1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:03,680 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:05,640 Speaker 2: Hey Steven, thanks for joining me. 3 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:08,680 Speaker 1: Thanks for having me. Michael. Good to see you, Sir, 4 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:10,280 Speaker 1: good to see you, Stephen. 5 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:12,880 Speaker 2: Chris Chapman who has a new song with country singer 6 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:15,480 Speaker 2: Chris Jansen. It's a new rendition of America the Beautiful. 7 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 2: I love it, same chorus, new verses. Steven, I could 8 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:22,480 Speaker 2: tell everybody about it. I want you to share a 9 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:25,079 Speaker 2: story about it, the inspiration behind it. Why did you 10 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 2: want to write this for America's two hund and fiftieth birthday. 11 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 2: How is it different from the traditional song we know as. 12 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:34,559 Speaker 1: America the Beautiful. Well, I'll back up a little bit 13 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:40,640 Speaker 1: and say that I grew up blessed to have a 14 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: very i think healthy kind of spot on love and 15 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:51,720 Speaker 1: appreciation for our nation, for our freedoms that we enjoy, 16 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 1: very largely due to the fact that my grandfather, Ruble Rudd, 17 00:00:56,680 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: one of the greatest men I've ever known. One of 18 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 1: the great moments in my life, and I have a 19 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 1: picture of it, is when I got to introduce my 20 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 1: Grandpa Rudd to Billy Graham. My Grandpa Rudd was one 21 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:08,039 Speaker 1: of the biggest Billy Graham fans, if you could say 22 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 1: that on the planet and when he knew that I 23 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 1: had done some things with Billy Graham, it was one 24 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 1: of Egypt would just cry and he was so grateful. 25 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 1: And so I got to introduce him when they both 26 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:22,279 Speaker 1: were still alive, and it's a very sweet, amazing moment. 27 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:27,120 Speaker 1: But my Grandpa Rudd, he was purple Heart World War 28 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 1: Two that came home, lived his life out with shrapnel 29 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: in his at his leg and he was the only 30 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 1: one that survived kind of from his platoon during his 31 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: time there. And so I just had this great appreciation 32 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 1: for the freedom, the cost of freedom, of the you know, 33 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: the gift that we have in America. And as as 34 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: broken and as imperfect as it is, I've been blessed 35 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: to travel around the world spend time in countries where, 36 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 1: you know, when I'm singing about my faith, there's a 37 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 1: good chance that you know, at best, you know, they 38 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 1: might unplug me and shut it down. At worst, you know, 39 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: probably not me, but someone's going to go to you know, 40 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: maybe go to jail. And so I have also experienced that, 41 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 1: and and so at this great love for America, I've 42 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 1: always loved America. The beautiful that song I've seen the 43 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: Purple Mountain majesties have seen the you know, the all 44 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,640 Speaker 1: of that, the spacious guies and and all that that 45 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:29,639 Speaker 1: song talks about. And I then I'm just heartbroken as 46 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 1: I start to see how much division has been created. 47 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 1: And there was a time in my life when you 48 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 1: would talk about America and there was a there was 49 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:40,920 Speaker 1: a sense of honor and respect and and like, yeah, 50 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:43,519 Speaker 1: we don't have it all together. We are certainly imperfect, 51 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 1: but man, let's just gratitude. Let's just count the blessings. 52 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:50,240 Speaker 1: Let's be grateful for what is, what is beautiful and great, 53 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:53,639 Speaker 1: and then let's pray for and cheer on the things 54 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:57,080 Speaker 1: that need change. That has seems like so much of 55 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 1: that has shifted to just is even in sometimes you 56 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:03,800 Speaker 1: mentioned America, it's like, oh, well, you're one of those, 57 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 1: or you're one of that, and man, it was just 58 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 1: heartbreaking to me, especially again given my history, my grandfather, 59 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 1: all of that. And so, as I often do, grab 60 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: a guitar and as the song starts, I sat down 61 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 1: today to try to write a song about some troubling 62 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 1: things that I see going on. This just breaks my heart. 63 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:27,919 Speaker 1: And usually when something's either awesome or kind of not awesome, 64 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:31,560 Speaker 1: and heavy my way of processing it is to write 65 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:34,360 Speaker 1: a song about it. And so I wrote the song, 66 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: and I thought, you know, man, I just yeah, things 67 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 1: are broken, good and bad. The lyric says it, you know. 68 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 1: I even threw a really, who gets the word algorithm 69 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: in a song? I don't know, might've been a bad idea, 70 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:47,520 Speaker 1: but it felt like I needed to say it. The 71 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: algorithms are tearing us, the worlds apart. They're telling you 72 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 1: all the things to believe and not to believe in 73 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 1: all that nonsense. And I'm like, can we just remember 74 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: that we're all in this together, that you know, in 75 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 1: this sense we're Americans and celebrate the beautiful things even 76 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 1: while we do pray and work towards the things that 77 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 1: are broken. So wrote the song, sang it. Kind of 78 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: interesting story. The first night I debuted this song, actually, 79 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:17,719 Speaker 1: I sang it by myself. I sang it on July 80 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:21,120 Speaker 1: the I think it was July the thirty first, on 81 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:24,800 Speaker 1: the Grand Ole Opry. And after I got done singing it, 82 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 1: I was like, hey, I just wrote this song. The 83 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 1: Olympics were going on. It was twenty twenty four. I 84 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: was feeling particularly kind of patriotic. I'm like, man, I 85 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:34,560 Speaker 1: got this song. I've never sung it before I wrote it. 86 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 1: We'll see what y'all think. Of course, you can imagine 87 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:40,359 Speaker 1: the Grand Ole Opry audience loved it, standing ovation like 88 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 1: that is you know, that's it? And then Ricky Skaggs 89 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 1: walks out after I sing it. Who's going to close 90 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 1: the night? And he's a buddy of mine now, and 91 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:50,599 Speaker 1: Ricky says, hey, Steve, that was a great song. Hey, 92 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:52,360 Speaker 1: come here a minute. I got a surprise for you. 93 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 1: We want you to be the next member of the 94 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 1: Grand Ole Opry. So I'm mind's blown. I'm like, are 95 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:00,919 Speaker 1: you kidding me? So that was an amaz night. So 96 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 1: that song will always represent a lot of things for 97 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 1: me because of that. So I finally decided, you know, 98 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: if I'm ever going to record that song and release 99 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 1: it July fourth, twenty twenty six, two hundred and fifty 100 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 1: years celebrating America, that might make sense to do that. 101 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:21,279 Speaker 1: And a good buddy that I've gotten to know as 102 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:24,280 Speaker 1: an opry brother, Chris Jansen. First time I met him, 103 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:26,280 Speaker 1: He's like, man, I grew up listening to your music. 104 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 1: I grew up listening to gospel music. I'm going to 105 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 1: make a gospel record someday, and you're going to help 106 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:32,080 Speaker 1: me make it because I want to sing about my 107 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:35,600 Speaker 1: faith too. And so we just began a friendship and 108 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:39,799 Speaker 1: we're actually have been writing some songs together, some gospel songs, 109 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 1: Christian songs. But I told him about this song. I 110 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:47,480 Speaker 1: know he loves America. He's very much like myself, knows 111 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:49,479 Speaker 1: there's a lot that's not perfect and not as it 112 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 1: should be, but loves America. And I said, would you 113 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:54,920 Speaker 1: sing this song with me? They said, you kidding, Let's 114 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: do it. So that's how it happened. That's beautiful. That's beautiful. 115 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 2: I was going to ask you about the algorithm line 116 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 2: because one of the lines is algorithms try to try 117 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 2: to keep it keep us worlds apart. 118 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:07,359 Speaker 1: Why was that important to you? 119 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 2: And secondly, what role do you think social media and 120 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:13,960 Speaker 2: the internet are playing and driving us further apart. 121 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 1: Well, I don't really understand algorithms that well, my managers 122 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:19,880 Speaker 1: try to explain it to me, you know, like you 123 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:22,560 Speaker 1: post this and do that, and that helps the algorithms. 124 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:26,040 Speaker 1: But my kids, particularly because I have a forty year 125 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 1: old daughter who's brilliant, I have thirty mid thirty year 126 00:06:30,279 --> 00:06:33,159 Speaker 1: old sons Caleb and Will and their band Colony House, 127 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:36,600 Speaker 1: and they're amazing musicians, incredible artists in their own right, 128 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:39,040 Speaker 1: and we're talking a lot about this, and they're just 129 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:44,080 Speaker 1: you know, it's like, Man, the algorithms, whoever algorithm or 130 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:46,839 Speaker 1: whatever he is, or whoever he is, I don't like 131 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:51,200 Speaker 1: ow much because they just he feeds you constantly, you know, 132 00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 1: the things that are whatever you have, like, you know, 133 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:57,800 Speaker 1: spent some time watching you watch a little something on 134 00:06:57,839 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 1: your phone pops up. I don't know where they come from, 135 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:02,400 Speaker 1: and these things and I'm like, okay, what is that? 136 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:03,880 Speaker 1: You know, and you watch it for a few seconds. 137 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:07,720 Speaker 1: So all of a sudden, some somewhere something says, they 138 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 1: watch this longer than the other. So keep feeding that information, 139 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:13,080 Speaker 1: keep giving them that stuff, and so you get all 140 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:17,760 Speaker 1: of this very skewed, you know, to whatever your interest 141 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 1: or your particular persuasion might be. And yet you perceive 142 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 1: it as this is the truth. This is the world, 143 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 1: This is the world that we live in, and man, 144 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 1: it is it is dark, and it is very troubling, 145 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:33,880 Speaker 1: and you know, it keeps. It's kind of like if 146 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 1: all of our if you just only spend time with 147 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:39,120 Speaker 1: the friends that agree with everything that you agree with, 148 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 1: which is why I wrote the lyric. I know we're 149 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:43,760 Speaker 1: never going to agree on everything. It's like a song. 150 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:46,080 Speaker 1: We've all got different parts to sing, But how well 151 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:49,640 Speaker 1: we listen is how loud freedom can ring. In America, 152 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:52,440 Speaker 1: were listening to each other, listening to other opinions even, 153 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:54,360 Speaker 1: and listen to things that we don't have to all 154 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 1: agree on it, but to say, man, I'm going to 155 00:07:56,760 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 1: try to respect you and honor that and just you know, 156 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:04,760 Speaker 1: be kind It is kindness, and and somewhere in the 157 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:06,600 Speaker 1: midst of all of that, it feels like, Yeah, the 158 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:11,040 Speaker 1: old algorithm situation just keeps feeding the thing of them 159 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:16,560 Speaker 1: us versus them. They're the enemy, They're to those crazy, terrible, ignorant, 160 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 1: dumb people that think that way or you know, and 161 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 1: so there's just a lot to that that I'm not 162 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:24,880 Speaker 1: going to fix anything by singing about it, other than 163 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:29,080 Speaker 1: maybe just say, hey, am I being kind of duped 164 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:30,920 Speaker 1: a little bit by all the things that I'm being 165 00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 1: told are how it is? You know that that's just 166 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 1: these voices that maybe yeah, wisdom would say, God's word 167 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 1: would tell us. You know, the greatest wisdom I think, 168 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:45,640 Speaker 1: you know, is to to bear with one another in love, 169 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:48,920 Speaker 1: to you know, to listen to one another, to always 170 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:52,720 Speaker 1: be gentle, to you know, kind the fruit of the spirit. 171 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:57,400 Speaker 1: You know, this is kindness and patience and gentleness and anyway. 172 00:08:57,080 --> 00:09:00,160 Speaker 2: So you yeah, I thought it fit in the song. 173 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 2: Of course, it's it's a positive song, but I think 174 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:03,720 Speaker 2: it was good to make that point. I was still 175 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:06,120 Speaker 2: in a friend recently. I said, if if the Chinese 176 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 2: were to were to have a grand scheme of destroying America, 177 00:09:09,960 --> 00:09:12,840 Speaker 2: they would probably do what we've done to ourselves the 178 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 2: past ten twenty years in terms of just let's let's 179 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:19,640 Speaker 2: develop a system where the Americans just argue all the 180 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:20,400 Speaker 2: time and. 181 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:22,440 Speaker 1: That that's what it's done. That's what it's done. 182 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 2: It's like it's like it's like we've done their work 183 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:25,719 Speaker 2: for them. 184 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:26,080 Speaker 1: Anyway. 185 00:09:26,559 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, I know that's a me preaching. Steven, what is 186 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:32,560 Speaker 2: your prayer for this song? How do you want it 187 00:09:32,559 --> 00:09:34,120 Speaker 2: to land with people? I think you've kind of already 188 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:36,559 Speaker 2: answered that a couple of times, But yo, come ahead, 189 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 2: you no. 190 00:09:46,559 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 1: I do love. I don't want to make you know 191 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:50,920 Speaker 1: too much of it, because then you get in again. 192 00:09:51,120 --> 00:09:55,920 Speaker 1: The all the arguments of oh Christian nationalis or whatever, 193 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:58,040 Speaker 1: all these things I don't even know. I try not 194 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:00,319 Speaker 1: spend too much time trying to figure it out, because 195 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:03,120 Speaker 1: then you just to your point. The more we argue, 196 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:06,200 Speaker 1: that we only have so much energy, and I just 197 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:08,640 Speaker 1: don't want to spend mine arguing. I mean, I want 198 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:10,840 Speaker 1: to fight against the right things. I want to be 199 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:12,960 Speaker 1: angry about the right things to be angry about. But 200 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:16,439 Speaker 1: I think there's a whole lot more about being grateful 201 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:19,320 Speaker 1: and looking for the ways that we can be connected 202 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:23,200 Speaker 1: rather than just fighting and arguing. And so I feel 203 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:26,920 Speaker 1: like that there is truth to the fact that America 204 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:32,200 Speaker 1: was the freedom of religion all religions, for sure. But 205 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:36,560 Speaker 1: there were many argue for sure, what were they, what 206 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:41,840 Speaker 1: were their real convictions or were they really true Jesus 207 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:45,680 Speaker 1: followers or whatever. But there's definitely no doubt that in 208 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 1: God we trust. America founded with a sense of God 209 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 1: as the giver of you know, authority, the giver of freedom, 210 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:58,880 Speaker 1: and we're going to look to him. And you know 211 00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:02,680 Speaker 1: the lyric of that original America, the beautiful God shed 212 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:05,640 Speaker 1: his grace on me. Well, you can sing that about 213 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:09,640 Speaker 1: any anyone, any person, anywhere, because God's grace is the 214 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:12,080 Speaker 1: only in him we live and move and have our being, 215 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:16,720 Speaker 1: So that is true wherever you are. But in particularly, 216 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:21,640 Speaker 1: I feel like God has graced America with a freedom 217 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:25,640 Speaker 1: and with that a responsibility, and I think sometimes we've 218 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:28,920 Speaker 1: done it really amazingly well. And if and I'm watching 219 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:31,760 Speaker 1: the whole thing right now on World War two and 220 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:33,839 Speaker 1: all of that, you know, there are times we've really 221 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:38,320 Speaker 1: I think, in some really amazing ways and then in 222 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:43,080 Speaker 1: some not amazing ways. But God has graced us as American, 223 00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:45,520 Speaker 1: and God shed his grace on the you know, and 224 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:49,200 Speaker 1: crowned our good with brotherhood from See the Shining Sea. 225 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:50,959 Speaker 1: You know, there's a lot of that lyric that I 226 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:55,280 Speaker 1: think it's just as a good reminder in my hope 227 00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:58,960 Speaker 1: and prayer. I guess it would be that it just 228 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:03,400 Speaker 1: might cause us to lay down the weapons and just 229 00:12:03,559 --> 00:12:07,280 Speaker 1: take a pause and say, first of all, gratitude. There's 230 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:10,840 Speaker 1: just so much power and just being grateful, just being grateful, 231 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:14,000 Speaker 1: even though it's not perfect and we're not home yet, 232 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:17,880 Speaker 1: and it certainly ain't heaven, and America is not God's 233 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:21,560 Speaker 1: favorite nation or anything like that, I don't believe, but 234 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 1: it is a place that He has shed his grace, 235 00:12:24,559 --> 00:12:29,719 Speaker 1: He has given us this time in our lives to 236 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:34,319 Speaker 1: celebrate the freedom that we have and to use it 237 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:37,640 Speaker 1: as best as we can and what we've been entrusted, 238 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:42,559 Speaker 1: and just to be unified in that, just to listen 239 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:45,199 Speaker 1: to each other and to just try to be kind 240 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:48,640 Speaker 1: and recognize that and recognize those that have paid a 241 00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:53,000 Speaker 1: incredible price, like my grandpa and many many others for 242 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 1: that freedom, and remember that, you know, bear that in mind, 243 00:12:56,840 --> 00:12:59,480 Speaker 1: and show honor where honor is due. And I think 244 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:03,160 Speaker 1: that's biblical and Scripture, Yeah, Scripture tells us who the 245 00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:07,480 Speaker 1: enemy is. Yes, it's not our fellow American and the 246 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:10,719 Speaker 1: it's the aestho of an enemy, stake ultimate enemy. That's right, 247 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:11,600 Speaker 1: that's right, that's right. 248 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:15,200 Speaker 2: Let's transition quickly to music. You're on the final leg 249 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:19,440 Speaker 2: of your Speechless twenty fifth anniversary tour this fall. I 250 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:21,760 Speaker 2: forget how many dates you have, but give us a 251 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:24,440 Speaker 2: preview of that and what people can expect you. 252 00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:27,360 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, this will be my third and final leg 253 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:30,840 Speaker 1: of the tour. We have had three of those. We 254 00:13:30,920 --> 00:13:33,960 Speaker 1: started last fall. I had an idea of you know, 255 00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:37,280 Speaker 1: I saw the Eagles do Hotel California, the whole album live. 256 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 1: I saw Huey Lewis do the whole Sports album live, 257 00:13:40,559 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 1: which was like one of my favorite albums of all time, 258 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:45,559 Speaker 1: and to get to hear every song, and I kind 259 00:13:45,559 --> 00:13:47,520 Speaker 1: of had this thought, man, one of these days, how 260 00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:49,800 Speaker 1: cool would that be to do something like that? And 261 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 1: if I was going to do it, Speechless would be 262 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:54,280 Speaker 1: one that would make sense because it had seven songs 263 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:57,320 Speaker 1: that were played on radio a lot and got you know, 264 00:13:57,440 --> 00:13:59,600 Speaker 1: got a lot of airplay and people know a lot 265 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:02,960 Speaker 1: of that record and it's very special record of mine. 266 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:06,920 Speaker 1: And so yeah, we put a tour together. Put ben 267 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 1: I thought, well, guys that that record needs strings. It's 268 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:12,800 Speaker 1: got all these beautiful orchestra arrangements in the middle of 269 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:15,880 Speaker 1: these rock and roll songs. So I thought, could I 270 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:18,240 Speaker 1: take a stream section out? So I've got a four 271 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:22,040 Speaker 1: piece string quartet, I have a full rocking band. And 272 00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:24,320 Speaker 1: we did it last fall, just sort of like, let's 273 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:28,600 Speaker 1: go do fifteen fourteen fifteen dates and just celebrate this 274 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:31,680 Speaker 1: record twenty five years later. And it was so well 275 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:34,600 Speaker 1: received and honestly, I had so much fun doing it, 276 00:14:34,760 --> 00:14:37,160 Speaker 1: and I'm like, can I do this again? Can I? 277 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:40,040 Speaker 1: And so we did it in the spring. That was awesome. 278 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:42,800 Speaker 1: And but we've yet to get to California, we've yet 279 00:14:42,840 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 1: to get to Texas, a couple of places Northwest areas 280 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:48,520 Speaker 1: that I haven't taken the tour yet. So we're going 281 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:52,080 Speaker 1: to finish out the Speaks Less Anniversary Tour. I guess 282 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:55,040 Speaker 1: it is now in the fall, with about I think 283 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:59,480 Speaker 1: sixteen d eight seventeen dates something like that, and we'll 284 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:02,440 Speaker 1: do that. And then I've done the same thing with 285 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:05,760 Speaker 1: my first Christmas album called The Music of Christmas that's 286 00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:10,120 Speaker 1: about thirty years old now, which is crazy. And we 287 00:15:10,160 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 1: did that last Christmas with the same configuration orchestra or strings, 288 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:17,680 Speaker 1: a band, and a choir that comes at each concert. 289 00:15:18,040 --> 00:15:20,760 Speaker 1: And so we'll do that again at Christmas. So I 290 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:24,120 Speaker 1: am loving playing music as much, maybe more now than 291 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:27,320 Speaker 1: I ever have. It's just I'm so grateful and thankful. 292 00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:29,200 Speaker 2: As we begin to clothes, I want to ask you 293 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:31,640 Speaker 2: a couple of questions that I don't know if I've 294 00:15:31,640 --> 00:15:33,520 Speaker 2: ever heard you answered before. But you have so many 295 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:35,680 Speaker 2: number ones I've lost count. Have you ever had a 296 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 2: number one song go to number one that you didn't 297 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:44,120 Speaker 2: think had a chance at going number one? And secondly, yeah, 298 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:47,360 Speaker 2: oh yeah, the opposite, Yeah, have you ever had a 299 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:50,680 Speaker 2: song that you loved that just didn't climb the charts 300 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:51,000 Speaker 2: at all? 301 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:54,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think, well the one. I'll start backwards because 302 00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: most people would be surprised, if they know my music 303 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:01,960 Speaker 1: at all, that my song Sendrella was as one of 304 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:05,840 Speaker 1: my probably top two I will be here and Cinderella 305 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:07,960 Speaker 1: would be kind of the top for people that just 306 00:16:08,520 --> 00:16:10,480 Speaker 1: would hear a song and go, oh, I know that song? 307 00:16:10,560 --> 00:16:12,880 Speaker 1: Who is that? You know? Or if some what's Stephen 308 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:15,560 Speaker 1: Chris Shatman song? They might mention that or The Great Adventure. 309 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:19,040 Speaker 1: There's a handful. Cinderella is never a number one song, 310 00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:22,800 Speaker 1: and that was mainly because from what my record label 311 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:25,520 Speaker 1: told me that there were some Christian radio stations that 312 00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:28,960 Speaker 1: didn't play it because it wasn't a Christian song. It 313 00:16:28,960 --> 00:16:32,800 Speaker 1: didn't you know, have Jesus mentioned specifically, and you know what, 314 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:36,640 Speaker 1: I get it, I understand they make those decisions. For me, 315 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:39,120 Speaker 1: it was as Christian of a song as any of 316 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:41,960 Speaker 1: ever written, because it's about showing up and being a 317 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:45,360 Speaker 1: dad who's involved in my kids' lives and showing up, 318 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:49,000 Speaker 1: you know, and dancing with them and just investing. So 319 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:51,760 Speaker 1: that was kind of a surprise. And then man on 320 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:54,440 Speaker 1: the other side. Yeah, I mentioned the song I Will 321 00:16:54,440 --> 00:16:56,600 Speaker 1: be Here. That could be a good example, and there 322 00:16:56,600 --> 00:16:59,320 Speaker 1: have been several over the years that I'm like, wow, 323 00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:01,080 Speaker 1: I didn't know that that was going to make it. 324 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:03,360 Speaker 1: I Will be Here was a very special song for 325 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:07,359 Speaker 1: me personally, but I wrote that after my parents actually 326 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:10,840 Speaker 1: their marriage dissolved, fell apart, and it was a real 327 00:17:11,760 --> 00:17:15,440 Speaker 1: heart breaking time because they were and still are amazing. 328 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:18,640 Speaker 1: They're still alive, they're godly people. They love me, they 329 00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:22,159 Speaker 1: love each other, but you know, their marriage broke up. 330 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:25,199 Speaker 1: And I wrote that song for my wife out of 331 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:28,520 Speaker 1: a real hard, sort of sad, painful time of just saying, hey, 332 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:30,800 Speaker 1: I don't want this to happen to us. I will 333 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:33,080 Speaker 1: be here. I want to keep showing up even when 334 00:17:33,119 --> 00:17:35,119 Speaker 1: it's hard, even when it gets ugly, even when we 335 00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:37,720 Speaker 1: don't even like each other, but we love each other, 336 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:40,880 Speaker 1: you know all that. And so I didn't expect that song. 337 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:42,800 Speaker 1: I mean, I knew it was special, but I didn't 338 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:44,280 Speaker 1: expect it to be one that would just go on 339 00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:47,560 Speaker 1: to live the way it has. And it's been pretty cool. 340 00:17:48,119 --> 00:17:50,000 Speaker 2: That's awesome. One more question for you before I let 341 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:53,240 Speaker 2: you go. Yeah, you've watched Christian music evolve for four decades. 342 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:57,760 Speaker 2: I think what encourages you the most about this June 343 00:17:57,760 --> 00:18:01,840 Speaker 2: generation of artists? What do you hope never changes? 344 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:06,240 Speaker 1: Yeah? Well, probably the thing that encouraged me the most 345 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:08,439 Speaker 1: is when I see the things that have not changed, 346 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:11,159 Speaker 1: because there is a lot that's changed. But when I 347 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:15,680 Speaker 1: see artists who are in a way doing exactly what 348 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:18,600 Speaker 1: I was doing. When I started all those years ago, 349 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:21,560 Speaker 1: I wasn't thinking, Man, I want to go be the 350 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:24,479 Speaker 1: next big Christian artist. Honestly, I didn't even think it 351 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:26,840 Speaker 1: was gonna the record label, even didn't think it was 352 00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:28,520 Speaker 1: necessarily going to work. I was going to be a 353 00:18:28,560 --> 00:18:31,080 Speaker 1: songwriter for other people. But I had these songs that 354 00:18:31,119 --> 00:18:34,080 Speaker 1: nobody was recording and I wanted to sing them. So 355 00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:37,359 Speaker 1: I made a record and people began to listen, and 356 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:40,840 Speaker 1: again it grew. But I think at the core it's 357 00:18:41,600 --> 00:18:45,560 Speaker 1: you know, was saying, and this is I want to 358 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:49,560 Speaker 1: write these songs as Honestly, I'm not fabricating. I'm not 359 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:52,359 Speaker 1: looking for a formula how can I get a big 360 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:56,920 Speaker 1: song on radio? These are just honest chapters from my life. 361 00:18:56,960 --> 00:18:59,240 Speaker 1: It's what the songs were, I mean, and the songs 362 00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:02,000 Speaker 1: are to me why they're so powerful and profound is 363 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:04,840 Speaker 1: that in one minute, David or the psalmist is saying, 364 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:07,000 Speaker 1: how long, old Lord are you going to forget me forever? 365 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:10,640 Speaker 1: And there's honesty and there's the integrity of that that God, 366 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:14,280 Speaker 1: I'm not even sure I even know where you are 367 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:16,919 Speaker 1: or if you are, but I am going to trust you. 368 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:20,240 Speaker 1: And that's what the psalms keep doing is taking the anger, 369 00:19:20,359 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 1: the tears, the sadness, the joy to God and expressing 370 00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:27,840 Speaker 1: that in a way that I can enter into that. 371 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:31,040 Speaker 1: And when I'm wondering those how long old Lord thoughts, 372 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:34,600 Speaker 1: I'm not alone going you lose or you idiot, how 373 00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:36,600 Speaker 1: could you ever question God? You go to the psalms 374 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 1: and go, ah, thank you, thank you Lord? You know? 375 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:41,879 Speaker 1: And I love that, And that's what I think as 376 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:45,560 Speaker 1: Christian music can continue to do that and does continue 377 00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:48,479 Speaker 1: to do that in a real honest way, not just 378 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:53,200 Speaker 1: wrestling with all our doubts and whatever, but saying, but God, 379 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:56,239 Speaker 1: but I'm trusting you, and this is my anchor, and 380 00:19:56,359 --> 00:19:58,560 Speaker 1: just keep dropping the anchor. It's what Scripture does for 381 00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:01,480 Speaker 1: us every time we go to it's this is the truth, 382 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:06,120 Speaker 1: this is what's ultimately true. The questions, the struggles, the brokenness, 383 00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:08,840 Speaker 1: that's all real. But let's fix our house on Jesus. 384 00:20:09,480 --> 00:20:12,159 Speaker 2: Going back to one thing, you just said, your label 385 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:15,520 Speaker 2: didn't and you yourself didn't think this whole thing was 386 00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:16,200 Speaker 2: going to work out. 387 00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:21,000 Speaker 1: No, not in the beginning, there was I was. Don't 388 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:21,760 Speaker 1: tell him, I said this. 389 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:22,440 Speaker 2: No. 390 00:20:23,560 --> 00:20:28,440 Speaker 1: I was basically signed as a favor to an amazing producer, 391 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 1: Greg Nelson, who was my He was not my producer 392 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:34,800 Speaker 1: in the beginning, but he produced Sandy Patty, Lawrence el Harris, 393 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:37,679 Speaker 1: Steve Green, these big voices that were the you know, 394 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:41,160 Speaker 1: they were Christian music at that era, and he had 395 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:44,639 Speaker 1: great respect and great love from record labels, and he 396 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:47,880 Speaker 1: believed in my songs. He told me, this is Greg Nelson. 397 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:51,720 Speaker 1: He said, you're not that great of a singer, but 398 00:20:51,840 --> 00:20:54,800 Speaker 1: let's sky it. Okay, thanks, I'll just be out here. 399 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:57,880 Speaker 1: You know, eat worms, he said. But when you sing 400 00:20:58,040 --> 00:21:00,760 Speaker 1: your songs, when you sing those songs that you wrote, 401 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:05,440 Speaker 1: that's unlike anything else to anybody, and that's something special 402 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:08,560 Speaker 1: and people connect to that. So that's the record label. 403 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:11,240 Speaker 1: I was sort of signed under that, like, let's just 404 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:14,760 Speaker 1: give this guy a shot. But we don't hear this 405 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:18,280 Speaker 1: thing necessarily being a big deal, but it feels like 406 00:21:18,359 --> 00:21:21,280 Speaker 1: it might connect to a few people. So yeah, that's 407 00:21:21,359 --> 00:21:24,080 Speaker 1: kind of kind of where it started. 408 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:29,200 Speaker 3: If you enjoy today's interview, please make sure to subscribe 409 00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:31,800 Speaker 3: and share the episode with a friend. A big thanks 410 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:34,199 Speaker 3: to the team at life Audio for their partnership with 411 00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:37,520 Speaker 3: us on the podcast. If you go to lifeaudio dot com, 412 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:41,520 Speaker 3: you will find dozens of other faith centered podcasts in 413 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:42,280 Speaker 3: their network. 414 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:43,440 Speaker 1: See you next time.