Tim Challies recently recently made a statement that immediately set off a series of thoughts in my brain. He said: “I’ve become convinced that I can’t write a book until I first live a book.”

This is how the songwriting process works as well – for me at least. The last 8 months have been a period of darkness like I haven’t experienced in a long time; more than a few weeks in the last months have been more dark than light.

Songwriting has always accompanied these periods.

In the years of 1999-2003 I experienced seasonal depression every (roughly) October to February. During these years I would write 30-40 songs and I bet if I went back and checked the dates they were written, a majority of them would be from that stretch of months each year. It was the way I coped, the way I processed. (I have often borrowed a line from Bill Mallonee whenever I’m asked why I write songs: “Because it’s cheaper than therapy…” And with a bit of effort, not only is it cheaper but you can actually make a bit of money from it.)

As these years of regular seasonal depression made an exit, so did the torrential pace of my songwriting. At first I grieved this (the songwriting that is, not the depression), thinking that the gift had left me. I wondered where it had gone, not making the connection to the depression.

Fast forward to 2011. I’ve just come through an 8-month period of periodic but regular darkness. These are a little different than they used to be; I’m far more functional now during a time of depression. Where depression used to arrive for seemingly no reason at all, now it shows up when more life is happening than I have time to live. But that’s an exploration for another day…

In about a 12-week period from April to June of this year I found myself with about 15 new songs. They were coming regularly and I couldn’t figure out why. In the course of a conversation with a good friend I discovered the reason. I shared with him that I had recently re-found my songwriting groove while also expressing my frustration at having experienced a lot in recent months and not having adequate time to debrief. These seem like pretty obvious matching puzzle pieces in retrospect, but at the time I didn’t see the correlation.

“Maybe the songs ARE the debrief…” he said. Have you ever had the feeling that the cartoon lightbulb just lit up above your head? Yeah, I had that feeling.

Back to the quote that ignited these thoughts… I think in the last 8 months I’ve lived about 3 years worth of life. These have been both tremendously good experiences and excruciatingly bad ones, but they have been many.  And they have all been rich soil for new creative works.

I have nothing against the right kind of therapy, of course. If that’s what’s needed, find a good therapist and go – regularly. But if you have any kind of creative spark – and I believe that everyone does – try using all that darkness as fuel for art. By art I mean more than painting; I mean songwriting and journaling and dancing and singing and whatever else you might find interesting.

Whatever it is that you’re interested in, a period of depression is a good time to give it a try. There are things that can be done on the dark that will help you survive until the light returns.

My light has returned and I’ve got some new songs, a strengthened faith, and some new friends to show for it. And I don’t fear the next period of darkness; I used to, but I don’t anymore. I’ve come to accept the rhythms of life, to stop fighting the dark so much – because often it’s a gift that’s waiting to be opened.

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New album “Lovers on the Edges of the Twilight” is almost done! Info here: http://bit.ly/pimCw8

Get the previous album “The Weight of Glory” here: http://bit.ly/pFEhs1

I was formulating a few paragraphs of thought about Taylor Swift’s new album “Speak Now” but Bob Lefsetz says exactly what I was going to say in excerpts from this post:

Is Taylor Swift Debbie Gibson or Joni Mitchell?

“Speak Now” is Taylor Swift’s effort at self-justification.  She wrote all the songs, it’s totally her…and we wish it wasn’t.  We wish she still co-wrote, that she used the usual suspect producers, then it would be more professional, less cringeworthy, more radio-friendly and acceptable to those who are not diehard fans.

What you notice first is the terrible sound.  Loud and edgy, which does a disservice to Taylor’s voice…

Then you notice that this is not a country album.  Then again, country isn’t even country anymore and Taylor Swift inhabits that rarefied world where you’re genre-proof, where your fans accept you for who you are, you don’t have to worry about playing the game…or do you?

Give Taylor credit.  Listening to “Speak Now” the radio singles don’t jump out.  “Speak Now” is statement, from the mind of a twenty year old, who’s had way too much success way too fast and missed out on growing up but learned so many lessons she wish she hadn’t…

…This is what Taylor Swift specializes in.  The honest communication of the teenage landscape.  When she tries to be an adult, she gets confused.

In conclusion he says:

“Speak Now” does not augur well for longevity.  It’s both too cutesy and too dramatic, just like an adolescent girl. The question is whether Taylor Swift can grow.

If Taylor can be as honest about being a woman as she was about being a girl, there’s hope.  But she’s got to work with a producer who flatters her voice, she has to decide whether she’s removed or involved, whether she’s giving us a peek at the life of a star or a regular person.

I need to elaborate a bit on my earlier post called “Rejection By Silent Majority” – especially the part about Chris Tomlin, whose albums contain an unusually high percentage of songs that are both well-written and singable for a congregation.

First, you need to understand the context of my discovery. At the time I was disillusioned not only with “Christian music” (a term I should address in a future post), but also with church in general and the majority of Christian “culture” in particular.

(I’m no fan of most of what’s sold in Christian bookstores – including most of the books, most of the music, and certainly ALL of the Precious Moments and other assorted “Jesus Junk” that litters the space between the front door and the few good books that might be on a shelf in the back somewhere.)

About three years ago, I was totally unplugged from the worship music scene and just didn’t care for the small bits that I occasionally heard. But every once in a while I would hear a song that would wake me up to the possibility that there was good stuff out there.

I kept a list and eventually asked someone more knowledgeable about my list, expecting to jot down a few artists/writers that I could check into later. But the person I asked immediately picked out the common thread in my list: all the song titles I had written down were Chris Tomlin songs.

That’s a great way to discover an artist. And you should know that I’m not easily impressed – and also that this is an area of pride for me. My tastes run along the lines of great songwriters like Ron Sexsmith, Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, Conor Oberst, Mark Heard, Patty Griffin, Ryan Adams etc., etc. In other words: I tend to be a bit of a music snob. So you can imagine how excited yet embarrassed I was to find myself liking such “low” art.

But these songs, the Chris Tomlin songs that discovered me when I had never heard of Chris Tomlin, and without any advertising or marketing to make me like them involved, broke through my disillusionment and planted themselves in my soul.

This being the case, it would easy for me to get overly defensive in an attempt to protect my precious experience. In our culture, experience is truth; in every culture, protecting truth is always high on the list of priorities. When your experience becomes your absolute truth, defense of that truth also becomes absolute.

This is an error to be avoided.

And yet, in your church and in mine, there are probably people who swear by everything a certain author, musician or televangelist says. They probably were impacted at some point – it may even have led to genuine transformation – but now they’ve become evangelists for a representative of Christ rather Christ himself.

But there’s only one person worthy of that highest pedestal. It’s not Chris Tomlin or (insert favorite writer/preacher/signer here) – and it’s certainly not me.

Chris Vacher gets it so right in his post here about the “weird love/hate/love relationship between worship leaders and Chris Tomlin in the church today.”

And it’s not just worship leaders. Prof. John Stackhouse did a piece on Tomlin about a year and a half ago (read it here) listing Tomlin’s many – as he sees it -  deficiencies. It was a pretty disgraceful piece of writing.

Chris (Vacher) goes on to say:

I do know this: more often than not, if I do a Chris Tomlin song with our church they are singing their hearts out for the glory of God. As a worship leader, what more could I ask for? Why do I care whether the last word of each line rhymes? Why do I care whether the melody is simple or not?

This is my experience as well. Tomlin’s albums contain an unusually high percentage of songs that are both well-written and singable for a congregation.

I discovered Chris Tomlin about three years ago. I had been unplugged from worship music for a number of years and just didn’t care for it at all. But I would hear a song every now and then that would wake me up to the possibility that there was good stuff out there.

I kept a list and eventually asked someone more knowledgeable about the list. They immediately picked out the common thread: they were all Chris Tomlin songs.

That’s a great way to discover a God-gifted artist.

The Problem With Most Worship Songs

The problem with most worship songs written today is NOT simplicity, it’s singability. Writing a good, singable song requires both artistry and servanthood. These qualities are difficult to balance, and unfortunately many of today’s worship writers are not doing a very good job of it.

Unique melodies and song structures are fun to listen to but when a congregation is subjected to it, more often than not the song is rejected by silent majority.

Vacher again:

All I care is that I am putting words in the mouths of the people of this church which give God glory, stir the hearts of people toward Christ and proclaim the gospel to those who don’t know Him.

Absolutely. And you can’t put those words in people’s mouths if they’re unable to sing the melody the words are paired with. The same goes for structure – if it’s too complicated to figure out after a couple of times through, it might be a good song but it’s not a congregational song.

When you lead and look out and no one is singing, there’s a problem. If you’re a songleader, you know the feeling.

The question is why do you keep doing songs that people can’t sing as a congregation? Isn’t that the point of congregational singing?

I am going to start a series of posts called “Song & Story”. I have written a lot of songs and released a couple of albums over the years and I might as well share them with you.

Song 1: Broken Hearted

Why not have a listen while you read:
Download audio file (Michael%20Krahn%20-%20Broken%20Hearted.mp3)

- Direct MP3 download here. Right-click and “Save As”
- Wanna play along? Get the chord sheet here

I wrote this song for my album “The Weight of Glory” and it has always been a favorite of mine and my audience. I remember writing it very quickly, but I don’t remember whether it was “words first” or “words and music together”. I almost always write the words first, but occassionally a song comes as a package. I do remember that the lyrics for this one were no struggle.

Why is it a favorite? The obvious answer is “its got a good beat and you can dance to it”. Some love the lyrics, especially the aspect of it being a tribute to doubt. Doubt has fueled both discovery and depression in me over the years. “Hello doubtful, my old friend…”

Others like the rock-a-billy feel of the music. Chris Curtis, who also produced my album, plays all the electrics on this one and provides the perfect solo.

I love it because its fun to sing, easy to play, and it has a harmonica solo that shreds.

Lyrics:

Hello doubtful, my old friend
I see you’re waking once again
Hello loneliness, my native brother
Here before me, and ever after

Welcome confusion, don’t make a mess
Still haven’t cleaned up the last one yet
Welcome intellect, my nosy neighbor
I never see you, but ask a favor

CHORUS 1
Walking down these paths and holding hands
Here in the thickest woodlands of the soul
You’ve pulled me from darkness,
but you have kept me from the light
And my overall condition is just the same as when I started
You always leave me lonely, and brokenhearted…

Hello faithful, where’s your crown?
I saw you running, leaving town
Were you chasing something you can’t see
Hope you return soon and come to see me

Welcome courage, I need your hand
To hold me up when I take a stand.
Welcome innocence, my long lost sister
I never knew her, until I missed her

CHORUS 2
Walking down these paths and holding hands
Here in the thickest woodlands of the soul
You’ve pulled me from darkness,
but you have pushed me towards the light
And my overall condition is much improved from when I started
You always leave me lonely, and brokenhearted…

Who’s Playing?

Me – vocal, acoustic guitar and harmonica
Chris Curtis - electric guitars
Peter LaForme – drums
Andrew Waugh – bass guitar
Shannon Krahn - background vocals
Shane Krahn – the most excellent tambourine player

Enjoy!

To order a copy of The Weight of Glory, click on the image below:

My 5-year-old daughter Olivia and I wrote a song today! It really was a co-writing effort. She came up with some of it and I came up with some of it. As a habit, I like to demo (which means roughly record) a song as soon after it’s written as possible, and we did that with this one. So what you’ll hear is a newborn song, about 10 minutes old, not completely formed but formed enough so that you get the idea. The lyrics might change a bit before it’s totally done but I think we have our melody.

It’s about two newborn baby birds and their mother. My favorite part (Olivia’s idea) is where the mother takes off to the roof of the Walmart for a party and stays out all night while her babies are hungry at home.

This is so exciting for me. Have a listen. Lyrics below if you want to follow along.

Download audio file (Something%20Good.mp3)

(right-click here to download the mp3)

Something Good
Written by Olivia Krahn and Michael Krahn (c) 2009

Mommy flew away to find some food
The babies stayed at home
The eggs were about to hatch
But mommy didn’t come back
Until the next morning

And when she came back two were waiting
Their mouths were open wide
Two new babies hatched in the nest
They had no food inside, and they said…

(chorus)
Give me berries, give me worms
Fill this empty tummy
Give me bugs, or give me twigs
I don’t care, just give me something good

Mommy filled their bellies, they felt so good
The babies felt at home
Mommy flew to Walmart
The party was about to start
She didn’t come back til morning

And when she came back two were waiting
Their mouths were open wide
Two new babies hatched in the nest
They had no food inside, and they said…

(chorus)
Give me berries, give me worms
Fill this empty tummy
Give me bugs, or give me twigs
I don’t care, just give me something good

I am NOT a Hillsong basher but Ugh, I hate Hillsong videos… and some of their lyrics. I have no idea what they’re trying to market in videos like the one below.

Ok, actually it’s pretty obvious: the people in the band and all their fans are gorgeous and hip! They spend time in airports and travel the world looking cool, wearing shades and sporting The Clash t-shirts. Image is the name of the game.

(click here to view if the video does not appear in your browser)

As lyrics go this is one of those songs that could just as easily be sung to a girlfriend/boyfriend as to Jesus, existing in the ever-expanding “Jesus Is My Girlfriend” genre. This genre is defined as song or songs that “mean to appeal to an audience outside of typical listeners of CCM by replacing “Jesus” with “You” in hopes of making the Christian content of the song less obvious to non-Christian listeners.” (def’n found here)

Take out the line “I’ve got a Saviour and He’s living in me” and “What The World Will Never Take” is one of those songs:

Check this out. Read it without assuming its about Jesus:

With all I’m holding inside
With all my hopes and desires
And all the dreams that I’ve dreamt

With all I’m hoping to be
And all that the world will bring
And all that fails to compare

You say you want all of me
I wouldn’t have it any other way

I wanna know
I wanna know you today

And You’re the best thing that has happened to me
And the world will never take
The world will never take you away

No-one could ever take you away

The “live” version above strays from the recorded version and makes the message a bit clearer – lyrically at least. And don’t get me wrong, as a song and a rock video it succeeds admirably. It’s catchy, well-played, and professionally edited. I’m just not sure I want to play it as part of a worship service at church.

Draw Me Close (seen below) is even worse. Take a look:

(click here to view if the video does not appear in your browser)Again, read it without assuming its about Jesus:

Draw me close to you
Never let me go
I lay it all down again
To hear you say that I’m your friend

Help me find a way to bring me back to you

Chorus:

You’re all I want, You’re all I’ve ever needed
You’re all I want,
Help me know you are near

You are my desire
No one else will do
Cause no one else
Can take your place
To feel the warmth of Your embrace

Help me find a way to bring me back to you

Chorus:
You’re all I want, You’re all I’ve ever needed
You’re all I want,
Help me know you are near

What do you think? Do I have a point or am I just getting old?

(As a side note, and in the “even more obvious” department, what do you think this shot of Brooke Fraser, Hillsong United’s female member, is selling? Discussion needed? I think not… and we used to think Amy Grant in a leopard-print blazer was racy.)

I will be reviewing Shane Hipps book Flickering Pixels: How Technology Shapes Your Faith soon. Here’s an idea of what the book is about.

What I do and what all musicians do is easy. All we have to do is sit down for a couple hours a week and write a song or two. That simple task is all the world asks of me, so I do it. The other musicians who don’t are just lazy, because again, we aren’t being asked to tar rooftops or clean out dumpsters. We just have to write a couple songs!

Ryan Adams ( website – Amazon )