On occasion, someone will ask Anna or I how we write songs- where the ideas come from, what inspires us to write a song, do we write lyrics first, or the music... songs come from anywhere. For me songs can come by inspiration from watching a video and likening it to the christian life ...For example, Free-falling-Arms of Love, was inspiring to me when watching a video about a mountain climber who uses no ropes or anything for his safety in climbing. That triggered inspiration in me to write a song about how God is always there for us in whatever situation we find ourselves in and the fact that we are safe in His arms.
Other songs come by sitting down with the guitar and just starting to play. Most of the songs I write, the music comes first. I sit down and come up with chords and then an idea that will fit with those chords. The emotion of a song is also a consideration-the emotion has to run parallel with the music, I think. Some songs have been Holy Spirit inspired that Anna and I have written. Some songs are written by personal experience from our lives. Some deal with things from our past that God has pulled us out of; things He delivered us from.
I think in sharing things from the past, that the Holy Spirit can speak to people through those lyrics as well as songs that speak of His love for mankind, His forgiveness, and His judgment.... I have taken a portion of scripture and written lyrics around it. Many of our songs have scripture tied into them in one way or another.
Anna is a songwriter mostly I arrange the music (chords etc...) but we talk in detail about chords, melodies, etc... We always ask each other’s opinion on the lyrics we write .
Sometimes I change the music, other times I leave it alone, a lot of times, I change the lyrics, although I think the majority of our songs are "finished", a few are not really "finished". As time goes on, we may get a new idea for a song written a while ago, change it up a little bit. Writing music and lyrics is an art form. I don't ever want to compare myself to anyone, though that is very hard to do as a musician and songwriter. Anna and I have over sixty original songs-- some of which I believe are better than others, though I do love every song we have written thus far.
Blessing's in God,
eric paul