remix) (7:06)
Available on Heaven Can Wait Remixes.
CreditsJackson: Remix
Charlotte Gainsbourg: Vocals - Heaven Can Wait (Circus version) (2:40)
Available on Sunset Sound Session.
CreditsBram Inscore: Bass
Eric Gardner: Drums
Nicole Morier: Guitar
Beck Hansen: Guitar (Acoustic), Producer, Vocals
Brian Lebarton: Piano
Charlotte Gainsbourg: Vocals
Lyrics:
Heaven Can Wait [Version (a)]:
She's sliding, she's sliding
Down to the dregs of the world
She's fighting, she's fighting
The urge to make sand out of pearls
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
She's hiding, she's hiding
On a battleship of baggage and bones
There's thunder, there's lightning
And an avalanche of faces you know
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
You left your credentials in a Greyhound station
With a first aid kit and a flashlight
Going to a desert unknown
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
She's sliding, she's sliding
Down to the dregs of the world
She's fighting, she's fighting
The urge to make sand out of pearls
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
She's hiding, she's hiding
On a battleship of baggage and bones
There's thunder, there's lightning
And an avalanche of faces you know
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
You left your credentials in a Greyhound station
With a first aid kit and a flashlight
Going to a desert unknown
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
Heaven Can Wait (Chris Taylor Of Grizzly Bear remix) [Version (c)]:
She's sliding, she's sliding
Down to the dregs of the world
She's fighting, she's fighting
The urge to make sand out of pearls
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
She's hiding, she's hiding
On a battleship of baggage and bones
There's thunder, there's lightning
And an avalanche of faces you know
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
You left your credentials in a Greyhound station
With a first aid kit and a flashlight
Going to a desert unknown
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
She's sliding, she's sliding
Down to the dregs of the world
She's fighting, she's fighting
The urge to make sand out of pearls
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
She's hiding, she's hiding
On a battleship of baggage and bones
There's thunder, there's lightning
And an avalanche of faces you know
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
You left your credentials in a Greyhound station
With a first aid kit and a flashlight
Going to a desert unknown
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
Heaven Can Wait (Nosaj Thing remix) [Version (d)]:
She's sliding, she's sliding
Down to the dregs of the world
She's fighting, she's fighting
The urge to make sand out of pearls
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
She's hiding, she's hiding
On a battleship of baggage and bones
There's thunder, there's lightning
And an avalanche of faces you know
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
You left your credentials in a Greyhound station
With a first aid kit and a flashlight
Going to a desert unknown
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
She's sliding, she's sliding
Down to the dregs of the world
She's fighting, she's fighting
The urge to make sand out of pearls
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
She's hiding, she's hiding
On a battleship of baggage and bones
There's thunder, there's lightning
And an avalanche of faces you know
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
You left your credentials in a Greyhound station
With a first aid kit and a flashlight
Going to a desert unknown
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
Heaven Can Wait (Jackson Escalator remix) [Version (e)]:
She's sliding, she's sliding
Down to the dregs of the world
She's sliding, she's sliding
Down to the dregs of the world
She's sliding, she's sliding
Down to the dregs of the world
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
Trying to drive that escalator into the ground
Trying to drive that escalator into the ground
Trying to drive that escalator into the ground
She's sliding, she's sliding
Down to the dregs of the world
She's sliding, she's sliding
The urge to make sand out of pearls
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
She's hiding, she's hiding
On a battleship of baggage and bones
There's thunder, there's lightning
And an avalanche of faces you know
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
She's sliding, she's sliding
Down to the dregs of the world
She's sliding, she's sliding
Down to the dregs of the world
She's sliding, she's sliding
Down to the dregs of the world
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
Trying to drive that escalator into the ground
Trying to drive that escalator into the ground
Trying to drive that escalator into the ground
She's sliding, she's sliding
Down to the dregs of the world
She's sliding, she's sliding
The urge to make sand out of pearls
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
She's hiding, she's hiding
On a battleship of baggage and bones
There's thunder, there's lightning
And an avalanche of faces you know
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
Heaven Can Wait (Circus version) [Version (f)]:
She's sliding, she's sliding
Down to the dregs of the world
She's fighting, she's fighting
The urge to make sand out of pearls
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
She's hiding, she's hiding
On a battleship of baggage and bones
There's thunder, there's lightning
And an avalanche of faces you know
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
You left your credentials in a Greyhound station
With a first aid kit and a flashlight
Going to a desert unknown
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
She's sliding, she's sliding
Down to the dregs of the world
She's fighting, she's fighting
The urge to make sand out of pearls
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
She's hiding, she's hiding
On a battleship of baggage and bones
There's thunder, there's lightning
And an avalanche of faces you know
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
You left your credentials in a Greyhound station
With a first aid kit and a flashlight
Going to a desert unknown
Heaven can wait and hell's too far to go
Somewhere between what you need and what you know
And they're trying to drive that escalator into the ground
The Song:
"Heaven Can Wait" can be found on IRM, the Charlotte Gainsbourg album that Beck co-produced and wrote.
The track is a duet between Charlotte and Beck, and is one of the singles from the album. A surreal video was made for the song.
The song is the one real duet on IRM between Charlotte and Beck. Beck said that "I sang back-up vocal and we left it on there. I had meant to take it off. She liked it. Her manager liked it. So we left it. I think, initially, I wanted to be somewhat transparent."
I think the song is a fairly interesting one, though in some respects, it feels like it could easily go much deeper.
The first verse seems to be about contrasts, being torn between heaven and hell, life and death, good and bad, "somewhere between what you need and what you know." Fairly typical existential stuff, really: at what point do you live in the now, or do you fight your destructive urges? The path to heaven (escalator) is not easy (driven into the ground).
The second verse, with its "avalanche of faces you know" reminds me of "Chemtrails," where there is a "sea full of people" (try not to drown). This use of humanity as an overwhelming destructive force: I find it very powerful.
Finally, the song looks at life as a transition, a journey (a Greyhound station). Even if there are all the contrasts mentioned in the first verse, perhaps it is the travel from one to the other that makes life. Heaven can wait, hell's too far to go, where does that leave you? Without a "first aid kit and a flashlight, going to a desert unknown."
Existentialism is a complex philosophy, and I do not claim any sort of expertise. But there are a few strands of it, and while most disavow afterlife completely, there are some that still write of it. Basically, it is the idea that "existential despair leads an individual to an awareness of God's infinite nature." I think this song recognizes that idea, and plays off the difference between despair and heaven and how they're related (metaphorically or otherwise).
"Heaven Can Wait" can be found on IRM, the Charlotte Gainsbourg album that Beck co-produced and wrote.
The track is a duet between Charlotte and Beck, and is one of the singles from the album. A surreal video was made for the song.
The song is the one real duet on IRM between Charlotte and Beck. Beck said that "I sang back-up vocal and we left it on there. I had meant to take it off. She liked it. Her manager liked it. So we left it. I think, initially, I wanted to be somewhat transparent."
I think the song is a fairly interesting one, though in some respects, it feels like it could easily go much deeper.
The first verse seems to be about contrasts, being torn between heaven and hell, life and death, good and bad, "somewhere between what you need and what you know." Fairly typical existential stuff, really: at what point do you live in the now, or do you fight your destructive urges? The path to heaven (escalator) is not easy (driven into the ground).
The second verse, with its "avalanche of faces you know" reminds me of "Chemtrails," where there is a "sea full of people" (try not to drown). This use of humanity as an overwhelming destructive force: I find it very powerful.
Finally, the song looks at life as a transition, a journey (a Greyhound station). Even if there are all the contrasts mentioned in the first verse, perhaps it is the travel from one to the other that makes life. Heaven can wait, hell's too far to go, where does that leave you? Without a "first aid kit and a flashlight, going to a desert unknown."
Existentialism is a complex philosophy, and I do not claim any sort of expertise. But there are a few strands of it, and while most disavow afterlife completely, there are some that still write of it. Basically, it is the idea that "existential despair leads an individual to an awareness of God's infinite nature." I think this song recognizes that idea, and plays off the difference between despair and heaven and how they're related (metaphorically or otherwise).
Live:
Played live once:
July 2, 2013
At one of Beck's shows in France in 2013, Charlotte Gainsbourg joined him on stage to duet on this song.
Played live once:
July 2, 2013
At one of Beck's shows in France in 2013, Charlotte Gainsbourg joined him on stage to duet on this song.