A lyric to ponder
I was listening to the song “Hurricanes” by the band Five Iron Frenzy and came across this line:
“…hurricanes have the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen…”
That line really stuck out to me. What are your thoughts on it?
Tags: all the hype, five iron frenzy, hurricanes, punk, ska
Focus
Jun 16, 2008 Music, Spirituality, me
Have you ever been in a situation where you lost your focus? I don’t mean on a superficial level, but on a spiritual level. Maybe you found yourself in a situation that you knew was not right, but it still sort of seemed right because you were blinded by it. You had lost your focus on what is true, and all of a sudden you see yourself in a dark place and can’t seem to find a way out.
I’ve been there before, and there is a song that comforted me and helped me come out of that. I was in a pretty rough place, and it was getting harder and harder to see and hear God. I was reminded of this cool analogy about the moon.
You see, sometimes at night, the sky can get cloudy to the point where the clouds cover the moon. We know that the moon is there, we just can’t see it at the time.
God is a lot like that. When we mke the wrong decisions that send us down the wrong path, it can be a little hard to see God at times. The thing to remember is that he is still there, and in fact never moved.
But back to the song I mentioned. This song was written from the perspective of a broken person who is at the end of his rope and desperately needs to feel God. I hope if you listen to it, it can comfort you and remind you that sometimes in life, all we need is for God to come into focus and fill our empty hearts again.
(press the little “play” button next to the title)
How suddenly we move from life to death
In a moment move from full to nothing left
Unshakeable faith how quickly turns to fear
Went from holding you close to wishing You were here
What I cannot do is give it all to You
It’s taking over me
Will this sorrow ever leave?
No one but You can understand what I’m feeling inside
Right now I can barely breathe let me know You’re here tonight
Lately I’ve been letting go of hope
Caught between life and love what I want and what I know
Give this broken heart a reason why
and fill it with the strength to say goodbye
Cause it’s so hard to do to give this all to You
Pour down on me like rain and fill this hollow heart again
No one but You can understand what I’m feeling tonight
Lord right now I can barely see through the tears that fall from my eyes
It’s so hard to see You please come into focus
I don’t even know if I can find the strength to make it one more day
So pour down on me like rain and fill this hollow heart again
No one but You can understand what I’m feeling tonight
Here I come running back to the arms You’ve left open wide
Just when I need You
You come into focus
You let me see Your face
Know You’re here in this place and kiss these tears away
Focus (by Casting Pearls) - Amazon mp3 link
Tags: casting pearls, focus, God, hope, religion, sin, strength
Foo Fighters, songwriting, and the climax of a song
Jun 9, 2008 Music
I have noticed something recently while listening to music. Some songs, rather than just being “verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus” will have a little something extra added to it. That something is sort of a “climax” to the song. When this climax is written in, it takes the song to a whole new level.
Think about working out. Towards the end of a good walk or run, you will really push the lat few minutes of it. That final “push” is what I’m talking about musically. It’s sort of what the entire song is building towards.
This “climax” can come in many forms in a song, but I think the best way to get my point across is through an actual example. The band Foo Fighters are notorious for writing climaxes into their music. They are one of my favorite bands, partly because of their songwriting technique. For example, let’s take the song “Hey Johnny Park!”. Here is part of it with my commentary so you can get the picture (click the little “play” button):
There you have it. Simply put, it’s the heaviest part of the song. Most of the time, you won’t find this in a song, but when you do, it really stands out. Here are some other songs in their entirety. See if you can find the climax of each one!:
Tags: climax, foo fighters, Music, songwriting, writing
If you love someone, let them know today
May 22, 2008 Current Events, Music
Last night, some tragic news came across my Titter feed. 5-year old daughter of singer Steven Curtis Chapman passed away after being struck by a vehicle in the family’s driveway. I won’t go into any more detail, but you can read about it here.
The thing to remember in this situation is that life is so fragile and unexpected. In a split second, someone that is very close to you can be taken from you so unexpectedly. My heart goes out to the Chapman family because they have lost their little girl. Sure, they’ll see her again one day, but until then, it’s going to be pretty hard for them.
So please, if you love someone, let them know today. In the event that there isn’t a tomorrow, you will be glad you did.
And please be in prayer for the Chapman family!
Tags: life, steven curtis chapman
Video Vednesday - Everlong
Here is my cover of the Foo Fighters’ song “Everlong”. This is actually one of my favorite songs of all time. Enjoy!
Tags: dave grohl, everlong, foo fighters, nirvana
Somewhere North
May 21, 2008 Music
Here is a song that I have been listening to over and over again. It’s called Somewhere North by a band called Caedmon’s Call. Click the little play button next to the link below to hear it. Also, the lyrics are below to follow along. I see this as one of those songs that can speak to different people on several levels. Enjoy!
Somewhere North
It’s a muggy night in Houston
And all the intersections are like full service stations
I’m on my way to a familiar place
It’s cold in Kansas City
And you can no more hear me than I can see your face
How I wish it was just you and me
We wouldn’t have to talk above the crowd
We wouldn’t have to talk so loud
I give you my life and all I am
But what I have to give
So I hand you a candid photograph of this little boy
‘Cause I have nothing to my name
But I can give you that
I don’t miss the driving
Seems like forever
And I’m always driving in my mind
And wearing out the road that gets me there
And I’m driving till my eyes just can’t see straight
But I suppose that it’s getting late
I may never find the sleep
I’ve lost all feeling in my hands and
Feet may touch the ground but
My mind’s somewhere north of here
Tags: caedmon's call, derek webb, somewhere north
Long-Distance Recording
Here’s a darn cool idea. Patrick Witherow and I are going to record a song together. Only, apart. What I mean is that he is going to record the drum tracks, then send me the recording. I will then try and do the rest. Hopefully, during the recording process, I will be able to stream live video of everything. Follow me (and him) on Twitter for updates!
