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Friday, August 12, 2005

Isaac Surh’s Wicked Awesome Hella Cool Worship Songbook

Editor’s Notes and Commentary

Hey, everyone. Welcome to my new, updated songbook. In this latest edition, I have added some new songs and I have expanded these notes. I originally started compiling these songs for my own use, intending to include only the songs I usually lead during my own worship sets. But as this songbook evolved, and especially since I sent out the first edition, the audience for this book has grown significantly. As a result, I find I am doing you all a disservice by excluding many popular worship songs in this songbook based on my low opinion of them. On top of this, due to multiple requests, I have reluctantly decided to add those crappy-yet-popular songs to this edition, against my better judgement. May God have mercy on my soul when I stand before Him on that terrible, terrible Judgement Day. How will I account for this? My only consolation is that I did not write them.

I have meticulously edited every lyric and chord symbol to be as faithful to the original recording as possible (if one exists) with the following exceptions. For songs that were recorded in keys that are difficult to sing or to play (e.g. E-flat for guitar or C-sharp for piano), I have transposed the chords to the closest and easiest key to make them more accessible to novice players. In some cases, I have taken the liberty of altering a few chords to improve harmonic progressions, the flow of bass lines, or because I just thought it sounded better. Don’t worry, my opinions are always right. In other cases, I have fully re-worked some songs by giving them face-melting, high-voltage rock progressions (check out my kick-ass version of I Could Sing of Your Love Forever).

I suppose a further word on key selection is warranted. It is generally accepted that the highest note most people can comfortably sing is the D a 9^th above Middle C (an octave lower for men) and the lowest note being G an 11^th below it (an octave up for women). This guideline was taken into consideration, as well as the other criteria mentioned above, when deciding on what key songs were transposed to based on their melodic range.

Regarding the placement of chord symbols, I have made an effort to be as consistent and as accurate as possible. This is to help you by minimizing any confusion regarding the rhythmic placement of chords (especially useful for songs such as Dreamers of Your Dreams). In cases where a chord is played before its corresponding lyric, the chord symbol appears slightly ahead of the lyric. If the chord is played with the lyric, the symbol is aligned with it, and in cases where the chord is clearly played after the lyric is sung, the symbol appears slightly behind the corresponding word.

For the sake of concision, I have adhered to the tradition of omitting chord symbols in repeating sections and in phrases containing repeating chord patterns. As a result, no chord symbols will appear in verses subsequent to the first or in phrases in which the chords follow an earlier progression.

Regarding the use of parentheses, slashes and Arabic numerals, the following guidelines should be noted. Parentheses are used only to suggest chords and progressions that are not considered vital to the song or when presenting supplementary material. Slashes are used to indicate bass notes (the note on the right-side of the slashes) and need not be observed by non-bassists. Arabic numerals are used in chord symbols only when considered necessary; in many contemporary styles of worship music, 2^nds, 7^ths, and 9^ths are commonplace and are interchangeable with their nominal forms (e.g. D is interchangeable with D2, Em7 can always be played in lieu of Em, etc.).

Regarding the page formatting, I have set the borders to make use of as much of the printable area of the page as possible (this document is formatted for A4 paper, so my apologies to those who use letter-size paper). Page numbers have been deliberately left out for this reason as they take up space on the bottom margin. Also, because some of you may want to print this document out to use as sheet music, a great effort has been made to arrange the songs on the pages in such a way that they avoid awkward splits between pages. Nothing irks real musicians like me more than inconvenient page turns.

Additionally, you will be able to cut, paste and print from this file, but nothing else. I have write-protected this document to prevent people who know less about music than me from tampering with this fine piece of work and to ensure that no one else takes credit for my hard work, from which all of you are benefiting. So, don’t no one try nuthin’. Or I’ll KILL you. Er – I mean, forgive you. I mean… kill you.

Speaking of giving credit where credit is due, I would like to affirm that, with few exceptions, I am not the author or composer of these songs; I am merely the compiler and editor (and arranger, in some cases). I have included a list of song titles and authors specifically to give due credit and for your convenient reference.

Let me pause here to comment on the state of worship music today. Contemporary Christian music has certainly come a long way in the past 30 years. Its styles and production value have expanded to encompass the entire range of modern music. But, alas, with very few exceptions, Christian music has always lagged behind secular music in terms of originality, songcraft, and style. Corporate worship songs do have a different focus and purpose than modern pop songs, but that doesn’t mean they should be any less well-written.

I apologies to anyone who may have been offended when I called Our Love Is Loud by David Crowder a crappy song in the previous edition. But let’s be honest for a moment. There are a lot songs in our worship repertoire that, quite frankly, suck. Of course, the Holy Spirit will breathe on, move through and anoint whatever songs He wills, and God often uses foolish things to shame the wise. I suppose that in my case, God has used the foolish song Our Love Is Loud to shame me, the wise one, since I am but a lowly English teacher and David Crowder is a rich and famous, albeit strange-looking, worship rock star. But I digress.

My point is that, as far as it is possible for us to do so, we as worship leaders should choose songs that glorify our Lord not only with their intentions but with their musical excellence as well. We ought to be more discriminating. Does Jesus deserve any less? For every mediocre song that we teach our congregations, there is at least one great song that we could have taught instead. What an awesome testament it would be if, one day, the world looked at our body of worship songs and said, “Wow, these Christians really know how to write great music!” A non-Christian I know recently asked me why Christian music had to be so corny, and he was not trying to be acrimonious. Ouch.

But what constitutes a crappy song? Let’s pick on Our Love Is Loud s’more. The lyrics are inane, vague sentimentalities based on Christian clichés. It doesn’t say anything new, real, specific, interesting or even very Biblical. The melody is a repetitive, four-note sedative backed up by the most overused chord progression in the world, I – V – vi – IV. If I hear another song with this progression, I will shoot a baby seal and eat it, unless it’s written by Matt Redman or Radiohead. In fact, Matt Redman recently wrote a great song entitled Blessed Be Your Name using this very progression.

Now, Crowder’s song is popular, especially among the youth, and so I suppose God is moving through it, which is why I’ve included it in this book. But unless my kids beg me to lead this song for them at our youth service, I will not be leading it any time soon. There are too many other good songs to teach.

What does not constitute a bad song, though, is an original song written by someone in the congregation and sung by that church itself. I in no way have been trying to dissuade people from writing their own songs. If you were thinking of writing some of your own worship tunes but, after having read this commentary, have been scared off the idea because you don’t think you’re skilled enough to write a masterpiece, please go back to the drawing board. Original songs written by members of the congregation for the congregation will always speak to the congregation and have a place in the worship of that congregation. I think there is nothing better than when churches write their own new songs to the Lord, even if they aren’t the best quality. I believe this kind of personal expression is especially pleasing to our Father and that it’s a talent we have often failed to exercise. Why should we sing other people’s songs all the time when we have our own histories, our own testimonies and our own callings?

Finally, I’d like to reiterate something Matt Redman once said at a worship conference I attended. He said we shouldn’t be afraid to listen to secular music and to learn from it, since secular artists received their good gifts from the same good God. That they chose to use their gifts for themselves rather than for His glory shouldn’t stop us from listening to their wonderful creations. Redman himself is greatly influenced by The Beatles (who isn’t?) and some of that influence shows in his work: Redman’s The Father’s Song definitely has traces of McCartney’s Yesterday in it.

It seems as though I am contradicting what I asserted earlier, that we shouldn’t follow secular artists like desperate posers buying Von Dutch trucker caps cuz it’s the latest trend. But I’m not talking about mimicking here; I’m talking about taking good ideas from the world and redeeming them for God’s kingdom by using them in new and creative ways in His service.

For those of you who may be wondering, there is a plethora of good Christian music out there, although much of it is quite obscure, unfortunately. Aside from your Redmans and Tomlins and Crowders, check out the following artists: Pedro the Lion, Michael Knott, Sam Phillips, The Violet Burning, Royal, The Innocence Mission, Lift To Experience. I’ll stop there. They might not do “worship music”, but they’re Christian and their music kicks ass! Um, demon ass… that is. Right. I wasn’t cussing there, I swear.

If you would like to suggest specific songs to be entered into the next edition, or if you have any comments, criticisms, questions or general concerns about this songbook, please email me at isaac.surh@utoronto.ca . Similarly, if you see any unauthorized, bootlegged copies of this songbook floating around the internet or email servers, please let me know so I CAN KILL – um, forgive them. Yeah, that’s it.

I sincerely hope you enjoy this songbook and that it is a helpful blessing to you. If it facilitates your personal or corporate worship in any way, then my job is done, and you should be a good Christian and give me a love offering (a minimum donation of $100 US suggested). Once again, I am awesome.

- Isaac Surh

List of Song Titles and Credits

Create In Me A Clean Heart (unknown, © Maranatha 1986)

Enough (Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio, 2002)

I Could Sing of Your Love Forever (Isaac’s awesome version)

I Worship You (unknown)

My Jesus I Love Thee (words by William R. Featherston, 1864, music by Adoniram Gordon, 1876, public domain)

Praise God From Whom (Old One Hundredth) (words by Thomas Ken, music by Louis Bourgeois, public domain 1674)

A Love Song

C F/C C

My Jesus, You are beautiful.

C F Gsus G

Your light compels me to draw near.

Dm⁷ C/E F G

To gaze upon the beauty of Your face

Dm⁷ C/E F

Is Heaven’s greatest prize.

C F/C C

One day I’ll hold You in my arms

C F Gsus G

And whisper words of love to You.

Dm⁷ C/E F G

Your tender touch fulfills my heart and soul.

Dm⁷ C/E F Gsus G

You heal the deepest part of me.

C Dm/C G/B C

Your love, Your grace abounds to me.

F G F/A G/B

O, I love You Lord. Yes, I love You Lord.

C Dm/C G/B C

For Your hands, Your feet have brought me peace.

F G C

O, my Jesus, I love You Lord.

This is a simple song of love,

These little words express my heart.

Just as an infant needs it’s mother’s care,

So I need Your great love, my Lord.

Agnus Dei

A D A D A

Alleluia, alleluia for our Lord God Almighty reigns.

A D A D A

Alleluia, alleluia for our Lord God Almighty reigns.

A D

Alleluia.

D E A E A

Ho - ly, holy,

D/A A F#m E

Are You Lord God Almighty.

Bm A/C# D D

Worthy is the Lamb, worthy is the Lamb.