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© 2011 Stephen Brown

I wrote this song some time back – initially it was just the banjo.  I added the piano part later, but this is the first time I actually played them together – that is, I tried it out yesterday, and it took me about 15 takes today to get it close to right.  The real trick is, since it doesn’t have a steady tempo, it’s pretty tricky to record the two parts individually, so I had to play them at the same time.  I figured that was worth putting on video…

 

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I was working on a different song that I just couldn’t get finished, so I started a new one.  This is it.

© 2011 Stephen Brown

Jesus died and he saved my soul
Buried my sins in a great big hole
To tell the truth – he washed them all away
He’ll do the same if you ask him to
Wash those sins all away from you
And brother, it’s good to be clean

Now I’ve been bad and I’ve been good
Sometimes do the things I should
But nothing I can do can fix this ragged soul
Now it’s something of a mystery
When Jesus gave his life for you and me
Ours souls – he made them whole

Jesus washed my sins away
When on that cross He died that day
Then from the grave He rose again
He won the victr’y over sin

Now you ask me why, tell you “I don’t know
why sin get’s it’s teeth so deep in our soul”
Brother Paul wrote many years ago
He does the things that he don’t want to
And what he wants is what he just don’t do
But Jesus, he makes us whole

Jesus washed my sins away
When on that cross He died that day
Then from the grave He rose again
He won the victr’y over sin

Jesus died and he saved my soul
Buried my sins in a great big hole
To tell the truth – he washed them all away
He’ll do the same if you ask him to
Wash those sins all away from you
And brother, it’s good to be clean

Jesus washed my sins away
When on that cross He died that day
Then from the grave He rose again
He won the victr’y over sin
(Repeat Chorus)

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Let’s call this part of a series on music theory.  The first, Circle of Fifths, demonstrates the chord progression by the same name.  This demonstrates some of the chords by their names within the key.

The lyrics are nothing short of spectacular.

© 2011 Stephen Brown

I’m singing on the tonic chord in the key of G
I’m singing on the sub-dominant chord in the key of G
I’m singing on the dominant chord in the key of G
Then I evade the cadence by going to the sub-mediant
Then back to the dominant
Dominant seven and home
I’m going home I’m going home
I’m going home I’m going home I’m going home
I’m going home I’m going home I’m going home

Let’s do it again

I’m singing on the tonic chord in the key of G
I’m singing on the sub-dominant chord in the key of G
I’m singing on the dominant chord in the key of G
Then I evade the cadence by going to the sub-mediant
Then back to the dominant
Dominant seven and home
I’m going home I’m going home
I’m going home I’m going home I’m going home
I’m going home I’m going home I’m going home
I’m going home

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Dave and I did this way back when – March of 2006.  It was an improvised everything.  Dave started playing the bass line, I grabbed the flute and dug in.  I hadn’t played flute in several years, and given that, I’m pretty pleased with what I got.  Dave did his typical masterful work both in playing the instruments (everything other than flute) building the drum tracks, and mixing the whole thing together.

©2006 Dave Duce and Stephen Brown

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FAWM 2011

© 2011 Stephen Brown

I don’t buy cars or diamond rings
My friends buy all those finer things
They live in houses twice the size
And I just came to realize
I don’t give you stuff like that
I ask about it, you begin to cry

Warm tears rolling down your face
I feel like I’m a big disgrace
I promised I would care for you
Thick and thin, I’m there for you
I gave you what you needed
But I never gave you what you wanted, too

And then your face lights up
I am baffled and surprised
And the look you give
is love and a hint of pity

You said
I don’t care for diamond rings
Fancy cars and finer things
Let the Jones’ buy their gem
I don’t want to keep up with them
And the things I would like to have
I’d give up so that I could be with you

You promised you would care for me
Thick and thin you’re there for me
There’s one ring that I’d like to keep
I wear it even when I sleep
A symbol of some promises
The one you gave to me many years ago

Then my face lights up
I’m baffled and surprised
And now all that’s left
Is warm love in your eyes

Love’s a crazy thing