O Breath of Life

Update 12/11/21: Sheet music for this song is now available at gregscheer.com.

What do I like about Bessie Porter Head? What’s not to like? I say. First, her name is Bessie, which is cool in an old-fashioned way, and also rhymes with Nessy, the name of my favorite guitar (a red Ibanez hollow-body). Next, she was rockin’ the hair bun way back in the 1800s. Respect. Added to that, her last names almost make Portishead, a band you need to get to know if you’re not already fan. More to the point, for today’s blog post, she wrote a beautiful hymn text that talks about the Holy Spirit’s role in renew the Christian life and Church.

What do I like about punk rock? What’s not to like? I say. I was hooked from the minute I heard The Ramones, Iggy Pop, Mission of Burma and their pop punk progeny, Weezer, the Ataris, Green Day, et al. And I’d give a kidney to produce a song like The Atlantics “Lonely Hearts.” More to the point for today’s blog post, I was listening to Frank Black the other day and I wondered if punk might work for worship.

So I took it upon myself to give it a try. I present to you “O Breath of Life,” co-written by Bessie Porter Head and me.

This entry was posted in Church, Congregational Songs, Retuned hymn. Bookmark the permalink.

2 Responses to O Breath of Life

  1. Terry M. Gray says:

    Skallelujah! Nice try. It might grow on me.

  2. Pingback: O Breath of Life (by rote at COS) | The Musical Diary of Greg Scheer

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