Young hearts run free

 Listening to the radio a while back I heard an interview with Candi Staton - not someone with whom I was particularly familiar.  She's an american singer and one of the songs for which she is most well known is ' Young hearts run free' . The song was written by David Crawford who apparently fasted for 40 days before writing it, saying that he was going to write Candi a song which would ' last forever.'  I was fascinated by this story.  Presumably Crawford was a man of faith ( Candi Staton is certainly a Christian) but he was employed as a record producer not a songwriter.  What level of faith and dedication causes someone to fast for 40 days and determine to write a best selling hit song?  The song has gone on to be a massive hit which does indeed look as if it will last forever.  But its a song about escaping an abusive relationship so its not exactly your standard pop material.  Candi listened to it a couple of times then sang it, and the very first take was the one that was used on the record.  That is unheard of in recording circles.

As the interview with Staton went on she talked about another of her huge hits ' You've Got the Love'.  It has been re-released four times and has been a huge success each time. Ive heard it so many times but had never really appreciated that it is a God song until I heard the radio interview.

Sometimes I feel like throwing my hands up in the air
I know I can count on you
Sometimes I feel like saying "Lord I just don't care"
But you've got the love I need to see me through
Sometimes it seems that the going is just too rough
And things go wrong no matter what I do
Now and then it seems that life is just too much
But you've got the love I need to see me through
When food is gone you are my daily meal
When friends are gone I know my saviour's love is real
You know it's real
'Cause you've got the love
You've got the love
You've got the love
You've got the love
You've got the love
You've got the love
Time after time I think "Oh, Lord, what's the use?"
Time after time I think it's just no good
'Cause sooner or later in life, the things you love you lose
But you've got the love I need to see me through
As a creative, worshippy type I love discovering moments when God has sneaked His message under the radar and unleashed His word over the airways through pop songs.  Im reminded of the song 'Shackles' which was so popular for so long a while back.  We need more Christian artists writing God-inspired music for our disillusioned world.   A friend is someone who knows your song and sings it back to you when you have forgotten the words.  Our world has lost its song.  Lets sing it loudly until it remembers again that He's got the love.

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