Songwriters Inspiration
This weekend (January 2026) I had an incredible at the Lee Abbey Songwriter’s retreat. It was a great way to kick start the year and get the creative juices flowing. You see, I have a confession. I used to write loads of songs in my spare time but recently I felt like I had no time, or was too distracted, or it just wasn’t worth the effort. Why bother writing so many songs that nobody will ever get to hear?
While listening to I was reminded of something I’d jotted down years ago. There are three types of songs that God gives us. First, there are those songs that we need to share. They could be congregational worship or performance, but they are designed to enable others to worship too. Second, there are the songs that nobody will ever hear. These may simply be a way of enabling us to worship in the private space - the lyrics and rhythms that best resonate with our own worship preferences. Alternatively, these could be songs where we hone our craft. Third, there are the songs that God gave us because, to be honest, He didn’t want them any more. These are the terrible ones. The ones that, every now and again, we mistakenly share and see a look on people’s faces that say “no” (hopefully in a kindly, compassionate way).
So, during the very first talk, I started jotting down some ideas. I can’t read or write music using those black dots, so I used anything I could to remember what I sang as I wrote. The melody probably changed several times before it was finally fully formed. That left me free to listen to more talks, focus on worshipping God, and write more songs! Two more came on Saturday (I was slightly surprised, but I suspect a lack of sleep for over a week was contributing to some sort of hyperactive creative spark fuelled on exhaustion and nervous energy).
I felt satiated in the best way, and as we met to worship that evening - each of us jumping on instruments as we felt led - I felt free again. No distractions, no dishes, no disappointing home cooked meals. This was a glimpse of heaven.
That night I still didn’t sleep. I woke on the hour every hour and finally gave up at 6am, when I woke with a melody. This was another new one, so I gave up on sleep and started to jot down ideas. I’ve never tried writing a congregational resurrection song because there are so many great ones out there already. It would feel like a waste of time - like the time I came up with a really nice alternative melody for O Little Town of Bethlehem that seems to be liked by people who hear it, but simply can’t complete with the classic tunes. But hey, it was 6am. If I was ever going to give it a go it was now.
For the next 30 minutes I battled with lyrics and rhythms, not able to pick up an instrument for fear of waking my temporary neighbours. Just before 7am I snuck into the music room and sat at the keyboard. Even though it was off, I at least could work out the pitching. Once that was done I just had to wait and hope the melody and rhythm didn’t vacate my sleep-deprived mind. After breakfast I snuck back to the grand piano and gave it one run through, testing it to make sure it was solid. As people began to enter the room for the morning, I snuck back to my seat.
For the next hour or so we were encouraged to finish and polish songs ready to share. I’ll be honest - my early start had used up my energy and at this point I just stared blankly at my phone for an hour. Not sure this was the best use of my time, but maybe a solitary recharge is what I needed. Then came the sharing. Wow! I was on this retreat with some incredibly talented songwriters. There was beautiful melodies, perfectly poetic lyrics and some fantastic team work demonstrated as fresh songs were released into the room. As the event leader searched for the anyone else to share their song, a very lovely guest who shared my name (it’s worth adding, so did the event leader, which did get confusing!) pointed over to me. I was encouraged to the front, and I quickly grabbed a nearby violinist, giving her the instruction to play long notes for the chords until she knew what was going on. Having never played the song on guitar, and never sung it at full volume, I’ll admit I was a little more nervous than normal on the stage.
I shouldn’t have been.
God moved - at one point someone felt led to get up and dance spontaneously. The bridge seemed to stir something in the room and I felt truly encouraged. As I approached the end, I realised it needed a different ending. That’s now been written. But I sat down knowing that I needed to polish these songs and share at least two of them with others.
It was an incredibly weekend surrounded by incredible people, and just what I needed to kick start my songwriting again.
Why write all of this? What’s the lesson for you, the reader?
If you get a chance to attend a Songwriting Retreat at Lee Abbey, do it!
If you’re tired of songwriting, remember the audience - it’s a gift to God and that’s enough
If you wake up at 6am, be ready for inspiration!
PS
If you’re wondering who that is in the photo, it’s me sat with Godfrey Birtrill, who attended the conference. He was someone that inspired me many years ago to push the boundaries of lyric writing and chill out! Now 72, he was still packed full of wisdom and encouragement. He currently resides in Cornwall where he’s happily retired with his wife.