Here are lyrics to the songs that we've played in gigs
Song Archives
Joyful Joyful
Joyful joyful we adore Thee
God of glory Lord of love
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee
Opening to the sun above
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness
Drive the dark of doubt away
Giver of immortal gladness
Fill us with the light of day
All Thy works with joy surround Thee
Earth and heaven reflect Thy rays
Stars and angels sing around Thee
Center of unbroken praise
Field and forest vale and mountain
Flowery meadow flashing sea
Singing bird and flowing fountain
Call us to rejoice in Thee
Sing oh sing of the Great Redeemer
Lift your hands at the sound of His name
Sing oh sing of the Almighty Father
Drink of His joy at the table of grace
Thou art giving and forgiving
Ever blessing ever blest
Wellspring of the joy of living
Ocean depth of happy rest
Thou our Father Christ our brother
All who live in love are Thine
Teach us how to love each other
Fill us with the joy divine
Sing oh sing of the Great Redeemer
Lift your hands at the sound of His name
Sing oh sing of the Almighty Father
Drink of His joy at the table of grace
A. Whipple [6:22 PM]
The singer/songwriter eLi has said that Jesus is sort of like a thrift store shopper. He goes into a thrift store to search through things (or people) that other folks have thrown away. And he comes out with a piece of junk that he's so excited to have, not because we're worth anything, but because he loves us. That's the kind of love for us that Christ has and that this song discusses.
A Beggar and a Lover
I have just awakened in a stranger's house / it's warmer than my corner of the street / and my feet are clean / I did not make this bed I lie in / but lie is all I feel I've ever done / on the table - bread and wine // what am I doing here? / don't you have a trash can I could comfortably sort through / I don't look like myself in these new and priestly clothes / I look like you // I've got to find a back door to this place / cause breakfast smells so good it can't be true / and you must be a fool / have you suddenly decided to adopt me / don't you have any idea where I've come from / and what I've done // why have you followed me / sitting on the porch like I'll come back to your ridicule / how can you laugh with me if I'm not laughing / I'm not like you // a picture of me is in the subway / he is missing, if you see him send him home / strangely enough he offers life as a reward / but all he has to give is his own // I am a beggar and a lover / of a legacy of pain I trail behind / in a twisted line / you are a ruler and a lover / of me though I discard what you provide / how am I so blind // brother, this I do confess / in my failure signs your righteousness / I can't explain or comprehend / all your means or much less any of your ends // but still that love is on your tongue / still you walk through Hell for me / on a lover's journey / still you carry me back home / but still I fail to see / what you see in me //
A. Whipple [12:46 AM]
This is a song about the future of my life, but beyond that, I'll let the song explain itself.
My Kids
There's a lemonade stand
Out on the corner of Brooks Street
Two little girls with plastic sandals on their feet
And a dream for sale
There's a dusty home plate
You be Ted Williams, you be Hank, and I will be the Babe
Out there where they run my grass is all but decimated
Where the home runs sail
Though I find Your implications as absurd as Wonderland
It blows my mind that You would trust in me to guide these little hands
Cause here there ain't no manual or troubleshooting page
To keep me from graying at the edges
You gave them to me so I could give them back to You
They're strange and beautiful and come tomorrow
They are my kids
A couple years ago I would've told You You're insane
I am much too cool and I am much too complicated
To be that man
But it's been a couple years since and I gave up cash and baggy pants
Now I want to walk my daughter down the aisle
And watch my son become a man
Though I find Your implications as absurd as Wonderland
It blows my mind that You would trust in me to guide these little hands
Cause here there ain't no manual or troubleshooting page
To keep me from graying at the edges
You gave them to me so I could give them back to You
They're strange and beautiful and come tomorrow
They are my...
They say the years grow faster the older that you get
And I'll watch them fly though still I ain't flown yet
But will I find the time
To be a husband and a daddy
And with my fears be met
They're not conquered yet
Though I find Your implications as absurd as Wonderland
It blows my mind that You would trust in me to guide these little hands
Cause here there ain't no manual or troubleshooting page
To keep me from graying at the edges
You gave them to me so I could give them back to You
They're strange and beautiful and come tomorrow
They are my kids
You are the manual and troubleshooting page
And it'll be good fraying at the edges
Baby, God is so much life I can't believe my eyes
And they're strange and beautiful and come tomorrow
They are my kids
They are our kids
Baby, they are our kids
A. Whipple [12:40 AM]
After hearing an interview with Cliff Young of Caedmon's Call, I realized that this is one of the few praise songs out there that speaks only of God, instead of talking about ourselves and what we need and want.
God of Wonders
by Marc Byrd and Steve Hindalong
Lord of all creation
Of the water, earth, and sky
The heavens are Your tabernacle
Glory to the Lord on high
Chorus:
God of wonders beyond our galaxy
You are holy, holy
The universe declares Your majesty
You are holy, holy
Lord of heaven and earth
Lord of heaven and earth
Early in the morning
I will celebrate the light
When I stumble in the darkness
I will call Your name by night
Chorus
Halellujah to the Lord of heaven and earth
Halellujah to the Lord of heaven and earth
Halellujah to the Lord of heaven and earth
Chorus
A. Whipple [12:58 PM]
How Deep the Father's Love for Us
by Stuart Townend
How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the Man upon the cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
A. Whipple [9:37 PM]
There's a Stirring
by Annie Herring
There's a stirring deep within me
Could it be my time has come
When I'll see my gracious Savior
Face to face when all is done
Is that His voice I am hearing
'Come away, my precious one'
Is He calling me
Is He calling me
I will rise up
Rise up
And bow down
And lay my crown
At His wounded feet
A. Whipple [9:28 PM]
This is a song written from the perspective of a Christian girl who has lost her virginity. She has found out that sex, being only one third of the union that is a Godly marriage, is not complete without the emotional and most of all spiritual parts of the relationship. She is dealing with guilt and the hardship of loneliness that such a mistake causes.
Flower Box
All my dreams go to my head
But chivalry is far from living
I wonder who will call tomorrow
When I am widowed once again
I can't deny this disillusionment
As vision tunnels blindly for the truth
A fire in this vineyard keeps on smoldering
Cause the answer walks with him out of the room
Great expectations I'm not meeting
Wonderland is gone it's only me
I am so far, so far from Your mercy
A candle flickering into the sea
Paint me out of this magnum opus
For I am not a daughter anymore
I am here a naked soul, a millstone for my ring
What on earth have you got for me that I should live for
But sweetening the salt sea in my eyes
As roses up from drops of blood will grow
And though my petals withered under Indian summer skies
Your garden's grown with broken maidens in a row with me
I sleep in a flower box that's full of withered roses
Our purity is gone without a trace
Though memory might be persistent and I'm not worth the dirt in which I'm buried
There is music in this place
A flower box of songs and sinful saints
A. Whipple [11:03 PM]
I am crucified with Christ, therefore I no longer live.
Nail Me Up
Generous mercy echoes from the clouds
But in my wastefulness I stumble on the ground
The best that I can claim is I'm consistent when I fail
But in the end Your spirit will prevail
Chorus:
So nail me up
For all the promises I've rent
For trust I've stolen and I've spent
So I will know what I have cost
So nail me up
Trading iron for all my gold
What I've horded not my own
So all my glory is but loss
Burden me with grace though cry I must
And nail me up
Peace speaks softly in idol-hardened ears
But still I trust me and I gather up my fears
I'm scattered on the capstone and my spirit is undone
All because You gave to me Your Son
Chorus
Faced with poverty and wealth of soul
Challenged to make more than just a living when I'm whole
Morning clouds are met with Your words on this road
Telling me that love will pay the toll
Chorus
Nail me up
Broken rendering this tent
My spirit straight my bones are bent
And now I know what I have cost
Nail me up
Feeding beggars all my gold
Oh my will is not my own
And all my glory is but loss
So burden me with grace though cry I must
And nail me up
A. Whipple [10:55 PM]
What He Told Me (Simon Peter)
My name is Simon Peter
And I am a fisherman
Been working these waters since I could walk
I know them like the back of my hand
Throw your nets on the other side
Come follow me
Leave your boats out on these troubled waters
Walk where you can't see
That's what He told me
One lonely night in a garden
That's where we met to pray
He sweated blood as He cried out to the Father
While I fought to stay awake
Drop that sword from your hand
Come follow me
Leave your anger along behind you
Face what you're afraid to see
On the outskirts of a courtyard
I hid my face in shame
They asked me wasn't I His closest friend
And thrice I denied His name
And as the cock crowed I remembered His words
Come follow me
He made me so much more than what I was before
He told me what I was to be
That's what He told me
I love you Jesus more than anything
Cause you trust me like a son
Life or death or inprisonment
Just consider it done
Feed my sheep, tend my lambs
Come follow me
Care for my children, be my son
If you really love me
That's what He told me
We are all Simon Peter
Taught to be fishers of men
We gotta leave our boats and stop drinking troubled waters
We gotta let them pierce our hands
That's what He told me
A. Whipple [2:13 PM]
1 Kings 18
Sound of a Heavy Rain
The heavens declare the glory of God as they shower down a song
They burst forth from silence, the springs of the sky by the power of His name
And from my desert bed in this arid land
I lift up my hands
And hearken my ears to the sound
The sound of a heavy rain
These fetters of holy fear pass me by and hammer not my pride
This arrogance my shadow while by Your strength I run past the chariots of my pain
Sheltered from my fallacy by You who work Your will
In my barren heart
Your mercy thunders closer, through the angel wings I hear
The sound of a heavy rain
By this faith I stand
Through humility I fall
And suffer not the scarred hands
That you chose for love of all
So how on earth could I
Come at Your kingdom call
I will only listen when I hear
And what I hear
The sound of a heavy rain
A. Whipple [2:04 PM]
Impossible
Here I meet You again
At the end of the day
Once more weighed and found wanting
Of Your grace
I feel my failure weigh upon me
The captain of this boat
Held captive driving at the wheel
Keeping desperately afloat
Chorus:
And thinking back on careless traipses through this life of mine
Today has been just one more step in my selfish design
When deep down all I really want is impossible to find
This grace I seek is only grown from the seed of blood divine
You’re greater than impossible my God
In the deadly mire I was sinking
No Ebenezer down beneath
Wasted chances hold me down
On my feet
But with Your hand You spilled out water
From this stone I call my heart
Grinding me down to my knees
Your mercy to impart
Chorus
Bridge:
These days I speak so loud
My voice rings clear like the sorcerer’s
All that I can hear is myself thinking
“I don’t need to turn around”
So when the book is finally opened
And the world is borne away
In the wake of You, Jehovah
Lord of Days
When all the mountains find the seashore
All those cursed upon the tree
Will trade their mourning in for laughter
As the world will finally see
And thinking back on careless traipses through this life of mine
I’ll crush my knees on golden cobblestones and joyfully cry
As deep down I will know that what’s impossible to find
Now covers me so wonderfully in a presence so divine
You’re greater than impossible my God
A. Whipple [1:57 PM]
Job chapter 38, the Lord answers Job.
The Answer
Before the sabers full of fire were guarding gardens
Before the pieces of the bride were earthen made
Before morning stars were fallen, and the Word became a seed
I was there
Where were you when I
Put the sea into its place
Where were you when I
Gave humanity My face
Where were you when I
Made the stones cry out in praise
Where were you all this time
Where were you when I
Wrought your body from the ground
Where were you when I
Found those that would not be found
Where were you when I
Saw His body ripped and torn
Where were you all this time
I stand amazed
I cannot breath
I fall before you on my knees
I tremble deep
Within my soul
Come now and make this body whole again
Where were you when I
Fed an army to the sea
Where were you when I
Formed a shepherd into a king
Where were you when I
Slew a giant with one child
Where were you all this time
Where were you when I
Turned my ears from His distress
Where were you when they
Put those spikes in Jesus’ wrists
Was it you who wept
Because they killed the Great I Am
Or did you hold the hammer
Did you hold the hammer in your hand?
I stand amazed
I cannot breath
I fall before you on my knees
I tremble deep
Within my soul
Come now and make this body whole again
A. Whipple [1:56 PM]
Shadows of Vietnam
Bullets fly and soldiers run / inside a man with shoes undone / the tremors start down in his hands / that radiate from foreign lands / he can’t hold within his seams / the fury that torments his dreams / his crooked frame will try to hide / the pain which from within him screams // he is a shadow of a time / that taught him hate and left him blind / the pawn of forces who cared not / about what he thought was unkind / his heart lives only to roam / liquor is his cornerstone / is he your father? is he your friend? / will you share your Jesus with him? // hopes have fallen with her tears / and letters yellowing with years / but nightly she won’t fail to pray / that he will last through one more day / he left her ages ago / an orphaned daughter in the cold / he crossed the sea to wave a flag / if he’ll return she does not know // she lives in absence of his time / her father gone, a nation’s crime / his melody – it echoes not / he did not mean to be unkind / he’d be her daddy and her friend / if only you would rescue him // there is a Savior for burdened ones like these / and He is yours to give as you did receive / while we are waiting on the day of His return / He calls the hopeless to our arms // there are so many in these times / who writhe in pain, wretched and blind / if only we would swallow hard / the pride that strangles hearts so kind / we’d give the lost the hope of home / and share with them our cornerstone / we’d love our Father and our friends / brothers in blood until the end / brothers in blood until the end
A. Whipple [1:55 PM]
Traveler’s Song
hum of tires sing you a lullaby
the memories and winter wind drown your eyes
problems you thought you left behind
still weigh heavy on your mind
your ghost-dog past still bites your heels from time to time
a race you cannot win in shackle shoes and jaded lies
and now the sins of all your fathers bear down on the winding road
the path of courage you must find
This is the traveler's song
the path is rocky and the way is long
you've seen the sunrise set so many times but you still cry
just to find you haven one more time
The miles consume where you pour out your "why's"
Futile evasion tears no roots from your reprise
The falsities of distance painted on the road signs you pass by
pursue your conscience far and wide
Your own footsteps take you farther from the answers
down the road of hard return
Cherish not your fear and pride to find your heart back where you started from
home where you started from
He carries nothing save his rags and unseen riches
with no place to lay his head
traded divinity to toast the cup of love
so that we might be adopted
Jesus sang the traveler's song
the gate is marrow and the road is long
leading sheep disciples sleeping waking to
a blinding light of love
you'll find your haven in his time
A. Whipple [1:50 PM]
Blood and Water
Broken wings won’t fly too high
Broken hearts won’t beat
Broken roads will not lead me to you
Broken hands, broken feet
Chorus:
Blood and water (cleanse my soul)
Blood and water (cleanse my soul)
Oh God if we cry out to You
Will You save our souls
Death has lost its brutal sting
Since You’ve made us whole
Chorus
Oh Lord if we run back to You
Grace and mercy will we find
In the darkness we’re never alone
We will always see Your smile
God of peace who never sleeps
Will You guard us in our slumber
God of mighty strength and power
Keep us safe to fight the battles
Of this world
A. Whipple [1:46 PM]