Chp 109. More than a Thousand Words

Just like how Churches come in all shapes and sizes, gospel songs too come in all styles and genres.

Among the Rock category, nothing can beat my number one band, PETRA. My all time favorite song of theirs is definitely “More than a thousand words”, based on Romans 8:26.

I saw Your picture hanging on the wall
Just an artist rendering that was all
The way You looked down in Your agony
Jogged my memory
And helped me to see

If a picture's worth a thousand words
Then it won't help me at all
Only words are never gonna say
What I feel for You today

(Chorus)
More than a thousand words won't say
More than my life will not repay
More than a thousand things I do
Won't make it up to You

Many of my friends place “No doubt” and “Just reach out” as their favorite song of Petra. I love those songs too, but if I were asked to name just one, then that song would be “More than a thousand words”.

All their songs really touch me… but this particular song seem to take that extra mile when it comes to poignancy… it never fails to bring tears to my eyes especially during that phase when I just came out of Camp… I thought and thought… what makes this song stand out from the rest… and then it occurred to me.

I love to write. I love describing things with words, however amateur I may be. I use vocabs as a tool to express my feelings, a weapon to slice through intangible situations, a means to transport people into my magical World filled with imagination and illusion... And the part of the song that goes like, “Only words are never gonna say, what I feel for You today. More than a thousand words won’t say…” felt like the lever of a dam that opens up to let a thousand tonne of water gush out…

Some songs can touch us so deeply that we just cry, songs that are played on a specific occasion. I cried on our School graduation day when I was saying goodbye to my “brothers” of more than 5 years, because I’ve shared so much with them… The songs that made me cry then were “We’ll be together” (Grease II OST), “Driftaway” (Motley Crüe), “C U when you get there” (Coolio) and “Goodbye” (Air Supply). Vitamin C’s “Graduation” wasn’t released then, otherwise it would definitely be on that list too.

When my good friend Francis passed away, the songs that brought tears to my eyes as I thought of him were “A Place Nearby” (Lene Marin), “No one but you – Only the good die young” (Queen) and “Dust in the wind” (Kansas).

I guess am feeling similar emotions again when I play this song by Petra over and over again on my Winamp…