William Chong

Had a great day today. Just rediscovering the peacefulness of the guitar, and a great hymn to go with it.

Lyrics:

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
- Horatio Spafford, 1873

This is a more overtly Christian contemporary song – clean chords, a standard verse-chorus x2, bridge chorus x2 structure and distilled lyrics in a humble attempt to be clear-cut.

The song is a metaphorical sketch of my own (and others, no doubt) experiences and challenges in presenting the gospel to a generation that’s largely apathetic or hostile to the thought of being accountable to someone other than themselves. The start of verse two references Philip Pullman, though I’ve used it as a reminder to myself re: accountability.

I have to say that using something like Garageband made it much easier for a soundtech-illiterate guy like me to put songs together. I’m now onto using Logic, which is an entirely different beast altogether.

As always, all songs are available for downloading, thanks to metatoaster‘s generous hosting. Comments/feedback/critiques are always welcome: either by using the comments box, or by flicking me an email).

Have a good day everyone!

 

 Save Our Souls [3:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Downloads 1

Save Our Souls – WILLIAM CHONG
I can see the fiction in their eyes
As they talk towards their prison
They don’t know that He has risen
Yea they ask me why I’m saved inside
Why do I claim that I’m born again?
Well undying love’s the reason

What would you know about heaven’s gold?
He’s on his way today or tomorrow
What would you do if you knew the truth
the proof is right there waiting in the living Word
He’s the one who saved our souls

A subtle knife to bleed your purpose dry
Can you trust your worldly arrow
When it all comes down tomorrow
I’d rather have my trust in Jesus Christ
With the anchor that was Calvary
What a joy He rescued me!

Made us whole
He took us home when he saved our souls

I’ve been questioned on authenticity
and endured the worldly shame
Accusations, inconsistencies
Yet the logic’s still the same

In 2007, one of my goals for the year was to attain my much-delayed ATCL recital diploma for the violin. I made a conscious choice to reduce my final-year university workload in order to practice (lots). This culminated in a November public concert performance prior to a 30-minute assessed recital.

Here are two of the pieces – I’m sure you can spot the many nervous mistakes peppered throughout the performance!

———————-

Cesar Franck – Allegretto poco mosso from Sonata in A

————————

Fritz Kreisler – Praeludium and Allegro

————————

“A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy?” – Albert Einstein

At the start of the year, Dennis and Sonny invited me over to work on this song. I had penned it originally as a slow ballad with intros, but then upped the tempo and enthusiasm to turn it into a more Foo-fighters, inspirational rock anthem feel.

 

 A Life Less Ordinary [3:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

A Life Less Ordinary – WILLIAM CHONG
Is your life plain
Plain in the sense that you shuffle to work
slumped in the throne of mundaneness
The ebb and flow of this generation means nothing to you
Apathy rules

Is your life stale
Stale in the sense that your smile’s not the same
The radio singing a little strained
Westlife crooning in vain means nothing to you

Could you picture a life less ordinary
Is your preference a life less ordinary

Then brighten it up, lighten it up
It’s less plain with me
Make that unexpected step in my direction
So brighten it up, take a look
at your changing scenes surprising
More than ever, you’ll soon find
that it’s less plain with me

Is life a mess
A mess in the sense that your reason to live
Is obscured by the pain of your endeavours
The rolling tide before you seems to beckon you in
Where to begin…

With me you know there’s no such thing as a regular day
Every day is just one fine day with me
A guy like me you see won’t be indifferent to you
Tell me the truth: would you play with me?

This is a pared-down, guitar and voice number describing how beautiful the Lord’s sacrifice is.

 

 How Beautiful [3:06m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

How Beautiful – WILLIAM CHONG

How beautiful the rose, stranded in the earth
with thorns that pin it down
How beautiful the rose, buried yesterday:
it’s gonna rise again tomorrow

Now I know the reason He suffered for
And I know it’s not just a metaphor
What a way to bless us forevermore
Oh Lord I’ll worship you

For I’d have no protection
And no chance for correction
If not for His resurrection,
the most glorious thing there ever was
So this is my reaction
To praise Him for his actions
His undying love for me is still
the most glorious thing there ever was

How beautiful the Lamb seated on His throne
He was a sinless provider
How wonderful his plan, to sanctify our souls
And all we had to do was ask
Yes I know that I’m not worth dying for
Still I know His words now mean so much more
So I’ll sing to Him in praise once more
Oh Lord I’m in love with you

Yep. Another one, spent all of today doing this.

This one started as a lazy Saturday morning where two Chinese boys sat on the boot of their car with 2 guitars and tried to compromise their riffs and ideas.

Dennis: I think you must have lost interest, but it was written in my notebook so I had to finish it. I admire your concise under-3-minute approach and gave it a go. The lyrics I’ve also tried to be more flexible, i.e. less set-in-stone lyric sheet, more organic sand-castle approach.

Like all my songs, they’re loosely drawn from ideas and events in the lives around me. Mainly this one’s for everyone, including myself, who have loved and lost something (or someone) close to them at some stage in their life. It’s OK to be sad at times. Another Sunrise.

 

 Another Sunrise [2:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Another Sunrise – WILLIAM CHONG

Lyrics:
Daylight savings cravings for the
Happy summer times together
Go as far as to bribe the weatherman

Here’s a question: have you ever
Had a fight you regret to this day
Wake up: you’ve just missed another sunrise

Roll down your window take note that the sky is
a playground for clouds to play
Your open-top 4-door drives along the parade
But your sorrow is leading the way
A sunrise takin’ your breath away

Daylight savings: feels like winter
Need the strength to walk on water
Go as far as to pray for the courage to smile again…
Could your sorrow be leading the way
Will it ever melt away

Wish that I had loved her better
Turning back regret for compassion
Couldn’t change the way the sky seems to
colour my face
and the way
that I feel
now she’s gone

Dress yourself in sad nostalgia
Scatter ashes ‘cross the water
Wake up: you won’t see another sunrise

———————

The three indicators of typical Christian Contemporary Music (CCM):

1. happy joy instrumentation. Lots of uplifting singers, they’re all so happy!
2. suspended chords (sus4, 9th chords, etc). Very good at heightening the excitement of listeners, especially in a packed CLC hall.
3. repeated refrains. Almost like writing lines afterschool-sort of repetition, except you *want* to repeat lines such as “MY REDEEMER LIVES” and “You are Holy” ad nauseam.

So yes! Here’s one I prepared earlier. I enjoyed lilting and singing. If I were a Pentecostal I’d include some blabbering tongues, hehe. Cheryl also provided backup vocals!

 

 Thats Our Jesus [3:58m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

(n.b.: All ye facebook users, click on into the actual site to access the podPress file.)

I like holidays/study breaks.

————————–

That’s Our Jesus – WILLIAM CHONG

He came to save the world
He came to take us by the hand
He came to help us understand
He came to tell us all He was the Son of Man

He told us right from wrong
He told us about His land above
He told us who and how to love
He told us to spread the Word of God all around the world

When you love somebody
till your hands start to bleed, that’s our Jesus
When you take the fall
and then rise up again, that’s our Jesus
Didn’t matter that we despised Him
Didn’t matter that we rejected His love
He did it anyways

You’ll have enemies to face
Be persecuted for your faith
But you don’t have to be worried
Just remember that in our Saviour
We are all reborn again!

This one’s a birthday present too! A bit of a Matchbox 20 throwback, you know, when they were pumping out awesome tracks and before Rob Thomas opted for his rent-a-band.

It’s an uncommon first name but one that tends itself very well to a chorus – melodically pleasing to sing! The 2nd of a series of reducing optimism (see Head over Heels for the Backstreet Boy end of happiness).

 

 Under the Awning [4:14m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Under the Awning – WILLIAM CHONG
Lyrics

It’s three in the morning
She’s crouched in the corner again
The world passes on and
no one is making amends
Her daily endeavours, they seem lifeless at best
And all that she longs for is gone
Under the awning who needs to pretend?

Her mind is a mooring of tears, sorrow and pain
Her makeup is blurred, cuts etched in her hand
And in this way she can hide from the rain
But looking outside she sees a rainbow

Chase all the grey skies away
Rainbow, colour this dark world I’ve found
Give us a smile
Your frown is upside down
Bring out those blue skies again

It’s ten in the morning
The crowd is dressed in black
She sees bearers walk on with such
weight on their shoulders
He gave his warning the counsellors tried
His father a grown man he cries

The note that the boy left
yea it’s a tough one to read
And it could’ve been her
but then she pleaded for a rainbow

And they’re moving on
Cos we’re moving on

 

 Breeze [2:59m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

This was the other song we managed to do during the holidays!

Ideas for this song came from a long summers’ afternoon, initially out on the grass fields of suburban Bucklands Beach. Using the trigger word “breeze”, and Cheryl’s phrase “a goblet of blue” to refer to the immensely azure sky we sat above.

I’m quite happy with the continuous strumming pattern that plays much like grass continuously billowing across a hill, for instance. It’s a short song, just guitar and vocals. If I get some time I’ll change it round a bit, maybe bulk up with drums, bass etc.

Jared amidst all his postgraduate hectic workload, kindly offered me a morning of recording time in one of the professionally set-up studios in the KMC building. I gave him a fair amount of liberty to process our raw recording, and he duly obliged: have a listen!

“Breeze” – WILLIAM CHONG
Lyrics

The sky is a goblet of blue
Above the rippling emerald slopes
I’m sitting here on my own
Waiting for the breeze

The trees on the hillside sway
Branches waving at me in the corner
I’m sitting here on my own
Waiting for the breeze (2x)

Breeze, carry my hopes in your hands
You’re gently caressing the faces
of those you meet,
Breeze, I’m sitting here waiting
Change your direction to me

The leaves on the treetops dance
And peel off their yellow bells
I’m sitting here on my own,
Hoping that one day the bells will peal for me
Hoping that I’ll see the breeze passing through

Take a look, see the trees raise their hands to you
Take a look: hear the hills play the sound of your music
It’s parting the veil on my heart

—————

More music here.

—————

Holidays! This is what I’ve been waiting to finish for awhile. Tell me how it sounds! This one’s called “Head Over Heels”, you can probably tell it’s one of my most overtly soppy songs, written in an optimistic era. Don’t lose that!

 

 Head Over Heels [4:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Head over Heels – WILLIAM CHONG
Lyrics:

I sit on the edge of my seat
Wrapped round the winding streets
I’ll take in the sights
And just like the silver screen
You say how cliched this could be
Well maybe this is just one hell of a dream
I know it’s a long road, but I also know we can make it if we try

I stepped onto the roof, it was a starry starry night
How did you paint the sky so bright? (Can’t you see it?)
While I was thinking what should I say
A shooting star sailed right by me
I wondered what I could wish on a comet in full flight
It could be a rough ride, but then I think we can make it

I think I found the silver lining hiding from me
I could be imagining cos I’m starting to see
There’s a feeling inside of me that’s close to insanity
Either way, I may be head over heels for you

We soared hand-in-hand on the winds
The night sky I remember the sight of the stars
And the moon was quite night that night
You said it was beautiful
And I think I believe you cos the moon in that case
is exactly the same as you
I know I could stumble, but you could make it right all right all right

Thanks to Dennis and Henry for feedback re: song, and you can hear the elusive voice of Ethan Waters as he says many profound things in the course of the song! (oohs and waahs)

Please give some feedback, will do more soon, have a great day!