The Story Behind...(I'll Drive Yesterday)

Track 6 on my latest project, So Human, is titled, "So, I had this dream..." It's a scene where I'm sitting down with my engineer/producer, Mike Manthei, and discussing the upcoming song. On the track, Mike and I are at a diner, talking about the title to track 7, "I'll Drive Yesterday." Now, there are some things you should know about this scene as it plays out on the CD. First, Mike and I were never at a diner. (Well, I mean we've had lunch together several times but this taping didn't take place at a diner.) Instead, we recorded the scene right there in the recording studio. I sat down on a stool, under the microphone, with Mikey (that's what I call him) sitting next to me. For a little more realism, I actually had a plate in front of me. On the plate was a slice of bread and a butter knife. I cut up the bread and ate it while we talked. The background noise you hear on the track was actually recorded a couple of weeks earlier--at my workplace. I sat a microphone and a small digital recorder out on a table in our cafeteria and just recorded people eating, talking, walking by. But the story I tell in the scene is true. The song really did come about as the result of a dream. Like I explain in track 6, I dreamed I was on stage in front of a massive crowd. My band began this chunky rock groove and I shouted in a pseudo-British/Australian/Cockney accent, "This song's called I'll Drive Yesterday!" And the crowd went nuts. They were screaming and yelling. But then I woke up. I didn't know how the song went. All I had was a title. Meanwhile, my guitarist, Brian DeKam, had written a cool guitar groove for another song that we ended up never using. But I really liked the music tracks. So I stole those music tracks and wrote the words to I'll Drive Yesterday to go with them. About the song: So I sat down and tried to figure out what the heck the words, I'll Drive Yesterday could possibly mean. And the only thing that I could come up with was God's promise...of taking those pains and sins of the past and throwing them away. Have you been lied to? Cheated on? Hurt? That was yesterday. God will drive it away. I also wanted to paint a picture of how holding on to past hurts can affect you:

"Yesterday's a prison. A room without a view.

A judge without a pardon and no remorse for you."

and contrast that with the hope that comes through Christ, who says:

" I'll Drive Yesterday all away and leave it all behind you

there'll be nothing to remind you of yesterday. It's gone today

and the pain and sorrow life put in your way, that was yesterday."

I think my favorite part of the song is the bridge. It has a bit of a "scat" feel to it and the message is, I think, important:

"All of the baggage, all of the scars

all of the wreckage left on your heart

you've gotta let go, it'll tear you apart

you've gotta give it away.

Ah man...that was yesterday."

So there you have it. Some truth. Some deception. But the real story behind the song whose title confuses so many folks upon hearing it the first time. Hope you enjoy!

The Story Behind...(Here I Am)

A lot of folks have been asking me about the meaning or story behind some of my songs. So, I thought I'd go through each of the songs on my new album, So Human, and give a little insight into my messed up head! Ha! At first, I thought I'd just go through the album, track by track, but instead I think I'll start with the song that gets the most questions--Here I Am. First off, let me say that it's always tricky to try to write a song from the perspective of Jesus. To presume that I could possibly speak for my Savior is a bit daunting. But I wanted to tell Christ's story--from His perspective. This song is really Jesus telling the story of His life. And it starts...in the womb. What must it have been like to go from being fully God, to being God in the form of a human baby? So the first lines, "what is this skin that covers me?" is Jesus examining this new flesh around His body. In the following verses, He talks about growing up as a child in a world of mortals. He mentions the miracles that He's performed. I admit, I threw in my own supposition in the second verse. I wondered how lonely our Savior must have felt. "Five thousand here, I'm still alone" He says, speaking of how different He must have felt. "Oh they gather how I feel, but not one asks how I feel--not ever." I wondered if anyone ever asked Jesus how difficult it was to be God on Earth. I don't recall any scripture that shows anyone displaying this kind of concern for Him. How terribly isolating that must have been! The chorus, "Here I am, I'm ready to be everything that you want me to be" means something different everytime. The first time, it's the baby Jesus talking to his earthly parents--Mary and Joseph. It's Him saying "Hey, I'm your baby. I'm your child. I'm ready to be all those things that parents want from their babies--the wonder, the excitement, the love, the reliance on you for my needs, etc." In the second chorus, Jesus is being arrested by the soldiers, to be taken off for execution. In this chorus, He's saying "You want me to be the scapegoat? I'll be that for you. Want me to bear the punishment that you so desperately want to give out? I'll do that for you." And in the final chorus, Jesus is on the cross, speaking to His Heavenly Father. "Here I am" He says, "I'm ready to be the fulfillment of your plan. I'm ready to take on the sins of this world for you, Father. I'll be what you need me to be." And finally, in the final verse, Jesus experiences something else for the first time. "What is this sin that covers me?" Here's a man that knew no sin, then suddenly found Himself covered in all the sins of humanity. Wow. I should also point out that the orchestration was done by a good friend of mine, John Doryk, with NightSky Sound Design. He's an amazing composer and added just the right touch to this song. So there you have it. That's the story/meaning behind Here I Am. Hope you understand it a little better...and enjoy it!

Beats and Eats Contest!

Win a $50 gift card to your favorite restaurant,

plus an entire discography of Tim Glenn Music!

Hi gang!

We're launching a new contest here at Tim Glenn Music. Sure, it' a contest that will require a little work on your end, but I think it will be worth it.

Basically, here's the gist: You join the Tim Glenn Music Sales Force, telling your friends about Tim's new CD, So Human. The "salesperson" who sells the most CDs between May 1st and June 26th will win the grand prize. (There are 2nd and 3rd place prizes too!)

Wait a minute...isn't this just a ploy to sell more CDs? Absolutely! But rather than just asking you to help me sell CDs, I thought you deserve at least something for your efforts! So, help me sell CDs and I'll give you some music...and some food--or Beats and Eats! Get it?

For a listing of the official rules, go to www.timglennmusic.com/contest.

If you still have questions, leave them here as a comment or send us an email at info@timglennmusic.com

Good luck and God bless!

The Race Is On!

WAY-FM's "My Church Band Rocks" Contest is now underway. They had some problems early on with the online poll, but it's working now

Will you please click on the pic below...it will take you to a page where you can scroll down and see the headphone graphic. Please vote for my song, So Human!

Looking Back on 2008

It's almost Christmas. I can't believe it. 2008 whirred by. My baby boy is turning into a rambunctious little boy....and my wife's belly has gotten bigger! Work has been crazy. My music career has been crazy. Do you know that I played over 40 gigs this year? AND kept a full-time job! And was still able to be daddy and husband. Whew! I'm exhausted! This past year has come with all kinds of ups and downs. Here are a few of the "ups":

• Morgan celebrated his first birthday in 2008. That was definitely an "up."
• He also started calling me "daddy." Oh...heart melt!
• We found out that Morgan is going to be a big brother! Huge "up!"
• I released my new album, So Human in 2008.
• My first single from the album, Open Up the Darkness, landed at #18 on the CRW Rock Charts. That's a good thing!
• I updated my website....with a whole new look and feel.

And, here are some of the "downs":

• We went through a "restructure" at work. My job changed quite a bit. And I've really been struggling with it. (But I'm very thankful to have a job!)
• This year, I really struggled with a problem that has bothered me for a long time. I wish I could say I've overcome it...but I haven't. I appreciate your prayers.
• I've had a couple of friends who desperately needed prayer for loved ones who were sick or hurting. But perhaps this should be an "up" because so many of you prayed and God was gracious in both cases.
• The economic slump sent millions of people into joblessness...and millions more wondering where their next meal was going to come from. The housing bubble burst and we are all feeling the effects.
• The year started with the Giants winning the SuperBowl. Ugh. No one hates the Giants more than I do. And this season hasn't been all rosy for us Cowboy fans either.

All in all, I guess it was a fairly typical year. Ups...downs. In betweens. I look forward to 2009. We have a new president. We have renewed opportunities to live out our faith for a hurting and dying world. In April, there will be another member of the Glenn family. I can't wait to hold our little baby boy! Yeah, 2009 looks to be pretty promising. And who knows, I might even record a few new songs!

Tim Partners with iTunes To Bring You Music For Christmas!

Hey gang! Just wanted to let you know that we've got an agreement with iTunes that allows you to give my new album, So Human, via iTunes, for Christmas! Here's all you have to do: 1. Click here to open up the iTunes Store page for my album. You'll see a page that looks like this: <----See this little icon to the right of the album cover? It says "Gift this music" with a little red package. Click on that icon and follow the instructions from there. You can gift the entire album, or choose which songs you'd like to send to someone. A unique, personal, inexpensive gift for Christmas! God bless! tim

Stocking Stuffer!

Hi gang! Looking for the perfect stocking stuffer this Christmas? This week, we're kicking off an exciting Christmas promotion. As you know, Tim's new CD, So Human, just released this month. Between now and December 15th, if you order a copy of So Human, we'll send it to you, AUTOGRAPHED and WRAPPED for Christmas. All you have to do is stuff it in the stocking!

It's easy! Just send a check for $17 ($15 + $2 s/h) to:

Tim Glenn Music

7103 McEwan St.

Colorado Springs, CO 80922

*Make sure you put a note with your check that says "Christmas Special" and we'll make sure you get your wrapped, autographed copy in time for Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Become Part of My Street Team!

We're less than a week away from my CD Release Concert and I'd love to have your help with some promotion. No, I'm not going to ask you to beat the streets with flyers in hand (though, if you're willing, please let me know!) But I would appreciate it if you'd take some time to let your friends and family know about the concert through your email and social media websites: I've got two banners created...the first is an animated gif promoting the upcoming concert, the second is just a jpg promoting the CD itself. I'll let you decide which one you want to promote. First, to promote the concert, right click on the image below and "save picture as" and save it as a gif. Then you can paste it into your blog. If you could make the pic link to www.timglennmusic.com/cdrelease that would be great. Or you can simply copy this picture and add it, to promote that the new CD is available on iTunes:

And, on that one, if you could make it link to: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=295964773&s=143441

that would be awesome! That's a direct link to my page in the iTunes store.

Thank you for your support!

tim

You Can Now Buy So Human With a Credit Card!

Thanks to all of you who sent in checks to order So Human hot off the presses! You've helped make this a very successful launch for my new project! For those of you waiting to purchase the CD or download the mp3 tracks using a credit card...it's now available via CD Baby. CD Baby is a supplier to iTunes. But it takes iTunes a lot longer to get a new CD into their system. (Could be another month or so.) But you can go directly to one of their suppliers, CD Baby, and order it directly from them. And...it's actually cheaper. There are 17 tracks on So Human. Through iTunes, you have to pay 99cents per track. That's $16.83. But through CD Baby, you can download the whole album or purchase the CD for only $14.99! Just click on the screenshot below to read more about the album and even listen to several of the tracks ahead of time:

Order now and you'll still be ahead of the crowd. The CD Release Concert/Party isn't until November 21st.

Thanks again for your support!

The CDs Are Here!

They've finally arrived! The first batch of So Human CDs is here! The UPS man delivered them this afternoon (thanks Mr. UPS guy!) To give you an idea of how long I've been waiting to have this CD in hand, ready to sell...well, our first studio recording session was in August of 2005. That's right--over three years. But the songwriting began several months before that. So this project has taken nearly four years to complete. (Of course, I took a few months off during my wife's pregnancy and a few months after Morgan was born too...but still-four years!) Part of it is that I just wanted this project to be as good as possible. So, I was extremely picky...finicky perhaps. We added songs mid-stream, subtracted songs. We brought in musicians and vocalists and then brought in more. It was a lengthy process, but the end result, I believe, is the best CD I've ever produced. The songs on So Human are honest...they are real. There are lyrics that I think you will definitely be able to relate to, no matter where you are in your spiritual journey. So...how do you get one? Glad you asked! Right now, the CDs are only available by sending a check for $17 ($15 for CD, $2 for shipping/handling) to:

Tim Glenn Music

7103 McEwan St.

Colorado Springs, CO 80922

If you want to purchase with a credit card, you'll have to wait til they're available through iTunes and/or CDBaby. That will take about another month. Or you could come to my CD Release Concert on November 21st. Here are the details:

Tim Glenn CD Release Concert

Friday, Nov. 21st

7:00pm

Rocky Mtn. Calvary

4285 N. Academy Blvd.

Colorado Springs, CO

FREE!

God bless! Tim

Big Day!

Today is a big day! For a couple of reasons: 1. The final artwork and audio master have been approved for my new album, So Human, so that means the copies are being burned and printed right now. Yep, as you're reading this, a factory in New Jersey is making mass quantities of my CD for sale. Yay! It will be available through my website in about two weeks. It will be available via iTunes and CDBaby in about 4-6 weeks. 2. Today starts the national radio promotion for my first single from So Human. The song is called Open Up the Darkness and it's being promoted to nearly 1000 Christian radio stations (mostly Christian rock) across the country. One station, WSNL in Flint, Michigan, has already started playing the song. Wanna help? Contact your local rock radio station--Christian or secular--and ask them to play Open Up the Darkness by Tim Glenn. You can also hear the song on the music player on this page! The date for the CD release concert has been set. Info is below.

The Latest...

So, we finished the mixing, mastering, etc...for So Human a couple of weeks ago. But I still haven't sent everything off to the duplicators. There are some forms to be filled out, and some arrangements to be made regarding digital distribution, (it's going to be available on iTunes, digistation.com and a few others.) Plus, I'm waiting to have an insert created by Compassion International, that will promote their child sponsorship ministry. I want everyone who gets a copy of my CD to be able to learn about the incredible work that Compassion is doing in the lives of children in poverty.So...all that to say...it will be at least four weeks AFTER I send the stuff off before I have the album ready to sell. I'm hoping to be able to send it off late this week, or early next week. So, that would put availability at the end of September/first week of October. BONUS: Since you've been so patient, I have included some of the new songs on the player on my page here. You can listen to some of the songs that will be on the album now!

FINISHED!

I'm so stoked! Last night, 8-8-08, (which was also supposedly the start of some big sporting event--wink wink!), we finally finished the album. Just to give you an idea of how long we've been working on this project, our very first recording session took place on 8-29-05. That's right...almost THREE YEARS AGO! And that doesn't include the time writing and learning songs BEFORE we started recording. (Now, of course, we took a lot of time off, to have a baby and all...but it's still been more than a three year process.)

All the recording is done. All the mixing. The mastering.

Now, the cd is ready to send off for printing, duplication, etc. And, I'm also excited to tell you, Chris Tschamler has come up with some great new artwork for the project. Check out the new album cover: Sweet huh?

I'll let you know once the cd is in ourhands...and ready for sale! Probably another 4 weeks or so.

Final Mixes!!!!

While you were gathering with friends and family around the grill yesterday for the 4th of July, I locked myself in the recording studio for 12 straight hours...and finished mixing the new album, So Human!

Mike Manthei, the engineer, was gracious enough to give up his Independence Day celebrations too, so we could get this crucial stage of the album done.

That means all the songs are mixed...ready for mastering! We're getting close! We've got another couple of weeks to go...for mastering, etc. And the graphic design for the album isn't finished yet. So, it's conceivable we could have everything done by the end of July (though that's pushing it. Most likely mid-August.)

But you don't have to wait til August to hear some of the songs.

Listen now!

See the music player just to the right there? I put some of the new mixes there. You can hear the final mixes for:

So Human
My Cross
I'll Drive Yesterday
Open Up the Darkness
Come With Water

Thats just 5 of the 13 songs that will be on the album. Enjoy!

One More Track

Hi gang!

Tonight, we will record the last track for the So Human album...a guitar track that my co-songwriter, good friend and amazing guitarist Brian will be laying down.

That means that, after this weekend, all that's left to do is mix the album! That will likely take a few weekends...into mid/late June. Once the album is mixed and mastered, it will have to be sent out for printing and duplication. That's another three weeks. So it's possible we could have the project in hand by the end of July!

:fingers crossed:

I'm So Excited!

This past weekend, I spent some time in the recording studio...and we are definitely getting close to finishing the So Human project!

Yesterday, Bret Major came in and recorded a kick-butt bass track for Simple Me. Then, I had to do some background vocal work on a song called, I'll Drive Yesterday. I was really struggling with the song and had pretty much decided that if I couldn't get the background vocals to work, I was going to scrap the song. Luckily, I was able to make them work. So the song stays!

All that's left is a lead guitar track on Forgive and Forget...and background vocals on Turn Your Eyes. Then we start mixing!

Best case scenario: we could have this album ready for duplication by the end of May. Though that may be a bit of a stretch, because I'm pretty much booked with something every weekend in May. Ugh! So, most likely, we'll be ready for duplication sometime in mid-late June. It will take about three weeks or so to get the CDs back in hand...so they should be ready for sale by mid-July! Yay!

I'll be sooooooo glad to get this project finished...and make it available so you all can hear what I've been working on for the past two years! (With an 8-9 month break to have a baby of course!) Once we have a more firm date for the cd release, we'll start booking concerts to promote it.

I'll keep ya informed!

Album Update

I've been making quite a bit of progress on my album, So Human, lately. This has been the longest it's ever taken me to produce an album. August of 2005 was when we started the process. Whew! Of course a lot happened during that time--job changes, my drummer moving to Texas and oh yeah--having a baby!

Tonight, Gail Knoepfle, a background vocalist will be in the studio to cut her final tracks. Then, all that's left is:

• -Re-do some lead vocal parts on two songs.
• -Re-do a bass track on one song.
• -Bring in John Donovan to add a male background vocal on two songs.

Then we start mixing!

It's been a long process and I'm glad that we're getting this close. If you'd like to hear some "rough mixes" of some of the songs, (some with background vocals, some without), scroll down a bit and check out the music player on this page.

To find out more about the project, you can always check out my music website.

What's New (& What's Old) This New Year

It's 2008. Is it just me, or does that sound incredibly "space age?" I remember back in high school (in the ancient ole' 1980's) thinking, "I wonder if I'll live to see the year 2000?" 2000 was 8 years ago! Can you believe that? Remember the Y2K scare? Years ago!

Some things have changed in the past year...some have remained the same. Here are a few things from my life:

First and foremost, I became a daddy in 2007. The greatest title I've ever held. My son, Morgan Douglas Glenn was born on March 21st. What a blessing it has been this past year to experience a first Father's Day, Mother's Day, Morgan's first Thanksgiving (so much to be thankful for!) and Christmas. And oh...to watch him grow! He's 9 months old now...has seven teeth...is crawling all over the place.

I still have the same job...which, in this day and age, is a pretty good thing! I actually love my job. I'm the US Advocacy Director for Compassion International--a ministry I believe in whole-heartedly. Basically my job is to educate Christians in the US about the biblical mandate to care for children and the poor.

I visited the Philippines for the first time...and got to spend time with Jen Rina, the girl my family sponsors through Compassion International. She's a beautiful, shy young girl who does well in school, loves arts and crafts (and her dog) and who is very good about writing letters to let us know how her family is doing.

I'm still working on my new album, So Human. (Ha! I think I wrote that last New Years' Day too!) I promise, I really did make a lot of progress this year. All that's left is to re-cut a bass track on one song...and background vocals on five songs. I'm hoping to have the cd packaged and ready for you to listen to, by summer.

And, I took part in a new venture, called IndieDrive this past year. IndieDrive is a company that sells music albums on flash drives. They are focusing on independent artists like myself. The cool thing about it is, they let the artist decide what goes on the flash drive. So...my 1GB flash drive includes songs from my last album, New Pair of Shoes, some demo versions of songs from So Human, some never-before released acoustic songs (recorded live), some songs from my college band, Main Street, some downloadable photos, lyric sheets and a video. Yep. All that for $20! Check it out!

All in all, it's been a busy year. A productive year. Now that I think about it...a tiring year! Ha!

Welcome 2008! Hope your new year is a blessed one.

Perpetuating the Myth

I've been thinking a lot lately about Christian music...specifically worship music. (Which only makes sense, since I'm a Christian musician and a worship leader.) But you may not like, or at least not agree, with some of the things I believe...and have to say. You see, one of my pet peeves about Christianity in general, is how we (yes, myself included) tend to perpetuate this myth that once you accept Christ as Savior, you don't struggle with the things of this world anymore. And one of the ways we perpetuate this myth is through our music. Let me give you an example. There's an old hym that says:

"Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before."

Is that true? Does life just get sweeter every day after you've accepted Christ? I don't think so. Now, if you're talking about the sweetness of knowing, everyday, that you are one step closer to heaven, maybe so. But my life experience has been that, since accepting Christ, my life has had ups and downs...good days and bad days. So I have a problem with that song. I think it's misleading. I think people who don't know Jesus may get the wrong idea from this song.

Here's another example, from a contemporary Christian worship song:

"Every move I make I make in you,

You make me move Jesus...

Every step I take I take in you."

Really? Every move? Is that even possible? It's a fun song to sing. Heck, I've even performed it in the past. It was originally written by David Ruis, and published by Vineyard Publishing. And it's very popular in churches across the country. But I have a problem with it. And here's why: what about that sin you committed this morning? Was that a move you made "in Jesus?" What about that lustful thought about the girl you saw behind the counter at the department store? "In Jesus?"

I understand what the lyricist is trying to say. I just don't believe it. Or maybe he's on a spiritual plain that I am nowhere close to achieving. Regardless, for those who don't know Christ, this is a good example of why we're called hypocrites. We can't claim that "every step we take is in Jesus" then sin. The two contrast. And when an unbelieving world sees that, they discount Christianity as a religion of liars...people who say one thing and do another.

I realize I'm going to draw some criticism for saying these things, but it's just something I've been dealing with lately. It's the reason I am recording this new album, So Human: Because I believe there needs to be more Christian music out there that reflects real life...the valleys as well as the peaks...the good days as well as the bad. We need to be deliberate about meaning what we sing...and singing what we mean. I fear that too many congregations these days sing along without paying attention to what they are saying.

I'm getting close to finishing this album. Maybe it will be ready for release sometime early Spring 2008...God willing.

In the meantime, I would challenge you to think about the songs you're singing in church. Do you really mean them? Do they truthfully reflect your experience as a believer?

Something to think about.