Your Name – New Song

Wanted to write a simple song for the people to sing at church for a long time. I have some like Mover of Mountains and I Need You Lord, but I usually end up with way too many words and harmonies for the “common folk.” ;). This one turned out well I think! Let me know if you agree…

Download MP3 Here.

Your Name – Ben Ward

When I hear your name
I know everything’s going to be alright
When I hear your name
I know I’ll make it out alive
When I hear your name
Whispered, shouted, crying full of pain
When I hear your name
Everything’s changed

When I say your name
I feel my heavy heart get light
When I say your name
I see wrongs made right
When I say your name
If I whisper, If I shout it, If I sing it it’s the same
When I say your name
Everything’s changed

If all is right
Or much at stake
All I need to hear is your name
All I need to say is your name
Jesus

If all is right
Or much at stake
All I need to hear is your name
All I need to say is your name
Jesus

When I say your name
I see wrongs made right
When I hear your name
I know everything’s going to be alright
When I say your name
If I whisper, If I shout it, If I sing it it’s the same
When I hear your name – Jesus
When I say your name – Jesus
Everything’s changed

Original Song Mashup with Coldplay Yellow

I so love Coldplay…so I weaved in a little “Yellow” with a song I wrote with Stephanie White, “More.” The parts I used actually worked well, I think. How about you?

(I recorded this a couple of weeks ago. Hence, the Christmas Tree:)

More with Yellow
Written by Ben Ward, Stephanie White, and Coldplay

Look at the stars
See how they shine for you
And all the things you do

I came along
I wrote a song for you
And everything you do

More than enough for me
More than my eyes could see
More than my everything
Overflow, so much more
Here in my brokeness
Fill up my emptiness
Be more than my heart could hold
Overflow, so much more
More than enough for me

Your skin, oh yeah your skin and bones
Turn in to something beautiful
Do you know, you know I love you so
You know I love you so

What it Takes to Broadcast Live

This is the gold standard, obviously. The NFL on broadcast TV is the best of the best. But after designing and installing two new web broadcast systems this year, this makes me happy. What we did was so far from this, but so much of the “live” aspect is the same.

Best line: “Ultimately when it comes down to it everything that we’re trying to do is all about telling a story and giving the producers and directors the tools that they need to tell that story. We want to give the viewer the best experience graphically, visually, orally, audio, everything is all for the viewer.”

Now if I could just get my volunteer team members to think like this….

Come Home for Christmas

Download MP3.

Ho, Ho, Ho!!! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. I rerecorded a Christmas Song I wrote a few Christmases back called “Come Home.” I had the first line “For a Few Moments at a Time…” for several years. I actually worked on that song during my lunch breaks at this day job I had in Cambridge, MA (iXL if you wondered). Olivia and I had moved up to Boston to go to grad school in 1999 and needed to make some $$$ in the meantime. I really didn’t know how to write songs yet (My first Berklee songwriting course was a few months away) but I was determined. So I’d bring my guitar to the office and go down by the Charles River and write. The song never went very far, but when I was looking to write a tune for a Christmas Production in 2007 that line’s lyric and melody seemed to fit.

Christmas is about home. It’s about family, friends, reflecting, and all that stuff. But it’s also about how our Father sent His Son to rescue us. That’s the ultimate family restoration. For a few moments at a time, come home.

On a fun side note another version of this song with Olivia and me singing it at church is  my most popular video on YouTube. When O was on the show that was the one that pulled up when people searched for her. I’ve included it below…we are MUCH bigger…ha.

Come Home – Written by Ben Ward

For a few moments at a time
I see so clearly
For a few moments at a time
All the world is right
Christmas trees and Angels
Bows and ribbons tangled
For a few moments I’ve come home tonight

For a few moments at a time
No one is angry
For a few moments at a time
No one says goodbye
All my friends and family
Gathered round the fire
For a few moments I’ve come home tonight

I’ve come home
I belong
Sing those old familiar songs
About peace on earth
And Jesus’ birth
And healing all the hurts

In this moment here tonight
I stand forgiven
In this moment here tonight
Love has brought me light
I’m so tired, I’m not running
I’ve found rest on Christmas Day
In this moment I’ve come home to stay
In this moment I’ve come home on Christmas Day

Overjoyed About this New Song

Fun to stretch a bit on this tune…I need a little combo! Freedom…joy…overjoyed :).

Overjoyed

Overwhelmed and overtaken
Overruled not shaken
Feel that change running through my veins
I’m not afraid
I’m not ashamed

CHORUS
Overjoyed
In this hour, strongest tower
Fear devoured, so much power
Releasing me free
My prison destroyed
Overjoyed

Fill me up until I overflow
Pouring out on everyone I know
Empty spaces don’t stay that way
Not for long
So I’ll sing this song

CHORUS