It's not worship if it's 1/3 of a song that's unoriginal cliche! It's writer laziness I'm referring to, which is also not worship.

...And I think it's gettin off topic a bit here too LOL! BTW-Hi Larry, good ta meet ya! :) Maybe a good time to create some new topical headered "Writer Laziness" and/or "PLR"

[b]taylordmusic wrote:[/b] [quote]...And I think it's gettin off topic a bit here too LOL! BTW-Hi Larry, good ta meet ya! :) Maybe a good time to create some new topical headered "Writer Laziness" and/or "PLR"[/quote] And honestly, as a songwriter, I listen with a more critical ear; because if I like the way someone's done something I may try to imitate it. However listening that way also shows you how mediocre most lyric writing is. I'm not putting myself on any pedestal and saying [i]my[/i] lyrics are good. All I'm saying is that when you listen to modern Christian music you hear a lot of the same phrases being regurgitated. Mostly with good intentions I'm sure. But if God calls us to use our gifts with our might, it's important to put actual thought and effort into it. Songwriting included. Case in point. The other day my mom came in with a Casting Crowns song that she liked and she wanted me to listen to it and think about maybe doing it in church for a special or whatever. I listened to it. The song was okay, but it was obvious I didn't like it as much as she did. My explanation had to do with the fact that the lyrics seemed unfocused. There were lots of general expressions of praise but I couldn't find anything that pulled the song together and made any recognizable statement. There was nothing to set it apart from the thousands of worship songs being written and sung all over the place. Here are the lyrics to this particular song: [i]Lord, the worship we bring Is more than songs that we sing It's a reflection of our ever-changing lives The best we have to offer[/i] Okay, not bad so far. The "worship is more than a song" thing is done a lot but it's true or at least it should be, and if this the first time Casting Crowns has voiced this sentiment then I give it a pass. At least these lines go together and seem to be leading somewhere. Let's move on. [i]We don't just lift up our hands Lord, we lift up our lives For we know that You are worthy of our praise To You our lifesongs raise[/i] Again, this is really standard stuff. The only remotely original phrasing is the use of the term "lifesongs." [i]Rescued from darkness We are walking in marvelous light For we are children of the King SING[/i] Although the song "Marvelous Light" is a very popular song using this phrase, it comes out of Scripture so I can't say too much about it. I do feel that many artists are pulling these phrases out of the air, though, rather than honestly mining them from the word. However I don't have proof of that and maybe I'm just cynical. Again, not an original thought here or even a different way of saying it. [i]You are worthy of all honor Glory, praise and power King of the nations You are holy God, almighty Clothed in brilliant majesty Father, Spirit, Jesus[/i] This is all nice stuff. Very nice. Does it go with the verse? Uh, I can't tell. The theme of worship being more than a song and raising songs that come from our changing lives isn't reinforced that I can see. What does God being King of the nations have to do with the rest of this? It just seems like the chorus consists of random ideas about God cobbled together. Nothing is bad, but it's just extremely forgettable. I often wonder if after a while the artists who write stuff like this can tell their own songs apart. Maybe a week or two later my mom comes back and tells me she listened to the song again and she realized I was right about my critique. Again, nothing against Casting Crowns. I'm not trying to bring anybody down. What I am trying to do is get people to think about worship lyrics. If you're just throwing stuff together for a product, then guess what? Your worship probably isn't more than a song. The song itself may not even be worship. It may just be a song.

Very well put! I so agree! CC is an awesome group for sure too! I'm very concerned over the commercialization of song worship. Because that's exactly what happens, throw the words together, hurry up, there's a deadline! I really believe song worship should never be canned/packaged/bar coded and thrown onto the conveyor belts and launched into distribution hubs. I've often wondered where God's heart is over this concept of making song worship "a commercial product sell"... For one, I have consecration concerns, to "MARKET" the beautiful experience of God's people coming together to worship Him in song just seems wrong. It's like some real estate salesman comes along and says Wow! This is Big! Ok now we need to assemble a team of professionals now and market/distribute and sell this! (IT JUST DON"T RESONATE WITH ME) More importantly, I find myself asking; Does it resonate with God? Because at what point have we crossed the line and introduced the act of worshiping worship?

Such is true - in fact, most christian musicians never find the wealth. The Listening (formerly known as Rock N' Roll Worship Circus) is one of the most creative and innovative bands I know of. Their music is worshipful, yet because of the Pink Floydesque + Beatles sound they produce, they are liked even by non-christians. On the same hand, there are times in their tours that they sleep in school gyms with sleeping bags, instead of 4-star hotels. Same with non-christian bands. Most of them don't achieve the success every little boy and girl dreams of. It's a gamble really - your music could be hot on the charts one day, and suddenly on the bottom the next. It's like the song, "It's a long way to the top" by ACDC - if you wanna "rock n' roll", there is a lot of trash you deal with on your climb, and it's not guaranteed you'll make it.