Was this the Ghost of CCM past? I said I wouldn’t play the early songs again. I’m glad I made them. But that was then. Then last week I got a big surprise.
Evidently, this is the 40th and 42nd anniversary of my first two albums. The mid-80s were pre-internet, so these were vinyl. Now the record label has re-released them both, everywhere.
You may know this about me: I spent the first 20 years of my music career in Christian music. I played concerts at churches, conventions, youth camps, and arenas opening for megastars in the genre. Had lots of radio play. I left because I wanted a wider conversation with myself and my listeners. I had begun to write songs and make albums that the Christian publishers didn’t think they could sell. I don't blame them.
Okay, it's 1984. Look at this kid! The first single from the first album was "Love Waiting." I thought it was a hopeful song about loneliness and belonging. But what did I know? It was co-opted by a famous evangelical teacher who featured it at national rallies for teenagers as a call for abstinence. Sometimes I think all my music was repurposed to keep kids off of drugs and off of each other.
Anyway, I like this little song. I’m looking at my past with fresh eyes these days and am glad they put it out again. I wrote it with a beautiful friend, Kenny Wood, who happened to be my youth minister. In the first week of it’s new digital life, this song acquired more plays on Spotify than any of my recent work.
So, with a bit of bravery, I played "Love Waiting" at a songwriter event a couple days ago. Here’s a clip. Thanks for going there with me!
