The Fire Before The Flame

The Fire Before The Flame CD cover

“The Fire Before The Flame” New Thought Songs inspired by Unity Church and Centers For Spiritual Living

It has only taken me 6 months since the release of my CD The Fire Before The Flame to start adding the individual songs from the CD to my site as well as to the daily song program.

My apologies for the delay.

Here’s the song:

Lyrics and Chords:
The Fire Before The Flame
Song #444 | 2/2/2012 | by Mark Shepard
(Capo 2nd fret)
D
When you strike a match on the side of the box
“D/G” (add low G and high E)
And the flame bursts into view
Did it exist a moment before
Or is it something new?
When the flame of the match catches the candle
Is it still the same flame?
Now blow out the match where did the flame go?
Is it here or did it disappear?
Is it still alive if you close your eyes
And imagine its spark against a darkened sky

Refrain:
G                             D     A                   Bm
Where was the fire before the flame?
G                              D          A             Bm A
Where was the river before the rain?
G                               D               A                Bm
Where was the pleasure before the pain?
G                                D                   A                Bm A
Where were the diamonds before the claim?
G                              D               A                Bm
Where were the verses before the refrain?
G                            D       A                Bm A G
Where was the fire before the flame?

Did you exist before you were this?
Before you dared the air
And where will you go after you’re gone
When you complete your song?
Will something go on like day follows dawn
Like the ripples in the pond move on…
When you breathe a breath from abundance you take
Yet abundance still remains

Refrain:

Where was this song before it came along
And leapt from my guitar?
Was it a hum vibrating from
Some faint and distant star?
Was it a thought here in my head
That danced out through my mouth and hands?
Was it a shout that rang its way out
From some distant time or land?

Refrain:

Copyright 2012 by Mark Shepard. All Rights Reserved.
Click Here For performance and recording licensing permission

Click Here To Purchase this song or the entire Fire Before The Flame CD

Turn It

"...Take the positivity and turn it on, turn it up, turn it into something you can use..."

Turn It

From the Musical “Soles”
1/20/2011 Song #425

You are more than the clothes you wear
You are more than the style of your hair
You are more than what people think or say about you
Only you have the power to decide what is true

Refrain:
Take the negativity…
Turn it down, Turn it off
Turn it into something you can use (X2)
Take the Positivity
And turn it on, Turn it up
Turn it into something you can choose (X2)

Someone may say things that hurt you inside
Someone may do things that wound your pride
Take the rumors, take the lies
Push them out to the horizon, shrink them down to size

Refrain:

Think of something that got you upset
Think of someone you’re not over yet
Shrink the picture down, push it far behind
Remember you have the power to run your own mind

Refrain:

Wherever you go my voice will go too
Whispering in your ear what is true…

Standard tuning
Verse: C G F
Refrain: Am C G F

© Mark Shepard 2011. All Rights Reserved.

Photo by Matt McGee – www.flickr.com

To learn more about Mark Shepard’s Bullying Prevention Programs
Visit: http://BullyingPreventionNow.com

To Learn more about NLP and how you can learn to Master Your Mind For a Change visit: www.NLPPractitionerTrainer.com

Different Notes of the Same Song

"Are we separate? Are we One? Are we different notes of the very same song?"

May 3-12, 2010 | Song # 421

I saw a light in the window of a church
And I wondered “is that God or is it just the Sun?
And you said you once saw a fire in a forest
That turned out to be the rising giant of the moon
Are we random or filled with purpose
Are we phantoms wondering what birth is?
Are we separate or are we one?
Are we different notes of the very same song?

And who can tell what is real and what’s imagined?
Who can tell what is true and what is the stuff of legend?
What is virtue, what is sin?
Did you catch the scent of lilac on the April wind?
Are we stardust or are we earth
Are diamonds of infinite worth?
Are we separate or are we one?
Are we different notes of the very same song?

Refrain:
“I believe, I believe!” she cried
As she dared her heart to open wide
“I believe, I believe” he sighed,
“That the cynics all have lied
Because I love you more with every day
I love you more in every way”

The human heart is more fragile than an iris
Or the will ‘o the wisp in a strong man’s fist
But I will take the risk of reflection
As we join together our two directions
Are we flags of hope flying on the wind?
Are we the spark of lights penetrating the evening?
Are we separate or are we one?
Are we different notes of the very same song?

Refrain:

Sweet cream in the bitterness of coffee
Swallows dancing in the air beneath the bridge
Take my hand and climb with me
To the place where we can dangle our legs over the edge
Are we apart from the air we breathe?
Are we the sum of what we believe?
Are we separate or are we one?
Are we different notes of the very same song?

Refrain:

copyright 2010 by Mark Shepard

Photo by Ivan Rumata AttributionNoncommercialNo Derivative Works Some rights reserved by Ivan Rumata

Fire Before The Flame

Where was the Fire before the Flame?....

The Fire Before The Flame

Song #444 | 2/2/2012 | Mark Shepard

When you strike a match on the side of the box
And the flame bursts into view
Did it exist a moment before
Or is it something new?
When the flame of the match catches the candle
Is it still the same flame?
Now blow out the match where did the flame go?
Is it here or did it disappear?
Is it still alive if you close your eyes
And imagine its spark against a darkened sky

Refrain:

Where was the fire before the flame?
Where was the river before the rain?
Where was the pleasure before the pain?
Where were the diamonds before the claim?
Where were the verses before the refrain?
Where was the fire before the flame?

Did you exist before you were this?
Before you dared the air
And where will you go after you’re gone
When you complete your song?
Will something go on like day follows dawn
Like the ripples in the pond move on…
When you breathe a breath from abundance you take
Yet abundance still remains

Refrain:

Where was this song before it came along
And leapt from my guitar?
Was it a hum vibrating from
Some faint and distant star?
Was it a thought here in my head
That danced out through my mouth and hands?
Was it a shout that rang its way out
From some distant time or land?

Refrain:

Copyright 2012 by Mark Shepard.

I Want To Go Home

escaping yellow balloons float into a blue sky past a church steeple...

"I want to go home... where helium balloons still escape from the hands of small children at firemens parades..."

I Want to Go Home

3/16/2010 | Song # 412

I want to go home.
Where the faces are friendly
Where I don’t feel like an enemy behind the lines
I want to go home
Where songs are still sung
By kids allowed to play outside in the sun
I want to go home
Where sunflowers bloom
And there’s plenty of room to stretch out and run

Refrain:
I want to go home
I want to go home
I want to go home
I want to go home
Yes I want to go home…

I want to go home
Where helium balloons still escape
From the hands of small children at the firemen’s parades
I want to go home
Where you can watch them fly
Up into the sky and finally out of sight

Refrain:

I want to go home.
Where the porch swing still squeaks
And fireflies blink on muggy summer nights
I want to go home
Where it’s not against the law to think
And you’re free to wonder at the speed of light

Refrain:

Bridge:
Where they don’t tell you who you’re supposed to be
Where they don’t sell you the version of you
That everyone else is supposed to see

I want to go home
Where your spirits are lifted
And everyone’s gifted with creativity
I want to go home
If we all insisted that it really existed
Maybe it would come to be?

Refrain:

Guitar – Capo 3:
D G DG A (verse)
Bm A G (refrain)
Bm A G (Bridge)

On piano
F B C verse | Dm C B refrain

Copyright 2010-2012 by Mark Shepard

photo by fat mandy from flickr.com

 

Your Hands

your hands making dinner... my hands playing guitar...

Your Hands

Song #411 | 2/21/2010

Your hands. Making dinner
My hands playing guitar
Your cat chasing rubber bands
Oh my Love, we’ve come so far…
And everything that brought us here
Now takes us where we want to go

Go with me. On a journey
Stay with me. Right here at home
Your heart is in my pocket
My heart is in your hands
And everything that brought us here
Now takes us where we want to go

Refrain:
Come with me to our awakening
Can you feel our connection strengthening?
Have you noticed the days are lengthening
With the coming of the Spring?

No words. Need be spoken
Love lights up the room
And mends what’s been broken
Winter passes. Flowers bloom
And everything that brought us here
Now takes us where we want to go

Refrain:

Ecstasy fills this moment
Steadily the candle burns
Shadows dance us into enlightening
Persevering till the dawn returns
And everything that brought us here
Now takes us where we want to go

Refrain:

Remember now all that’s joyful
Gazing deep into each other’s eyes
Letting go of the struggle…
Why is love so very wise?
And everything that brought us here
Now takes us where we want to go

Copyright 2011 By Mark Shepard

Photo by Melvin_Es