The Lyrics Project Begins

I'm trying to generate some conversation about the deep ideas in my recent musical project, Broken In.  The best way I know to begin is to simply post some of the lyrics with a few brief thoughts about what they mean to me and invite people to respond.  So here goes...

BROKEN IN words & music by John Pryor

Torn and ripped, faded and stained from the dirt and the sweat and the miles

You feel used and all worn out, but you look good to me

'Cause I see Jesus when I see you.  It's the shape you're in and the things you do

That I know you can't do on your own--the way you make me feel at home

What this means to me is basically that the scars of our adventures and mistakes actually make us more beautiful--or at least attractive--rather than ruined.  I know I'd rather wear an old, soft, torn pair of jeans than a brand new, stiff, perfect pair any day...

The CD Is Here!!!

I'm pretty much overwhelmed with gratitude.  There is a box in my living room holding nearly 100 totally professional, barcoded, shrink-wrapped CDs.  The web site should go online any minute (it's nearly 12:30a as I type this), and the long, long journey so far is wrapping up.  I feel like Frodo waking up in slow motion with warm, brownish lights everywhere.

I'm so thankful to Mom, Dad, and Grandma, who helped me over the humps financially.  I'm crazy thankful to everyone who's helped create this and to all who encouraged me along the way.  I'm thankful to Jon Guymon for the stellar web site he's building that will make all the ways to get this music easy.  But most of all, I'm thankful to two people:  Cody Hazelwood and Kirby Waggoner.  I'll tell you more about them in a later post, but suffice it to say for now that this CD is as much theirs as it is mine.  Amazing guys, ridiculously skilled musicians and producers, and fantastic friends.

God bless all who read this, and welcome to johnpryoronline.com!

The Whole "Broken In" Idea

It's less than a week till my new CD, Broken In, is supposed to show up on iTunes, CDbaby, and my doorstep.  I'm so thankful to everyone who's been a part of creating this project and can't wait to see what happens next.  I hope people enjoy the music, and even more, I hope they get the message.

The common thread connecting these 12 songs is the idea that life softens, stains, tears, and wrinkles us--and that this is a good thing.  In fact, it's THE thing that makes us usable by God and comfortable to be around.  That doesn't mean that every rip wasn't painful or every stain doesn't mar what we could or should have been.  It does mean we aren't as afraid of getting hurt or dirty anymore, so we're a lot more likely to actually get out and get something done.

When you hear my CD, you'll hear 12 versions of how this works for me.  Got any stories to share about how it works in your life?