So, I really like the Blues Brothers. Having grown up in Wheaton (as did John Belushi) and now living in Mount Prospect (home of the Bluesmobile), I was long overdue to see the movie, viewing it for the first time when I was in my early thirties. Since I tend to play the soundtrack in my car a lot, my grammar school kids have learned a bit too many lyrics. I was Joliet Jake for last Halloween, and, according to the picture above, I'm not the first in my family to dress like a Blues Brother (I was preceded by my pastor grandfather).
That fandom got me thinking, Has there ever been a Christian blues song? Blues songs tell stories of sad situations with some playfulness and a touch of hope, whereas Christian worship songs are dominantly peppy or at least include a strong happy ending. Christian music has yet to make significant strives in lament, much less blues, I thought. So, I started writing the song.
I started with Psalm 88, the psalm that doesn't end in praise. After that, I expanded to all the psalms written by the Sons of Korah. I took all the sad phrases of those psalms and changed them into more blues-like lyric writing. For titling, went with Sons of Korah Blues.
A chord chart and lead sheet of "Sons of Korah Blues" is for sale! Request it through our contact form. Lyrics are below:
Can’t eat no food, been drinking my tears these days
God don’t hear me no more, them bad guys are gettin’ their ways
Won’t remember the good times, my pain ain’t gonna fade
God done sold my service though no one pays
Can’t eat no food, been drinking my tears these days
I been waitin’ a long time for his unfailing love
Yeah, I been waitin’ a long time for his unfailing love
He’d send lightnin’ and fire, wind and cash,
And everybody’d know it’s my God who’s from above
I been waitin’ a long time for his unfailing love
Life got me down, maybe God has it out for me
Hit rock bottom in a muddy pit, will I ever be free?
I’m rollin’ in my own grave, don’t got no company
And I ain’t dead yet, but I might as well be
Life got me down, maybe God has it out for me
My friends done left me, I’m crawlin’ low in the night
The darkest valley ’s my new hometown, that’s right
I can’t believe it’s gone this far, but the terror is true
Prayin’ again to God to pull me through