How to write a song in 60 minutes (or less)

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I wrote and recorded a song last weekend and thought I would share it.  Please keep in mind it was a one take wonder - in one hour. (Don’t expect much)  Anyway, I share it just to show others just how easy a song can come together.  I have been visiting the following website;

http://bible.cc/psalms/33-4.htm

Each morning before work using the drop down bar, I choose a scripture and then do a devotional.  You should notice the site offers users a simple drop down bar format that can be used to select book, chapter, and verse.  After your selection, up pops a verse that is offered to the reader in a myriad of translations.  If you read each translation in sequence you will begin to conceptualize a “big idea”.  It really makes reading and understanding the bible much easier.  Doing this also lends itself quite nicely to writing prose.  Consequently, here is how this song came to be.  Last Thursday, I studied Psalm 33:4-5, “For the word of the LORD is right and true.”  After reading the verse, I wrote the following lyrics by replicating and retrofitting verses but kept the big idea front and center, "for the word".  Next, I grabbed a catchy tune out of my head (have lots of useless original music up there from years of playing the guitar).  Sunday, during Carter’s nap I sat down in front of our digital editor and pushed in a basic drum track using Laura’s Boss Dr 3.  The strings and a couple of effects came from her Yamaha DX7 and Oberheim OBX.  Finally, my guitars were pushed through a Tascam guitar effects processor.  Vocals… well lets just say there in lies the breakdown… One take .. and…I decided to keep it since it probably would not get much better.

The resulting cd track was mastered, finalized and converted to MP3 formatting using a “CD to MP3 ripper” (freeware; plenty of them can be downloaded off the net..just google it). The ending is totally rough and unfinished since unfortunately I still have that dissertation hanging over my head like a black cloud/had to return to the dining room and write on it some more.  

For the Word
Words and Music written by Mike Bartig

For the word
For the word
For the word
I am (sang over the top)
For the word
For the word

For your word o lord, I stand faithfully

Steadfast for you Lord, all music’s for you

Interlude

Oooooh  oooooooooooh  Oooooh 

joys at the heart and…. the soul of the praise

Your words hold truth, your statements reality

For the word

For the word
For the word

I am

I am
I stand

By your word o lord, I sing joyfully

Swirling the strings lord, layering the happiness

Oooooh  oooooooooooh  Oooooh 

Part love, part hope, part acceptance

We sing to him this, new song of deliverance

For the word

Right and true
I am
For the word
I am
I am
I am