They say in heaven love comes first

May 4, 2020 9:17 PM

Matthew Ryan has released a recording of "Heaven is A Place On Earth" (yes, that one). It's not your average cover.

We did this in the hope of offering something beautiful during this hard and strange time. This video was directed and edited by Tom Sierchio. The footage here was gathered by Tom via "Found Home Video" footage. We hope that if by some small chance there's some that you know and love in here that it brings a smile. Our intent again was to offer unguarded beauty. I love what Tom did. His inspiration was the last scene of Cinema Paradiso. My favorite movie. I suspect one of his as well.
posted by Johnny Wallflower (14 comments total)

That was beautiful, thank you!
Somewhat related is a fan-made video from Black Mirror's San Junipero episode.
posted by usertm at 9:46 PM on May 4, 2020

(You linked to the video in the post. Browsers sometimes give you the wrong YouTube URL unless you copy directly from the address field.)
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 9:55 PM on May 4, 2020

Love Matthew Ryan and his delivery of this is simply breathtaking. What a sweet, beautiful video. Thank you for sharing!
posted by platinum at 10:06 PM on May 4, 2020

I'm a slightly sheepish fan of Belinda Carlisle's 80s solo work, including that one.

I'm a fan of this recording and the video is a lovely touch, maybe especially for a moment when we all appreciate what used to be everyday life a little more.

"You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.”
posted by weston at 10:45 PM on May 4, 2020

Don't be sheepish about your Carlisle love in the 80s. She was one of the very few women paving her own way in the industry at that time. There were a lot of great women artists in the 80s who were carving out their own path. She was one, and she should be equally celebrated.
posted by hippybear at 10:54 PM on May 4, 2020 [6 favorites]

"You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.”

(3) Jesus said, "If those who lead you say to you, 'See, the kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living father. But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty."

(22) Jesus saw infants being suckled. He said to his disciples, "These infants being suckled are like those who enter the kingdom."
They said to him, "Shall we then, as children, enter the kingdom?"
Jesus said to them, "When you make the two one, and when you make the inside like the outside and the outside like the inside, and the above like the below, and when you make the male and the female one and the same, so that the male not be male nor the female female; and when you fashion eyes in the place of an eye, and a hand in place of a hand, and a foot in place of a foot, and a likeness in place of a likeness; then will you enter the kingdom."

(113) His disciples said to him, "When will the kingdom come?"
"It will not come by waiting for it. It will not be a matter of saying 'here it is' or 'there it is.' Rather, the kingdom of the father is spread out upon the earth, and men do not see it."
posted by kliuless at 12:34 AM on May 5, 2020

This is kind of nice. The syrupy lyrics of the refrain work for me a little better in the upbeat poppy 80s version. But I like this one too.
posted by adoarns at 4:50 AM on May 5, 2020

If you enjoyed this cover, you'd definitely like Crooked Fingers' Reservoir Songs covers. For instance, here's his cover of Prince.
posted by dobbs at 6:22 AM on May 5, 2020 [2 favorites]

Also, Mark Kozelek's album of AC/DC covers. Example: Love At First Feel.
posted by dobbs at 6:24 AM on May 5, 2020 [1 favorite]

A coworker from an after-school job in 199*ahem* introduced me to Matthew Ryan's music, and I bought his first album May Day. Teenage me played it a whole bunch of times, but then Ryan fell off my radar, couldn't tell you why. Now I want to go back and listen to more of his stuff.
posted by pianoblack at 6:39 AM on May 5, 2020

Belinda Carlisle is an icon to me. This is amazing thank you.
posted by nikaspark at 7:24 AM on May 5, 2020

"In this world we're just beginning to understand the miracle of living
Baby, I was afraid before, I'm not afraid anymore."

Those lyrics are golden. Just absolutely perfect. Right up there with,

"Whatever we deny or embrace for worse or for better
We belong, we belong, we belong together." Poetry.
posted by skullhead at 10:49 AM on May 5, 2020 [2 favorites]

Generally this sort of thing is not my cup of tea, but I'm a single person, living miles away from family, during a global pandemic, and I have watched this and sobbed for twenty minutes like a goddamn baby because just touching another human being that you love, that loves you, feels like the greatest and most magical gift. I can honestly imagine nothing better.
posted by thivaia at 11:07 AM on May 5, 2020 [7 favorites]

I can not let a mention of Heaven Is a Place On Earth slip by without marveling at the fact that the (slightly bonkers) video for the original was directed by Diane Keaton.
posted by dirtdirt at 1:23 PM on May 5, 2020 [1 favorite]