Things Above
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Lyrics
[0:00–0:20 — FIRST PASS / LIFT YOUR EYES] Colossians three, two through four. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. [Start with dry phone-mic tenor, muted acoustic pulse, faint room hiss, low bass note and distant electric-guitar shimmer. No full drums. Let “Set your affection on things above” sound like a quiet reset of the heart. Keep “not on things on the earth” low, clipped and almost spoken.] [0:21–0:56 — SECOND PASS / FAST-FLOW UPWARD MOTION] Colossians chapter three, verses two through four. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. [Bring in dusty boom-bap drums, warm bass guitar, fast muted acoustic strum loop, foot stomp, hand percussion and wide alt-rock guitar haze. Let the vocal move quickly through the first two thoughts, then open space around “your life is hid with Christ in God.”] [LEAD] Set your affection on things above. [ONE ROUGH OFF-MIC VOICE] Above. [LEAD] Not on things on the earth. [ROUGH CREW — ONE SHORT RESPONSE] Not on the earth. [Move on immediately.] For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. [ACOUSTIC MICROBURST: one quick bright fingerpicked flourish after “in God,” then straight back to the strum.] [0:57–1:27 — INTERLUDE / HIDDEN NOW, GLORY LATER] Ooh. Yeah. Your life is hid with Christ in God. [Let the bassline keep walking while the acoustic stays quick and dry.] [PSYCHEDELIC MICROBURST: one reverse electric-guitar tail drifts backward briefly, then snaps forward.] When Christ, who is our life— [BEAT THINS] Shall appear. [ONE LOW VOICE] Appear. Then shall ye also appear with him in glory. [ALT-ROCK MICROBURST: one brief wide guitar bloom after “glory,” bright and yearning, then gone.] [1:28–2:06 — THIRD PASS / AFFECTION MOVED HOMEWARD] The epistle of Paul the apostle to the Colossians, chapter three, verses two through four. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. [Start with acoustic strum and close lead only. Add stomp, bass, boom-bap kick/snare, then wide electric haze. Let this pass feel more settled and upward-looking, not cleaner.] [LEAD] Set your affection on things above. [ONE ROUGH VOICE] Things above. [LEAD] For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. [SHORT SILENCE] When Christ, who is our life, shall appear— [LET THE GUITARS WIDEN] Then shall ye also appear with him in glory. [ROUGH CREW — ONE WARM, UNEVEN RESPONSE] With him in glory. [Do not repeat.] [SECOND ACOUSTIC MICROBURST: one tiny ascending acoustic lick after “glory,” then gone.] [OUTRO] Ooh. Yeah. [No more scripture repetition. Let the fast acoustic loop ride under dusty drums, warm bass, foot stomps, hand percussion and wide electric shimmer. One friend hums a rough upward melody. Another clap lands late. Hard cut mid-strum.] [OVERALL VOCAL DIRECTION] [This track should feel like moving your affection off the temporary and onto what is above. The architecture is AFFECTION ABOVE → NOT EARTH → LIFE HIDDEN → CHRIST APPEARS → GLORY. 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 spine. Let “SET YOUR AFFECTION ON THINGS ABOVE” become the fast-flow engine, then slow slightly for “YOUR LIFE IS HID WITH CHRIST IN GOD.” 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 appearing and glory. Avoid glossy folk-pop, polished CCM, cinematic heaven music or bluegrass dominance. Raw, upward-looking, hidden, homeward.]