This is the place to get information on my new songs as they become available. Rather than wait for another 20 years (though at this rate it will probably take that long) before the next CD or music book, I'll be posting up music and lyrics as they become available. (Download the PDF files by clicking on the bullets. You'll need Acrobat Reader to display and print the files.) All my music is covered by a CCLI license, so you can use it freely if you are a license holder. Visit the CCLI web site for details on how to obtain a license.
All the songs listed here are written (and road-tested) for use in corporate worship, though they hopefully stand as good music in their own right. I've since recorded a performance version of Prince Of Peace on my Mercy Train CD. The arrangement is slightly different, but other than that it's the same song. Please feel free to give me feedback on any of the songs.
| Song Title | Date | Lyrics | Sheet Music | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Face Of The Humbled Poor | August, 2002 | |
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Drawn from Mat. 25. A lament for the way Australia has travelled over the last year since September 11th. Lacking in compassionate leadership, we have given in to a politics of fear and turned our backs on the needy, the desperate, the refugee. |
| Have Mercy | August, 2002 | |
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Based on Psalm 57 where David was hiding from Saul in very same cave Saul was taking a leak in. True fact, though not the main point of the story. |
| Prince Of Peace | December, 2002 | |
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Just when you think things can't get any worse they often do. In the context of the awful suffering inflicted on innocent people by the Palestinian / Israeli conflict, or the US vendetta on Iraq for the sufferings it endured at 9/11, there is no time like now for peace, for forgiveness, for turning the cheek, for loving one's enemies. This ain't pacifism, it's downright, in-yer-face peakemaking. It's also a complete coincidence that the song was finished at Christmas time when we tend to coin the phrase Prince of Peace amongst the mush and Jesus baby commercials we have to endure. I live in hope for the true Prince of Peace. |
| Blessed | June, 2007 | |
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After tackling the text Humbled Poor is based on, I thought - what the heck, let's tackle another sacred cow - the beatitudes. All that stuff about the poor inheriting the earth, turning the cheek and walking the extra mile. The hardest part of that text is about how we treat our enemies. The path Jesus advocated runs counter to the prevailing winds of revenge and anger. This is the third way, between war and pacifism. Forgiveness is harder than war, harder than anything. It is totally impractical, but it is the only way. |
| All Right Now | June, 2007 | |
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There are so many good, generous people I am in awe of - people who open their homes and lives to the poor and underprivileged who live not just overseas but on our back door. There is nothing romantic or noble about being poor, or caring for the poor. It is hard. But despite how big some people's hearts are, and how honourable the cause, they get tired too. This song is for the quiet heroes among us who are profoundly knackered. There is a time to man the barricades, and a time to step back and rest, and remember that you are loved, more than you know. |
All songs (C) Copyright Paul Gioia. Page last modified 26th September, 2007. Please email me if you want to know more about me or my music. You may like to check out my last CD, Mercy Train, or my other CD, Shower of Grace, or even my blues band Tin Dog.