Paging Jaketh from MI regarding "Prodigal Son Suite&quo

J Dan Brown

Jake, I haven't seen a post from you in a while, but here is a MSWord format chord structure and lyrics I made explaining to a friend how to play it. And it'sfor anyone else who has heard this and wishes to play it. I warn you guys that I have a habit of writing the extra syllables that are sung in order to help keep me on time. Also the chords are placed on the same line in parentheses right before the word they hit on for easy printing rather than above the words.

And to Jake or anyone: I have a friend who is willing to scan and make a PDF file of the original sheet music (starting in C#m, mine starts in Am) that can be sent over the net, if anyone would like it. This word file is three pages. Are there rules on lengths of posts? I hope not! BTW, this is the only time I have ever legitimately used an open D6 chord (XOO2O2), twice near the end.
Blessed, by the sharing and the discussing, Dan

“Prodigal Son Suite”
(By the late Mr. Keith Green)

Intro: Am---E7---G2---D2 (twice, one measure per chord)

1) (Am)I was done (E7)Hoeing, (G2)out in the (D2)fields for the (Am)day!
(Am)I was thinking of (E7)going, G2)I had to (D2)leave right (Am)away!
(Am)My life was just (E7)fading, G2)and Oh I D2)felt so a-(Am)-lone!
(Am)The nearest young (E7)maiden, Lord, (C)a full days’ ride
from (E7)ho-ome!
Hoe-oh-(Am)ome…Oh-(E7)Oh, (G2)Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh-(D2)Oh!

(to the 2nd verse which is musically identical to the first)

2) My Father was reading the Holy Books in his room!
And though my heart was just bleeding, I knew I had to go soon!
He smiled and pointed to an old wooden chair.
I wanted to hold him, but then I just wouldn’t dare! (ending on E7)

(1st break) (we’re now in the key of A rather than Am somehow)
I said (F#m)Father there’s too much to know!
(A2)there’s a world of things to see and I’m (Bm)ready to go and
make a (Bm7)life for my-(F#m)self. (count 1-2-3), and then (C#7)
(F#7)If you give me what is mine, (A2)I will go and if I can’t have
your (Bm)blessing and if you won’t bless my (G2jour-(D2ney
I’m gonna leave any(Esus4)way. (E) (Esus4) (E)

(Break 1A)
(Father’s answer now in the key of E and about to modulate back to Am)
Well, (Esus4)son, I’ve always tried my… (E2)best for you and
(Esus4)if you must be leaving (D2)home. Then (Cmaj7)go with
the (D2)blessings of (Esus4)God! (E) (Esus4) (E) (to Am intro again)

(After intro, go into the 3rd verse, which is musically identical to
verse 1 and 2)

3) Not too many days later, I was well on my way!
I met a traveling stranger, who really had much to say!
He told me tales of the city… and all the women he’d had!
I asked him “Wasn’t that sinful?” he said… no, it isn’t that bad!

(to verse 4 which is like a typical verse in Am)
4) Then a few days later, on an old city road,
We were drowning in laughter, and we had women to hold!
This went on quite a long time; my Father gave me a lot!
But when my pockets were empty, my friends all left me to rot!
(end on E7 again)

Break 2 (which is identical to the chords and timing of the first break)
Then a famine hit and drained the land, every where I looked
I saw starvation, and a job was so hard to find!
I wandered through the city streets, competing for the food…
…of common beggars! By-then-I wasn’t too proud!
(end on the double (Esus4) (E) (Esus4) (E) changes and completely stop on the last (E)

Intro: starting with (Am) chord, but much slower
(The 5th verse is musically like the others but much, much slower)

5) I finally found some employment… feeding pigs on a farm!
I wasn’t treated so kindly, Lord! I had to sleep in the barn!
I had to eat with the swine… the bread I ate was like stone!
It didn’t take too much time to tell… that I was dreaming of home!

Break 3 (musically like break 1 and 2 but slower and slowly speeding up to regular tempo)
The servants there are better fed! If I could only have what my
Father gives them, I would truly need nothing more! (to the C#7)
I could go and say to him “I’m no longer worthy to be in your
Family, would you take me as your servant and I could live with them?”
(ending with the (Esus4) to (E) stuff again)

Break 3A (musically like break 1A and back up to the tempo of it as well)
(with much emphasis, starting with the(Esus4) chord)
It (Esus4)didn’t take too long to… (E2)pack my things!
I (Esus4)left… with only what I (D2)wor-or-ore!
And I (Cmaj7)prayed that I (D2)still had a (Esus4)home (E) (Esus4) (E)
(Stop!)
(Arriving home!)
(this is the ¾ time part and you’re somehow back in A, although the first chord of the intro to this part is a G2) (This intro is very slow and soft, building up to the finale)

Intro) (G2) (A2) (G2) (A2) (Dm) (Dm7) (A2) (D6) (Esus4) (E)

(G2)I was near home, in (A2)sight of the house!
My (G2)Father just stared and dropped (A2)open his mouth!
I ((Dm)ran up the (Dm7)road and (A2)fell to my feet!
And (D6)cried and (Esus4)cried! (E)
I said (G2)”Father, I’ve sinned and (A2)Heaven’s ashamed!”
“And I’m (G2)no longer worthy (A2)to bear your name!
“I’ve (Dm)learned that my (Dm7)home is (A2)right where you are!
(D6)Father (E7)…take me (A2)in!
(Repeat intro to this part and then stop on the E chord)

Intro to Finale (strummed with a pick, 4/4 time and forcefully)(This part changes keys 4 times, beginning in A, then going to F#, then Eb, then C and then back to A for the end)
(A) (D2) (E7) (A2) (D2) (E7)
(A2)Bring the best (D2)robe, put it (E7)on my (A2)so-on! (D2) (E)
(A2)Shoes for his (D2)feet, hurry, (E7)put them (F#)oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-on. (B) (C#7)
(F#)This is my (B)son, who I (C#7)thought had (F#)di-(B)-ied! (C#7)
(F#)Prepare a (B)feast for my son’s a-(Eb)li-eye-eye-eye-eye-(Ab)-ive! (Bb7)
(Eb)I prayed and (Ab)prayed never (Bb7)heard a (Eb)sou-ound. (Ab) (Bb7)
(Eb)My son was (Ab)lost, thank you (Bb7)God, he’s {C} fou-ow-ow-ow-ow-(F)ound! (G7)
{C}My son was (F)dead and (G7)now a-{C}li-ive! (F) (G7)
{C}Prepare a (F)feast for my son’s (A2)li-eye-eye-eye-eye-(D2)ife! E7
(A2)My son was (D2)lost! (E7)
(A2)My son was (D2)dead! (E7) (get slower)
(A2)My son’s re-((D2)turned in the (E7)name of (A2)Gah-od!
(END)(Whew!)

jaketh · Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2007 6:48 pm Post subject:

Thanks Dan,

I just printed it off. I will take a look and see if I can figure it out. I'm sure he has a CD with this song on it? Do you know which cd I could find it on? Thanks!

Jake

J Dan Brown · Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2007 7:45 pm Post subject:

Great, Jake! Keith Green died in a light plane accident over 25 years ago in '82. The original project which had this tune was called "The Prodigal Son" and was released in Aug. '83, not long after his death. I don't know if that is available on CD from Word Music. I do know that this original cut is on 1 of 2 collection CDs of all his work, Keith Green's "The Ministry Years Vol. 1 1977-1979" which is available all over the web along with "The Ministry Years Vol. II 1980-82." I still would make you a PDF file of the sheet music if you could read it, or knew a pianist who would let you hear the basic melodies and timings through them.

This site of his discography has quite a few MP3 and REAL clips of his stuff, but nothing on this tune, but I am lookng to see what I can find.

<http://www.lastdaysministries.org/keith/music.html>

I found a classic "The Prodigal Son" CD fo $10.99 at this site:(3 in stock)

<http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=CD543X&p=1010575>

And I don't have the dial-up speed or time to check it out now, since I own a cassette and a CD version of this tune, but here is a supposed "YouTube" video of Keith somehow singing this to a more modern video of the parts of the parableplayed out. It's only 10 min. and I think the original tune is longer, but it would help you with the feel of it:

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-00yOXmm_Y>

Hope this helps, Jake! Please remember that my solo version has a much shorter intro than the Philharmonic orchestra version and after a short intro, gets right down to the story Christ told of the lost son.
Blessed, by Jesus loving guitar pickers, Dan

J Dan Brown · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 7:43 pm Post subject:

Jake, it's probably too late, since you're seeking to hear this tune and I more or less told you how, but I had a wierd brain-storm. I wonder what you (or any of you, for that matter) would have came up if you had used the lyrics (which is a near perfect telling of the parable of the "lost son" as in Luke 15:11-24 from the son's point of view) and the (really my) chords and then used instinct to write your own music to those chords and lyrics, having never heard Mr. Green's penned version. I mean striving to fit the music to the story, and building up through the lost son's departure, then his misery, to his triumphant return to His Father's arms, treated with honor.

What if we all tried to come up with a different version? Pretty scary, huh?Just wondered, but hey my brain shorts out. Don't blame me! I'm scaring myself! Shocked

Blessed, by even strange challenges, Dan

markm2553 · Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 8:15 pm Post subject:

Dan, I'm afraid I have done that to a couple of old songs from time to time. I bought an old folk gospel guitar song book in a bargin rack for $1 a couple of years ago, many of the songs I have heard before. But there is one called (I think this is the title) "sinner man", I like the lyrics and the chords came easy, so I play it the way I think it should go...

I have never met anyone that has heard the song before, the book was put out in 1972. I would love to hear they way it was suppose to be one time, just to see...

I never thought to check you tube? Shocked