Think Sinead O'Connor and Enya meets Leonard Cohen. Beautiful is a song of about perceiving the world in colour for the first time, after being in monochrome for most of your life, and then seeing the artist behind the masterpiece.

Beautiful

If a young Hawkwind met Pink Floyd on top of a Biblical mountain for a duel at dawn it might come out something like this. Howling winds, Portentous biblical lyrics, chorus-laden guitar battling with grungy choruses and solos, coming out at nearly 6 minutes, 'Y'hoshua' sits comfortably in the prog rock genre while ranting at anyone who dares to come too near. Ultimately though, it is a song about overcoming those fears that have been dogging your every step and choosing to believe in the impossible. A song for everyone that's ever lived then.

Y'hoshua

'Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning' writes David in Psalm 30:5. 
Taken from Isaiah 12, this song is for anyone who has endured through the night of tribulation to see the light of the dawn. 
It was written in November 1998, at a time when I was still struggling with alcohol addiction, and finally recorded nearly 20 years later in November 2017. That is a miracle in itself and I hope, an encouragement to anyone out there who may be struggling. Back then, someone quoted Joel 2:25 to me: 'I will repay the years the locusts have eaten', the locusts being a metaphor for the things that steal what should be ours - in my case alcohol addiction stealing the best years of my life and rendering my gifts impotent. Yet here I am, recording songs, painting and releasing poetry. Praise be to God!

Sing to the Lord for he has done 
Glorious things, glorious things 
Let this be known to all the world 
Shout aloud and sing for joy 
People of Zion, Zion 
For great is the holy one of Israel 
Among you 

In that day you will say 
I will praise you Yahweh 
Although you were angry with me 
Your anger has turned away 
And you now comfort me, comfort me 
For great is the holy one of Israel 
Among you 

Surely God is my salvation 
I will trust; don't be afraid 
Yahweh, Yahweh, my strength and song 
Has become my salvation 
People of Zion, Zion 
For great is the holy one of Israel 
Among you 

In that day you will say 
Thank Yahweh; call on his name 
Make all these things known among 
The nations what he has done 
Proclaim his holy name 
Exalt his name 
For great is the holy one of Israel 
Among you

Credits:
released November 16, 2017
Recorded, engineered and produced at Music4All Studios 
Thanks to PicFont for the free artwork software

SingToTheLord

After years of struggling with depression, self-hatred, mental illness and addiction, the sun broke through into Anthony Hodgson's world and life has never been the same since. Years of scribbled songs, poetry and artwork conceived in pain were set free from dusty cupboards and drawers and transformed into treasures. Sometimes Cohen, or Crimson, with the Beatles, Lou Reed and his Northern folk roots thrown into the mix, it is a music conceived out of pain and abuse yet shines, redeemed. It is a music that sears yet soars, acknowledging its past whilst rejoicing in the present and hoping in the future.

AnthonyHodgson

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