[Spoken Intro — warm North Georgia drawl, gentle Martin acoustic guitar] Well, I’ll tell y’all something… I was listening to Church one Sunday morning. Everybody had a story. Some were angry, some were hurting. Some thought they had everything figured out. And then somebody asked a question… “Who are you?” Well, dadgummit… I’ve been walking around sixty years, And I’m just now starting to figure out who I’m NOT! What da!? [Soft chuckle, harmonica answers] [Verse 1 — relaxed country blues] I heard a man talk about his mama, And all the anger he had known. Another talked about his daddy, And the hurt he’d carried grown. One was chasing after money, One was looking for applause. One was trying to fix the whole wide world, Never looking at his flaws. And I sat there with my coffee, Thinking, Lord, would you look at me? I’ve been judging everybody, While my own heart couldn’t see. [Chorus — warm, soulful country gospel] When the noise dies down, And the world gets still, I don’t have to fight, I don’t have to get my will. I don’t have to win, I don’t have to know, I can love somebody And let the anger go. I’m not my mistakes, I’m not yesterday, I’m learning to be still And let God lead the way. When the noise dies down, Something comes shining through, And I begin to see What love can really do. [Verse 2 — playful, swinging rhythm] Now somebody mentioned Judas, And everybody had a view. One said, “He betrayed the Savior!” Another said, “Well, so do you!” That one made me uncomfortable, Had me squirming in my chair. I started thinking ‘bout the times I’d been dishonest or unfair. I remembered all those arguments, I just knew that I was right. I’d rehearse my little speeches, Sometimes half the doggone night! But winning never brought me peace, And being right just made me proud. Funny how the truth gets clearer When you quit talking so loud. [Chorus — fuller band] When the noise dies down, And the world gets still, I don’t have to fight, I don’t have to get my will. I don’t have to win, I don’t have to know, I can love somebody And let the anger go. I’m not my mistakes, I’m not yesterday, I’m learning to be still And let God lead the way. When the noise dies down, Something comes shining through, And I begin to see What love can really do. [Spoken Break — guitar picking, quiet harmonica] You know something? I spent an awful lot of years Trying to make everything happen. Trying to make people understand me. Trying to make people love me. Trying to make life go my way. And you know what happened? It didn’t! What a mess! Then I started learning something. Maybe I don’t have to control the whole world. Maybe I just need to be still long enough To see what’s going on inside me. Amazing! [Verse 3 — heartfelt, slower delivery] I thought forgiveness was surrender, Thought it meant that they had won. But the anger I was carrying Was hurting me when day was done. I looked back upon my childhood, At the things I couldn’t change. And I finally started seeing How that anger shaped my days. I couldn’t change my mama’s story, Couldn’t make the past turn right. But I could stop that old resentment From following me every night. And I don’t claim I’ve reached perfection, There’s still so much I need to see. But I’m not fighting every feeling Like I used to, endlessly. [Bridge — emotional gospel blues, Hammond organ] Love ain’t just a word on paper, Love ain’t something we pretend. Love ain’t making folks agree with us, Or holding on until the end. Love can tell the truth with kindness, Love can say no without blame. Love can let somebody leave you, Without setting hearts aflame. And maybe all those folks at Church Ain’t so different after all. We’re just people learning how to stand When the old illusions fall. [Verse 4 — gentle, reflective] Now the afternoon is fading, And the birds are singing low. There’s a cool breeze on the porch, And I ain’t got nowhere to go. No big speech and no great answer, No more battles left to win. Just a country boy who’s learning To quit fighting from within. Tomorrow might bring trouble, Might bring sunshine, might bring rain. But I don’t have to live tomorrow, Or keep reliving yesterday. [Final Chorus — joyful, uplifting country gospel] When the noise dies down, And the world gets still, I don’t have to fight, I don’t have to get my will. I don’t have to win, I don’t have to know, I can love somebody And let the anger go. I’m not my mistakes, I’m not yesterday, I’m learning to be still And let God lead the way. When the noise dies down, And the morning breaks anew, I’m beginning to understand What God’s love can do. [Instrumental — soulful harmonica and fingerpicked guitar] [Spoken Outro — Bubba, gentle North Georgia storytelling voice] Well, I’ll tell y’all something… I don’t know everything. Matter of fact, I’m beginning to realize Just how much I don’t know. But I learned something today. You can spend your whole life trying to b
