I remember the first time Psalm 30:5 spoke to me so deeply; “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” It was 2008 & were walking through a very deep valley & needed encouragement – those words became something firm for us to stand on, so we wrote them into a song that we demoed with the band for the SONGS FROM THE HOPE FARM release, but it just didn’t feel finished, & the message was so dear to my heart that I wanted to make sure it was truly finished before I recorded & released it.
So, I rewrote it. I rewrote “Joy in the Morning” so many times that it became a joke among my band members. I’d say, “Guys, should we play ‘Joy’?“, & they’d respond – “I don’t know – which one?“, & we’d all have a good laugh.
So, I shelved it to return to later. But the significance of that verse & the song never left my mind.
Fast forward to 2016 – I was on a songwriting trip to Nashville, hanging with my friend Mark Seigel & he pitched me an entirely new melody idea that set me on fire. Then my friend & sometimes guitarist/sometimes co-producer & all-around talented guy Jamie Miley pitched me a guitar hook that also pushed the song again to the forefront of my imagination. Next, my brother-in-law McKendree sent me some very unique electronic selections, creating a bed on which to build an instrumental outro. I was excited about the song again, but still stumped – what was a I missing from the first verse?
The sun is all the more beautiful when seen breaking through storm clouds: Ian Zumback & I spent one very late night via a video call (he had pulled over during a break from his Uber driving) exploring the depths from which joy can break through, & finally the song felt FINISHED. The final version was so long that we split it into two songs: “Joy in the Morning”, & the title track, “Morning will Come”.
I hope these lyrics encourage you during these tumultuous times as they have encouraged me! “Weeping may stay overnight, but joy comes in the morning!“
“JOY IN THE MORNING” / “MORNING WILL COME” CCLI#5764745
– Shannon Lewis, Cyle Lewis, Mark Siegel, McKendree Augustas, Jamie Miley, Ian Zumback
Fight the covers, slide over off the bed
my face a mess, I’m
waging war against the chaos in my head
I think it best
to just stay in bed
Who’s never felt frustration fill their eyes?
Overflowing…
…when you can’t escape the darkness that’s inside,
it’s overwhelming.
Wait for every wrong to be made right
There is joy in the morning
There is joy in the morning
Spring up from the ground
Itʼs such a glorious sound
The trees are ringing out an offering
My heart is the soil
Lord, work out Your will
Holy Spirit harvest…
Holy Spirit move…
There is joy in the morning
There is joy in the morning
Sing out, O you broken!
Give thanks to His name!
Morning will come on the wings of His praise
There is joy in the morning
There is joy in the morning
I want to wake up – I want to see
all Your glory laid out be-fore me
There is joy in the morning
Morning will come… on the wings of His praise!
I want to wake up – I want to see
all Your glory laid out be-fore me
There is joy in the morning!
BELIEVER, Husband, Father, Son, Pastor, Songwriter, Musician, Producer, Worshiper, Thinker, Creative
