Posted on 03/24/2013 6:09:33 AM PDT by bluecollarman
Using secular songs to deliver Christian messages. How do you feel about using country songs and changing the lyrics to deliver a gospel message? I don't have a good grasp of it. I felt lead to write these lyrics and sing this song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVMSw0Ospe0
This is excellent, really enjoyed hearing your voice and hearing your voice sing these words.
You’re quite talented, you sure you can’t write your own tunes?
This is very good. Keep singing.
If it worked for Martin Luther, it works for me.
A number of our classic old hymns that we hold so holy were actually bar songs of the day, and I seem to remember reading that Luther said, “Why should the bars have all the good music?” Took the music and put scripture truths in them, and we have and love them today.
Or was that Charles Wesley? I’m getting old.....someone will correct me I’m sure.....
Christian musician since 1968......
OH, Heaven help us!
What’s next? Christian rap??
Oh, wait ...
VERY GOOD!!!
Added note: Music was created to glorify God - to magnify, exalt, and worship Him.
It also was to express the deepest longings of man’s heart, poetically.
Thus the Psalms of David, which were originally to music, and sometimes on a particular specified instrument. David created many new instruments - all to worship the Lord...the highest purpose for any musical instrument.
The day will come when all music comes back to its original purpose.......
On one of my guitar cases, when I was young I had an artist completely cover it with scripture about music and instruments of worship. One psalm David says he will worship the Lord with a 10-string instrument - a forerunner for my Martin D12-28 (’74) 12-string guitar........
No question there is music that has its origin below - and is not from above. Some is even demonic.
This music cannot be redeemed.
Christians will differ on which music falls into this category.......
Thanks everyone for your input. Yes I write my own stuff. This song though really moved me to write it as “backsliding” is a concept I struggle to grasp. The original tune “I Told You So” was just the opposite of God’s Love so these lyrics came to mind. Thank you all for responding, I have to go to church now..:). and yes, I too think some music cannot be easily redeemed if at all.
You have a very nice voice! :-)
We need more of these songs.
It was Luther, you were right. That was my first thought too.
Thank you. Remember, we all struggle, as long as we allow our eyes to be diverted from Him. This is not the real life, just a test.
You did real well on this portion! Keep following as He leads.
I thought it was very good.I enjoyed it a lot.
I tried to send this in a private message but for some reason the site wouldn’t let me.
My brother is a songwriter and cowrote a song on Randys 25th anniversary album called “Road To Surrender”I’ve been hoping Randy would think about the words that he sang and get his life straightened out.
The first verse goes:
Dear Lord, I’ve heard you know when somebody hits the bottom of their soul.
Oh Lord I hope you see, something that’s worth saving when you look at me.
I have no fight left in me now. I take my pride and lay it down.
And on my knees here at your feet, I’ll give you all that’s left of me.
Oh Lord this weary broken sinner is on the road to surrender
Some other people have recorded it too. One of my favorite songs he’s ever done.
Prior to the middle to late 19th Century many hymns existed only as lyrics that could be sung to any number of tunes that were metrically compatible. It was pretty much a switch and swap at will affair until congregations settled in on their favorite combinations and they started getting published that way. Even then lyric lines printed under the score were considered to be suggestions and they weren't welded together for quite some time.
Many of the tunes were simply titled after the city in which they were written or some other short identifier like "Grace" or "Zion".
The Preacher would call out the number of the poem in the book (most people knew them by heart back in the day) and the tune it was to be sung to... "#427 to the air of Claremont" for instance.
Even in some later Hymn books you will see a notation on the top of the page that reads something like "6s & 7s" or 'CM" (Common Meter) - that's what that is all about.
For some examples check these scannings of a small part of this collection of 19th Century Gospel music:
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/UncleJaque/library/MUSIC/GOSPEL?page=1&postlogin=true
I commonly revert to this antique custom when interpreting songs of the Civil War era.
"Mother's Lament" - a real old tear jerker, for example - sounds better to me when sung to the tune of "Sweet Afton" than the written score I find with it. It would not have been unheard of to do it that way back then, as it was common practice.
Death and mourning were common themes back then; here's a typical old tear jerker:
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/UncleJaque/media/MUSIC/19th%20Century%20Popular/Untitled3.gif.html
Feel free to play with it; it's public domain. Play it as is to a bunch of Mothers and keep the kleenex handy.
Just FYI they used a melodic finger picking style back then, on small gut strung parlor guitars.
Steve Vaus is probably one of my favorite CW Artists and does this kind of thing sometimes. Unfortunately he seems to have been blackballed by the music industry for his politically incorrect ideology and we don't hear much from him. I love his version of the National Anthem.
Would love to have you paw through this collection (which I have access to) and see what you can come up with - a lot of it has been forgotten for over a century and there is some beautiful material collecting dust in there. If you wanted to, you could probably up date it a little like Elvis did with a popular Civil War love song, "Aura Lee". It became "Love Me Tender" and was a hit again a century later.
Just bear in mind; I'm not sure just what the cut off is, but really old songs are usually "Public domain", while if you "borrow" later music you are apt to get into copyright issues.
Don't be surprised if your YuTube gets pulled over allegations of copyright infringement. I wouldn't go putting it on a CD and try selling it without consulting a good Lawyer first.
I made a feeble attempt at an album some years ago, but I was very careful to only use public domain or my own compositions.
Thanks, yes Road to Surrender is a great song! Couldn’t sing it in church without crying the whole time though, very powerful. Especially if you have been this broken before. At this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdPxxQSHFqA Randy Travis, Kris Kristopherson, and Willie Nelson sing it. Your brother, he done good.
So true. Just passing through! Thanks!
Thank You. :-)
Yep I know, it’s okay though, I do not want to make any money on it. I am with BMI and if I wanted to record it I would have to pay royalty on the music.
“Many of the tunes were simply titled after the city in which they were written or some other short identifier like “Grace” or “Zion”.”
Lots of good information! Did you know I am a music director at a Church and did not know some of this? So thanks! Of course I got a pretty late start.
Still, it is good to learn stuff and to learn that you still can. I like the links, good stuff. I think before 1922 you are pretty safe with public domain but not always. Sound recordings are protected in America till well after 2050.
Maybe you should try a CD again! This time bolder! ;-)
Thanks!
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