Music is my passion. I spend most of my day strumming chords on my guitar, thumping away at my keyboard and playing melodies on my flute. I can channel my emotions into my work, so if I'm stressed, music helps relieve that stress.
I've noticed that I enjoy music much more when I'm using my own material. I love to write songs and then compose parts for each instrument that I can play at home. I mentioned my love of songwriting at my church Sunday school and they asked me to write a song for our congregation to sing. I went home that day and managed to compose all of the lyrics in about half an hour! I recorded it over two days and then edited it on the third. The thing is, although I can play some instruments, my voice is not one of them; I cannot sing. Let me tell you, that is really frustrating if you want to record your songs. Nevertheless, I wanted to share with you what I'd written. I submitted the song on an anonymous account, and you can find it here:
https://soundcloud.com/taryn-e-1/teach-me
I've decided to go through the lyrics and pick out the meaning. MeBeLizzi did help me with some parts. It's actually pretty difficult to make sense of your own song!
When the stream runs dry,
You're my water.
When the food runs out,
You're my feast.
Although this section seems mildly cannibalistic, it does have a spiritual meaning! MeBeLizzi interpreted it as, 'When there's no food or water, I can survive on God alone.' It could also be seen as, 'God will provide.'
When the flowers die,
You're my comfort.
And when the birds all fly,
You make me free.
The first two lines could mean, 'When I'm down, you comfort me.' Flowers are pretty things, but they don't last long. Can you think of anything in our lives which is like that? The last lines could be interpreted as being related to death. 'When the birds all fly,' could mean, 'When we all die.' 'You make me free' means something like, 'You take me to heaven.'
CHORUS
Teach me how to love
With all my heart.
Teach me how to sing
With all my soul.
Teach me how to dance
Within your grace.
I give you my all.
Teach me how to see
With open eyes.
Teach me how to find
Where heaven lies.
Teach me how to talk
Through you, my God.
I give you my all.
The chorus is pretty straightforward. No hidden meanings here! You could probably take it all literally.
When I'm in your presence,
All pain is forgotten.
When I'm with you,
You're my peace.
People have often described that, 'being in God's presence' has a calming effect. He forgives all of our sins, releasing any burdens on us.
When the nights are rough,
You're my shelter.
And when the birds all fly,
You make me free.
I got the inspiration from a bible story about David when Gaul is seeking him. God protects David, through rain or shine. A literal and figurative phrase, ladies and gentlemen! We've already gone through the last two lines!
CHORUS
When things go wrong,
You're there with me.
When times are hard,
You're my strength.
Even when we do bad things, God still loves us. He helps us. He made us so he wants us to succeed. He will be disappointed, but he will not forsake us.
When I do wrong,
You still stand by me.
And when the birds all fly,
You make me free
God will always support you, no matter what you've done.
CHORUS
I think anyone is able to find hidden meanings in songwriting. When I write, I do not intend for there to be hidden meanings - not exactly. I just let the words flow from my brain, through my arm and into my hand, which directs my pen. I find solace in songwriting. I really hope you've enjoyed reading this, if you did read it all, and I apologize if any content offends you.
