Writing a Hymn

God has blessed my entire family with musical ability. Unfortunately, my talent is not poems. I have a gift for spinning a tale, and writing prose, but to make it all rhyme and have rythm is not my area of expertise. Fortunately, my wife has found that she has a knack for writing lyrics that actually keep timing and rhyme. Between my abilities on the piano, and her writing her lyrics, we've written a few songs.

(By the way, if you are curious enough to hear me sing, look up "Sapper Woody" on youtube. I have five songs on there (3 covers and 2 parodies).)

 

You are probably trying too hard.

Start with free flowing thoughts based on one (or several inter-locking) points of doctrine or revelation, just zip down lines and don't worry about rhyme or meter. Then, once you've told your story start with a thesaurus and find words that make allitterate, rhyme, fiddle about with the meter, etc.

Can also help to have a tune in mind before you write the words, but for some it works the other way around.

 

Yep. Me and my oldest three are all song, poetry, prose, story-writing, singing, musical instrument playing, picture painting, drama involved people who once in a while look around us and go "Who ARE these people walk with their feet on the ground and don't understand what it is to paint a word portrait in the clouds we walk on?"

ROFL

Quit trying. When it's in you, you won't be able to stop it from coming out. Nothing forced ever ends up meaning much to anyone but the types who are sticklers for rules and regulations.
Now inspiration to build it in you? That's another story. Start noticing stuff and it will build in you. When you read something, FEEL IT. When you walk to your car, start noticing how the ground feels under your feet and start asking yourself why there aren't any clouds and if there are, why they are looking at you like that. When you eat something, notice the texture and the flavors and ponder how that food all started with one ingredient that came from the earth God created. When you talk to God, watch your words mingle with the incense of the prayers of other saints, reserved until the angel pours them out. Look at humans, their joys, their sorrow, their triumphs and defeats and don't just see bodies and clothing, see their emotions.

The emotions that form the words will come. You just have to open yourself up to let everything flow through you instead of just around you. And that's hard for a lot of people no matter how old or young they are. Maybe hardest for those who were brought up with very proper manners and self control. It requires a baring of the soul that can be downright painful, even when you know nobody but you and your Creator can see it.

 

Here is one of mine which I have referred to recently on this board (lyrics only; I don't know how to post music).

OUR QUEST FOR THE KING

From the land that we come we were counted among the wise.
We spent most all of our nights gazing high up into the skies.
But never had we seen before
This light untold in all our lore.
But we knew of a scroll we consulted which turned our eyes.

In Judah, a land to the west over deserts far,
It's prophesied that one day from there will rise a wondrous star--
The nation blest from Israel's heart,
From which the scepter won't depart;
All souls disaffected to this King connected they are.

Chorus:
We travel long and beladen with gifts that are fit for a king.
We journey far to the west toward the Great One, his praise to bring.
We come just once in our quest for the Keeper of Peace,
Who will reign so that conflict within us will cease.
To the God of us all, may we ever his praises sing!

Many months did we spend on our trip through the arid land.
The star disappeared, but to Judah we came, as planned.
We first went up to Herod's palace;
He was polite, but sly and callous.
O'er Bethlehem, south, then the star reappeared so grand!

We found the child in a house which the star pointed out with light.
We gave our gifts, and the child and his mother did smile so bright!
(But) as we left that town of peaceful gleam,
The Great God warned us in a dream:
King Herod avoid, for your word has enraged his spite!

Chorus

Now homeword we go, and as witnesses we will share
The story of Bethlehem and the King we acknowledged there.
We pray our journey of worship, of gifts, and of peace
Will affirm this new Kingdom and all its increase!
And Jesus the King is a name we will gladly bear!

Chorus (var.)
We traveled long and beladen with gifts that are fit for a king.
We journeyed far to the west toward the Great One, his praise to bring.
We went just once in our quest for the Keeper of Peace,
Who now reigns so that conflict within us will cease.
To the God of us all, may we ever his praises sing!

To the God of us all, may we ever his praises sing!

© by (poster)