The Castle Wall

Hello again. Or does this feel like the first time? Ha, that song always made me laugh. "The first time what?", I ask. The first time you held hands? Aw that's cute. But what does "won't you open up the door" mean exactly? Hmm. Maybe we'll never know.

However, when you consider the first verse of that song, it seems like that was the "I've heard it said" that Mac Powell of Third Day was thinking of when he wrote their Love Song.

Anywho. Yet another song comes forth. This was the 2nd or third original song that I wrote, and I dusted it off and changed some things around and still think is simply OK. Nothing special, but not bad either.

Actually, now that I think about it. It was the first song that I composed as a part of "The Pact" with Lukas and Tatum, but I guess I'll have to do a post about that in and of itself at some point.

This one is called The Castle Wall and is all about the differences between me and God. Me being broken and flawed, Him being perfect and good.

The first verse is the idea about how I'm stuck fumbling through life, often out of step, but still headstrong. And then there's God who perfect and outside of the whole space/time continuum that I exist in, and yet "jumped in the stream" so to speak, to save us.

The chorus just suggests that a plan of that sorts is sort of ludicrous (This is culture that we live in. I spelled that ludacris without a second thought until spell check took a look).

Verse 2 is a bit of a whopper grammatically, but the idea is once again the differences between me and God. My heart literally "beats" so it works, but I break other peoples hearts with my selfishness, stupidity, etc. His heart, (which one could make the case probably doesn't exist in the physical sense) fails in one sense because it empties all it has (life blood) but heals the world at the same time, because it is full of grace. Kinda complicated, but I couldn't think of a better way to say that.

And finally Verse 3 is just the problem of knowing that your broken and flawed, but in pride lying to yourself and the world and building walls around yourself with expectations and promises that you can't keep. Who would climb the "castle wall"? Well my friend. Jesus did. Good news :)

Anyway, that's the gist.

Hope you enjoy. Comments are always appreciated. Even if they are, "That was mediocre."



The Castle Wall

verse1
there’s me who’s dancing out of time
oh so lost but full of steam
and you who dance outside of time
but swim within its stream

chorus
and i cannot see
our similarity
no this cannot be
the plan
one so perfect in
his divinity
that would come and live
with man

verse2
my heart beats, but often fails
for broken hearts it makes
your heart empties all it has
life blood rich with grace

chorus2
and i cannot see
our similarity
no this cannot be
the plan
one so perfect in
his divinity
that would live and die
for man

verse3
steeped in weakness, but feigning strength
my boasts have hemmed me in
who would climb this castle wall
just to reach the mess within

chorus3
and i long to see
some continuity
between what I believe
and do
cause one so perfect in
his divinity
took my old and made it new

Teenage Wasteland

Out here in these fields is a new song. I'm sure we'll get to the ones I've already written soon enough, but this one is hot off the press.

I thought up the idea for the chorus last night on the way home while K8 and I were listening to pop music, so you can only imagine how deep and thoughtful it will be:)

Nah, but the idea behind this one was just kinda poking fun at those who do the roller coaster of partying/casual sex/drugs/and binge drinking etc and then wallowing in self-loathing and hate, simply because some of them are convinced that they have to reach the absolute bottom of the barrel before they can give up their empty lifestyle.

I know being a musician and poking fun at drugs and binge drinking is probably against some guild covenant, but whatever.

In other news, this is the first decided un-religious song I've written, but I still had to resolve a tiny bit in the bridge. Lemme know your thoughts.



Got Things Started

The party wasn’t the same without my drug
I wonder who they found to split and then chew up.
Once I beat the chagrin, I’ll be back in the hunt,
This innocence is a chore that’ll soon get done.

I’m not sick enough of myself to change, not when the fun’s just started
These days failure could one day be my fame, whoa oh!
Don’t you worry for me, I’ll feed myself the lies that I need to make it
A steady diet of self-loathing should help, at least its what got things started now

The purity of my youth is lost and gone
But once you give up on love, its not so hard (its hard)
Isn’t there some kind of floor beneath this all?
Or am I cursed to perpetually fall?

I’m not sick enough of myself to change, not when the fun’s just started
These days failure could one day be my fame, whoa oh!
Don’t you worry for me, I’ll feed myself the lies that I need to make it
A steady diet of self-loathing could help, at least its what got things started now

Looking to be broken hearted?
Burned by fires you never started?
Think you’re hated, not created and loved, and its done.

But I’m not sick enough of myself to change, not when the fun’s just started
These days failure could one day be my fame, whoa oh!
Don’t you worry for me, I’ll feed myself the lies that I need to make it
A steady diet of self-loathing could help, at least its what got things started now
I know that’s what got things started
I know that’s its all been started now
And its to late to stop its started now

Now that's what I'm talking about

See now, I asked for feedback and I really did mean it. For example, Keight let me know that the bridge in Peace Bought with Blood actually sounded a little bloodthirsty.

I can see that, and I sure didn't want that, so I did a little editing and I think the result is much better, and I threw in a little more at the end to fill up the space.

Now we have...



Bridge

Oh but I see in me
the antonym of peace.
Where I would fight, you'd die
so what do I even believe?

This puts the focus more on some of the inconsistencies of our (well at least my) faith, claiming we believe in Jesus, but not really being willing to follow his example.

"Wait, hold up, you want me to die?

Kenosis

This song was the result of several different sources that I've come across over the last year and a half or so. I think to be honest, a real change happened for me after reading the book Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. That book really challenged my thinking on lots of things, but especially about Jesus' teachings and example on non-violence. A couple months ago I then came across this podcast about the ethic of kenosis and it reminded me of what IR originally stirred up within me. Anyway, I think I'll do a whole post just about this topic at some point, because its quite at lot to look at, but the idea boils down to the myth of redemptive violence. Meaning, the idea that you can bring peace by overcoming your enemies by force. Once again I'm not going to go into it here, but the long and short of it is that that just flat out doesn't work. Violence breeds violence and hate and rage and the only real solution to violence is to put your own life on the line and non-violently stand against the aggressor. Literally, you must be willing to buy peace with your own blood.

So lately I've been really meditating on Jesus' particular path of non-violent peacemaking and just the ridiculousness of the God of the universe humbling himself in such a way (a la Philippians 2:5-11) , and so this is kind of a worship song celebrating that.



a king took off his crown
he laid his glory down
deserving bended knee
he chose humility
so the lost ones could be found

could it be
such a love for me?

so give your glory glory to the son
of god who died for those he loved
our shame is gone, the kingdom come
our peace bought with his blood

a man laid down his life
a willing sacrifice
beautiful god above
became like those he loved
to ransom back his wife

oh so loved is she
throughout eternity

so give your glory glory to the son
of god who died for those he loved
our shame is gone, the kingdom come
our peace bought with his blood

Oh but I see in me
the antonym of peace
I want the enemy's head
but let me give my life instead

chorus (2x)

Some glad morning...

I guess it all goes back to the days of Sub D and the Irish Rover in Spain, because I've always loved a good cover. There's something very enjoyable about taking something that is good and established and adding your personality and flair to it. It also requires a different brand of creativity. Not so much less or more, but just different. Just ask Marilyn Manson or Gwen Stefani. Anywho, so I've done a couple in my day, and this is one that I really enjoyed making.

Hope you like it.



I'll Fly Away






















When the shadows of this life have gone
I'll fly away
Like a bird from these prison walls flown
I'll fly away

I'll fly away oh glory
I'll fly away (in the morning)
When I die hallelujah by and by
I'll fly away

Oh how glad and happy when we meet
I'll fly away
No more cold iron shackles on my feet
I'll fly away

Just a few more weary days and then
I'll fly away
To a land where joys will never end
I'll fly away

Some bright morning when this life is over
I'll fly away
To that home on God's celestial shore
I'll fly away

And so it begins...

So... hi. This is own little place to post the music, lyrics, and random thoughts that seem to come tumbling out of me more and more these days. Please feel free to enjoy, critique or forget whatever you want.

I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to post the music, but I'll find a way. If you have any ideas, please do let me know. But anyway, I'm not sure exactly subject matter you can expect in the future, so we'll all just have to see. I do plan to keep this mainly about song writing, but I probably won't be able to resist extending that to the metaphorical songs that we mete out in our everyday lives.

Check ya later.