Wide Awake

This is our first song of 2010! The inspiration for this came while reading a pastor's blog last Thursday (January 15). As I was reading I came across this line: "This morning I woke up and once again needed to be comforted by the fact that God is always wide awake and working all things out for our good and his glory."

I loved that phrase, "God is always wide awake." I already had the idea of awaken on my heart and mind as a lyrical idea. Over Christmas we shot a video of five different people sharing testimonies about a recent season in their life. One man shared how his prayer had become, "Lord awaken my heart again." I loved the honesty and simplicity of that prayer.

So, after reading the blog I picked up my guitar and started playing around with some melodic and lyrical ideas. The song started out with the lyrical idea of describing how God is always wide awake (like the quote stated), "You're always wide awake..." That idea didn't seem to work so I changed the lyric to, "I want to be wide awake." That seemed to have more traction. I quickly hummed what I had into a dictaphone that I keep with me virtually all the time just in case I get a song idea and need to record it quickly.

The next morning I returned to this song idea and began to craft the lyrics to the chorus, then the verse, and then the pre-chorus section. It was Allison's idea to make the second verse and pre-chorus a more positive spin on the first verse and pre-chorus. We played it this past Sunday during communion at our church.

Wide Awake
Words by Paxson and Allison Jeancake, 2010
Music by Paxson Jeancake, 2010

When I rise each day I can drift away,
And slowly lose my joy in you.
I forget your grace and begin to place
All my hope in what I see.

Lost in lesser dreams, lost in lesser things,
Bring my heart alive.

I want to be wide awake, I want to hear you call;
I want to know you more, be my all in all.
Speak into my heart, speak into my life,
I want to live everyday fully alive, I want to be wide awake.
I want to be wide awake, Lord, to you.

When I rise each day help me know your way,
And find my greatest joy in you.
'Cause your amazing grace is the only place
Hope is in more than what I see.

Finding greater dreams, finding greater things
Brings my heart alive.