JPF Home Page Forums Lyric and MP3 Feedback Lyric Feedback Forum 3 Miracles Still Happen

For those of you who were able to participate in Pineyfest this past summer, you will remember the lovely owner of Lyrix, Tanya Dryman who treated us all like royalty! I've been so incredibly busy lately I hadn't been able to get up there for my Wednesday evening "songwriters fix" in several weeks. Last night I just said to heck with it and drove up. Tanya immediately came over to my table and gave me a huge hug...and told me what had happened to her. This lyric is the result...though I did take a bit of lyrical license with it. Still fresh ink...so any and all comments and suggestions are gratefully accepted.

Hugs,
Bobbie

Miracles Still Happen
© 2007 Lyrics by Bobbie Gallup ASCAP

Felt like it'd been a month of Sundays
Since I'd seen Tanya's face
She grabbed me and she hugged me
When I walked in her place… and she said
These long hours at the restaurant
Never quite enough sleep
Dropped a wheel off the pavement
One night the middle of last week

CHORUS:
But Miracles still happen
Around us everyday
Miracles still happen
Every time we pray

Tried to get back on the highway
Got t-boned by a semi's wheels
Felt like I was in slow motion
Thought.. so this is how death feels
But somehow as I was spinning
I saw you on your knees
And I heard you asking Jesus
To please watch over me

Now I know
CHORUS:
Miracles still happen
Around us everyday
Miracles still happen
Every time we pray

I said, "You know I do remember
One night in the middle of my prayers
Suddenly you were on my heart
Just like you were sitting there
I had no idea what you needed
Only that the need was strong
So I left the matter in His hands
To take care of what was wrong"

CHORUS: Repeat

She said that semi drove a mile
'Fore he could get that rig to stop
When he saw me get out of the car
He fell on the ground and sobbed

CHORUS: Repeat

BRIDGE:
Guess I'm still here for a reason
Though what it is I don't yet know
But in His time I'll know the answer
Just wasn’t quite my time to go

CHORUS: Repeat

Wow, that had to be quite an experience! Had me glued all the way through, Bobbie! Only thing that I had to wonder about was in the bridge: "guess He left me for a reason" ... I was wondering why she thought He left her, but then I realized you meant that He let her live ... left her here on earth. For clarification, I might say "Guess He let me live for a reason" or "Guess He left me HERE for a reason". Otherwise, really good writing!

Hugs,

ML

Howdy Mary Lou...

Thank you so much for the read and thoughts on this. I had that line several different ways and wasn't sure if it was clear who I was talking about. My original line was GUESS I'M STILL HERE FOR A REASON. Might go back to that. It feels like it messes the meter up a bit to put that HERE in the middle...but I am still gonna ponder that spot a bit more. Appreciate you reinforcing my thought that I may need to massage it a bit more.

Glad this kept you reading!!

Hugs,
Bobbie

Bobbie, this was a great read,Red Sovines phantom has been a favorite of mine since I first heard it about 30 years ago.
Your song employs the sparing from the potential victims perspective and this works really well here, I appreciate you sharing this great lyric with us, Take Care Ken

Hi bobbie

YOur chorus regarding miracle still happens everytime you pray.
Im thinking how about if you dont pray can miracle still a possibility? You meet

miracle still happen
even when you dont pray

Sometimes I do pray to wish something that things will happen.
If that happens its not a miracle its god will or god grants my wish.

Im just a devil advocate here. Giving some idea like viewing the other side of the coin.


lynman

Hi Ken,

I always loved that song too. Not sure this is all that closely connected to it other than the semi part...but I am pleased that you liked what you read here. I was just thrilled that Tanya got out of that with barely a scratch. That alone is a miracle. Even the truck driver knew that.

Appreciate your read and kind thoughts on this.

Hugs,
Bobbie

Howdy Lynman,

Of course, there is no doubt that miracles happen daily that we are totally oblivious to although we will never know who might have been praying at that very time. I don't mind your question one bit, however, because on a daily basis, there are millions of things happening that seemingly are miraculous. I don't believe that God has to hear a prayer in order to make things happen...but He has given His believers the promise that when we DO pray...He hears and answers our prayers. Sometimes even a prayer can be offered up on faith, as in this case where the person praying knew she needed to pray for her friend but did not know the nature of her friend's emergency. But she prayed anyway...and her friend emerged from the nearly obliterated car with little more than a scratch. That fact is the miracle here. Could it have happened without the prayer? Of course...at least IMO, God can do whatever He chooses to do at any given time...but when a believer offers up an intercessory prayer on behalf of someone else...He does answer.

As for these situations merely being His will and not being a miracle...that is a conclusion that each person has to arrive at according to their own value system. When the facts of a situation would lead us to predict one set of outcomes...(no one could have gotten out of that car alive) and yet the driver emerges without a scratch...that, to me is miraculous. If someone else chooses to see that in a different light...that is their choice. It works for me...and I don't wish to impose my belief system on anyone else. I choose to believe in miracles...because I see them around me every day.

Hugs,
Bobbie

Howdy Ms. Bobbie!

Man, I miss Pineyfest! I think ya'll will be Pineyfesting when I'm in Maui this year... Too bad... well, not too bad (it is Maui after all...)

Just liked it. Thought I'd better say so!

Unca Chuck

Hmmmmm Unca Chuck...lemme see...Pineyfest vs Maui...is there a choice there? Honestly??? It HAS to be Pineyfest!! You can go to Maui anytime bud! LOL

So glad you enjoyed this...but please...you don't HAVE to tell me you like anything I write. I'd much rather you be honest. LOL

Big hugs,
Bobbie

PS..I DO hope you can make it back for a fest sometime in the near future!! We miss you TOO!!

Bobbie, I've gotta ask...do you see this as something that could be cut? I ask this because elements of it(the 2nd vs) are real close to Jesus Take the Wheel. as well as because some of the lines don't make any sense.

in the first vs "dropped a wheel off the pavement" comes out of nowhere with no previous mention of her driving. plus it's an awkwardly worded phrase. veered off the road...maybe. and you don't get t-boned by wheels...you get the front end unless it rolls right over you and that's not being t-boned.

it might be good to review Jesus Take the Wheel because so much is covered there but with this it takes two and half vss and a bridge to say "I was saved and don't know why".

Bobbie,

I don't have much time right now...but this really hits home for me. I had a very similar accident myself when I was 18. I'll try to get a few minutes later & look it over. Amazing how God works...huh?

Catch ya later!
Bree

Bobbie,
This is very well written and you paint the picture well. I think you made the right choice with changing the "here" line.

Melissa

I usually have difficulty just reading lyrics and figuring out how it works as a song, but it your case I had no problems at all. Nice piece of writing.

Kevin

Bobbie...

So glad Tanya is okay. I really enjoyed the few times I had the occassion to speak with her. It is so unbelievable that a person can go through such and ordeal and come out with little more than a case of being scared to death. I know she won't remember me, but next time you her, you tell her I said "Hi, and happy you are OK". Thanks for putting her story into a lyric for us.

Alan

Howdy Couch,

Actually there is very little similarity between this and Jesus, Take The Wheel, other than they are both about car accidents and God. I am quite familiar with that song and sure wouldn't consider these two even close.

Do you really think you need more setup for dropping a wheel off the pavement? It would seem that there wouldn't be any other conclusion to come to other than that she must have been driving in a car. Can't see that as being very confusing...so why waste a lot of time saying I was driving home late one night (which should be obvious from the "late nights at the restaurant".) Tanya said when she tried to get back on the road, she overcorrected and that is when she was t-boned by the truck (on the passenger side)...but then as she continued to spin around...her car ended up wedged in under the trailer part of the truck, between the first and second set of wheels. What kept her car from simply being run over by that second set of wheels is part of the miracle. If you or anyone else can come up with a clearer description of all that..I am sure willing to listen!

Who knows if someone would cut it. At the moment, it has no music...so that possibility is certainly down the road and every lyric goes through many changes when it comes music time. My job is to get the words in good enough shape that they will appeal to a composer...who then has latitude to change whatever is in the best interest of the song to make it work its magic with music.

Thanks for taking time to check this out.

Bobbie

Howdy Bree,

Yes...God does work miracles in our lives. I am thrilled that you were also spared in a similar accident!!! Hope you'll come back and share your story when you have time.

Hugs,
Bobbie

Hi Bobbie,
I thought the 1st verse was quite a nice set up for telling the story in the 2nd verse. The chorus relates well to all the verses as it should.
I may have seen this story on TV a not long ago. I don't remember where it was reported but it showed a car, under a semi, sandwiched between the front and back wheels of the trailer. The driver of the car was unhurt. I said to myself at the time that I didn't think such a thing was possible. There it was though and the car was a mess. You know I think that the miracle in this case is that a truck caught her car and delivered it safely to a stop so that she could walk away.
I believe, I believe, the evidence is all around us.
Rick

Hi Bobbie,

I've heard stories like this and they are truly miracles. I like how you took this story and were able to fit it all in a lyric. The only spot I find alittle rough is "dropped a wheel off the pavement". Up here we call the sidewalk the pavement, so if she's on the highway she wouldn't be on the pavement. Could you say "fell asleep at the wheel" or something else there? Didn't know if for last line of chorus you should change to "so often when we pray" since miracles do happen when we pray but not every time unfortunately. Good write and good story.

Best,
Lynn

Hidee SBL!

Yep, Anyone who survives a Near-Death-Experience is usually A Believer..heh!

"KUDOS" for a Nice Job on this one...maybe not as Plaintive as "Jesus Take The Wheel", but does a good job of puttin' The Listener into The Action.

I'd sug "When He says it's time to go" for your Last Bridge Line.

Been thru this Experience many-a-time, Most-Memorable bein' when La Femme & I spun an Opel GT around Twice while passing on an Autobahn Curve fulla Ice in 8 Lanes fulla Traffic, No Dividing Barrier...back in '69. Thanks to the Adrenalin, Time almost Stops while ya contemplate Your Chances..Pop Off a Prayer..& Then Let The Deity Decide.

KNOW You been there too, a Fair Share of times... Hope Tanya appreciates this Good'n', & Good Luck with it!

BPH
Stan

Hi, Bobbie,

This lyric is very moving...easy to relate to...love the concept What a great story!

I can see this being pitched to Christian artists as well as country artists.

My only suggestion would be to create a longer chorus. For some reason, when I read the words to the chorus, I felt like you ahd just gotten started and that it needs 2-4 more lines...with the structure of the lyric...a longer chorus seemd to fit better.

Maybe something like:

Miracles still happen
Around us everyday
Miracles still happen
Every time we pray
(two lines here, ending with a rhyme for pray)
Miracles still happen
Every time we pray

Good luck with this one

Emily

P.S. Check your email

Hi Melissa,

Thank you so much for taking time to check this out and share your thoughts on it. Mary Lou was right about that line...it did need a change. Will see if I stick with this iteration though. Could be something better yet.

Hugs,
Bobbie

Hey Kevin,

That makes me feel good that the storyline here was clear to you!! That is always my hope...though sometimes we make it and sometimes not!! Appreciate your read and kind thoughts on this one.

Hugs,
Bobbie

Howdy Alan,

You are SO right. As Tanya said to me...something like this certainly reorders your priorities in a hurry!! That may be my next lyric. I will certainly pass along your words to her. Kim-Char will be here next weekend and I suspect we will be going up there. Also BobbyJoe's cowriter, Steve will be here from Germany. We are all gonna hit the Bluebird on Sunday to hear Kim-Char play!

Thanks for dropping by to check this out.

Hugs,
Bobbie

Bobby, I worked up a draft of a melody and chorus for this. Are you around?

Hi Bobbie,

I also think it needs a longer chorus. Maybe something like;

But Miracles still happen
Around us everyday
Miracles still happen
Every time we pray
Miracles still happen
I've proved it yet again
Miracles still happen
And on God I can depend.

Thanks and good luck with it.

Myrtle

Interesting! The melody I worked up has the chorus doubled.

Bobbie,
I felt like I was in the car with her, that part I got the feeling of on first read...a couple quick nits...chorus doesn't feel strong enough...although I just wrote one with half as many words that sings powerfully...ha...so a Kim-Char could fix that nit...ha...then there's a 4 liner sandwiched in between 2 choruses which I thought was a bridge until I kept going and there was a bridge...is it a shortie verse or a 4th musical section?...Like I said I was in that car so I would keep the pressure on finding the right music...with it being a true story, I wouldn't give Jesus take the wheel a second thought, although I do think it will be a tough one to get a pub to bite on with that songs recent success...Moker

Hi Bobbie,

Nice work.

Good lines here....
Felt like I was in slow motion
Thought.. so this is how death feels

Have a sunny day.

Calvin


http://www.soundclick.com/bands/0/calvinstewart

Hi, Bobbie! I like to read lyrics that come from life's experience...though like this one they can be such close calls...it's always so helpful to know our friends can be so helpful with their prayers and concern during these times.

BTW, Bobbie, I've looked and looked for your Rhyming Tips on JPF even in the archives....I can't find them for some reason.....do you have a copy you can send me? I have someone I'd like to read them...they're so good and simple to understand! Thank you so very much!

Bobbie, the word "pavement" can apply to things other than roads. that phrase just isn't specific enough as to what happened with no mention of driving prior to it. Saying you "dropped a wheel" sounds like you were carrying it and it slipped thru your hands. that the vs says it's at night is irrelevant.

I said you don't get t-boned by wheels and you inadvertantly agreed by saying Tanya was t-boned by a truck. that's what would happen. It's not up to me to describe what happened, it's up to YOU. Songs don't have 200 word intros to explain them before they start. as your lyric is now, it's murky and takes way too long to describe being saved from a car wreck. that could be done in 4 lines, not verse after verse plus a tag. The story needs clarifying, the imagery needs to be more accurate and the moral needs to be sharper. otherwise it just tailgates Jesus Take the Wheel without the moral.

Howdy Ergo Argo...

I'm so sorry I really left this one hanging!! I am finally back to my office. Been at workshops and entertaining company for last week and a half!!

I had never heard this story until Tanya told me what happened and I did not see her SUV, which she said was simply folded like an accordian.

So glad you feel the storyline is clear here with an appropriate set-up. It is one of those where you don't want to tell the entire story in the first verse or even a verse and chorus...so it was a fine line to tread between "enough" and "too much".

Appreciate the read and kind remarks! When you see a miracle like this...I would find it hard to NOT believe!

Hugs,
Bobbie

Hi Lynn,

I had never heard the term 'pavement' used in any way other than to refer to a highway so after hearing your thoughts, I looked the word up in the dictionary. This is the only definition provided in mine: "noun A paved surface as of concrete; specifically, a paved road." I would call a sidewalk a sidewalk. I think most folks reading this would understand that she probably wasn't driving on a sidewalk...so I am not sure that would be a major issue here.

However, I will certainly consider the other suggestion about adding the often concept. That makes sense. Lemme think more on that one!

Thank you SO much for stopping by to read and share your insights!! I DO appreciate that immensely!

Hugs,
Bobbie

dropped my right wheel off the pavement...would make it even more clear than it is that she was driving if you care to address that issue...Moker