This page is the stories behind the songs. Each song represents something I wanted to say, or what the Spirit inspired me to say. Hopefully this will give a little insight into why I wrote each song.

Blessings

This song originally started out as finger picking excersize for the classical guitar. That is what the chord changes are based on. I began to fiddle with the chords until I had the rhythem as you hear it on the track. I had no idea what the lyrics were going to be about. However, while rollerblading one day, the chorus came to me. I couple more times out rollerblading had a verse and the overall idea for the song. Essentially it's about how blessed my life is, even though I keep screwing up and starting all over again all the time. Some of the lyrics are very personal and powerful for me as some of the things I talk about in the song I struggle with often. The power of forgiveness is a recurring theme for me.

Calvary Hill

This is one of the songs that I wrote specifically for this CD. As with nearly all, it started out with a riff. It's about one of my favorite characters and stories in the New Testament. Peter has been a role model for me because of all the Apostles, he's the most "human". All the mistakes he made, all the doubt, and yet, Jesus still picked him to lead His church. The song is based on Jesus' call of Peter. Jesus asked Peter to follow him but Peter did not feel worthy. And yet Jesus chose him anyway. There are many times I do not feel worthy. Yet Peter gives me hope.

Follow Me

This is the first "Christian" song I wrote. I came up with the riff jamming with Al's Neighbors. It was just a cool bluesy thing. One day, on the way home from band practice, I had the riff going through my head. I jumped into bed, my wife already asleep, and was just beginning to relax. Then it hit me. "Take this cup from me, Lord Your will be done". And "Walking with Jesus on the road". I got out of bed and by the light of a night light wrote that down before I could forget it. The next day the song was complete in about an hour. The theme is pretty obvious. Jesus is calling us to follow in his example. It isn't easy. Yet, Jesus did not waver from doing what God asked Him to do, even though he knew where it would lead. "Lord Your will be done." That says it all.

For the Love of Miss E

I wrote this song following a concert I attended. Ellen and I saw Rik Emmett at a show that was just him, without a backing band. He did a bunch of classical guitar pieces from his album Ten Invitations from the Mistress of Mr. E. After the show, I was inspired to write an instrumental piece. For the Love of Miss E was the result. It was hard keeping the entire thing in my head until I could get all the parts on tape. It was originally written on the acoustic guitar, but I started using the classical guitar once I'd learned to play it. I based the title on Rik Emmett's album name as a nod to him for the inspiration. It's dedicated to my wife. I have trouble writing love songs that express how I really feel about her. The only one that really expressed it prior to writing this is a song called Red Hot Mama, and while it accurately describes her, can't really be classified as "love song".

I'm Coming Home

This is a very old yet very new song. I've had the riff around since about 1987. It was a chord excersize from a lesson I turned into a song. My best friend came up with the line I'm Coming Home while I played the chorus part and that became the title, since I really liked it. However, for over 15 years, I couldn't write any lyrics for it that I liked. Then last year my cousin, Sharon, died very suddenly, even though she was in perfect health. About 2 years previous, one of the people that worked for me died tragically in a car accident. These two events, especially the death of my cousin, seemed to crystalize what the song was about in my mind. Once I got started, I couldn't stop. It's a very powerful song to me, as it's full of heartache and hope. I know I will see both of them again one day, but it still saddens me I can't speak to them today.

Lament

This is a song that I've had lying around for a VERY long time. I wrote the song somewhere around 1983, early in my guitar playing career. I was in a down sort of mood and decided to try and write something that expressed what I was feeling. The music, including the lead, was the result. I occasionally tried writing lyrics for it, but nothing ever fit. Shortly after I wrote Follow Me, I dusted it off. While mowing the lawn the chorus came to me. Several months later, a verse was written. I then set it aside until I began to work on this project in earnest. Then the song was completed. It's based on the scripture passage where Jesus was lamenting over Jerusalem, hence the name. It's pretty self-explanatory. It's a song about how the Lord is there waiting for us, regardless of whatever bad thing happens in our life. He's willing and able to comfort us and give us salvation, as long as we just ask. It's a bit of a moody song, but I think it all fits with what the lyrics are trying to say.

Shout for Joy

I'm not sure how long this song was sitting around. The riff is at least a few years old, perhaps going all the way back to about 1988. I don' this so. I'd been wanting to write some lyrics for it for a long time, but nothing fit. Then one last year, after I had begun writing songs for Voice of the Spirit, I was sitting on the porch, just playing the chords for fun, when the title hit me, shout for joy. After playing the song some more, the theme of the song came to me. It's about being filled with the joy of Christ. Turning to the Lord from darkness is a recurring theme for me. This song is all about praising God for being a loving and saving God.

Voice of the Spirit

This was a song that started out as a riff. I had no idea where it was going, but the rythem was cool. Driving back from the library one day, I was thinking of good names for a Christian bands. Voice of the Spirit come to my mind. Just as quickly, I realized it would go good with the chorus I'd written music for. The chorus filled itself out quickly, so much so I had to scribble notes while driving lest I forget the chorus! The song itself is about the Common Folk group I played with at St. Pius X church. The group had been through a tough time with lots of pressure from the outside. This song is about the spirit that keeps that group together, and how welcoming there were to me and my style of playing. It's an affirmation the if you let the Spirit move you when you worship, great things will happen.

Give It All To You

This song was one of my few successful attempts to write a specific type of song.  Normally, I just play around and when something good strikes me, I start to work it out.  In this case, I had decided I wanted to try and write a kick ass rock and roll song.  D Talada, the bass player in my band The Real Emetics, was my inspiration.  He writes really good straight out rock songs.  I tend to be a little more diverse and write in all kinds of styles.  However, I'd never written what I consider to be a pure rock song.  The music came pretty quick, at least the initial 3 chord blues progression.  However, as I began to flesh out the song with lyrics, I realized it should have something a little more in it.  That was when I decided to modulate the song one full tone during the lead.  The last little touch that really nailed it came in the studio when I had all the basic instrument tracks done.  I could tell it needed that rock and roll piano to really give it that late 50s feel.  If you listen carefully, you can hear it.  The lyrics of the song express one of my favorite passages from scripture, the directive to use the talents God has given you for His glory.  While the word talent in the parable refers to money, I think the literal translation works as well.  This CD and the music ministry I'm involved in reflect my commitment to give back what the Lord has given me.

Power Of Darkness

This song is another in the recurring theme of redemption and forgiveness.  When I wrote the lyrics, I wrote it from the perspecitve of the person being crushed by sin.  Musically it's the heaviest song on the CD and the lyrics needed to reflect that heaviness.  However, as with God, despite all the "darkness" in the verses, the chorus holds the hope that you can change your life and leave the darkness behind.  Musically, there were a few neat things that I never thought to do until I was actually recording the song.  The original bass line I wrote sounded thin in spots and I wasn't very happy with it.  I then recorded a straight bass line, but it was very dull.  So I used both together (double tracked it) and it was perfect!  The drum track I made up on the spot.  What I had in mind originally was a standard drum track.  Brian didn't think it fit with the song and asked me to do something "Judas Priest like".  So I then started playing what you hear on the track.  The cool vocal effects during the chorus were Brian's idea.  I really love this song because it feels "evil" (pure heavy metal) but is actually an uplifting song.

Matthew 6:25

This song started out as me just fiddling around on the classical guitar.  I originally used it as a sort of finger picking excersize.  However, I really just liked the flow of the chords.  The song itself is purely scripturally based (hence the title).  I had the idea to use the line "birds of the sky are always fed".  I then looked up the passage and reflected on it a while before continuing.  The passage is about trusting in the Lord to take care of you, something I firmly believe in.  It wasn't until I began to give up control of my life and trust in God that all the blessings and opportunities I have came to me.  This song is another of my favorites on the CD because of it's simplicity, both in the message and the music.

Hearts of Stone

This song also started out as a riff.  I had the music completely worked out before any lyrics came.  As I was playing the music, the line "40 years in the desert sand" came to me.  That gave me the idea to write a song more about the Old Testement, which lead to the idea of the prophets.  I wrote the song all out of order.  Third verse first, then second, then first, then last.  Recording this song was fairly easy in that the guitar and bass play basically the same thing.  I especially like the ending.  I had originally intended it so sound like it does, but it was supposed to have clean breaks.  However, when I recorded I couldn't help strumming on muted strings to give that choppy sound, which I think really works well.  The lead was the tough part of the song.  I really couldn't think of anything I liked, up to the day I went to record it.  My first attempts at leads were horrible.  Again, Brian came to the rescue and suggested a few things.  It gave me the idea to try simple leads overlapping.  The result is what you hear on the CD.