Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote a poem that went something like this:

“Earth is crammed with heaven,
and every common bush is on fire with God;
but only he who sees takes off his shoes;
the rest sit around it and pluck blackberries.”

Even though the “only he / the rest” piece smacks a bit of elitism, it’s always appealed to me. Who hasn’t seen a beach sunrise, or a blue flowering lupine, and thought “What could heaven have on this?”

You can tell from the blog activity here that I haven’t written a song in a long while. I’ve been working on several, but work’s been busy, life’s been busy, and most of the songwriting I’ve done has gone on in my head, where no one else hears it.

This song had a tempo that was very hard for me to play on the piano with my puny / nonexistent piano skills.  I was also worried about how rushed the vocals would sound on the “every bee and wildflower” part, but you know what?

I’ve got a working versions, and now maybe I’m past my “song block” and I can start laying down “Use Me” and “Long Since Forgotten”, the next songs “on deck.”

VERSE 1
F---------C ----- Dm ------- Bb
East of Eden, strangers seeking

    F--------------C -------Bb
The road that’ll lead us home

F--------C ----- Dm --- Bb
Lost in darkness never heeding

 ----F ---------C -----Bb
The map that’s in our souls

///C/// Bb ///C///

VERSE 2

----F---------C ----- Dm ---- Bb
We know that heaven’s all around us

---F -----------C ------Bb
In plain and earthly guise

----F----C ------ Dm ---- Bb
But only grace so pure astounding

-----F ---C ----Bb
Can open up our eyes

-------C
And show us what we need to see

CHORUS 
Bb ------- F
Heaven  – bursting…

--------C ---- F/D ------------Bb----- F ----- C
from every bee and wildflower: All creation sings!

 Bb ---------- F
Heaven  –  bursting…
--------C ---- F/D ---------------Bb------- F ----- C
From every sudden summer shower, Cov’ring everything….
                                                                                (repeat)
---------------------- Bb----- F -----C
(Tag) Your sweet grace covers everything.

VERSE 3
------F--------C -------- Dm ------- Bb
The earth is crammed with Heaven’s glory

------F ----C ------ Bb
Each bush afire with God

----F-----C ------ Dm ---- Bb
To understand creation’s story

----F -----C------ Bb
Recall what we forgot….

----- C
What we forgot so long ago

(CHORUS)

BRIDGE

Eb --Dm ----C------------Eb --Dm ----C----
Open up our eyes, Jesus, open up our eyes   (3x)

D/B ////

(CHORUS X2)

James 1:17:  “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.”

This is a remake from 2008′s All From You. The song and its theme have been on my mind and on my heart lately. I really liked the way Sherry and Paul added musical depth on the previous recording, but I couldn’t get over the low-tempo feel. This one feels n=better.

VERSE 1 

A                                                                    D

We’d swing so high our feet would scrape the sky

A                                                          D

Make angels in new snow as our breath rose

E                                                                D

Every heartbeat filled with awe and wonder

E                                                                  D

Childhood seemed a spell we’d fallen under

F# –   G# – A –  B

Now we know that

CHORUS 1 (driving)

A                      D

It’s all from you, it’s all from you

 A                      D          

It’s all from you, it’s all from you

A               E                              D

All the joy that we know, it comes from you

A                      D

It’s all from you, it’s all from you

 A                      D          

It’s all from you, it’s all from you

A               E                           D

Every seed of love we sow, it comes from you

VERSE 2

A                                                  D

The trembling teenage bliss of love’s first kiss

A                                                            D

A shy and lovely smile floats down the aisle

E                                                                            D

The laughter of our children heals like warm rain

E                                                                               D

Your blessings greet us each and every new day

F#  - G#  - A – B

Now we know that

CHORUS 1

BRIDGE   (soaring, light)

A                                                D

We thank you for the gifts you’ve given us

A                                             D

And send our heartfelt praises rising up

(repeat X 3 building)

CHORUS 2 (driving)

A                      D

It’s all from you, it’s all from you

     A                           D          

It’s all from you, it’s all from you

A                     E                                D

All the joy that we know, it comes from you

A                      D

It’s all from you, it’s all from you

 A                      D          

It’s all from you, it’s all from you

A                           E                              D

Every seed of love we sow, it comes from you

TAG

         A                   D                          

All the joy that we know,

A                      D

Every seed of love we sow,

A                             E                                   D

All the hope that’s in our souls, it comes from you.

(Repeat)

I wrote this song about a  year ago, but recently re-recorded it (again) to shorten it and change a few words. I also slowed it down quite a bit. It took me a long time to realize I was playing it faster than it wanted to go.

Holy One has been a tough one to  get down. I’ve rewritten it 3 times and re-recorded it 5. It might be a testament to how the soul of a song grips you subtly, poking at your conscience until you unravel it. Maybe it’s similar to the way sculptors keep working at a block of wood or marble until the vision inside manifests itself. I dunno.

I can’t help but think though that Holy one could still be better than it is — more lyrical, more evocative, more powerful — but I don’t really know how to get it there. In my mind I can hear a HUGE build of drums at the end of the bridge, with a monumental soaring final chorus.

It would be great to work with an inspired co-writer or arranger on this piece!

INTRO
A — D – C#m – D

VERSE 1
A——————-D———————-C#m
You are my hope, you are my peace

—————–Bm
You are the light that surrounds me

—————————————- A
The light that no darkness can breach.

—————–D—————–C#m
You are my song, my rising sun, You are

——-D/Bm
The breath that sustains me

—– D/Bm
The beauty that claims me

—— D/Bm ——————– D
The heartbeat that echoes throughout

—-A
all Creation.

CHORUS
A-E D——————D/Bm
Holy One …. Every part of me cries out your name

A – E–D————– D/Bm
Holy One…. Every star in the night sky proclaims

A – E–D—————— D/Bm
Holy One…. You’re the truth that will always remain

A – E D
Holy One.

INTERLUDE
A — D – C#m – D

VERSE 2
A—————–D———————-C#m
Can broken man touch Great I Am

—————-Bm
Or does the sin that clings to him

————————————— A
Corrupt and stain God’s holy hand?

——————–D———————C#m
How can that be? When will we see no earthly

—D/Bm
Shame can defile you

—–D/Bm
No evil beguile you

—-D/Bm ———— D
No sin can dilute or undo

——–A
your Salvation.

(CHORUS x2)

BRIDGE
—————–F#m ———————–E
The gifts we bring you, songs we sing you

———D
Every broken hopeful offering

———F#m ——————-E
Every heartbreak every failure

———D
Every moment we’re ashamed of (REPEAT)

———F#m——-E—————-D
Made Holy, purified by your love
(Last line repeat 2x then hold Bm)