Chuck Girard
  • Welcome
  • Bio
    • Testimony
    • Receiving Jesus
  • ITINERARY
  • MUSIC
    • Back Tracks & Vox Only
    • Love Song >
      • Love Song Album >
        • About The Album
        • Credits
        • Lyrics & Chords >
          • A Love Song
          • Changes
          • Two Hands
          • Little Country Church
          • Freedom
          • Welcome Back
          • Front Seat, Back Seat
          • Let Us Be One
          • And The Wind Was Low
          • A Brand New Song
          • Feel The Love
      • Final Touch >
        • About The Album
        • Lyrics & Chords >
          • Since I Opened Up The Door
          • Joyous Lament
          • Jesus Puts The Song In Our Hearts
          • The Cossack Song
          • Think About What Jesus Said
          • Short Alleluia
          • Living Water
          • Sunday Afternoon
          • Book Of Life
          • Don't You Know
          • Little Pilgrim
    • Girard Girls
    • Chuck Girard >
      • About the Album
      • Credits
      • Song Commentary
      • Lyrics & Chords
      • Reviews
    • Glow In The Dark >
      • About the Album
      • Credits
      • Song Commentary
      • Lyrics & Chords
    • Written On The Wind >
      • About the Album
      • Credits
      • Song Commentary
      • Lyrics & Chords
    • Take It Easy >
      • About the Album
      • Credits
      • Song Commentary
      • Lyrics & Chords
    • The Stand >
      • About the Album
      • Credits
      • Song Commentary
      • Lyrics & Chords
    • The Name Above All Names >
      • About the Album
      • Credits
      • Song Commentary
      • Lyrics & Chords
    • Fire & Light >
      • About the Album
      • Credits
      • Song Commentary
      • Lyrics & Chords
    • Lyrics & Chords By Album
    • Lyrics & Chords A-Z
    • Book On Music
  • Photos
    • The Early Years
    • The 'Love Song' Years
    • The Solo Years
  • Booking
    • Ministry Overview
    • Salon Concerts
    • Promotional Package
    • Promo Pictures
    • Booking Form
    • General Contact Form
  • Misc
    • Facebook Teachings >
      • How I Got Into Worship 1
      • How i Got Into Worship Pt. 2
      • Most Important Things I've Learned About worship Pt.1
      • Most Important Things i've Learned About Worship Pt.2
      • Role Of Silence
      • 7 Hebrew Words For Praise
    • Print Media >
      • The Calgary Report
      • Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music?
      • Rock In Jesus
      • The Liberator
      • For Real
      • Rockin' Religion
      • Rolling Stone Magazine
      • "Jesus Rock" Concert Spurs Enthusiasm At Wilson High
      • Praising Him With Loud Cymbals
      • Miscellaneous Love Song Reviews
      • Review- Plain Ol' Joe- Written On The Wind
      • Things Are Getting Better by Chuck Girard
      • Thoughts From Chuck
      • Love Song- Chuck Girard Remembers
    • W-9 Form
    • Chuck's links
    • Blog
    • Jokes
  • YouTube
    • Chuck Girard JWC 3.18.85
    • Last Psalm TV Show 1979
    • Willow Creek 33rd Anniversary
    • TBN Love Song: 10-19-83 Full Show
    • Baptism Video
    • Love Song on Kathryn Kuhlman
    • Love Song "Welcome Back" 2010
    • Drive Thru Church
    • How To Talk Like A Christian
    • Sunday's Coming
    • SNL 39 cents FUNNY!
  • Donate
  • Current
CHUCK GIRARD-  Singer, Songwriter, Recording Artist, and Worship Leader 
A Pioneer of Contemporary Christian Music, Member and Co-Founder of the CCM group 'LOVE SONG.'


Plain  Ol' Joe

Picture
This song has inspired curiosity over the years that is paralleled only by the songs "Tinagera" and "Old Dan Cotton."  

Did I know a person like "Plain Ol' Joe?"  The answer is no. 

Like the two songs above, these are "story" songs that follow events in the lives of fictitious characters who represent real people on our lives.  I have always received it as a special compliment when people come and ask me if these songs were based on real people.  It says to me that I succeeded in creating characters who were vividly enough drawn to actually connect with listeners as people I or they may have known in our own lives.

Actually, this song and "Old Dan" came out of my appreciation for the late great storyteller in song, Harry Chapin.  I have always admired his work, and these songs were written as I would imagine he may have written them.

"Plain Ol Joe" presented quite a dilemma for me.   As with many of these wordy, longer songs; the story begins to emerge, and the challenge is to tell the story in a format which does not really allow for a lengthy narrative.  

As the arc of the story began to emerge, I was soon groping for an ending.  It seemed to most naturally flow into the sad events of this lonely life ending in suicide, but obviously that ending seemed risky at best.  But to me the Bible is not all sweet and lovely, but reflects the failure and pain of life as well.  

I actually brought this song to several pastors for counsel on whether or not the ending was appropriate for a "gospel" song.  I suggested alternate endings, like having Joe get saved and the events of his life ending up more positively.  But all counsel reinforced the idea that the power of the ending was in its tragedy, and the general consensus was that I should leave it alone, which I did.

I believe that the message of my work is clarified in it's overall context.  In other words, an individual song may have a more subtle lyric or more negative subject matter,  but when seen as a part of a whole album or as a part of a complete body of work, the message is clear.  So, I purposely followed this song on the album with the song "Harvest Time," which speaks of the fields being white to harvest, but the workers are few.  The combined impact of the two songs was to say that there are unlovely and unloved people out there that desperately need for us to share the gospel message with them. 

I have received much feedback over the years that this song has ministered to people in many diverse ways.

Chuck
(Click to read a review of Plain Ol' Joe)

Picture

Chuck Girard's Music
is  available  online  through

Picture

HOME      BACK      NEXT      TAKE IT EASY
Picture
CHUCK  GIRARD
chuck@chuckgirard.com



FOLLOW CHUCK GIRARD 
on
SOCIAL  MEDIA
 Copyright 2019 by Chuck Girard & Chuck Girard Ministries.  All Right Reserved.
 Website and Content Creation by One Spark Marketing