Song Week 11: I look for You

Song Week 11: I look for You
I look for You – Demo

This is another song that started off while sitting in Church. Our church leader was speaking and one line he said stuck in my head, “look for Him”. I scribbled down a few lyrics in my notebook and left it until I got home.

I look for You,
In the wilderness, in the darkest place
I look for You
When pain surrounds, and everything is crashing down
Around me
I look for You

I look f or You
When I hit the wall, when I fail, when I fall
I look for You
When I’m afraid and full of fear, the devil’s in my ear
Whispering
I look for You

My first though was that this could be a the verse I’ve been looking for. It was one I’ve been working on for a few years called “You’re still here” but I couldn’t quite get it to flow correctly and the melody I had created around the lyrics didn’t have the correct rhythm for the song. Eventually I realised that it wouldn’t work and split the verses from the chorus. I played around with the verses I had for a while and what was predominantly the second verse become the first verse and some more tweaks were made to the lyrics.

I look for You,
When hit the wall
When I fail and fall
I look for You
I look for You,
When I’m afraid and full of fear
And the devils in my ear
I look for You

I look for You,
When pain surrounds and all is crashing down
Around me
I look for You,
In the desert and wilderness
When I’m in my darkest place
I look for You

I then sat down and just played the verses for a while to see where the melody might go in to a chorus. After a bit of time a few lyrics and some melody entered my head and I had the first couple of lines of the chorus. A little for playing around and I had the chorus and the tag flowed straight out from there.

My eyes don’t always see
But I know deep inside that You love me
My mind plays tricks on me
But I know You’re there beside me
So I look for You

You’re always there
Every step, in every moment

I did change the odd word in the chorus a couple of times and changed bits back but this is how the song now looks. It’s only about a month old and is the song I used at Xtreme this year.

Capo 3
  C
I look for You,
       Am                            G       F
When I hit the wall, when I fail and fall, I look for You
  C
I look for You,
          Am                              G
When I'm afraid and full of fear, and the devils' in my ear
  F
I look for You, 

Chorus:
C               G
  My eyes don't always see
      Am                        G
But I know deep inside that You love me
C                   G
  And my mind plays tricks on me
      Am                  G             Fmaj7
But I know You're there beside me, so I look for You

I look for You
When pain surrounds and all in crashing down
Around me
I look for You
In the desert and wilderness, when I'm in my darkest place
I look for You

Tag:
C                G
   You're always there,
      F              G
Every step, in every moment

Songs Revisited 1: Love conquers all

As you would expect songs develop over time, sometimes a very long time. I believe it took Tim Hughes 5 years to write “May the word of mouth” and there changes to “Not by words” made between appearing on the album “Reward” and then on the album “Lost in Wonder”. I’ve also spotted songs changing from live albums to when they appear on studio albums, sometimes extra verses or tags and sometimes changes in melody like with the songs “With all my heart” and “Name above all names”.

Why am I rambling about all this? Well I’ve been posting songs online and overtime these change likes the songs I’ve already mentioned have so will be revisiting some of the songs I have already posted and looking at the changes. It seems fitting the first “revisit” to a song should be the first one I posted online, “Love conquers all”.

Songs Revisited 1: Love conquers all
Love conquers all – Demo
Love conquers all – Chord Sheet

When I originally posted the song it was still relatively new compared with other songs I have since posted which are several years old. There was only one verse and a chorus. Shortly after posting the song I worked on a tag which uses the chord change to Fm from the verse which I quite liked. It’s not the standard chord change you see in every song.

Love, love has rescued me
Love has come to me
Jesus has saved me
Love, Love has won the day
Jesus’ made a way
Oh Love has come and saved

Since then it’s taken a couple of months to come up with anything for a second verse but eventually I had a little inspiration. I have still really struggled with the final line of the verse. Currently the last line or two of the second verse doesn’t match the first verse and the Am from the final line of verse 1 has been cut from verse 2.

There see the grace God
Reaching out to all of those in need
From the lost to the refugee
His heart is calling out
As we live as His hands and His feet
And all will see

Here are the full updated lyrics, there is already an update MP3 online and a chord sheet will be up soon too.

Verse 1:
There stands the empty cross.
And image crying out to the whole world
So loud it echoes all around.
There sits the empty grave.
An image of salvation speaks,
A thousand words of mercy and of hope, of hope.

Chorus:
Love conquers all, Love wins the day
He stands victorious, and in His glory reigns.
Love’s conquered death, Loves won the war.
Love has saved our souls and Love has saved us all.
No we can’t hold it back, we can’t stay quiet anymore
No we can’t hold it back, we can’t stay quiet anymore.

Verse 2:
There see the grace God
Reaching out to all of those in need
From the lost to the refugee
His heart is calling out
As we live as His hands and His feet
And all will see

Tag:
Love, love has rescued me
Love has come to me
Jesus has saved me
Love, Love has won the day
Jesus’ made a way
Oh Love has come and saved

10 Weeks of Songs: Part 1

10 Weeks of Songs: Part 1

So ten weeks in and 10 songs online so far. Here’s a quick run down of each one.

Week 1: Love conquers all – MP3

Week 2: Hope for this heart – MP3

Week 3: Come and adore Him – MP3

Week 4: I believe – MP3

Week 5: Your love remains the same – MP3

Week 6: God (There is no one like You) – MP3

Week 7: Send Your love (Send us) – MP3

Week 8: Where no tears will fall – MP3

Week 9: Heal us here – MP3

Week 10: The rugged cross (Because He loves) – MP3

The chord sheets are either already up or will be going online very soon for all of these songs.

If you have any thoughts about them musically or lyrically please post a comment or send me a message, I’m always looking to improve on them.

Song Week 10: The rugged cross (Because He loves)

Song Week 10: The rugged cross (Because He loves)
The rugged cross (Because He loves) – Demo

I started writing this song back in May during our Sunday Morning service. I can’t remember if anything that was said that day provoked the start of this song. I just started making notes of lyrics on my phone, I didn’t really have a melody in mind at the time, there was possibly a rhythm though. By the end of the service I had these lyrics.

I see the holes in Your hands
I see the nails in Your feet
I see You upon the rugged cross
I see the spear in Your side
I see the thorns upon Your head
I see You upon the rugged cross

How great is this love that rescues me
How great is this blood that set me free
How great is the love,
The love of Jesus
How could this love rescues me
How could this blood that set me free
How could the Son of God die for me.

Because He loves loves us
Because He loves loves us
Because He loves loves us
Because He loves

When I got home I had some time to work on a melody. In finding a melody I liked I found that third and sixth line didn’t quite fit, it was a little too short so the line became “I see you there, upon the rugged cross”. No matter how hard I tried the chorus just didn’t seem to work. I couldn’t find a melody or rhythm that felt right. It just sounded a bit cheesy to me so I left it with just the verse.

I few weeks later I came back to the song and just started playing the verse and then seeing what chords flowed naturally without trying to force anything. After a while I had a small chord pattern I liked and then the lyrics flowed out of playing the chords. I couldn’t find a natural way to finish off the chorus until I went back to the bridge/tag I had from the earlier version. I now had the chorus in its current form.

Next I spend some time looking at the verses, I went through the gospels looking at everything that happened at the cross. The curtain tearing, the dead rising, Jesus’ final cry out before he died. This became the basis of the verses that followed. I also went back and tweaked a few lyrics. An example was changing nails to nail. The way people were crucified was that their legs were crossed just about their feet and then one nail was then hammered through both. I also brough the tag back using a very similar structure to the end of the chorus which leaves with the song the way it is now. I’m still not completely happy with the chorus and will probably tweak it again (any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Verse 1:
I see the holes in Your hands
I see see the nail in Your feet
I see You hanging there, upon the rugged cross
I see the spear pierce Your side
The crown of thorns on Your head
I see You hanging there, upon the rugged cross

Chorus:
Oh, oh, what can wash away our sin?
What blood could set us free?
How could the Lamb sacrifice,
Himself, to ransom me?
Because He loves, loves us
Oh how He loves, loves us

verse 2:
I see Your blood on the wood
I hear Your final cry
I see You bow Your head, upon the rugged cross
I see the curtain torn
The empty tombs of the dead
I see You hanging there, upon the rugged cross

Verse 3:
I see the stone rolled away
I see Your empty grave
Now I stand to proclaim, the risen Son of God

Tag:
Because He loves, loves us
Because He loves, loves us
Because He loves, loves us
Because He loves, because He loves

Song Week 9: Heal us here

Song Week 9: Heal us here
Heal us here – Demo

Several years ago I was at a church that for one reason or another ended up going through a church split. The time leading up to it and followed it led to a lot of hurt and pain. There was a lack of unity and a lot of scars that needed healing (and possibly still do). This song came out of that time. A call of healing and a call for unity.

Verse 1:
Lord, see these open wounds,
Laid bare before You
Would You heal us here
Lord, see these broken hearts,
All the unhealed scars
Would You heal us here

Chorus:
Let Your joy be our song,
Our hope be in You
We will never let go of You
(repeat)

Verse 2:
Your word says if one part hurts
The body hurts as one
Would You heal us here
Lord let us be unified
An end to what divides
Would You heal us here

Tag:
You are God over everything
Your hands on everything
God in everything
Would You meet with us here

Recently I had been spending some time worshipping with a few songs at home and a new tag developed. This tag provides a change of angle, rather than calling out it is a declaration from us.

Tag 2:
We will trust in You,
we will trust in You,
We will trust in You

We will put our faith in You,
Put our faith in You
Put our faith in You

All our hope is in You,
All our hope is in You
All our hope is in You

Over time I have tweaked a few words here and there. These are the current lyrics.

Verse 1:
Lord, see these open wounds,
Laid bare before You
Would You heal us here
Lord, see these broken hearts,
All the unhealed scars
Would You heal us here

Chorus:
Let Your joy be our song,
Our hope be in You
We will never let go of You
(repeat)

Verse 2:
Your word says if one part hurts
The body hurts as one
Would You heal us here
Lord let us be unified
An end to what divides
Would You heal us here

Tag:
You are God over everything
Your hands on everything
God in everything
Bring us peace through our tears

Tag 2:
We will trust in You,
we will trust in You,
We will trust in You

We will put our faith in You,
Put our faith in You
Put our faith in You

All our hope is in You,
All our hope is in You
All our hope is in You

Song Week 8: Where no tears will fall

Song Week 8: Where no tears will fall
Where no tears will fall – Demo

This weeks song is another old one which goes back to about 2003 or 2004. I don’t really remember much about writing it. I think I was just playing around with a few chords (D, Asus7 etc…).

I had no plan set out for the lyrics when I started, the theme flowed out of the first few lyrics “where pain will come to end, tears will fall never again”. It was quite easy to realise where the song was heading. The following lyrics focused on what heaven would be like and some of the key differences between now (here on earth) and then (in heaven).

Verse 1:
Where pain will come to end
Tears will fall, never again
We will rest, with You save
Meet with You, face to face

Chorus:
Where no tears will fall
No hearts will cry
We will rest in Your arms, open wide
We will be, safe in Your arms
Where death will cease and pain will end
We will rest with You, Faithful Friend
We will be, safe in Your arms

Verse 2:
Where crowns, will be laid down
To their knees, the earth will fall
And where all, will cry holy
Bowed before, the king of Kings

Song Week 7: Send Your love (Send us)

Song Week 7: Send Your love (Send us)
Send Your love (Send us) – Demo

When the tsunami hit, I think back in 2004, I just kept thinking what can we do. The tsunami was so devastating it seemed like there was little we could do and what we could do wouldn’t be enough. I just l felt like saying to God “tell us what to do and we’ll do, just do something to help these people”. This song originated out of that time.

When tragedies hit we can feel a bit helpless and what we do isn’t enough. I wanted to lyrics to be honest about what it’s like at those times. The lyrics weren’t meant to perfectly biblical; they were meant to be our cry out to God at those times. At those moments we just want help to be given and God to show His love to these people. If God needs people to do things to show His love then we will do it. This song is a cry out from us on behalf of those that need God the most at those times.

Verse 1:
When tragedy falls in view
It can seem they’ll be no impact from what we do
Yet our hope holds strong in truth
And we pray the suffering find strength in You

Bridge:
In this time when people ask where is God
Send Your love, send Your love,
Lord send Your love

Chorus:
Send Your love, send Your love
To the weak and the broken, send Your love
Send Your love, send Your love
To the suffering and hurting, send Your love
Lord send us

Song Week 6: God (There is no one like You)

Song Week 6: God (There is no one like You)
God (There is no one like You) – Demo

I started writing this song back in 2008. I was making notes of the lyrics in a lunch break. The song just declares who God is and what some of what God has done. The lyrics haven’t really changed at all from when I initially wrote them. There has always been three verses, the only line that has really had any work done to it is the final line. The lyrics would just never quite fit in and I’m still not 100% happy with it.

Verse 1:
God of the broken
God of the hurting
God of the refuge
God who is healer
God who’s creator
God who’s the Saviour King

Verse 2:
God in the good times
God in the darkness
God in the quiet place
Giving hope to the hopeless
Faith to stumblers
Strength where there’s weariness

Verse 3:
God up in heaven
And over creation
God with the world in your hand
God of the sinner
God who is Saviour
Loves scars in Your feet and you hands

The reason I’ve kept coming back to the song to look at it and work on it is because I’ve always felt there was something missing; a chorus or a bridge, just something to add a little variety. I’ve tried numerous small choruses and bridges but none of them I’ve ever quite fitted. Recently I spend a bit of time worshipping at home with just my songs and recorded it in case anything came out of that time. Something did. It was just a few lines but I felt like it added something both musically and lyrically without going over ground the song had already covered.

Bridge:
There is no one like You
No one like You
There is no one like You, O God

Song Week 5: Your love remains the same

Song Week 5: Your love remains the same
Your love remains the same – Demo

To be completely honest I can’t remember anything about when I first started writing this song. I have had the verse and chorus for a long time now. I have a text file saved from nearly 3 years ago with identical lyrics but no chords so I know the music and melody came later although this didn’t impact on the lyrics.

Verse:
All will fade away
When all is said and done
You’ll remain
Though everything will change
Through all eternity
You’ve stayed the same

Chorus:
Your loving hand is always near
You’re our shelter though our fears
Your love remains the same
There’s nothing in eternity
To change how much You love me
Your love won’t change
It never fails

With only one verse and a chorus this song felt a bit unfinished. I regularly play through my songs to see if I feel they still work, to see if I see something in a song I didn’t see before, to tweak lyrics or to see if I have some new inspiration. Recently on one of these evenings I found myself naturally flowing in to a new bridge. It’s one line of scripture which is quite prominent in the Psalms and one I feel fits and flows naturally out of the chorus. It also allows the song to build up and then go back into a stripped down chorus.

His love endures, His love endures
His love endures forever

At the moment I still feel this song needs a second verse but as of yet nothing has come to me so this is how the song remains.

Verse:
All will fade away
When all is said and done
You’ll remain
Though everything will change
Through all eternity
You’ve stayed the same

Chorus:
Your loving hand is always near
You’re our shelter though our fears
Your love remains the same
There’s nothing in eternity
To change how much You love me
Your love won’t change
It never fails

Bridge:
His love endures, His love endures
His love endures forever

Song Week 4: I believe

Song Week 3: I believe
I believe – Demo

I started writing this song in the same place I start most songs, walking to the bus after work. I had my iPod on with one of my many random playlists and on came a live X Factor recording of Stacey Soloman singing “When you wish upon a star”. It was a line that got me thinking for a moment. I think lots of people wish upon stars, use wishing wells and rely on various superstitious things; but they’re not things I use or rely on. I believe and rely on God.

That’s really where this song stems from. Looking at word the word sees, believes, focuses on, rely upon that I, as a Christian, don’t.

I bulked out the lyrics a bit more while I sat on a bus.

Some people, they wish upon stars.
But they don’t know who You are.
I believe in You
Others trust in what they see.
Yet to see miraculous things.
I belive in You
So many focus on tragedies
I have known Your great mercy
I belive in You

When I got round to putting music with the song, it didn’t feel like it had a very natural structure and singing and worshipping with the song was pulling it a different way which led to a change to how the song was broken down.

Some people, they wish upon stars.
But they don’t know who You are.
Others trust in only what they see.
But they’re yet to see miraculous things.

I believe in You
I believe in You
I believe, Oh I believe in You
Lord in You

So many focus on tragedies
But they don’t know Your great mercy
So many hearts focused on the wrong things
But they don’t know what joy You bring

The bridge come after some time playing with the song. It felt a natural progress to declare what I believe as the verses had focused on what segments of the world believe.

I believe that You came
To the earth to save
And I believe that You are the way
I believe You are God
And that You created us
And I believe that You are my friend

Here are the final lyrics:

Verse 1:
Some people, they wish upon stars.
But they don’t know who You are.
Others trust in only what they see.
But they’re yet to see miraculous things.

Chorus:
I believe in You
I believe in You
I believe, Oh I believe in You
Lord in You

Verse 2:
So many focus on tragedies
But they don’t know Your great mercy
So many hearts focused on the wrong things
But they don’t know what joy You bring

Bridge:
I believe that You came
To the earth to save
And I believe that You are the way
I believe You are God
And that You created us
And I believe that You are my friend

I believe that You came
To the earth to save
And I believe that You are the way
I believe You are God
And that You created us
And I believe Jesus You’re my friend