I’ve been thinking a lot about doing cover songs lately. I really believe that when you strip a song to it’s most naked form (i.e. just a piano or a guitar and a melody) and it still comes out a beautiful song, that’s when a perfect song has been written. I think this applies to every genre, every tempo, every time signature. I’m not sure how you strip down rap songs, unless you’re speaking literally about stripping in da clubs, but I’m sure some can be stripped. This is a rule I live by when I write a song. I’m not saying to do it like me, you probably wouldn’t want to anyways, I’m #justsaying (oops, we’re not on Twitter) that it works for me. If I were to do a cover album right now, I would do it in my bedroom and I would cover these songs.
1. Take A Chance On Me- Abba
2. When You Were Young- The Killers
3. Everybody Wants To Rule The World- Tears For Fears
4. Enjoy The Silence- Depeche Mode
5. Paper Planes- M.I.A.
6. Snow Brigade- Mew
7. Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want- The Smtihs
8. Bad Romance- Lady GaGa
I like those songs, I think I’ll try and do my own versions of them.
In the meantime I’m still finishing my own songs. Miracle Child, Storybending, Everybody’s Wrong, and Don’t Forget When I’m Here are all almost done. Pumped about those.
Also, the crazy idea of writing a book (or attempting) has crossed my mind lately. I’m not a huge reader so this would be an interesting task for me. Either way, I’m gonna do it.
From now on, if I think it, I’m gonna at least try it. I feel like I’m glorifying God in that. I’m tired of feeling like the only way that I can please God, or complete His work , is by way of the church. It’s absurd for me to keep thinking that. Growing up as a church kid has literally ruined me in the sense that I’ve been trained to think a certain way my entire life. On the other hand, it’s also helped me to grow up and realize that I have to dig through the Word to understand what Jesus says instead of my parents, friends, and other Christians. Every time I write something, I feel like I’m doing what God has truly gifted me to do. It can be anything. I don’t consider myself an artsy person, and I think it’s stupid when people try to pretend to be artsy when they’re not, but I do appreciate creativity and I’m going to use every muscle and cell in my brain to find the most creative version of me.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love leading worship and as long as God allows me that opportunity, I’m going to do it. But I think we’re wasting our time treating it like it’s some sort of science. We go to seminars, we read books, we even create bachelor degrees for it. I’ve never understood it. How is a worship song and worship in a corporate setting something to be discovered? To me, it is what it is. You either do it or you don’t. One thing that I know about worship music is that it’s not creative. In fact, I feel like I have displeased the Lord with a lot of times. Please don’t think that I’m saying it’s a bad thing, I’m clearly not saying that. What I’m saying is, for me, I have to be creative. Being creative is my response to a Holy God that wants the best out of me. If I were to sit back and sing the same old songs that some other dude wrote, I would die inside. I still believe that worship is a choice. I have to choose to not be annoyed by it because it is truth. I have to choose to do it, period. I also have to choose my own way of doing it, and not mimic the ways that Hillsong and Passion have told me to. Once again, I’m not saying those things are bad, just things I’m learning. #setlist
This is nothing more than something that I would’ve written in my journal, but instead I chose to post on it on the internet. As you can tell, it’s nothing more than a bunch of jumbled thoughts, however, they are thoughts that have woke me up. I have to write, I have to record, or I’ll die inside. I hate that I’m so critical, I hate that I’ve learned all the right methods, said the right things, and prayed the right transition prayers, but also, I realize that I’m a sinner. I’m not excusing my sin, I’m recognizing it, but if worship is actually something you do or you don’t do, I’m in the ‘don’t do’ category. Learning things about yourself that you don’t like creates an open door for change. I’m not calling anybody else out other than myself. I don’t want to speak the “worship/church” lingo anymore. I want my worship to be genuine and I have to figure out how that looks for me.
If you read through this whole thing, sorry I puked my thoughts out on you, but it was your choice to waste your time. Thanks for reading.
