1 Timothy 4:16
U
Lyrics
[0:00–0:20 — FIRST PASS / CHECK YOURSELF FIRST] First Timothy four, sixteen. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. [Start almost bare: dry phone-mic male tenor, faint room hiss, muted acoustic pulse, low bass note and one distant electric-guitar shimmer. No full drums. Let “Take heed unto thyself” land like a private mirror-check, not a public rebuke. Keep “and unto the doctrine” firm and grounded.] [0:21–0:53 — SECOND PASS / STEADY BOOM-BAP MOTION] First Timothy chapter four, verse sixteen. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. [Bring in dusty boom-bap drums, warm bass guitar, quick muted acoustic strum, foot stomp, hand percussion and wide alt-rock haze. Keep the groove chill, head-nod and moving.] [LEAD] Take heed unto thyself. [ONE ROUGH OFF-MIC VOICE] Take heed. [LEAD] And unto the doctrine. [ONE LOW VOICE] The doctrine. [Move on immediately.] Continue in them. [MICRO-SILENCE] [ACOUSTIC MICROBURST: one quick bright fingerpicked flourish after “them,” then straight back to the strum.] For in doing this thou shalt both save thyself— [BEAT THINS] And them that hear thee. [Let that last line open emotionally without becoming polished.] [0:54–1:23 — INTERLUDE / DON'T JUST START, CONTINUE] Ooh. Yeah. Take heed unto thyself. [Let the bassline walk while the acoustic stays quick and dry.] And unto the doctrine. [PSYCHEDELIC MICROBURST: one reverse electric-guitar tail drifts backward for half a second, then snaps forward.] Continue in them. [ONE ROUGH VOICE] Continue. [Keep it tiny.] For in doing this— [BEAT CUT] Thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee. [ALT-ROCK MICROBURST: one brief wide guitar bloom after “hear thee,” then disappear.] [1:24–2:03 — THIRD PASS / PERSONAL VIGILANCE BECOMES RESPONSIBILITY] The first epistle of Paul the apostle to Timothy, chapter four, verse sixteen. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. [Start with close lead and acoustic strum only. Add foot stomp, bass, boom-bap drums, then wide electric haze. Let this pass feel more settled and serious, not cleaner.] [LEAD] Take heed unto thyself. [ONE ROUGH VOICE] Unto thyself. [LEAD] And unto the doctrine. [ROUGH CREW — ONE WARM RESPONSE] The doctrine. [LEAD] Continue in them. [SHORT SILENCE] For in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. [Let “them that hear thee” get one short imperfect tenor rise.] [SECOND ACOUSTIC MICROBURST: one tiny warm harmonic lick after “hear thee,” then gone.] [OUTRO / KEEP WATCHING] Ooh. Yeah. [No more scripture repetition. Let the fast acoustic loop ride under dusty drums, warm bass, foot stomps and wide electric shimmer. One friend hums rough harmony. Another clap lands late. Hard cut mid-strum.] [OVERALL VOCAL DIRECTION] [This track should feel like maintenance before ministry: SELF → DOCTRINE → CONTINUE → IMPACT. Male tenor stays dry, grainy, breathy and conversational with fast-flow indie-folk phrasing, quick imperfect runs and loose urban swagger. Acoustic guitar is a true rhythmic layer; boom bap remains the backbone. Let “TAKE HEED UNTO THYSELF” feel personal and probing, then make “CONTINUE IN THEM” the practical engine. Backup vocals sound like rough fellow travelers—low yeahs, worn oohs, late catches. Psychedelic moments stay tiny: reverse guitar tails, tape bends, brief stereo smears. Alt-rock blooms only around the final responsibility line. No glossy folk-pop, polished CCM or bluegrass dominance. Raw, chill, watchful, grounded, faithful.]