Hebrews 11:13-16
U
Lyrics
[0:00–0:22 — FIRST PASS / PILGRIM HEART, QUIETLY RESTLESS] Hebrews eleven, thirteen through sixteen. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. [Start almost like somebody walking alone before sunrise. Dry phone-mic male tenor, faint shoe scuffs, muted acoustic strum, low bass pulse and distant clean electric-guitar shimmer. No full drums. Let “seen them afar off” stretch slightly with longing. Keep “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” intimate and matter-of-fact, not dramatic.] [0:23–1:05 — SECOND PASS / THE PILGRIM GROOVE STARTS MOVING] Hebrews chapter eleven, verses thirteen through sixteen. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. [Bring in dusty boom-bap kick/snare, warm bass guitar, fast muted acoustic strum, foot stomp, hand percussion and wide alt-rock guitar haze. Let the vocal move in quick fast-flow indie-folk cadence through the narrative.] [LEAD] Strangers and pilgrims on the earth. [ONE ROUGH OFF-MIC VOICE] Pilgrims. [LEAD] They seek a country. [ROUGH CREW — ONE SHORT RESPONSE] Seek a country. [Move immediately onward.] If they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out— [BEAT THINS] They might have had opportunity to have returned. [Let “returned” fall downward melodically.] But now— [MICRO-SILENCE] They desire a better country. [ACOUSTIC MICROBURST: one bright ascending fingerpicked flourish after “better country,” then immediately back to the dry strum.] That is, an heavenly. [Let the guitars widen briefly without becoming a giant chorus.] [1:06–1:38 — INTERLUDE / TOO FAR GONE TO GO BACK] Ooh. Yeah. Seen them afar off. [Let the bassline walk while the acoustic keeps moving quickly.] Persuaded of them. Embraced them. [ONE LOW VOICE] Embraced them. And confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. [PSYCHEDELIC MICROBURST: one reverse electric-guitar tail seems to pull backward toward the old country, then abruptly snaps forward.] They seek a country. [ONE ROUGH VOICE] A better country. [Keep that response tiny and spoken.] But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly. [ALT-ROCK MICROBURST: 2-second overdriven guitar bloom across the stereo field, bright and yearning, then gone.] [1:39–2:27 — THIRD PASS / HOME IS NOW IN VIEW] The epistle to the Hebrews, chapter eleven, verses thirteen through sixteen. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. [Start with close lead and acoustic strum only. Add foot stomp, bass, boom-bap drums, then wide electric guitars. Let the third pass be emotionally larger but still cheap-mic raw.] [LEAD] They were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. [ONE LOW VOICE] Strangers. [LEAD] They seek a country. [ROUGH CREW — ONE WARM RESPONSE] Seek a country. [LEAD] But now they desire a better country— [SHORT SILENCE] That is, an heavenly. [Let “heavenly” get the song’s strongest imperfect tenor run: breathy, upward, slightly cracking.] Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God— [DRUMS THIN] For he hath prepared for them— [MICRO-SILENCE] A city. [Do not shout “city.” Let it land quietly, like finally seeing home in the distance.] [SECOND ACOUSTIC MICROBURST: one tiny bright harmonic lick immediately after “a city,” then vanish.] [OUTRO / STILL WALKING TOWARD IT] Ooh. Yeah. [No more scripture repetition. Let the fast acoustic pulse keep going under dusty drums, warm bass, foot stomps and wide guitar shimmer. one friend hums roughly]