Ephphatha Music: Be Still

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Be Still

"Be Still" is the first song I ever wrote. It surprised me when it came rushing out of me, tumbling out in a way I'd never experienced before. It's inspired by, and dedicated to, the God who says in Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God."

The bridge is supposed to have a big swelling buildup with the instruments coming in behind the voices... but that's hard to pull off when you're one fumbling piano player!

Key of G | Speed 120

VERSE 1
--------G----------------Em
In this rushing tumbling life

---------------------------G
Where we struggle and we strive

----------------------------Em
Where the point seems so unclear

--------------------------C
And we’re captive to our fears

--------------------------Am
There’s a small insistent voice

------------------------------D/F#
That tells us there’s another choice…

CHORUS

--------A
Just be still and know

------------A
Quiet your heart and feel

-----------A
Lift your eyes and see

-----------A
Calm your soul and know

-------D/F#
That I am…

---------Bm
Child be still…

------G
For I am.

-------D/F#
Know I am…

---------Bm
Child be still…

-------G
For I am.

-------D
Know I am…

---------A
Child be still…

------Em
For I am.

VERSE 2

---------G---------------E
Then we wrestle with our faith

--------------------------G
Longing for a glimpse of grace

------------------------E
When we stumble and we fall

----------------------------C
Straining to make out your call

---------------------------Am
Through a world of howling noise

----------------------------D/F#
Comes your clear and lovely voice…

CHORUS

BRIDGE

Em---D---------------Em-- C
Be… still............Be… still

Em---D---------------Em--C
Be… still............Be… still

G----Am--------------G---D/F#
Be… still .......... Be… still

G---Am---------------G----Em
Be… still............Be… still

VERSE 3

G ---------------------------Em
Help us still our souls and wait

------------------------G
For your grace to overtake

----------------------Em
The chaos keeping us apart

------------------------------C
Not knowing where to make our start

--------------------------------Am
We’ll move ourselves out of the way

-----------------------------D/F#
To find the words you always say…

CHORUS: 1st half 2 times, then remainder

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Ephphatha Music

In Chapter 7 of Mark's Gospel we read this about Jesus:

"Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee in the region of Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers in his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven he sighed and said to him, 'Ephphatha,' that is, 'Be opened.' And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly."

This passage speaks to me. I've never considered myself a songwriter, or even a musician. But when I came to Christ in my 40th year something wondrously odd seemed to open up inside of me, and from somewhere in my soul the songs in this blog came pouring out.

I remember with a weird sort of clarity how startled I was when one day in the shower a complete chorus came to my mind and my lips. (If you're curious it's now in this blog as a mostly complete song called "Be Still.") I don't know how or why these things happen -- why I can be driving to work musing over words and melodies and suddenly find myself unraveling a song. But it happens every once in a while and I'm thankful for it.

Caveats and disclaimers: I'm not a piano player. I'm a bass player, and a pretty mediocre one at that. And my bass -- though I love my black Fender Jazz to pieces and affectionately call her "Bessie" -- just isn't a good accompaniment instrument. So the piano playing on these tracks is coarse and unrefined at its best, awful at its worst. Forgive me!

And I'm not a singer, either. Especially when I'm trying to remember where my fingers are supposed to go on the keyboard. So as I say in most of these posts: try to listen to the song while ignoring the stuff around it.

All songs displayed here in their current state are copyright Michael Thelander. But none of them are "finished." I'm more than willing to work with any partners who can help these tunes reach any potential they may have and speak to more people.

After all, they're not mine. All I can believe is that they came from God's own heart.

About these songs...

As I comment elsewhere in this blog, none of these songs are really "finished" in a true sense. They're at a point where they can tell an end-to-end-story, and where they can be played without too many gaps, but they're not finished.

Over the couple of years that I've been working on these songs I've come to realize that this perpetual state of "undone-ness" is a good thing. I believe songs are alive, and that they need to have room to grow. And I especially believe that songs of faith need input and shaping from more than one person: In as much as the spirt dwells in all who believe, it can't find its true expression in the outpouring of one voice.

MT

Ephphatha Music

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Be Still

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