Song of the Week Is Back!

The evolution of a song…

Sheet music for “Made Alive in You”
Click here to listen.

Some of the most fun – and frustration (those words being almost synonymous for songwriters, I think) I’ve yet had writing has been with a song that has come to be known as “Made Alive in You”.  It started out as a “homework” assignment given out by Paul Baloche at an Integrity Music songwriting retreat in a remote and breathtakingly beautiful part of Alabama, back in 2004. We were given several possible song titles or topics with which to work. I liked the (admittedly slightly cheesy) alliteration of “let me live to love You”, so I went with it. I don’t recall if “made alive in You” was also on the list, or if it seemed to be a logical conclusion…).

Anyway, the song – as I played it for Paul and the group at the retreat – was originally very different from what I consider the “final version” (above). A ballad version of it, recorded by my friend and fellow songwriter, John Chilcote can be heard here.

But even as I was driving the long drive from Alabama home to Charlotte that weekend, I did a lot of reworking of it, making it quite different. You can hear that here. I think that’s when I added “saved me from the grave” (which, I believe, no longer exists in the current version of the song!). At this point, that’s what the song was called when I recorded with my worship team.

But then, as time wore on and as I sang it, I realized that what I wasn’t happy with was that the “chorus” (everything I ever did, my sin and my regrets…) was really wanting to be a bridge (it was too wordy and served to clarify or add detail to the story, which is what bridges often do.  Soooo, I came up with the rather simple, “Amen, amen, amen, I’ve been made alive… Jesus, You are Savior and Lord, my risen redeemer and friend, Amen!  I’ve been made alive in You!” a more singable and memorable chorus.  You can listen to that on the link toward the top.

Who knows?  Maybe one of these versions will appeal to you as a song leader!  Maybe you’ll be inspired to use it as a final song during communion or whatever… come back and comment to let me know if you do!