scripture-in-song and me

When I first began writing Christian songs in the mid-70s, most of my lyrics were taken directly from the Biblical text. I would choose a passage of Scripture and simply put it to music - word for word.

I believed that even the most unlikely passages in the Bible have some relevance to our lives today, and there must be at least one passage per book worth putting to music. Soon I had set myself the goal to write at least one song from each book of the Bible.

(Some years ago I learnt that the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt sponsors a Christian musical each year, based on a book of the Bible. According to my sources, even the Book of Leviticus inspired some beautiful songs. I can believe it.)

Sometimes I took my quest a little too far, like when I set myself the task to put the entire Book of Acts to music. I didn't get beyond Chapter 2, of course, but in the process I learnt to interact with the Biblical narratives in a whole new way. So I don't see it as wasted effort.

I had a number of different versions of the Bible, and I would pick the version that offered the most potential in terms of the text's inherent rhythm and style. Once I made my decision on which version to use, I would stick faithfully to that text, and not deviate from it at all. The words I had selected would be the lyrics of my song.

Some of the benefits of this approach are:

a great way to learn and remember portions of Scripture (both for singers and songwriter);
no shortage of material for songs;
a good discipline, teaching you ingenious ways of matching the melody line to the text;
forcing you to interact with the Biblical texts at another level;
a great way of breaking into writing songs in another language. All you need is a suitable translation and a reasonable comprehension of the language. The Bible text takes care of good grammar, spelling and idiomatic expressions.

Now I have more experience as a songwriter and lyricist, and don't have to rely so heavily on the Biblical text for my lyrics, I have a much more dynamic relationship with the Scriptures. While before I wrote almost exclusively in the "Scripture in Song" genre, these days I let the purpose of the song determine what genre to choose.

Whatever genre I opt for, I try to:

invest something of myself in my songs so the songs also (but not exclusively) reflect my own spiritual journey;
ensure that the lyrics and the melody carry equal weight;
let the song evolve naturally, without a predefined agenda

As a result, I believe I'm more faithful to the Biblical narratives than before when I was so tied to the literal text. I now try to distil the "spirit" and essential meaning of the texts and their relevance to our lives. Only then can I interpret them faithfully, so they speak to and for the people who will hear or sing my songs.

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scripture-in-song and me