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Look Up

For the last couple of years my family has been plagued with some serious health issues, quite a lot of it on my wife's side of the family. A while back we were driving down the road when she told me she was sad for all of the trouble the family had been going through, and concerned I would eventually lose patients because of the burdens and effects of these illnesses. I pulled to the side of the road and reminded her of a short time ago, when I was so ill I was expected by many to die. Trying to start to walk again was very difficult. Even with the assistance of a walker each step took concentration and effort, so I developed a habit of looking at my feet as I went, which the doctors didn't want. She moved into the hospital with me, and walked with me, keeping me steady with every step and continually encouraging me to "look up." And now I felt very lucky to be the the one she can lean on every step of the way and encourage her to keep looking up. That began the idea for the song.

Musically, I reached back to years ago when a band I was in got booked for a church in California. When we got there we discovered it was an all black church filled with very musical worshipers, whose style of music was very different from ours. Their house band opened and we closed, but there was never really a closure. The crowd got very into it, and instead of closing we had the house band come back up and we went into an hours long jam session! I think they enjoyed it as much as we did because they had us back several times over the years. One of them was a great organist, which is why I used these rather eclectic instruments on this recording. Not sure it worked.

Because of time constraints this was put together in small bits and pieces as I got the time. I'm not sure the mix or the instruments are right. I think it may have come out a little too busy, and something just sounds off to me. If you decide to give 'er a listen, feel free to pick it apart and let me know.

Look up, no matter how you feel. Look up. The Lord is with you still.
When things get tough, you feel like giving up, remember where your help comes from
And look up, look up to the hills. Let the Lord be your strength, your shelter and your shield.
‘Cause the gates of hell will not prevail when you're walking in his will. So look up.

When troubled seas surround you and the wind blows like a gale,
though the waves will crash, let the lightning flash, his promises will not fail.
In the middle of the darkness, you can still walk in the light.
Hold on to hope, you know you’re not alone. Walk by faith and not sight, and

Look up, no matter how you feel. Look up. The Lord is with you still.
When things get tough, you feel like giving up, remember where your help comes from.
And look up, look up to the hills. Let the Lord be your strength, your shelter and your shield.
‘Cause the gates of hell will not prevail just keep walking in his will, and look up.
Just look up.

So remember that you’re not alone 'cause the Lord you serve’s still on the throne
And everything’s in his control, so rejoice oh my soul.
And though the battle rages on, the war is already won
Through Jesus Christ, God’s risen son, to whom we belong … So, look up.

Just look up, no matter how you feel. Look up. The Lord is with you still.
When things get tough, you feel like giving up, remember where your help comes from.
And look up, look up to the hills. Let the Lord be your strength, your shelter and your shield.
'Cause the gates of hell will not prevail when you’re walking in his will.
No, the gates of hell will not prevail so keep walking in his will, and look up.
Just look up.

... And here's the band:

Drums: Pat Steward, _PROXY.STY
Bass: Mark Hill, _PROXY.STY
Fingerpick Giutar: Jason Roller, FPKE120.STY
Electric Rthym Guitar: Mike Durham, _PROXY
Electric Rthym Guitar 2: Brent Mason, _PROXY.STY
Organ: Donyea Goodman, _DELIGHT.STY
Dobro: Rob Ickes, _MUG.STY
Fiddle: Andy Leftwich, _RISE.STY
Back Vocal: Brit Savage, _DELIGHT.STY

I played the lead guitar using my Spirit prototype solid body through an 11 rack processor. Recorded at 145 BPM on Protools 12, Mastered on Ozone.