Mike Dixon is a worship leader, recording artist, and a Grammy-nominated songwriter. Mike comes from an athletic family and is 6 foot 5 inches. He seemed destined for sports, but after attending a music clinic at his local church, it was clear that music was his calling. Mike is passionate about leading worship, and he educates us on what it really means to lead in worship. His songwriting is vulnerable, which admittedly causes him to wrestle with God, but that’s what makes his lyrics so powerful. Join us as we talk to him about what it means to be committed to calling even at your own expense.
Check out his latest songwriting venture: The Sustainer -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEsp8P6Aod0
Mike Dixon is a worship leader, recording artist, and a Grammy-nominated songwriter. Mike comes from an athletic family and is 6 foot 5 inches. He seemed destined for sports, but after attending a music clinic at his local church, it was clear that music was his calling. Mike is passionate about leading worship, and he educates us on what it really means to lead in worship. His songwriting is vulnerable, which admittedly causes him to wrestle with God, but that’s what makes his lyrics so powerful. Join us as we talk to him about what it means to be committed to calling even at your own expense.
Check out his latest songwriting venture: The Sustainer -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEsp8P6Aod0
Yo, I have this, this pleasure of being with the Michael Dixon worship song writer, Christian Love of people, uh, and the, uh, producer and arranger of the album sustainer. And you guys have to listen to that album. He's also got a debut album coming up and I want to talk to him about calling and so give a warm round of applause for our brother Michael Dickson.
Speaker 2:What's up, everybody. What's up. What's
Speaker 1:Up, man? What's up. What's up. What's up. So before this, we were talking about man, uh, you know, going into the conversation, but we were talking about man, what it looks like for us to, uh, for over this last year and a half do ministry during the pandemic. And, uh, you were talking about God's call for us to minister to the world. What does that mean to you?
Speaker 2:A simple God never wanted us to be confined to our church building. Um, and I think we got accustomed to doing the routine of church. So to the building on Sunday morning, go to the building Bible study. Cool. During the week, God is kind of second tier until we get back to church on Sunday, we'll fly home, fly four hour hours already, and then back to regular life during the week. And we just kept spreading certs across from my house. They go all day, but it's like during the week we, we just, we go back to regular life. Then I think we got into that habit into that ritual. And God had to shake that up because who is ministering to those who are not in the church? How do we reach those people? And I think this pandemic has given us the opportunity to re-invent re-evaluate our call to go out into the world and make disciples. And we've had to do that because now there wasn't a church building during the pandemic as you didn't go into it. So how do I not only reach my congregation, but now because we're in this virtual world, I'm reaching people who are probably would have thought about, or even wanted to connect to because now I'm in this virtual world and anyone has access to it. Um, so I think God kind of pushed us to use this technology that we've had for years to our advantage and for his glory,
Speaker 1:Man. It's crazy. Why do you think we, and when we say we were talking about those of us who do vocational ministry, uh, Mike is a worship leader, a songwriter, um, minister of music. Uh, those of us who do vocational ministry, whether we, uh, preach or lead worship, lead worship, and song for a living, why do you think we didn't use the technology before this?
Speaker 2:Uh, I think we had gotten complacent. Um, I think it, it became habit to do what we were used to doing. Um, like, like, well, I'll tell you, I'll put my church. For example, we have a set of flow lists. So how we do service and I've been there for about four years now. And the flow of service has pretty much been the same. I can do it in my sleep. I know exactly what's coming at this point, this point, this point, this point. And so this pandemic shook up those points to where we can't flow the same. So now we have to figure out what do we do now? Right. So I think, I, I really think this pandemic has been a huge blessing to the body of Christ. And I'm hoping that when we go back into our normal routine, that we don't lose those, the lesson and the lesson that was in this past year and a half. And
Speaker 1:You, you, you, you hit that nail on the head. So a little bit about you, man. Um, where are you from and what's your journey to Christ?
Speaker 2:Uh, absolutely. Um, I am Texas born. I was born in Marshall, Texas, randomly. Um, but raised in Houston. Uh, my family is actually from Texarkana. If you don't know where that is, it's close to Arkansas. Uh, so I have a country family, but I was raised in the city, uh, been doing music professionally, uh, since about 2010. Uh, I've been a worship leader for now 14 years. Uh, been a songwriter, um, all of my life professionally, since 2010. Um, I'm Grammy nominated as a songwriter, so that's, that's dope. Um, and music is my passion. Uh, and it's also my purpose and yeah, that's me,
Speaker 1:Man. So, um, w when did you come to Christ and what's the story behind that? It's always the same
Speaker 2:And my story is a little different, uh, than most people in my position. Uh, I didn't grow up in church. Uh, my family are, are, are Christians. Um, and we went to church periodically, but it wasn't a every week thing. I wasn't, as they call them a few babies. Um, I wasn't in church for Bible study and choir rehearsal and all of that, that, that just wasn't my family. My mom, uh, was a coach, uh, me and my brother, we were heavy into athletics. Um, so that kind of consumed our life. Uh, but my mom always made sure that I did. I played basketball. I played football for a moment. Didn't like it ran track also. Didn't like it, um, basketball was, was kind of my thing. And so that, and that's my, my family, like athletics is in my jeans and I'm also six, five. So
Speaker 1:Can't help it. They're going to push you out there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it just had to do it. Um, but yeah, it didn't grow up in the church. Um, I came to know Christ, um, when I was 16, uh, there was a music workshop at the church that we were attending. Uh, and my mom let me attended. It was like a week long thing. Uh, and Donald Lawrence was the, uh, the clinician of the workshop. Um, and yeah, from there, uh, I was introduced to Christ and I can remember I was 17 when I actually accepted Christ into my life. Um, and from there on, this has been all I've known and all of that.
Speaker 1:And, uh, so you were at this, uh, clinic. What about the clinics, third? You, what, uh, what about it moved you and what did you feel while you're at that clinic? It said, man, um, I feel like, I feel like I'm a follow Jesus or at that point you were thinking about it. I know you were 16 at the time you made the transition at 17, but what about that clinic? Like was the, was the impact in factor for you?
Speaker 2:Well, first it was the music. Um, I've always loved music. And around that age, I was getting heavy into music and kind of putting sports on the back burner. Um, so watching DAMA Lawrence, if you don't know who he is, look him up. He's a master at his craft and watching him, uh, going through this music and explaining the meaning of some of the songs. It just really opened my eyes. And then we were singing a song by him. That's called, uh, uh, seasons. Uh, it says, I feel seasoned everywhere. I feel blessings in here[inaudible] and so he was explaining the lyrics. And for some reason, I, I really had no idea what the song was speaking about, but for some reason, the song was speaking to something in me. Cause I made I'm 16 at the time. I haven't really experienced, seasoned changes that in that fashion, you still, but something about the music, the melody, the way he was explaining the message, it was speaking to something in me at the time. I didn't know what it was, but now I know it was speaking to my spirit man. And that moment opened up the door for me to actually accept Christ.
Speaker 1:And so you're 17. Where were you when you made that decision to follow him and uh, yeah. Where, where are you?
Speaker 2:Uh, so I was 17 and, um, my mom has started going to the fountain of praise here in Houston. And, um, I joined the youth church. Uh, it was called the rock and join the youth choir or whatever. And there was a minister who was like the guest preacher for the youth service. Um, and he simply laid out Jesus and all that. He said it was really simple. It was like, it was like a really high moment in the service. And he was like, what you guys are feeling is the love of Christ. And if you want to feel this love of Christ for the rest of your life, take this moment to accept them into your heart. That's all he said that I was like, well, yeah, I like this feeling. I want to feel this. And so boom went up for the alter call and they took me to the dislike back room. It was me and a couple other people. And, uh, whoever the person was working, the auto, as they say, um, laid out what salvation meant. Um, so the minister laid out, this is basic Jesus. And then someone took the Allie who, and laid out salvation. Um, and that, that, that was that.
Speaker 1:Wow. So then from that moment at 17, okay. You talked earlier about already being in music. What, what were you thinking before or what I'm just curious. Um,
Speaker 2:Hm. So I was raised on music like Michael Jackson, earth, wind and fire Luther Vandross. That's what my mom was playing around the house. So yeah, the good stuff. And, um, by way of Missy Elliott of all people, um, I came into contact with the Clark sisters and that took me down this path of gospel music. Um, because then at that time, the foul sharing was really big, like Napster and, uh, and all that stuff, slime wire. And so through this Elliot, having them on one of her songs and me searching them out on the internet, I found all of this gospel music from your Curt Franklins to, you know, Yolanda Adams and Hopkins and Andre crouch and all of that stuff. And so by the time that, that, uh, that clip, that clinic tech come around, I had already been familiar with Donald Lawrence and his music. Um, so that's, that's how that all kind of tied together.
Speaker 1:And, and so there's this love of gospel music that you had even before you would say, uh, what, what then proceeded that shift to say, okay, I wanna, I feel called, so did you feel a call to, uh, to sing gospel? Did you feel a call to worship, uh, to, to, to lead worship? How was that for you? I don't, I don't know how that process started. Cause I remember when you got your first gig, well, I won't say gig your first job cause I was there, but I don't remember how you got there.
Speaker 2:Um, college was really the breeding ground for that. Um, I had a, a band teacher in middle school, um, who stay connected with my mom and me. And he always told my mom do not push him to do sports, make him do music. That's where he's going to Excel. And my mom took those words from him. And throughout the years, she never, even though my family lineage was athletics, she never pushed that on me. She saw that I was interested in music and she did all that she could to cultivate that. And so once I got to college, um, is when everything really started to, to hit, uh, started really heavy and songwriting. Um, I developed my own group, Michael Dixon and vision. Um, and they were religious, um, of platform for me to work out these songs that I was writing. Um, and from there, uh, there was a little church in the PV area and Waller, um, that I was at the time leading worship. I didn't know what that was. I was just singing some songs at the beginning of the service,
Speaker 1:You know, I think it takes time to either figure out what it is that we're, we're really working out a gift, but we, but it hasn't really met the call or the responsibility yet. It's like, you know, and so I think it's a process for all of us. So you were at, uh, Prairie view a and M university. Yeah, I was there.
Speaker 2:Um, I was there and there was a church close by that was sent a bus to pick us up and take us to serve it. And so through that, I started singing there on Sunday morning. Uh, like I said, leading worship, not knowing that that's what I was doing. And, um, there was a guy Feb in the band with me who worked at Goodwill. Uh, he was the keyboard player there, David Harris. And he had heard me sing and told me that they were having auditions for a worship leader. And I was like, well, sure, I'll try. I can sing a little. Why not? Let's so came down to Houston audition for Chad and he was like, you're not ready. And so I was like, okay. And literally like maybe a year later check called me and was like, would you like to lead worship for our youth service? I'm like, sure. And so through that relationship with Chad, I learned how to be a worship leader. I learned everything that I could about that. And
Speaker 1:So, so for the uninitiated, what is the difference?
Speaker 2:Huge difference. Um, first off worshiped bleeding is less about your vocal ability and more about how you are able to facilitate, um, worship in a service. Uh, we always, uh, you've probably heard the phrase that, you know, we sing to an audience of one which has got, that is a true phrase, but as a worship leader, it's your responsibility to get the congregants on the same accord to sing to that audience of one. So it's your responsibility to facilitate those moments. Um, and just because you can sing doesn't mean that you're able to facilitate worship. It goes way beyond your vocal ability and more so enter your relationship with God
Speaker 1:Who is funny. We, we, I mean, we w we know each other, so you know, somebody and we know the inside ball and all of that, but I mean, I don't know how many services I've sat through where I'm like, man, is he seguing for himself or seeking for themselves? Or are they going to help, you know, all of us seeing with them, you know, and one of the things I've learned is really to, to worship lead. Sometimes it helps not to have a great voice because then that actually helps other people to say, okay, I'll help. He, or she to sing. I don't know how many times I've had to like improvise, you know, Hey, like, oh bro, bless his heart. I got, I've got this. I got did. People will say, oh, you you're like, okay, well, my job is done. My boys have to be sacrificed at the altar of people worship though. So I've always been amazed at your ability. I mean, personally, at your ability to make, you can sing like nobody's business, right. But the control and the humility to say right now, I have a job to do. I need to do that job. And I've, I have witnessed and heard other people who didn't know the difference were like, yo, what just happened? And me knowing and understanding what it means to lead worship. It's hard to communicate that to people. Well, cause they're like, you'll have been in all these services here, there in the other. And I'm like, yeah, E's facilitating worship for congregation. He can do it with his words. He can do it with a song he can do with half a song he can do with pieces of a song because he realizes it's, it's not even the song itself. It's how do I get you to just, you know, come along for the journey and then begin to sing to your Lord, man. And it's like, I mean, I hate to say like a magician, but really what it is. You're, you're, you're prompting people without saying, y'all sing the song, sing the song. And you know, I would've stopped this, but I don't know how many times I've seen people fuss about people singing the song. And you're like, well, if you slow down and you sing the song, you know, add a key that they can sing the song at, or at least facilitate their ability to sing that song. They would sing the song. They, they want it. This is the only opportunity in the whole service that they get to participate. They want to participate, but you gotta, you gotta make, you gotta make room for them.
Speaker 2:That's it. You gotta make room for that. And like you said, you have to be able to have enough humility to dumb down your ability vocally, to where you make this not about you. So the view up there, given every trick and riff and run that you have in your arsenal, like people are going to start paying attention to what you're doing and being fascinated by your ability. And you've, you've lost everything.
Speaker 1:Uh, speaking of that, and I've always wanted this. How were you able, yo, that's hard. I mean, we, we gloss over this, but that's very hard to do for people who are up front preachers singers to say, I'm going to dumb. I mean, what is like, did you have tension? Did you feel a certain like, man, I mean, I really need to, this is my moment to sign and I'm not getting this shot. Like what, what, and you did it at an early age. So what is happening in your, your heart, your mind? Like, is there a war it's just opened us up to that?
Speaker 2:Um, well two things, one I, I realized early on that nothing that I do, especially in a service is about me. Um, I think coming to that realization and realizing that I'm not the important piece, God, so everything that I do needs to direct attention to him. Um, and I think another thing that has helped me in so many areas, um, my first love is songwriter and I studied like all of the pop songwriters and they are amazing storytellers. And I've been able to infuse that storytelling into everything that I do. So with storytelling, what makes a great story teller is being able to translate whatever is needed from the story to the person that's listening. So if my agenda, my goal is to give all the attention and glory to God, how can I convey that, telling this story? So if the words for this song is how great is our God, I need to make sure that the emphasis is on the greatness of that.
Speaker 1:And so how would you do that? You know, there might be worship leaders out there who are like struggling, earnestly, struggling, like how do they do that? So I just want a platform to teach them a little bit.
Speaker 2:Um, so I'm always aware of, well, let me, let me start that over, um, your, your treats, your runs, your ribs, all of the intricate things that you can do at your voice is just ornamentation and what makes those things work is placement. So when you're telling a story, you have to figure out what is the important take away from this story that I'm telling. So if the line is how great is our God, what's the important word in that sentence. It's great. You're speaking of the greatness of God. So how do I accent great in that, in that line? So I have to figure out a way to make that word emphasize. So maybe I add a little, a little run here or add a little something here to make that word stand out over saturate that line with ornamentation, because now the word, how is it besides the word great is emphasize, the word is, is emphasized. And so now the person listening to the story doesn't know what the important portion of the story is because you have overemphasized every piece of the story. So finding out what is important and how to emphasize.
Speaker 1:So give us an example of how people don't understand how to do it. We'll do it the way you think it ought to be done,
Speaker 2:What you mean. So someone who doesn't understand may do it. So that's just one phrase and you've added so much what was important. So if I'm trying to emphasize the word great, how great is that?
Speaker 1:Just that simple. Wow. The accent is on the grade. You're wanting people to see how great it is. But if I, if I'm riffing through the whole song, then the song, the meaning, the meaning of the words are less important than the melody. The person is singing. Hey, I didn't even know
Speaker 2:That I, that I have to think about while singing. So this is like on the spot stuff.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow. Yeah. So, so you, so in some choices for you, I don't know if this is true for you would be better to pick songs. You understand how to you, that you would understand how to tell story the story rather than to pick a new song that you might not be as familiar with. I don't know. W how, how do you, is that true?
Speaker 2:Um, it, it's true. Uh, in most cases, uh, I've been doing it for so long that I'm kind of accustomed to figuring out what's important in a song, even if it's a new song. Um, but yeah, one thing practice is always important. Um, you can never over practice something, uh, in, in my opinion. Um, so yeah, practicing and, and learning one. What is this song talking about? Uh, I think too many times we just sing songs maybe because they're popular or because I like the song, but sit down and evaluate what the song is actually saying. And what's the message in the song. Um, because sometimes you'll find out that some of these songs, especially on the gospel side are not speaking the truth of that. Um, so you got to reconcile that, um, and then to know how to minister this song, I need to one, let the song minister to me and to let know what the song is actually speaking of.
Speaker 1:So, uh, shifting gears here, do you feel called to do what you do and why?
Speaker 2:Uh, I know that I'm called to do this. Uh, sometimes I wish I wasn't, I would much rather be doing something with a little less responsibility and a little more ease. Um, but I know that this is my calling, uh, and I, I try to, to, um, I try to make sure that I'm representing God is as best as I can with this call.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Um, when you hear the word calling, what does that, what do you feel and what does that mean to you?
Speaker 2:Um, something that I had to learn early on, um, calling and purpose, uh, is not always what you're passionate about. Um, and I think, and that's, of course that's, that's generalized and that's not every case, but I think a lot of times people mix up their passion and their calling. Uh, sometimes it's not always the same thing. Um, you can be passionate to teach, but you're calling to be, um, I don't know, to be a doctor. You don't know, you just, they don't always match up. Um, but, but calling, I think, you know, when, especially when it's, when it's a divine calling, um, I think, you know, then it's divine one because it's something that has been pulling on your heart. Um, and no matter what you do or how much you try to quote unquote, run from it, it's always pulling on you. Um, and it's something that mentally, you always go back to. Uh, and that, to me, that, that's what, that's how you can know that it's a common, have you ever wanted to give up? Well, you already know, uh, all the time, um, uh, edit it's for me. Um, because I'm a songwriter and God has blessed me with the gift of writing. Um, but I write from such a personal place and it's gotten to the point, so where everything that I write I have to go through and I hate, I hate it. There've been times where I've said to God, like, why do I have to go through for everybody else? Like, I've had some real conversations with guidelines, so yeah, I've definitely wanted to give up, man. It's what kept you going? I like that. I see what you did there. Uh, really got every, every time I kid you, not every time I've been in that space of wanting to give up, God will send somebody to my DMS or text messages or something, telling me how a song that I've written has gotten them through a situation. And that one, it lets me know that, okay, um, I'm operating in my purpose. I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. Let throw my pride aside and keep on going. And two, it just, it just makes me realize that though, I've gone through all of this and I've suffered for this. It was for a reason. And knowing that what God has taken me through has let somebody else that's enough to kind of keep me going.
Speaker 1:Amazing. Um, I want to talk about some of the songs that you've written, but before we get to that, I've got some lightning round questions for you. Scale of one to 10, how good are you at keeping secrets?
Speaker 2:I'm going to have to go with a 10 on that.
Speaker 1:It is as you and I speaking, I think I'm a 10 as well. Like we, we, we, we got to just we'll talk offline. Ariella, Jasmine, Jasmine
Speaker 2:First celebrity crush. So most people probably won't even notice is she's still my celebrity crush. It looks exactly the same. Our name is a non dilutes. She was a VJ on MTV back in the nineties.
Speaker 1:I think I remember who she dated, but okay. We talk afterwards,
Speaker 2:Donna dusk. I'm going to say desk because I hate waking up.
Speaker 1:Okay. All right. Oh, so you're like me. I'm a night owl. If you could travel back in time, what period would you go to? Um,
Speaker 2:Good question. Um, I want to say a period of time that I've never experienced, but I love the nineties so much that I would probably have to go back and experience that goodness again. Okay. Do you snore? I do. I have sleep apnea. Unfortunately, listen
Speaker 1:Place, you, you most want to travel?
Speaker 2:There are two places I want to go to, uh, to, to Tokyo for some reason. Uh, but I really want to go to the UK. Never been, I was wanting to go
Speaker 1:Favorite childhood TV show
Speaker 2:As a hard one. Um, that's a hard one. Uh, there was a show that came on Nickelodeon called legends of the hidden temple. It was a game show. I think that would be my favorite,
Speaker 1:Uh, favorite season out of the four seasons.
Speaker 2:My favorite season is winter when we have it.
Speaker 1:When we have it
Speaker 2:This past winter, it was a little extreme. Oh yeah, no, it was crazy. We got it all in one weekend.
Speaker 1:Uh, Halloween, did you do Halloween?
Speaker 2:So people don't look at me differently. Don't think about me differently. I am a huge, huge fan of horror.
Speaker 1:Okay. Like
Speaker 2:To the point to where, if the FBI looked at my computer, they're probably watching anyway. They would probably think I'm a serial killer. I love everything involving
Speaker 1:Or, okay. So did you, did you, uh, what was your last Halloween costume
Speaker 2:Last Halloween costume? Uh, what was I? It was for work. Um, it was like a play on Michael Myers and Jason, uh, but it was like a split between the two,
Speaker 1:Uh, cake or pie from Sam's. Okay. And do you ever post inspirational quotes on social media?
Speaker 2:Not often. Maybe like once or twice a year.
Speaker 1:You like to make people laugh? Yeah. Your sissy human is crazy. Okay. So we'll go round this off with, uh, a few of yourselves, uh, sustainer what's the lyric debt brings you personally, uh, uh, you wrote this song, what's the lyrics and sustain it. It brings tears to that. It brings joy to you that that causes emotion to you when you sing it.
Speaker 2:Oh man, it's a very simple line that is towards the end of the song. And all it says is through it all.
Speaker 1:Hmm. What about through it all? Well, first of all, let me, let me ask this, explain, sustaining for those of us who haven't heard the song, and then I want you to help me with why through it, all that, that verse.
Speaker 2:Ooh. So a sustainer, uh, I wrote that song. I was in a space of, uh, just thinking about all that God had brought me through. Uh, and this was last year, I think when I wrote it or 2019. And, um, I was just feeling very grateful. Uh, and that's what the song is, is, is simply a song about gratefulness, like guide through all this stuff. You've, you've kept me, you sustain me, you've kept me sane and I'm grateful for it. Um, and that that's literally what the song was written off of. Just me being grateful
Speaker 1:And through it all. Uh, can you give us the lyric and then why do it,
Speaker 2:Yeah, so, um, it's, it's attached to a lyric. Uh, the background is saying you, you have sustained me. And then right after that, it just says, threw it off. Uh, and why that lyric always hits me like a dump truck is because as I was thinking and writing this song, thinking about all that I have been through, um, from losing my hearing, um, two years, I was pretty much dead, um, from the surviving COVID from, uh, surviving depression, uh, so many things that God has brought me through and just those three words through it all, like it encompasses so many things and it just always takes me back to those places that I was in.
Speaker 1:All right. Um, and guys, you gotta go get working for, get sustainer.
Speaker 2:Uh, you can get it anywhere. Uh, digital music is sold on Amazon, apple, uh, all of that. Or if you stream, you can do Spotify or apple music iTunes it's everywhere.
Speaker 1:Okay. So there's another song. Uh, great. Grace, where did that come from? And I'm going to ask you what lyric touches you. That that song gives me, so explain great grace, because I'm not gonna do it justice, but explain it and then tell me what lyric for you.
Speaker 2:Uh, so great grace. Um, I wrote that song in 2000 and, uh, 10, uh, when I woke up one morning and I could not hear out of my right ear, uh, and then slowly over the course of the next few weeks, my hearing just deteriorated to the point to where, um, I just could not hear unless you were standing directly in front of me. And so me being a writer who has to go through what I write, I sat down to write, assuming that God would let me write a song about healing. And instead I wrote a song about gratefulness, but this gratefulness being grateful for her, um, the small things that we don't think about, uh, and that's where great grace came from. Uh, but my favorite line in that song is I says, you step down from your throne that came like man, to right my wrong. It's my favorite line. Um, for many reasons, the first being I wrote that line maybe seven years earlier, just that mine, I wrote it and had nothing to do with it. And so when I was writing great grace, I had got stuck at a point. And that line came back to my memory and I was like, oh, that's what this was for. Gotcha. Got it. Thank you then to think about what that mine is saying. Um, it is the gospel. It is Jesus wrapped himself in humanity, came down and, and saved us. That line is to me, is his super power.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it is. It is pregnant. Um, you wrote, walk on water, explain, walk on water. And then the line that hits you.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Uh, so walk on water, man. Uh, that song came, uh, when I was in a space of wanting to give up. Uh, and I was this give up, was going to be the give up. I was done with church. I was done with leading. I was done with, with, with Christianity. I was done with God because I was in a space to where I was encouraging all these people. I was ministering to all these people and I was going home broke. I was going home broken. I was going home jacked up. There were many times I didn't have lights on. And you know, all of this, this, this, this stuff. And I was tired. I was like, God, I'm all of this for you. And in my mind, you're not doing nothing for me. Like, where's the ballet. And so I was just, I was over it and I just sat down and I started writing and literally the first line, it always blesses me. It says, here I am. And none of this looks familiar, but there you are. So I know that things will get clear because you're in control.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Wow. That's amazing. Okay. Last off. And then we'll close. So you took an old song and I always have you sing the song. You already know I'm going, but he like, dang. I know he gonna ask me to say you took an old song. God, what is the name of it was, what's the name of the song? The, the original, yeah, that's crazy. It's, it's such a simple name of the song for that. That's so old. Some of the words in there, old, whatever be done, I've got to take care of. Okay. So God will take care of you. So the lyrics we, for those of you don't know, it's, it's an old song. I don't know how old it's called. God will take care of you. The lyrics are, are amazing, but there was a melody or something that you put on that song. That's like crack like literal crack, but, you know, uh, but I, I, it accentuated some words in the song that I'd never heard before. And I guess this goes to your point when I've heard that song and y'all we getting into the weeds a little bit, but when I heard that song, it really didn't when I've heard this song before the renditions, before it really didn't move me as much. And I maybe it's because I didn't really hear the words of the song. It's something about how you sing it or the melody. I mean, it's a new melody that makes it, and I'm not the only person that has heard you sing this song that always like, I see tweets all the time. For some, some people we know it every now and then they'll say, God will take care of you. And that's it. That's the tweet. And I'm like, oh, because you're hearing the song in your head. Cause I know this person or these people, what is it? What, what is, what, what did you do to that song?
Speaker 2:Oh man. So the whole background on that song, uh, we, we were prepared it for red Friday that we used to do. Um, and we would, what we would do for those who don't know, we would take hymns, kind of modernize them. Uh, but this particular song, the only recording that we could find was my hail, your checks. And so we were trying to, to modernize what she was singing and it was so difficult. It was very difficult. And so I was just like, well maybe if we, I think Kenneth was Kenneth was playing keys. And I was like, let's try like, like give me something like Neil's Solage, let's try to go like completely left with it. Maybe that'll work. And so Kenneth started playing and immediately just that melody that came from what he was playing. And I was like, okay, this could work because it's such a detour from Jackson.[inaudible],
Speaker 1:I'm not going to lie to you. That's all like, when I realized I've heard this song over and over again, I was like, yeah, they brought life to the song. Like, like those lyrics, if God, okay. So there's the other thing, the tone of that song should be more of a celebration than a lament. It says, God will take care of you. I mean, what was me? I mean, it doesn't have the feet, the, the, the way they sung it didn't match the power of the words or the celebratory. Yeah.
Speaker 2:'cause I, I, if I'm not mistaken, the, the version that we were listening to, Amelia Jackson, she was singing it at a funeral. And so the way she sings it is, is kind of depressing.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So let's just tell the truth. Yes. It is depressing for some words that are very, that are like, literally, if you read them, they're like, wow, this is, I'm not depressed anymore. I'm happy, man. Okay. He's got me, you know? Yeah. That's it say, bro, you've got to, you've got an album coming up. Well, let me ask you this. So is that song, that song is, uh, is it, is it common? Is it well, does she still own the rice or can that song be redone?
Speaker 2:Uh, I believe if I'm not mistaken, that song is, uh, is, uh, is an actual him now. So, uh, it is community property for lack of better word.
Speaker 1:Oh, that song should be like, like break that song in a three and put it like it, it alludes to divide the album up. I don't know, bro. Like it has, it doesn't need to be a song. It could just be like, you know, I don't know, like a bridge between your, the sections of your album. It, it does something, man. I, you know, somebody, we, no what'd you say? I don't know, am I okay? It doesn't need to be a song like, oh, we need to do a four minute rendition of this. But like, you know, I don't know, man. And it could be the title of the album. I don't know. You know, so, and then have it, I've gone crazy here right now. So it didn't have like sections of your album that speak to different parts of your journey or whatnot, but like Bob Bridget, together with yo at the end of the day, God's gonna take care of you. Oh no, I'm sorry. Okay. I've done that. I've done. I've done man. Uh, Michael Dickson tell folk where they can find you, man.
Speaker 2:Uh, you can find me on all social media platforms at Mike M I K E w R I T E Z on everything.
Speaker 1:All right, man. We, we so appreciate you coming through. We gotta have you again. Cause I feel like, I feel like we could just like riff for hours and talk about just like, you know, Dodd said, said, you know, anyway, man, uh, but thank you for being with me, man. Uh, man, it's been a pleasure.
Speaker 3:[inaudible].