Tag 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 | 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 | January 12, 2012 · 1:42 pm

I’ll Tell You What I Want, What I Really, Really Want

Spice Girls

Do you remember the Spice Girls? Here today, gone tomorrow girl band from the U.K.? They were the ones that made famous the song “Wannabe” (I’ll spare you the video).

What was the catchiest part of the whole song? The part that went “Tell me what you want, what you really, really want. I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want.” As a matter of fact, just for fun, here’s a link from the movie Chicken Little. The pig and chicken characters do a pretty good cover.

Honestly, I am not totally clear as to what the Spice Girls wanted. I wouldn’t know a “zigga” from zagga. On the other hand, I bet what they wanted was not what poor Job (in the Bible) wanted, but we’ll get to him in a minute.

Heaven

Have you ever thought about what you would want to see most in Heaven? Assuming Heaven will be your home after this life (don’t assume – eternity is too long for a mistake of that nature), what would you want to see first? Tell me what you want, what you really, really want.

Do you look forward to walking on a street of pure gold? Are you excited about seeing things that can hardly be imagined, much less described? What about gates of pearl? An emerald sea? Do you really, really want to meet all the saints of old, including relatives who have gone on before. Angels? A mansion?

Job

Do you remember Job? He was the guy in the Bible (with the book named after him) that lost everything he owned, including his wealth, family, and health. He even lost his friends, especially if you consider all they did was accuse him of wrongdoing.

Job wound up in such a state that his own wife even begged him to just curse God and die (Job 2:9). Job was a miserable wreck of a man who had every reason to want to go to Heaven. Yet, what Job really, really wanted to see first was not golden, bejeweled, or even a thing…He wanted to see God.

Remember, what you want tells a lot about your heart. Instead of wanting to exchange his suffering for a new body; his poverty for wealth; his loneliness for a reunion with loved ones, all Job wanted was to see God with his own eyes, in his own flesh. This was his hope and desire all wrapped up in one.

For I know [that] my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this [I know], That in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. [How] my heart yearns within me! – Job 19:25-27 NKJV

What we fail to think about is that when we see God, all the other joys of Heaven will have to seem secondary! God, the highest of all that is good and lovely, the depth of Whose attributes can never be plumbed, will one day look into our eyes in a moment of total realization, understanding, and belonging. What else could compare? Sure, there will be other things in Heaven, but who will care if it takes a million years to get around to some of them?

Tell me what you want. What do you really, really want.

Do you want Heaven, or Him? There is a difference.

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by | November 24, 2011 · 1:28 am

Oh, How They Grow Up!

Happy Thanksgiving!! I hope everyone has a wonderful day with family and friends, just don’t eat more than a third world country produces in a given year.

Today I just wanted to share a video made last night. My wife filmed my daughter and me playing guitar.

Katie is only 15, but she is growing up so fast. It was only a few months ago that she picked up a guitar and decided to play. She wanted me to teach her, but I never did…she just decided to learn without me. So, like many other things in life, I missed an irreplaceable opportunity. Thankfully, I haven’t missed everything.

The song that she sings in this video is one she sang to a sound track at church. Then, on a whim, she decided to try to play it on the piano. When she did that, she decided to pick up a guitar and learn the chords. That’s all it took.

If I had nothing else to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day, I could be thankful that God has given me the opportunity to bring up some girls that love the Lord and want to praise Him.

Just one last thing…guys, the answer is “NO.” I don’t really care what the question is. Wait till you have a job, a college education, and a reputation for serving God, then we may talk… I said “may.”

Yeah, I’m her dad.

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by | April 8, 2011 · 2:15 am

It’s “Friday”

OK, so it is Friday morning, 1 am, and one of the worst songs ever written is stuck in my head.

“Friday, Friday…”

What would be the chance that we could convince the calender people to change the names of the days? Could we change Friday to something like Frickabrack? How about Flurble? We have to do something, or every time the weekend comes around I’m gonna be singing that song. DANG IT!!

If you have been fortunate enough to have never heard this song, then that is about to change. You are going to submit to the temptation and click the link below. You have to share in the pain. You HAVE to!

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Why Me, Lord?

Just because a song is popular, doesn’t make it good. An example would be “Why Me Lord” by Kris Kristofferson. I HATED that song. However, a song I hate more is “One Day at a Time.” Kris co-wrote that, you know. The part that I hated the most was the second verse…

Do you remember (Are you kidding? Ever heard of Omniscience)
When you walked among men
Well Jesus, you know, if you’re looking below(If? What’s He doin’, cleaning harps?)
It’s worse now than then(like when the Romans were feeding lions)
Pushin’ and shovin’ crowding my mind(Mental breakdowns are worse than martyrdom)
Lord for my sake(It’s all about me, isn’t it?)
Teach me to take
One day at a time (Just go take a nap, and you’ll feel better)

Well, “Friday” is a popular song, that’s for sure. What started off as an 8th-grader’s dream project has turned into a multi-million dollar success.  Once it was posted on YouTube, it went viral. Now, as of this article, it received over 88 million hits (views). I just want to know why I had to be one of the unlucky ones to hear it.

It’s Cute

It could be worse, you know. Rebecca Black could be singing a song about teen sex in the back of a convertible, or drug use while worshiping Satan in the bathroom of a public school. So, from a content perspective, it’s not that bad. The tune is annoying, but catchy, and the lyrics are clean.  In short, it’s a cute song. But who on earth thought it was a poetic stroke of genius to end a line in a song with “afterwer-erds?”

The Worst Example for Teens is in the Video

If I really wanted to point out the negatives, it would have to be in the video. Here you have a song about a girl who goes to the bus stop, but instead hops a ride in the back seat of a convertible driven by a 10-year-old. Did her parents say it was OK to ride to school with her underage “friends?” Were any of them wearing seat belts?

The second verse presented some disturbing images. The last time I checked, it was not only illegal for 8th graders to drive alone, much less without an adult, but shouldn’t they sit IN the car, not ON the car? She said “on the highway” while waving at her friends from the trunk of a convertible. Can you say “Girls die in tragic accident after falling out of car – News at Eleven!?”

But there’s another thing – who is this gangsta’ rapper that knows so much about little Rebecca Black and her partying? What’s the deal? If it was my little girl, dude better watch where he parks that ride. I don’t think ANY grown man with gold teeth and “bling” needs to be concerned with my middle school girl, her parties, OR her fun fun fun. Got it?!

Wishing Rebecca Well

I wish her the best. I hope this is the start of something big for her. God bless her, really! She seems like a sweet kid with a monotone voice that grates through my soul like a recurring chalkboard nightmare. All I ask is that she leave all the other days of the week alone – and for Heaven’s sake, find another writer.

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