SONGWRITING
ANATOMY OF A GREAT SONG : “ ALL THE POOR AND POWERLESS ” Kevin MacDougall
Whenever a song strikes me as compelling or effective , I find that analyzing it can be highly informative — even inspirational — to my own writing process . That ’ s what the Anatomy of a Great Song series is meant to celebrate : breaking down aspects of songwriting here in the songwriting column of [ WM ], and seeing how a song functions . What makes it work so well . How it fuses to become a whole that is more than the sum of its parts .
There are some songs you just don ’ t fully grasp the power of until you see them engaged by a room full of people . “ All the Poor and Powerless ,” from All Sons & Daughters ’ 2012 album Season One , is one of those songs . [ If you ’ re unfamiliar with it , you ’ ll find a link at the end of this column .]
Its folk-pop simplicity contrasts with clever elements of arrangement and sectional structure , and it all culminates in a finale that has certainly elevated many church services . The song ’ s established accessibility and repetition are counterbalanced by the freedom it provides the people of a congregation to express themselves in their own way . And most importantly , it manages to encourage this freedom without any heavy-handed or manufactured scheme in place . “ All the Poor and Powerless ” arrives in the place where a church is both collectively and individually
expressing its heart at once . A diversity of expressions , but in unity and harmony .
That ’ s kind of everything .
WHAT ARE WE SINGING ABOUT ?
Lyrically , this is a song which begins by reminding us of those on the bottom of society . Those without power or wealth . There is room made at the table for them , and that is a rare and important thing in our sacred music . (
My previous songwriting article from last month goes into detail about the absence of the poor and justice from our worship songs , which is despite their overwhelming presence in the scriptures . I recommend checking it out if you haven ’ t .)
The poor and powerless , the lost and lonely , thieves , those who feel unworthy , those who hurt and have nothing left , and even those who are content already … All are promised a place …”
Holiness is like otherness . It ’ s what makes something ( or someone ) distinct — set apart in nature , character and purpose . And all these sorts of people the song mentions are welcomed to experience and know that holiness .
From that invitation comes the refrain : “ All will sing out , ‘ hallelujah ’ / And we will cry out , ‘ hallelujah .’”
One of the most primal and core utterances a worship song can make , “ hallelujah ” is a rallying place for gratitude and adoration within our faith tradition . It occurs often in the Psalms ( though only about a third as often as “ justice ” does !), and simply means “ praise God .” And it is in this term that “ All the Poor and Powerless ” rests its chorus .
When I was a kid , projected words and technological solutions where lyrics were concerned weren ’ t all that common in church . In my tradition , we sang a lot of simple choruses in those days — songs you could easily learn and remember . And some of those songs had A and B sections which could function in “ rounds ,” overlapping one another while cast over the same chord sequence . It might seem counterintuitive if you ’ ve never experienced it , but it could prove to be quite effective in a congregational setting .
That said , I haven ’ t seen it used much in churches for well over twenty years at this point … but “ All the Poor and Powerless ” finds a way . It opens itself to singing in rounds after establishing the bridge , and this decision genuinely provides the climax of the song .