Lyr Req: Stir Up Your Power (Bob Franke)

Subject: Lyr Req: Stir Up Your Power, Bob Franke
From: WindhoverWeaver
Date: 08 Sep 13 - 11:41 AM

I am looking for the words to this song. I have the chords, know the melody, and can remember about half the words, but they lyrics are no-where to be found. I would be very grateful indeed if someone who knows them would post them.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stir Up Your Power, Bob Franke
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 14 Sep 13 - 10:17 PM

The most relevant thing I can find is this article at Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stir-up_Sunday

—which traces the phrase "stir up your power" to a prayer in the Book of Common Prayer (1979), published by the Episcopal Church, USA:

"Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us...."

It is a translation of an older Latin prayer. There is a different version in the Church of England prayer book.

Bob Franke performs a song called STIR UP YOUR POWER on his album "For Real," (Flying Fish, 1986).

I couldn't find any lyrics or an online recording.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stir Up Your Power, Bob Franke
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Sep 13 - 09:54 AM

http://www.worldcat.org/title/songs-of-bob-franke/oclc/53986780

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stir Up Your Power, Bob Franke
From: WindhoverWeaver
Date: 15 Sep 13 - 11:18 AM

Thanks, Guest. I had seen that there is a book but I can find no copies in the UK and only 2 on Amazon in the States and those are both over $100 plus shipping, which is too much for 3 lines of text (at least for me).

Jim, I know Bob recorded it on For Real but unfortunately my copy got lost years ago and it has never been issued on CD. I did an extensive online search too and could not find hide nor hair of the lyrics. I recall a conversation with Bob form years ago when he said that there were some rights problems connected with his early LPs. that may be part of the reason.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stir Up Your Power, Bob Franke
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Sep 13 - 09:30 AM

WW, have you tried writing to Bob Franke?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stir Up Your Power, Bob Franke
From: WindhoverWeaver
Date: 16 Sep 13 - 10:58 AM

Guest, I was actually thinking about doing so. I have his website bookmarked and I know his email is there. Thanks for the suggestion though, without the reminder it may have become one of those things I think of doing then forget to actually do.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stir Up Your Power (Bob Franke)
From: GUEST,Sean....
Date: 27 Sep 13 - 10:33 PM

Not sure if this thread is still active/if you're still looking for those lyrics, but I have them.

Although familiar with Mudcat, I've never registered and am not currently a member. I was going to send you a private message, but this ought to be fine. At any rate...

I was running a Google search earlier today and found your post.

So if you ARE still looking for those lyrics, feel free to email me at sean dot weaver at comcast dot net (of course writing my email address that way so that the spammers don't get me).

Best,

Sean

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stir Up Your Power (Bob Franke)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Sep 13 - 11:17 PM

Sean, if you don't mind posting the lyrics here, several of us would like to see them.

-Joe Offer-
[e-mail]

Subject: ADD: Stir Up Your Power (Bob Franke)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Sep 13 - 10:53 AM

Somebody sent me the lyrics. I understand that Franke had attended an Episcopalian seminary, but this is the first overtly religious song from Bob Franke that I've seen. His songs often have religious undertones, as in "The Great Storm Is Over."

STIR UP YOUR POWER
(Bob Franke)

The world may no longer stand.
The heart is a desert land,
With horror on every hand,
While the hope of the poor fades away.

Our words have an empty ring
They don't seem to mean a thing,
With voices too scared to sing
As the night consumes the day

Stir up Your power, O Lord.
Here in this hour, O Lord.
Stir up Your power, O Lord.
Let Your living waters roll.

Lord, may Your will be done.
Lord, may Your kingdom come.
Stir up Your power, O Lord.
And restore our weary souls.

We stumble from year to year
Our minds overcome with fear,
With ears that no longer hear,
And with eyes like polished stone.

The earth groans beneath our need
Poisoned by human greed
With too many mouths to feed
That are doomed to die alone.

Stir up Your power, O Lord.
Here in this hour, O Lord.
Stir up Your power, O Lord.
Let Your living waters roll.

Lord, may Your will be done.
Lord, may Your kingdom come.
Stir up Your power, O Lord.
And restore our weary souls.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stir Up Your Power (Bob Franke)
From: WindhoverWeaver
Date: 28 Sep 13 - 11:18 AM

Thanks, Joe.

Bob was also artist-in-residence at St Andrew's Episcopal Church in Marblehead for many, many years and wrote quite a lot of Christian music for them, including an Easter Cantata.

Quite a few of his songs are more or less overtly Christian, including:
Walkin' In The Wilderness
Israelite
Waiting For Nineveh To Burn
Turn Back, O Man
Holy Ground
For Real
Straw Against The Chill
A Healing in this Night
Source
A Still Small Voice
Hard Love
Beggars to God

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stir Up Your Power (Bob Franke)
From: GUEST,Jessica
Date: 02 Nov 14 - 03:36 PM

I don't know if this thread will still be read, but I happen to have all the lyrics and can't get a handle on the chords. It has been years since I've played this. Can you share?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stir Up Your Power (Bob Franke)
From: WindhoverWeaver
Date: 02 Nov 14 - 05:41 PM

Hi Jessica.

Here is what I use, though I have a low voice, so you might need to transpose. The arrows indicate a run down between the chords. The chorus is the same as the verse.

G                C          → Am
The world may no longer stand.
               D          → Bm
The heart is a desert land,
               G   → Em
With horror on every hand,
          A                      C   D
While the hope of the poor fades away.
G                C         → Am
Our words have an empty ring
                   D          → Bm
They don't seem to mean a thing,
                G       → Em
With voices too scared to sing
       A       D         G
As the night consumes the day

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stir Up Your Power (Bob Franke)
From: WindhoverWeaver
Date: 02 Nov 14 - 05:43 PM

Hmmm, font change messed it up, let me try once more:

G                           C                → Am
The world may no longer stand.
                      D               → Bm
The heart is a desert land,
                         G → Em
With horror on every hand,
                A                                  C          D
While the hope of the poor fades away.
G                            C             → Am
Our words have an empty ring
                               D                   → Bm
They don't seem to mean a thing,
                           G       → Em
With voices too scared to sing
            A             D             G
As the night consumes the day

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Stir Up Your Power (Bob Franke)
From: GUEST,Michael Stenning
Date: 30 Jan 21 - 01:39 PM

I first heard this when Bob did a house concert in Michigan many years ago. I'm still inspired by it decades later.


G                         C        Em7 Am                 D              C        G
The world may no longer stand.        The heart is a desert land.
                   Em D    G                              C                                  D
With horror on every   hand,         while the hope of the poor fades away.

Our words have an empty ring.        They don’t seem to mean a thing.
With voices too scared to sing as the night consumes the day.

Stir up your power, Oh, Lord,         here in the hour, Oh, Lord,
Stir up your power, Oh, Lord        let your living waters roll.

G                   C                                           D                C        G
Lord may your will be done,        Lord may your kingdom come.
                Em        D      G                C              D            G
Stir up your power , Oh, Lord,        and restore our weary souls.

We stumble from year to year,        our minds overcome with fear,
with ears that no longer hear,         and with eyes like polished stone.

The earth grows beneath our need,                poisoned by human greed,
with too many mouths to feed         that are doomed to die alone.

Stir up your power, Oh, Lord,        here in this hour, Oh, Lord,
Stir up your power, Oh, Lord,         let your living waters roll.

Lord, may Your will be done,        Lord, may Your kingdom come,
Stir up your power , Oh, Lord,        and restore our weary souls.