Songs that have changed my life
As a christian, I think about art, I think about the fact that almost everyone in the world can sing, some better than others but literally everyone has the natural ability to sing instead of talk, without anyone even explaining how, or what it feels like... we are born with the ability to know melody and rhythm, a lot of people say they are tone deaf that aren't. Only a very small amount of people are actually tone deaf, it just means you can't differentiate tones, if you can hear yourself singing off key, you are not tone deaf. Anyway, we start out learning by learning the abc's in song form, we remember things in a rhythm better than just in a spoken list. We were built this way for a reason. God had a reason for music and singing, it's to praise Him, and it's a gift we all get to enjoy. One of the first things in the Bible was God creating the earth, being creative is a trait we get from God, since we are made in His likeness. So it really confuses me that people tend to think of it as a pointless hobby, schools treat it like it's not at all important. God also gave some people the gift of writing, and it's my personal favorite artistic gift that He's given me. And it does matter, it has an effect on people, songs can do so much, so I'm going to make a list of some of the songs that God has used to change my life, or change me. I want to keep it somewhat short, because if I used all the songs that have moved me or made me feel something at all this list would be a thousand pages long. And I'm not adding the romantic ones, none that remind me of guys, or that helped me over a breakup because that would make it too long and because that's what people generally think that's all songs can help you with. There are also so many christian songs that I really want to add, like all of them because they are all important to me, but I'm trying to be very specific about them and keep it short so that there is more of an impact with them. So I'm going to try and only use ones that I can pinpoint listening to it the first time and it immediately having an effect on me and my life or the way I think or act.
#1 Your Hands by jj. heller
I was going through a rough time when I was younger about going to sleep and God gave me an image of myself laying in His hands, that was the only way I could sleep, years later, I was gong through another trail and I heard this song, and God reminded me of that time when He helped me sleep and reminded me that I am always in His hands, it really helped me get through it.
#2 more beautiful you by johnny diaz
I was at school one day and people were talking about someone being ugly, I don't think they were talking about me but for some reason it made me feel really insecure and I couldn't stop thinking about it. On the way home, this song came on the radio, it has helped me so much to be more confident.
#3 More by matthew west
one day I was feeling really bad, for no reason. I was just down and I prayed specifically for God to put a song on the radio of exactly what He wanted me to hear at that time, and this song came on directly after. It was so amazing and helped me to feel God's love for me, His love for us is so big and bigger than I can even imagine and to just get a glimpse makes you feel like you are going to burst with love and joy.
#4 Revelation song sung by kari job
a lot of people sing this song but this is the first person who sang it that I heard. I love it, and I can't even explain how much this song helped me through things and helped me to actually get closer to God.
#5 always be a child by ray boltz
I found this song by "accident" it's an older song that isn't very famous, and when I found it, it was exactly what I needed to hear, this is about God, this is God telling His children this, it's not about a regular parent (wanted to clarify). When I heard this the first time, it was like I could hear God singing this to me personally, and my favorite thing for God to call me is "child" only He knew that when I found this.
#6 sober by pink
hearing this at a time when I was sort of just getting out of a hard time with doing things I knew I shouldn't be really hit me. This song is so accurate to how it feels to be sick and tired of the things that people tell you are fun but you don't have fun doing them like drinking and partying, etc.
#7 You loved me first by me
this song is one I wrote, and it was the first song I wrote after I realized that I can actually like write a real song that people might listen to and hear, I wrote part of it first and then heard something at my Bible study group about praying for the rest of the lyrics, God's hand has been such a part of this song from the beginning, I remember having the main part of the chorus playing over and over in my head and my pastor saying that exact thing. I hadn't sang or read it in a long time and couldn't find the written lyrics and asked God to help me type it in my phone, the battery was at 5% and I had it all typed before it went dead. Then when I had no clue what the keys on keyboard were called I got an app and prayed for God to give me the music, I didn't know how to play at all, and I wrote the music for this song in less than an hour. I don't have a video for it yet, it's pending :)
#8 do you hear what I hear? sung by Third Day
I was listening to this near Christmas and all of a sudden I just understood the awesomeness that must've been on the earth on the day Jesus was born, God born to earth, you know the earth was like different that day, creation praises God and so that day you know it was just amazing. I mean I knew it before but listening to this helped me like visualize it, and it was so clear and awesome.
#9 standing outside the fire by garth brooks
this song is one of the very first songs I listened to on repeat, it was sort of my intro song into loving music and listening to song lyrics, it has a great message that I apply to a lot of areas in my life.
#10 smells like teen spirit (guitar only, as played by a guy I know)
don't have a video of this, obviously. I'm including part of the poem I wrote about hearing it. it was one of the very first poems I ever wrote.
a guy I was crushing on brought his guitar in for show and tell, lol he had only been playing for a year, it was an electric, and it was the first time I'd really ever heard a guitar by itself in person, especially so up close and real like that, later I found out he was playing "smells like teen spirit" which I'd never heard before and he talked about nirvana constantly I had a crush on him for a while but mainly I just liked hearing him talk, he was so mature for a 12 year old that he was more on the conversational level as the teachers than he was other students but anyway, I thought this song was about being in love with him but I think it was more about the guitar (which I still love) and how I fell in love with that sound, I edited some of this but mostly it's the sentiment, I sort of cut some of the obsessive longings for him out of it, this is one of my first poems and I still get writings out of things like this, a song I love or just feeling beautiful things like hearing a guitar...
your finger glides along the strings out comes the most beautiful sound I've ever heard your eyes close, you breathe deeply, my heart stops the music is in his heart, and it comes out his fingertips, it creates it travels to my ears and my feelings explode it makes me want to cry and and laugh and sleep and scream, my eyes now close as I start to cry I feel as though I could die I'll live another minute or even a day if I can't have him, I feel like I would die anyway my body is here my functions are clear I'll be in love forever I fear I open my eyes to see he is done I smile and think "such a beautiful song"
... it's kind of cheesy but I was 11yrs old lol
#11 you have today by korey henry
one of the reasons me and my ex fiance broke up was because he was on drugs, and I thought that was disgusting, I mean I don't regret the breakup because I didn't love him. But at that time, the way I saw addicts was that they were gross and terrible, and I hear a lot of people talking like they think this way. Barely a month after we broke up, I went to a show with a friend of my ex's named dustin, to see another friend of my ex play with his band. he said things about the song before playing it about how we all know someone affected by addiction. When they played it, I listened to the lyrics, and I cried because I felt such remorse for the way I had thought about people with addiction and honestly since the very first time I heard it,I have totally changed the way I see people with addiction and how I act toward them. if you can listen to this and still make fun of people, or try and shame them for having an addiction or call them "worthless"... Idk what the problem is because this really puts it in perspective. also want to add that he didn't write this about himself, it was about someone he knows. But it actually changed my opinion of people and how I treat them, and as a result I have been able to help those people I know, that are in that situation.
#12 glycerine by bush & cody mcguire
I have a note about this on my fb, it's so personal and hard to talk about that I just really can't right now. I also love and could go on and on about this specific performance, that has more to do with gavin than myself. This song is so special to me, because of Cody always playing it, and when I could finally listen to it after his death, I knew I was starting to finally heal. It's still hard sometimes to listen but sometimes I can.
#13 well this one isn't a song but a person, Gwen Stefani
I love gwen and I guess I'll just copy and paste what I said about her on my note about her from fb.
the reason I love Gwen stefani so much is because she is the first woman I heard that ever sounded totally different and it was great, I grew up not listening to much rock. country and pop was all I heard on the radio, and I loved to sing, but I didn't sound like any of those people, I can't sing like a pop diva like Whitney Houston and I can't sing like Reba and I was like my voice just doesn't fit in, and then no doubt came out with "don't speak" and I saw the video and thought, that girl is so cool and she has so many different levels and uniqueness to her voice, so I bought tragic kingdom and played it over and over and her lyrics were like mine, I'm like "there are like a thousand words in this song and it's okay, she has a lot to say in this one song and it's working," and it's like she was the first person on the radio that I personally could relate to, she didn't seem like some star in a distant land of fame and fortune, she said things in her songs that I personally went through and one day I was at pacsun shopping and I was singing along to "my own worst enemy" by lit (playing on their tv) and my sister goes "you kind of sing like Gwen stefani" and I remember that moment to this day because it was awesome, for one that I wasn't singing her song and I wasn't trying to sound like her but I just had finally found a successful person that had the same style as me, and I learned to sing from her and i am just so glad she is like the way she is because it makes me feel like my weirdness is okay too and that regardless if you don't really sound the way people think you should, if you have a passion for something, keep doing it, because there is a reason you're doing it and you may not be a opera singer quality but who wants to listen to people that all sound the same, all the time? I've learned more of that afterward with other singers but Gwen was the first and best example of that and I'm so glad she was on mainstream and I got to hear it and learn from her, and learned more than just how to spell bananas :)
here are a few videos I love
the one that was taken down, but as a part native american, I think is beautiful
the one where she sounds like a hardcore rocker
the one that proves she can "belt"
the best girl power song that has been on secular radio
the best song about insecurity and self esteem (just say no to all about the bass)
okay, I have to stop now before I put every song she's ever written, gonna have to do a separate blog about just her and the band ;)
okay that's some of them, there are so much more that I want to include but I have to keep it short, please let me know some of the songs that have changed your life. Please listen to all of these songs, because they are all amazing. Especially the christian ones, and the looking hot one, because I love the video and it is absolutely not offensive. Anyway the point of this blog is that art is very important, and music is just one section of art. Please stop acting like art is a pointless hobby.
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