New songs
I had some time yesterday to do something I haven’t done in a really long time - songwriting. The main goal of the day was a project that is just about completed, but not quite there. But I did finish up a song that had been just a snippet hanging in the back of my mind. Finally pulling my thoughts together on this one felt really good.
The basic premise of this song is how in Matthew 23 (and Luke 13), Jesus sits outside Jerusalem and says: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” I got to thinking about that resistance in the hearts of God’s people, and inside of me. One of the things I keep hearing about in Counseling class is the ambivalence people feel about real change and healing. I got to wondering what Jerusalem would say back to Jesus’ statement, and this song developed.
Jesus I wish you wouldn’t cry
Over this cold heart of mine
I gave up crying years ago
About the same time I stopped feeling alone
And started living with a ghost I call myself
Jesus, why aren’t you satisfied?
Sitting out there on my mountainside
I wish you’d just say what you want
I thought I’d given you everything I’ve got
And you’re staring at this ghost I call myself
You don’t have to worry
You don’t have to fear
You go on and save the world
And I’ll be waiting here
You don’t have to worry
Jesus, please don’t fear
You go on and save the world
I’ll just be waiting here
Jesus, I don’t know what to say
That will make you finally go away
See, I don’t want to waste your time
When I’m pretty sure that I’m doing just fine
Here living with a ghost I call myself
You don’t have to worry
You don’t have to fear
You go on and save the world
And I’ll be waiting here
You don’t have to worry
Jesus, please don’t fear
You go on and save the world
I’ll just be waiting here
Jesus, what are you tryin’ to do
With this silence you breathe into this room
It’s like you’re just about to sing
But it’s been so long now since I’ve heard anything
Here living with the ghost I call myself
Sorry about the bad quality of the recording. I just did it in 5 minutes with my cruddy laptop mic and very little desire to do a second take. Bonus points to anyone who can point out BOTH of the songs that I kinda pay homage to (in different ways) on this song.
BTW, if you’re somewhere where you can’t access MySpace and you want to hear the song, let me know and I’ll get you a copy. And, yes, the other song is coming very soon…