Week 30 - "Let Your Spirit Descend on Me"

Let Your Spirit Descend on Me

By Samuel Stokes

Quarter note = 168 BPM.  Time signature = 4/4.

Intro:  D     | A/C#    | Bm    | G     | D      | A      | Dm/F    | G7    |

Verse 1:

D                      | A/C#                      | Bm           | G                  |

Poor wandering souls lost in sorrow, we seek to bring to You.

D                    | A                        | Dm/F             | G7                |

Lord, let Your Spirit descend on me.

D                  | A/C#                     | Bm                | G                  |

To give them hope for tomorrow, to show them what is true.

D                    | A                        | Dm/F             | G7              A (on beat 4) |

Lord, let Your Spirit descend on me.

Chorus:

C                     | G                         | D (3-2-3-4-|3-2-3)      |

Lord, let Your Spirit descend on me.

C                     | G                         | D (3-2-3-4-|3-2-3)      |

You have the power to set hearts free.

C                     | G                         | D (3-2-3-4-|3-2-3)      |

Lord, let Your Spirit descend on me.

Bm                   | C                            | G                     | Asus4                |

And may Your light always lead us as we teach the Gospel of Jesus.

D                     | C                        | Dm/F            |  G7                 |

Lord, let Your Spirit descend on me.

Verse 2:

D            | A/C#                   | Bm                | G                       |

I want to tell them the story of Your great sacrifice.

D                     | A                       | Dm/F            | G7              |

Lord, let Your Spirit descend on me.

D                 | A/C#                   | Bm                     | G             |

So they can give You the glory and meet You in paradise.

D                     | A                       | Dm/F            | G7              A (on beat 4) |

Lord, let Your Spirit descend on me.

Chorus:

C                     | G                         | D (3-2-3-4-|3-2-3)      |

Lord, let Your Spirit descend on me.

C                     | G                         | D (3-2-3-4-|3-2-3)      |

You have the power to set hearts free.

C                     | G                         | D (3-2-3-4-|3-2-3)      |

Lord, let Your Spirit descend on me.

Bm                   | C                            | G                     | Asus4                |

And may Your light always lead us as we teach the Gospel of Jesus.

D                     | C                        | Dm/F            |  G7                 |

Lord, let Your Spirit descend on me.

Interlude:

(instrumental)

D                     | C                       | Dm/F                |  G7                 |

D                     | C                       | Dm/F                |  G7                 |

D                            | C             | Dm/F            | G7                  |

(softly) There is no other name by which we must be saved.

D               | C             | Dm/F            | G7                  |

There is no other name by which we must be saved.

D                                   | C             | Dm/F            | G7                  |

(Full band) There is no other name by which we must be saved.

D               | C             | Dm/F            | G7                  | G7              A (on beat 4) |

There is no other name by which we must be saved.

Chorus:

C                     | G                         | D (3-2-3-4-|3-2-3)      |

Lord, let Your Spirit descend on me.

C                     | G                         | D (3-2-3-4-|3-2-3)      |

You have the power to set hearts free.

C                     | G                         | D (3-2-3-4-|3-2-3)      |

Lord, let Your Spirit descend on me.

Bm                   | C                            | G                     | Asus4                |

And may Your light always lead us as we teach the Gospel of Jesus.

D                     | C                        | Dm/F            |  G7                 |

Lord, let Your Spirit descend on me.

Link:  D     | A/C#    | Bm    | G     | D      | A      | Dm/F    | G7         A (on beat 4) |

Chorus:

C                     | G                         | D (3-2-3-4-|3-2-3)      |

Lord, let Your Spirit descend on me.

C                     | G                         | D (3-2-3-4-|3-2-3)      |

You have the power to set hearts free.

C                     | G                         | D (3-2-3-4-|3-2-3)      |

Lord, let Your Spirit descend on me.

Bm                   | C                            | G                     | Asus4                |

And may Your light always lead us as we teach the Gospel of Jesus.

D                     | C                        | Dm/F            | G7                 |

Lord, let Your Spirit descend on me.

D                     | C                        | Dm/F            | G7                 |

Lord, let Your Spirit descend on me.

D                     | C                        | Dm/F            | G7 (rit.)         | D                  ||

Lord, let Your Spirit descend on me.

Week 29 - "I Hate Being Right All the TIme"

Lyrics:

One thing always gets me feeling blue
When my colleagues seem to have no clue.
The thing that makes difficult to acccept
Is that everyone else so inept.

But of everything at all that I hate
Of all the things in the world I berate
One thing puts me out at the drop of a dime.
I hate being right all the time.

I hate it when someone throws me a curve
Or gets on my last nerve.
I can’t take these lackeys that get in my way,
The incompetence I deal with everyday.

There’s so much that drives me crazy, for heaven’s sake.
There’s only so much stupidity I’m able to take.
One thing ticks me off at the drop of a dime.
I hate being right all the time.

All the mistakes in the world that I see
Could all be avoided if people would listen to me.
Everyone really ought to follow my rules
Or they’ll keep wandering around like a bunch of bumbling fools.
Ignoring my advice should be a crime.
I hate being right all the time.

One huge thing that I really hate
Is letting other’s control my fate.
Having to bow to the director’s demand
Is something I can’t stand.

But of everything that I cannot bear
Of all annoying things that get stuck in my hair.
One thing hacks me off at the drop of a dime.
I hate being right all the time.

This song was written for the Online Musical Workship at http://onlinemusicalworkshop.blogspot.com - it will either be sung by the aging starlet or the director - both characters that believe they know everything and aren't afraid to share it.

Week 28 - "Celestial Dance"

I wrote this song and recorded the keyboard and percussion parts in Baton Rouge. Kelly Riely then added the vocals and recorded her portion of the video at her home studio in Independence, MO (special thanks to her husband Mike for assisting with the audio and video recording).  I then pieced together the video of Kelly singing with the video of me playing the keyboard solo in the middle.  The result was a really fun online music collaboration!

Lyrics:

I look into the sky -
The moon and stars I see.
My mind is floating to
A different galaxy.
Somehow it seems that your heart
Is a million miles away.
What can I say?
Please tell me that you love me.

So come and hold my hand
As I fly to distant stars,
And hold me in your arms;
Say what I want you to say.
So come along with me
As I go to worlds afar.
I'll keep you in my heart
When I come to take you away.

Please come along with me
Across the great expanse.
Our bodies orbiting
In this celestial dance.
But will the time ever come
When you'll take this love from me?
Why can't you see?
Please tell me that you need me.
Please tell me that you'll hold me.
Please tell me that you love me now.

Week 27 - "Te Quiero, Princesa"

This song is dedicated to my niece Julianna, who has cancer and is not expected to survive past this month.

Lyrics:
In the morning, I see the sunshine
The blooming flowers are beautiful just like your smile.
The angels greet you by singing to you to show you heaven loves a child.
And I know Jesus loves you so.
Te quiero, Princesa.
Te quiero, Princesa.

All our days you will be in our hearts.
The way you've touch us has made the world a better place.
You make the angels so very happy each time they see your smiling face.
And I know that we all love you so.
Te quiero, Princesa.

Week 26 - "Once I Get That Call"

August sent me a draft of some lyrics for a potential song for our new musical yesterday afternoon.  I worked through them at the piano and recorded this demo.  The lyrics that August sent me are posted below.

Lyrics:

BOY:

DON’T STOP RINGING!...

(realizing it’s not his phone)

                                                NEIGHBOR’S PHONE.

THE RING SOUNDS JUST LIKE MINE.

GIRL:

I HOPE THAT MOMMA DOESN’T CALL.

SHE JUST TIES UP THE LINE.

BOY:

AUDITION IS A WORD FOR TORTURE.

GIRL:

CALLBACKS EVEN WORSE.

BOY:

AN ACTOR DIES A THOUSAND DEATHS

BEFORE HE CAN REHEARSE.

GIRL:

WAS MY CALLBACK GOOD? I WONDER.

BOY:

WAS I BRILLIANT?

BOY:

DID I BLUNDER?

GIRL:

EVERY PIN DROP MAKES MY HEART STOP.

BOY:

EVERY NOISE I HEAR IS THUNDER.

CHORUS

GIRL:

I’LL BE ON THE ROAD TO GLORY.

GIRL:

MEN WILL FIGHT TO BUY MY STORY.

ALL:

I’LL BE SET FOR LIFE. I KNOW IT.

ONCE I GET THAT CALL.

BOY:

I CAN SEE THE MARQUEE GLOWING.

GIRL:

I’M THE PARTY THEY’LL BE THROWING.

ALL:

PLANETS WILL ALIGN THEIR ORBITS.

ONCE I GET THAT CALL.

BOY:

I MIGHT CAUSE THE SHOW TO STOP.

GIRL:

MY NAME WILL BE THE NAME TO DROP.

ALL:

FIGHTING MEN WILL LAY THEIR SWORDS DOWN.

ONCE I GET THAT CALL.

VERSE

GIRL:

BUT, MOMMA, I CAN’T TALK RIGHT NOW.

I REALLY HAVE TO GO.

NO, MA, HE’S NOT A DENTIST.

THE DIRECTOR OF A SHOW.

GIRL:

I CAN’T MISS THAT CALL.

I HAVE TO BE HERE WHEN IT COMES.

BOY:

I’M LIKE A GLADIATOR WAITING

FOR A SHOW OF THUMBS.

SPOTLIGHTS FROM THE SKY WILL BLIND ME.

CONTRACTS BY THE STACK WILL BIND ME.

ENDLESS WAITING. AGGRAVATING.

HURRY, FAME AND FORTUNE! FIND ME!

Week 25 - "You and I"

This song is a potential love theme for a new musical that I'm working on with playwright August Mergelman (http://augustmergelman.weebly.com/).  We wrote the musical Bird Millman together, which was produced in 2002 in Canon City, Colorado.  We will be posting regular updates of the new musical at http://onlinemusicalworkshop.blogspot.com/

Lyrics:

This is the time here in this place
For us to meet and speak face to face.
How can I say what I am feeling for you now
Without the words I need to express
My sense of emptiness.

But time goes on and you're still here.
Will time run out?  This is my fear.
Tell me the words of what you're feeling for me now.
Will you be mine or should I even try?
Should I bother to cry?

You and I have got just what it takes now to see it through.
So why must you take far too long to say you love me, too?
What can I do to show you that my love is true?
And how long can I wait around to see if it's my fate to be with you?

But let's face facts - this may be the end.
If we both move on, we each will lose a friend.
But what would life be like without you?  I can't say
But I would really not like to know.
Tell me you'll never go
Because I love you so.

Week 24 - "Fly, Baby Blackbird"

Lyrics:
Fly, baby blackbird, to your home.
Too long and wide the river's flow.
Fly, baby blackbird, to your home.
You burned your bridges long ago.

It seems so strange how you seemingly resist the winds of change.
Although the tides of time have given you the clue.
But you still don't know what it is that you should do.
But time just will not wait for you.

Inside a box, it seems your heart is guarded by a million locks.
And even if I could find every single key, I still would have to solve another mystery.
And that's just not the task for me.

This one is in a folk/rock style, at least in part.  I have done some vocal harmony in several of the previous songs, but I have not commented much about the process.  Although, I have scored numerous vocal arrangements, I have only scored (that is, written out in sheet music) vocals for three songs in the Year of Song project - "Damascus," "The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls," and "Psalm 13."  The vocals for the rest of the songs were composed a bit more organically.  Once I had the lead vocal recorded, I improvised harmony parts in several different ways until I got the sound I wanted.  This is a little different for me, because for scoring vocal parts I normally sit and think it through at the piano, but for this project I have relied more on my voice and the ability to record as many tracks as I like while experimenting on Audacity.