American blue eyed soul man BRYAN DUNCAN talks us through the tracks on his new album
"The Last Time I Was Here"
This song came out of
a curious need I had to return to a small mining town in Utah, where
some of my earliest childhood memories stem from. My parents pastored
a church in East Carbon when I was about two or three years old.
Visiting places we haven't seen for decades offers a profound sense of
the passing of time and reminds us that in some cases growth is
inevitable. When you come full circle, you're still the same - but
different.
"Yes I Will"
I can distinctly recall a day when
I was working in my garage and I suddenly became aware of the
depression I was feeling and the negative thoughts that were playing
over and over in my mind. I found myself fighting those thoughts by
speaking out loud to myself. I was surprised that speaking against
those negative thoughts did have some effect. Jesus did the same thing
using Scripture when he said, "It is written...".
"Strolling' On The Water"
One day I went to
Laguna Beach to write with John Schreiner for this record. I was so
taken by the vastness of the ocean and how my problems seemed so small
by comparison. As I was writing this song, I would find myself weeping
for hours. There is something here about the idea of Jesus inviting me
to be his companion on a stroll in an impossible place, above all
troubles, that is compelling to the point of tears.
"The Preachin' Is Easy"
I was doing a lot of
mountain biking around the time I wrote this song. I had nearly the
same quality of mountain bike as the rest of the bikers I was riding
with and I wore the same kind of gear that they did. But it didn't
take long to discover that I lacked the stamina and strength of most
of them. I also was missing a lot of technical skill in riding - I was
crashing a lot when we'd ride through rough terrain, but no one was
surprised or put off by my mistakes. They would tell me, "Everybody
falls," and then offer support and advice. It didn't make it easier to
ride, but their encouragement went a long way in keeping me in the
game.
"God Knows"
This song came out of the
frustration of not knowing what decisions to make in certain areas of
my life. Even after hearing a lot of good counsel on career and family
decisions, I still had questions. The bottom line is that only God
knows what is best for me in any given situation and I can rest in the
fact that he is faithful and true.
"Glad Morning"
Ever since I heard the old gospel
song "I'll Fly Away" I've been intrigued by the phrase "glad morning".
One day I was imagining the three days before the resurrection when
nobody on earth knew what was going on and God was silent. It is
amazing how many questions can overwhelm us before the answer comes.
Once we get a true view of the situation, we realise that some of the
questions never needed to be answered or even asked. Resurrection day
was one of those times. It was also the ultimate glad morning.
"Sometimes In The Dark"
These days it seems that
it's hard to find good things to focus on. Just watch the news - all
that is ugly seems to get so much more attention. Tragedy just seems
larger than life, while the good things stay quietly hidden. One of
the lines in the song says, "And shadows make the smallest things a
little bigger than they are."
"This Love Is What I Get"
Looking back at my
life, I've paid for a lot of my mistakes...but then it could have been
much worse. Who is to know what God saved me from that never happened?
I like the part that says, "Now lookin' back with one eye open/I
should've never had a prayer."
Sometimes we're afraid to see our lives clearly. And even when we try to see clearly our perspective is not accurate. I have often deserved judgment that never came and have received a love that I didn't deserve. That's what we get as children of God.
"Once I've Arrived"
Originally I was going to
title this song "Beyond Here" because often times what gets me through
a tough time is anticipating being on the other side of it. But, "Once
I've Arrived" seemed to capture the thought that someday I'll
understand the things I can't grasp right now. That gives us hope but
at the same time it rarely makes the confusion less painful. But in
the midst of it we can worship God. The line "I worship you in
teary-eyed laughter" really sums up the feeling of trusting God when I
don't know whether to laugh or to cry.
"I Still Love You/Simple As That"
About a month
before my 20th wedding anniversary someone asked me why I hadn't
written many love songs for my wife. In all honesty I had to admit
that I was afraid that if I told her how I really felt in a song that
I could never live up to it in our day-to-day life. She might expect
me to be that sensitive and heartfelt in real life. Of course, I
eventually did write the song. It took me three weeks to express my
feelings in three minutes, but in the end it is my favourite (and most
honest) song on the album.
"Caribbean Dream"
This is the cartoon at the end
of the masterpiece. A real genius probably wouldn't have done it, but
cartoon or not, this song represents a real miracle in my life. The
last three summers I've done a concert vacation concept on a Caribbean
cruise line and I was taken with how the whole setting provided a
much-needed place of rest - not only for me but for other people. One
of the first things God talks about in Scripture is rest and sometimes
I think we overlook the value and even the spirituality in that. God
made it a point to say that he rested. Lately I've disciplined myself
to spend more time away from the have-to's in life and as a result I
think this record is one of my most creative endeavours.
Who delivers the spoken BGV on "The Preachin' Is Easy"?