Category Archives: music

by | April 14, 2012 · 1:09 am

International Song Writing

The People Involved

Several months ago I met (online) a young blogger and college student in the Philippines, Tactician Jenro. I was so impressed with his love for the Lord that I told my daughter to check out his blog, Greyskeil Rainbow. She did.

When my daughter read a poem that Tactician Jenro wrote, “Take my heart…and save it,” it wasn’t long before she was off to her guitar, with pencil and paper in hand, writing a song. She used the poem for the verses, adding only the chorus.

The Song

I hope you enjoy this song. Even more, I hope you will check out Greyskeil Rainbow. You not only will be blessed with this blogger’s unashamed faith, but with his art, too.

Now, just so you will have all the inside info, Katie and I recorded this in her bedroom. Yep, believe it or not, my sixteen year old girl’s bedroom was actually clean enough to set up my guitars, keyboard, mic, and 8-track. Amazing, isn’t it?

Also, I have always played a Yamaha guitar and bass (TRB 4P, if you’re interested), both of which I recorded with an open mic. The recorder is a TASCAM digital 8-track. One day I look forward to going into a good studio, but money is an issue, of course. Want to donate?

Bleeding Heart MP3

While you’re at it…

Here are some other songs I have done on my trusty little 8-track.

  • The School Bus Man Can (By the way, what happens at the end of this song really happened, which is why it’s included.)
  • 02 Dead Flies (I don’t pretend to be a singer, just a writer ;-))
  • 01 Gasoline (I did this just for fun when I was working on a drum pattern. It was never supposed to be a song, but then things progressed, it got later in the night, and I got sillier by the moment. No, I don’t do drugs.)

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by | March 1, 2012 · 6:35 pm

Hide Thou Me

I was thinking of the words to an old hymn, Hide Thou Me…

Sometimes I feel discouraged and think my life in vain,
I’m tempted oft to murmer, to grumble and complain;
But when I think of Jesus and what He’s done for me,
Then I cry, to the Rock of Ages, hide thou me.

There are times when the burdens of life get so heavy; when the struggles get so hard; when no matter what, we still worry; that we have to cry out to Jesus, “Hide me!” Thankfully, He does. Back around 1880 Vernon Charlesworth wrote, “The Lord’s our Rock, in Him we hide, A Shelter in the time of storm; Secure whatever ill betide, A Shelter in the time of storm.”

How different it is for the unbeliever.

Where does the atheist turn when his world is falling apart? When all friends forsake him? When the doctors say, “I’m sorry, but we’ve done all we can do?” When someone sings “The Sun Will Come Up Tomorrow,” but he knows he won’t see it?”

Where does the unbeliever hide? In drugs? Alcohol? Meditation? Sex? Nietzsche? Nature (which he believes is nothing more than the product of random chance and void of meaning)?

Scripture (Revelation 6:16) speaks of a day when men who chose to run from the Rock will “cry to the mountains and rocks” to “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne…” Ironic, isn’t it?

Oh, “Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee.”

(Click HERE to watch GVB sing “Hide Thou Me.”)

And who would have thought that only 2 hours later I would find my family and myself seeking shelter as a tornado comes through (present tense – still waiting)?

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by | February 27, 2012 · 7:13 pm

See Me at Work

My Official Pose

Ever wanted to know what I am like behind the pulpit – for real?

Here’s your chance.

  1. Follow the link below to the video archives of Mile Straight Baptist Church.
  2. Next, scroll down till you see the January 29 (pm) service entitled “In the Beginning, God.“

On Jan. 29th I was a guest speaker at Mile Straight. My daughter, Katie, sang before I preached.

Big Risk

Now, I know I’m taking a big risk, here. You may not like me after this, and that will make me sad. On the other hand, maybe you will see that there is more to me than “Monday Monkey.”

Oh, if you would like to have me as a guest speaker, feel free to give me a call or email me (especially if you are talking England – hint, hint).

NOTE: for some reason Mile Straight Baptist’s website is experiencing some trouble. If the link does not work, try again, later. I’m sure it will be back on line, soon. Sorry for the inconvenience. (this was posted Tuesday at 5:40 am, eastern)

As of 7:05 am it is working. However, it’s in Flash video, so sadly it won’t play on an iPhone, which is aggravating.

http://sites.radiantwebtools.com/index.cfm?i=8898&mid=18&g=18587

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by | February 13, 2012 · 2:22 am

Monday Monkey “Valentine’s Day Song” (Episode 15)

Since I couldn’t get anyone to be my actors and actresses in Wally-Mart, I decided to just draw my video.

A few years ago I wrote this song, Try Me, for my wife, Valerie. I’ll let you figure out what parts are autobiographical, and which ones are just full of sugar.

Thanks for letting Mr. Monkey have a week off. He needed the rest.

“Try Me”

Oh, and by the way, my song IS protected under copyright laws, even though James Brown had a song by the same title back in the 1950’s.  If you would like to reproduce this song in any way, please contact me by email.

 

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by | January 30, 2012 · 12:06 am

Monday Monkey “Monkey Meets Benny” (Episode 14)

Yesterday was the fifth Sunday of the month, and every fifth Sunday we have a singing at the church I pastor.

Our guest for the yesterday’s singing was Benny Berry. He was a tremendous blessing to us all. Check out links to his websites, below.

Anyway, I had plans to do some other stuff for this episode, but things changed when I heard the closing song in the service. The song was I Love to Tell the Story. The “story” is why Mr. Monkey and I do what we do. I hope you enjoy it.

http://www.mccanns.freeuk.com/

http://www.bennyberryusa.com/

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by | February 24, 2011 · 10:31 am

A Song for Bus Drivers: “The School Bus Man Can”

There may be other songs out there that are dedicated to school bus drivers, but I decided to do my own, “The School Bus Man Can.”

Several years ago, as the school year was coming to a close, a video was put together to share with all the drivers in the county. The person putting the video together asked if anyone had any music they would like played in the background.  I said, “I DO!”

You see, a few weeks earlier I had sat down with my 8-track digital recorder and put together an ode to bus drivers. I even enlisted the help of my two girls (they sang backup and made all the noise). It wasn’t meant to be taken seriously; however, within it were certain elements of truth.

A particular part of the song that needs a little explanation is the ending.  This is a true story.

One day, just when the morning routes were coming to an end, a desperate call came over the 2-way radio.  At first, it didn’t make sense, or at least it didn’t seem like much about which to be concerned. All of a sudden, like the moment you realize the unbelievable is real, the subject of the distressing radio transmission becomes painfully obvious – someone has got to go to the bathroom – and she is letting the whole world hear about it.

Folks, here is a lesson for you: when you have to go “potty,” keep it to yourself!

The funniest thing, a moment of “No she didn’t say that,” was when the dispatcher asked for the unit number of the bus calling in. The dispatcher asks, “What number is this?” Honest as a heart attack, the person on the other end of the radio says, “Number ONE! Not TWO! I gotta go PEE! PLEASE let me go PEE!!”  If I’m lying, I’m dying.

I hope you enjoy this. Feel free to pass it on. I can’t make anything off of it anyway, you know. Sammy Davis, Jr. might come back an haunt me.

Click here to listen The School Bus Man Can

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