Son of Mary - New Single!
- Peter Assad
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
Unlike Arise, "Son of Mary" came together in a matter of weeks—just in time for Advent! You can stream it now on Apple, Amazon, YouTube, Tidal, and Spotify!
Below are lyrics/chords below for any who want to sing along or introduce it to your church, but first, here's the story:
Grace and I are part of an international songwriting community known as the 12 Song Challenge (12SC), which is based out of Resound Worship in the UK. When we visited the UK/Ireland in June, part of the trip included their Wydale songwriting conference, where we even got to join in on some live recording for their Community Songs EP. (which you can read about here... see if you can spot Grace and me! Oh, and Resound leader Joel Payne just released a 70s style song called "Looking For The Lord" for Advent this week too, and asked me to sing on it. Whew! Okay, back to the task at hand!)
November's 12SC prompt was to write a song for December (that is, a song related to Advent or Christmas), since many in the group are worship leaders, and would already be spending a bulk of November planning services for December.
Out of this prompt, Grace began at the piano with a killer chord progression and some lyrics. I was in the basement watching something with the boys when she ran down, calling my name, "Peter, you have got to hear this!"
The song took shape, we shot it over to Jered McKenna (who helped bring "Arise" to life), and our friend Rachel Wilhelm (who just released an EPIC album on the book of Hosea) joined me in layering tons of background vocals to support Grace's incredible lead vocal performance.
The song is pointed, and the rock style helps convey it... calling out the ways and places we at times miss what God has been up to, aligning with earthly kings. (In some ways, it picks up where we left off in the song Better King from our first project, The Story)
It is equal parts anthem and confession. It is deeply prophetic, pointing the way to the heart of God that is perhaps best seen in this lyric:
To our cries of "Fight, fight, fight"
He replies: "Here's my life."
May this song give you language to name what you've known is off, and turn your face again toward the beauty of heaven's Darling all covered in dust who has chosen to join us in this mess we find ourselves in.
Son of Mary (CCLI 7273678)
Grace Assad, Peter Assad
Verse 1
All our power and gold are lifeless idols
As we beat our plows to swords
To claim what was never ever ours
Chorus 1
They wanted kings, they wanted blood
Not the darling of heaven covered in dust
He came in water, He came in blood
Son of Mary in this mess with us
Verse 2
Every banner must fall till heartbeats are one
Cause You came to lose our war
The war we first started with You Lord
Chorus 2
They wanted kings, they wanted blood
Not the darling of heaven covered in dust
He came in water, He came in blood
Son of Mary in this mess with us
Bridge
To our cries of fight, fight, fight
He replies, "Here’s My life"
"Here’s My life"
Chorus 3
They wanted kings, they wanted blood
Not the darling of heaven covered in dust
He came in water, He came in blood
Son of Mary in this mess
Chorus 4
We wanted kings, we wanted blood
Not the darling of heaven covered in dust
He came in water, He came in blood
Son of Mary in this mess with us
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