SURRENDER

“At the moment of surrender

I’m falling to my knees

I did not notice the passers-by

And they did not notice me”
– U2

 

“Surrender” was an attempt at writing in the style of another band; a modified, low-budget

version, anyway. I’ve been a fan of the British rock band MUSE for almost ten years. Their style is

operatic in size, their songs are filled with gorgeous melodies and chord changes and they rock harder

than just about any major band on the planet. One of the original concepts for this project came to me

while watching a live Foo Fighters DVD and thinking, “This is the kind of music I like. Why can’t worship

music be like this?” So, from song to song, I can point out specific influences and styles that we were

shooting for, while still being as original and open-hearted as I could with the songwriting. I made this

record so I could listen to it and enjoy playing it live.

This song is also the first lead vocal appearance of the incomparable Dylan Brady, our guitarist

and my younger brother. As soon as I wrote this chorus, I knew his voice would be a perfect fit; that his

big, passionate, gut-punch vocals could wear the hook like a glove. After that, it was just a matter of

making the track huge enough to compliment his voice. His falsetto on the bridge is a highlight for me.

Surrender is a dirty word. Our human nature fights against it, and our strong will resists

obedience and subjugation. Surrender is synonymous with failure, weakness and the death of the

human spirit. We’re taught to “never give up” and “never quit” going after whatever we’re trying to

achieve. That’s not the surrender I’m talking about here. I mean the kind of surrender that recognizes

our need for Christ and admits we are lost without Him and the power of His sacrifice. This is the kind of

surrender that understands the world has nothing to offer us in comparison to what Christ freely gives:

forgiveness of sin, eternal life and a relationship with God. Surrender is saying, “I can’t do this life on my

own, and I’m exhausted from trying.” Maybe you’ve been avoiding God, and feelings of guilt,

unworthiness or anger are keeping you on the run. But you can’t outrun God’s love for you. That’s the

good news of the Gospel. The offer still stands, and He still wants a relationship with you. Is your fugitive

heart ready to be found?

Love,

Locke