Why Do Worship Songs Repeat So Much?
Psalm 136 repeats one line 26 times. What repetition actually does, when the complaint is fair, and the flat-voice test that settles…
The Journal
Tag: Songwriting
Writing Lyrics First, and Why
Most songs are written music-first. Mine are not, and the reason is not aesthetic: a congregation will sing these lines a hundred…
Praise and Worship Songs of the 80s and 90s That Lasted
A handful of songs from 1980-1999 are still sung weekly, in spite of their production. What they have in common, and what…
What Makes a Worship Song Biblical?
Quoting Scripture is not the test. Six things I check before a lyric is allowed a melody — starting with whether the…
Sing to the Lord a New Song: What “New” Means
The phrase appears nine times in Scripture, and every time it follows an act of God. A new song is testimony, not…
The Psalms Are a Songbook, Not a Poetry Collection
Choirmaster notes, named tunes, instruments, Selah. The Psalms are a hymnal — including one song that ends in the dark and was…
Understanding a Chronological Redemption Story Album
Narrative order, a redemption arc and lyrics that carry the plot: what makes an album a chronological redemption story, and how Redemption…