Count the Cost – Liner Notes

COUNT THE COST – 1983

Produced by: Brown Bannister

Executive Producers: Michael Blanton and Dan Harrell

Engineered by: Jack Joseph Puig

Arranged by: Alan Moore with “The Nashville String Machine”

Recorded at Caribou Ranch, Nederland, Colorado

Bullet Recording Studio, Nashville, TN

Sound Stage Studio, Nashville, TN

Remixed at The Bennett House, Franklin, TN

Assistant Engineer: Don Cobb

Musicians:

Paul Leim: Drums

Shane Keister: Keyboards and Synthesizers

Jan Goin: Guitars

Mike Brignardello: Bass

Michael W. Smith: Keyboards & Synthesizers

Farrell Morris: Percussion

John Rommel: Flugelhorn & Piccolo, Trumpet

Bobby Taylor: English Horn

Clyde Brooks: Snare Drum on “And You Know It’s Right”

Background Vocals

Jackie Cusic

Kim Fleming

Diana DeWitt

Donna McElroy

Gary Pigg

Special Choirs on “Gloria”

Boys Choir- Directed by Nan Gurley

Hal Andrews, Paul T. Hester, Christopher Jennings, Jud Mitchell, Adam Walker

Mixed Chorus-Arranged and Directed by Alan Moore

Joseph Blas, Lori Brook, Thomas Brannon, Doug Clements, Jim Ferguson, Phil Forrest, Sherilyn Huffman, Jon Mohr, John Moore, Judy Rodman, Donna Sheridan, Lisa Silver, Diane S. Tidwell

Special Thanks to Stan Moser, Dan Johnson and all my friends at Word, Inc. To Dan Harrell, Melinda Scruggs and the rest of the clan at Blanton/Harrell Productions for their encouragement and support. To Wes Yoder and everyone at the Dharma Artist Agency for scheduling and booking.

Special thanks to Amy Grant for giving me the idea to write a song based on Philippians 3:13-14 (“Pressing On”).

Finally to my best friends Mike Blanton and Brown Bannister…What can I say except thanks again for another incredible job. You’re both the best!

GLORIA

Words & Music by David Meece
Copyright 1985 Meece Music (admin by) WORD Music

Over the hills they heard it coming
Riding the wind like a distant storm
Louder and louder they could hear it
Sounds of a thousand voices strong

Such a celebration
Filled up the heavens
With all the angels singing as one
There was such a celebration
Filled with elation
The Lord of all the ages had come
Gloria in Excelsis Deo
Gloria in Excelsis Deo

Suddenly flashed a streak of lightning
Lighting the sky like the mid-day sun
Followed a host of angels singing
Glory to God the King has come

Such a celebration
Filled up the heavens
With all the angels singing as one
There was such a celebration
Filled with elation
Lord of all the ages had come
Gloria in Excelsis Deo
Gloria in Excelsis Deo

There was such a celebration

Filled with elation

The Lord of all the ages had come

(repeat tag)

MAKING MY LIFE BRAND NEW

Words & Music by David Meece
Copyright 1983 Meece Music (admin by) WORD Music

There were times I felt so all alone
When everything went wrong
And nobody seemed to care
There were times when I was so afraid
I wanted just to run away
Until You, You came along

Chorus: And I thank You, Lord
For making my life brand new
For making it all so right
Making it all so beautiful
I owe it all to You, Lord
For making my life brand new
For making it so right
Making the old brand new.

I was so lost, lost inside myself
I couldn’t see anything else
Except my foolish pride
But You came and tore those walls on down
Set my feet on higher ground
Now I know, I know who I am

And I thank You
For making my life brand new
For making it all so right
Making it all so beautiful
I owe it all to You
For making my life brand new
For making it all so right
Making the old brand new.

‘Cause You gave my life new meaning
Gave my life the peace within my troubled mind
To help me carry on again

It may be hard believing
For someone who can’t see it
But I know it’s true (Deep inside)
Deep inside I know that it’s true

(Repeat Chorus)

And I’m giving it all to You

(Repeat Chorus)

FALLING DOWN

Words & Music by David Meece
Copyright 1983 Meece Music (admin by) WORD Music

Lord you know I try so hard
To do the things I should
In everything I say and do
And all things that are good
But the world keeps calling me
And time and time again it seems
And before I know what’s hitting me
I’ve let You down again

And I’m falling down
You know I’m falling down
And I don’t understand
Why I keep losing ground
But every time I do
If I look up to You

Then I’ll stop falling down
Yes I’ll stop falling down
Because of You…You

People say they understand
They don’t try to put me down
Lord, You know it rips apart
The witness that I have
How I wish that I could be

The man that you want me to be
But You know that’s impossible
If I try without you

And I’m falling down
You know I’m falling down
And I don’t understand
Why I keep losing ground
But every time I do
If I look up to You

Then I’ll stop falling down
Yes I’ll stop falling down
Because of You

PRESSING ON

Words & Music by David Meece
Copyright 1983, Meece Music (admin by) WORD Music

Well, I know, sometimes you just want to quit
When this old world starts closing in
Don’t give up, don’t let it get you down
You can make it, let Him show you how

And you can be everything that you need to be
So don’t be discouraged; you can do it

Chorus: Just keep pressing on
(keep on) pressing on
(keep on) pressing on
Until you reach the mark
Keep pressing on
(keep on) pressing on
(keep on) pressing on
Until you see the Lord

Keep your eyes straight ahead
And your mind focused on the end

Then keep pressing on
(keep on) Don’t look back
Pressing on, (keep on) pressing on
You’ll get there

Well, I know sometimes you wanna look back
And start living like you did in the past
Give it up; you’ve got to put it behind
And start living for the things that lie before you
Believing every step of the way
‘Cause you’re gonna make it
You just wait and see

(Repeat chorus)

You’ll get there
Don’t look back (Don’t look back)
That’s all right (That’s all right)

(Repeat chorus)

SOME PEOPLE THEY NEVER BELIEVE (Count the Cost)

Words & Music by David Meece
Copyright 1983 Meece Music (admin by) WORD Music

Moses led the children out of Pharaoh’s hand
Across the Red Sea like God had planned
Well, you’d think that when He opened up that mighty sea
That all the people would surely believe

But you can heal the sick
Raise the dead
Turn the sky from a blue to a red
It don’t matter what they hear or what they see
Some people they never believe

Noah was the only man on earth that was good
So God said, “Build an ark of resinous wood.”
Well, a lot of people laughed and called him a fool
But Noah didn’t mind ’cause he knew for sure

That you can heal the sick
Raise the dead
Turn the sky from a blue to a red
It don’t matter what they hear or what they see
Some people they never believe

Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego
Were told that in the fireplace they must go
Well, you’d think that when the people saw
they just wouldn’t burn
That all the doubters would finally learn

(Repeat chorus)

Jesus came to earth to save all men
To take upon Himself a world of sin
But the people didn’t care what He said or He did
They only knew that they wanted Him dead

Though He healed the sick
Yes, He raised the dead
Though He could turn the sky from a blue to red
It didn’t matter what they’d heard or what they’d seen
Some people refused to believe

A lot of people now are dying in sin
Waiting for a miracle to prove to them
But though miracles keep happening again and again
They still don’t believe and they never will

‘Cause you can heal the sick
Raise the dead
Turn the sky from a blue to red
It don’t matter what they hear or what they see
Some people they never believe.

COUNT THE COST

Words & Music by Randy Scruggs & John Thompson

Chorus: You gotta count the cost
If you’re gonna be a Believer
You gotta know that the price
Is the one you can afford

You gotta count the cost
If you’re gonna be a Believer
You gotta go all the way
If you really love the Lord

He never said it’d be so easy
He never promised a free ride
There’s a costly fee if you wanna be
On His side

Oh the Father knows the cost
His only Son was the price
And when He says to “follow Me”
He’s asking of a man his life

(Repeat chorus)

The modern day disciple
Still has a price to pay
There’s a war within and a war with sin
And He fights it every day

So be sure and understand
The voice you hear behind the call
You can’t come with half a heart
Because He’s asking for it all

(Repeat chorus)

I DON’T KNOW WHAT I’D DO WITHOUT YOU

People say I’m the lucky one
Some folks think I’ve got it made
You know more than they could know
Of all that I’ve been through
And that I’ve only come this far
Because of You

Chorus: And I don’t know what I’d do without You
Lord, I don’t know what I’d do without You
And I don’t know where I’d be
If You hadn’t rescued me
Don’t know what I’d do without You

So many times I know I’ve let You down
So many times I’ve walked away
Still You reached out with a gentle hand
When no one else was there
And You gave me strength to help me carry on

(Repeat chorus)

They could take away my houses and lands
And everything that I hold dear
They could take away most anything
And I don’t think it’d matter much
No I don’t think it’d matter but
I don’t think I could make it without You
I don’t think I could make it without You

Because I don’t know what I’d do without You
And Lord I don’t know what I’d do without You
And I don’t know where I’d be
If You hadn’t rescued me
And I don’t know what I’d do
I don’t know where I’d be
I don’t know what I’d do without You
Without You… Without You…

Don’t know what I’d do without You
No, I don’t know what I’d do without You
Don’t know what I’d do without You
If You hadn’t rescued me
No, I don’t know what I’d do without You

(Repeat chorus

TODAY IS THE DAY

Put your sadness away
Wipe the tears from your face
It’s a day for rejoicing
It’s time to celebrate life
Time to sing with delight
And turn your mourning to dancing
Everybody come on lift your hands up and praise Him
Everybody come on lift your voice up and praise His name.

Chorus: (For) Today is the day
Yes, today is the day
He is risen
Today is the day
Yes, today is the day
He is living
Go and tell everybody you see
That He is living indeed
Today is the day
Yes, today is the day
Is the day

So every creature on earth
Let the message be heard
Join the great jubilation
Lift it high in the air
Shout His praise everywhere
Sing it to every nation
Everybody come on, clap your hands now and praise Him
Everybody come on shout together and raise His name up

Today is the day
Yes, today is the day
He is risen
Today is the day
Yes, today is the day
He is living
Gonna tell everybody I see
That He is living in me, yes
Today is the day
Today is the day
Is the…

They found the stone was rolled away
They found the tomb an empty grave
So raise the triumph of the ages

Today is the day
Yes, today is the day
He is risen
Today is the day
Yes, today is the day
He is living

(Repeat)

AND YOU KNOW IT’S RIGHT

Words & Music by David Meece, Brown Bannister, Michael W. Smith

When something in the deepest part of you
Is telling you the things you need to do
Something in the very heart of you
Is showing you the things you know are true

Chorus: You can hear it now
Growing stronger now
Feel it reaching out
To grip the heart in you (whoa)

And you know it’s right
And you know that you need Him tonight
And you know you’ve been running away too long
And you know it’s right
And you know that you owe Him your life
‘Cause you know that He’s given His life for you

Somewhere deep inside when you know it’s right
There’s just no other place for you to run
And when something deep inside your very soul and mind
Is begging you to do what must be done

(Repeat chorus)
(Repeat chorus)

And you know you gotta give it up
You gotta give it all
And everything you are
‘Cause everything you want
You know you’ll find it all in Him, in Him

(Repeat chorus)
(And you know cont.)

REPLACE IT WITH YOUR LOVE (Count the Cost)

Where there’s hate give me love
Where there’s pride make me be humble
Where there’s pain don’t let me feel resentment deep inside
I want You to make it right

So replace it with Your love in my heart
Replace it with Your love in my heart
Just take out all the hatred and cleanse every part
And replace it with Your love in my heart

When I’m tired lift me up
When I’m weak, Lord, don’t let me falter
But if I fall, don’t let me harbor bitterness inside
I want You to take it out

(Repeat chorus)

Lord, I’m just a man who wants to be like You
Living in Your perfect love in everything I do
So now I’m yielding I’m yielding all to You
To take out every wrong I feel inside

(Repeat chorus)