"Liberate Us"
Written by Rev. James Martin & Edward Jerlin
© 2008 Everlasting Arms Records & Publishing - All Rights Reserved
"Giving Tree"
Melody & Lyrics by Rev. James Martin, Music by JM & EJ
© 2008 Everlasting Arms Records & Publishing - All Rights Reserved
"Liberate Us" is a song written by Pastor Jim for & about Palm Sunday. The initial verses are presented from the perspective of someone in the crowd, watching as Jesus makes his triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, hoping for a King, not knowing what is to come. However the implication is obviously from the Christian perspective of Jesus not just as "Liberating King", but as our Savior, knowing what we now know about what was to come during the passion week, the culmination of Jesus' resurrection & eventual ascension, & what it means to "save the day" & "set us free".
As is often the case, while Jim speaks through his melodies & lyrics, I (EJ) tend to express myself better through music... The musical introduction was written to represent the parade. It begins with a flourish announcing & trumpeting Jesus' arrival. It continues as a rocking, passionate, driving arrangement conveying the hope, excitement & optimism. About half way through, it turns to a minor key as an undercurrent of tension & ambivalence bubbles to the surface, portending how the crowd was to turn on Jesus only a few days later. Nevertheless, the parade presses on & the celebration proceeds.
Enjoy!
Inspired by Shel Silverstein's classic & poignant book "The Giving Tree", Pastor Jim wrote "Giving Tree" in 1977 for a children's play at his church, long before we met.
In Mr. Silverstein's story about a relationship between a generous giving tree & a little boy, the tree is only happy when the boy is happy... The tree starts out as boy's playground & shade provider. When the boy wants to play "king", the tree offers up her leaves & he makes a crown out of them. When the boy grows older & wants for money, the tree offers up her apples for him to sell. When he's older still & wants a house, she offers her branches for lumber. When the boy (now too old to play in the tree), wants a boat so he can sail far away, she offers her trunk so he can make a boat out of it. What is left is a stump, poignantly cut down to the heart the boy once carved into the tree as a child that said "M.E. & T."
After a long time, the boy returns once more as a very old man, needing (for the first time, rather than wanting) a place to sit and rest. The stump rises up as straight as a stump is able & obliges.
"And the tree was happy."
While one can debate the implications of the book, the message in Jim's song is unmistakable. I loved this brief, catchy, simple & poignant song since the first time Jim sang it for me, but it didn't fit anywhere; it was really just a short message intended to go with the children's play, rather than a full-fledged *song*...
Last year, I came up with the idea to gather all of the folk-type songs Jim has written which I felt didn't fit the "EvArms paradigm" but deserved an audience, & put together a "James Martin solo" CD, so to speak, which Jim named, "Songs From The Father". On this CD, I would be acting as more of a facilitator than collaborator, bringing Jim's songs through as he envisions them.
I had added "Giving Tree" to the list of songs.
Jim deleted it, saying he didn't really think it fit...
Being persistent, in preparation for a recent recording session for the CD, I re-visited the song. It was originally a fast, rather bouncy number without a real ending. As I worked with it, in an attempt to make the message more powerful, I slowed it down & stripped away all the layers & arranging, adorning the lead vocal with just the bare minimum piano & then adding a choir (Kirsten & me) who represent the "branches".... I also had an idea for how it should end...
When I played the new arrangement for Jim, at first he thought I should sing it & left it to me to finish it, but then at the end of the recording session, he decided out of the blue to try it out. I'm glad he did & I'm glad I persisted.
A long story about a short song, but there you go. :-)
Enjoy!
“He who trusts in his riches shall fall;
but the righteous shall blossom like a branch.”
-Proverbs 11:28
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Thank you, God bless, & a very Merry Easter season to you & yours.
To download the music, RIGHT CLICK and choose "Save Target As":
"Liberate Us" MUSIC 5:29
"Giving Tree" MUSIC 1:43
To download the lyrics, RIGHT CLICK: and choose "Save Target As":
"Liberate Us" LYRICS
"Giving Tree" LYRICS
