I love good songs! Can you remember the first time you heard "Beluah Land"? What about "Through the Fire"? I often think, "How can songwriters top the songs of the past?" Well, in looking for songs for our new group, "First Love," we found a songs that will go down in history as "one of the greats!" The song is entitled "What A Day That Will Be." Here are the lyrics...
I long for the day when I waken to find
That I've left all the cares of this old world behind
I've crossed over Jordan to heaven's bright shore
Where sickness and death can reach me no more
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Written: 04/01/2005
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Category: Monthly ArticlesJP Miller
Comments: 4
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I hope the music is good. The lyrics aren't all that interesting. One of the reasons that Southern Gospel does not have more fans is because the lyrics too often focus on the sweet-bye-and-bye while neglecting the riches, healing, deliverance and liberty that Christ gives us in this life. I am not waiting for heaven for my life to be better. My life is better now since Jesus is in me.
Thanks for the kind words J.P. And thank you First Love for believing in my simple little song about the tangible end of our faith - heaven. This is the first song Drew Humphrey has ever had recorded and I'm thrilled that I could cowrite it with him. In response to Keith Prater's comment, I've actually been acused of writing over the heads of Southern Gospel fans in the past. Recently I've consciously tried to "keep the cookies on the bottom shelf" and restate the greatest story ever told in honest, everyday language. I wanted this song to sound like an old classic - hence the simple language - it was by design. A song is a snapshot of one element of truth or one moment in time. No song can explore the entire scope of the gospel. This is an uncomplicated song of hope. I've written multi-layered songs like, "I Refuse to be Afraid" (LordSong) "Love Let Him Go" (Talleys) or "The Cross Said it All" (Kim Hopper). I'll still write those, but I'll never forsake those tried and true subjects. I completely agree that we too often have a "hang on for heaven" mentality - perhaps that's because historically our songs came mainly from a time in rural America where life was hard, people were poor, and a "mansion just over the a hilltop" seemed too good to be true...I don't apologize for keepin' it simple. I think I'm finally learning my audience.
While I agree with Keith Prater that life on earth is so much greater with Jesus in my life than without Him, I still am looking forward to heaven. While I try to live right down here, I can't wait to start the rest of my life there. I have one request of Keith: Please HEAR the song before you pass judgement on it. I have heard the song, and I have heard First Love sing it. I, as well as the rest of the audience, was so moved by the hope and the promise of the song. It has already become one of my favorites. Thank God for songwriters who give us glimpses of heaven.
I agree that songs about the riches, healing, deliverance and liberty that Christ gives us in this life are important. On the other hand, I get very emotional when I hear songs about the blessed hope of going to that land that we can only dream about now.
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