Return to Me [Storytellers]

“Return to Me” was written for “The Word” project to cover the expansive section of the Old Testament prophets.

“The Word” is a project by North Side Worship telling the grand narrative of the Bible.  It is available at North Side (May 3, 2015) and iTunes (May 5, 2015).

With 17 books associated with the Old Testament prophets and a wide-array of themes, this section was one of the more complex to compose.

One major misunderstanding of the prophets is that they were fortune-tellers.  While they occasionally spoke something that was about to happen in the future, they more often were consequence-tellers.

Instead of predicting “this is going to happen,” most of the OT prophecies warned, “if you continue doing that, this will happen.”

“Return to Me” is a common phrase spoken on behalf of God by the prophets.  That thought became the rallying part of the song.

Song Info

  1. Eric Bryant did a wonderful job singing this song.  If Eric Bryant sings the phonebook, I find myself moved.  Speaking on behalf of God, this song needed a unique depth to it which Eric’s voice provided.
  2. We wanted this song to sound like a wooing song as a pursuer is pleading with his love to come back home.
  3. We desired to keep the strong extremely simple to provide extreme focus on the words and the reality of God’s pleading for his people to return to him.
  4. It needed to be in stark contrast to the songs around it (joyful, national worship before and moaning lament after).  This song in the timeline represents God’s warnings to the people who impending destruction was coming if they did not repent.  They never listened which makes the last lines intentionally ominous: “Return to me, don’t delay, come back to me before it’s too late; My love’s too great to let you stay this way; Return to me.”

Chord Chart: Return To Me – Eb

Lyrics

VERSE 1
Return to me, o my love, return to me, with all your heart
You ran away, what turned your soul from me?
Return to me, o my love, can’t you see what you have done
You’re chasing things that cannot satisfy
Return to me

CHORUS
O, I will never apologize
For being jealous of what is mine

VERSE 2
Return to me, o my love, come seek me, while I may be found
Call on me while I am still near

CHORUS 2
O, I will never apologize
For being jealous of what is mine
Never once have I forsaken you
I’m pleading come back, what will you do?

VERSE 3
Return to me, don’t delay, come back to me before it’s too late
My love’s too great to let you stay this way
Return to me

Return to Me Lyric

Track Listing

  1. Let There Be (Creation)
  2. How We’ve Fallen (The Fall)
  3. No One Like Our God (Exodus)
  4. The Ten Commandments (Law)
  5. Our God Is With Us (Covenant)
  6. Enter His Gates (Psalms)
  7. Return to Me (Prophets)
  8. How Long O LORD (Exile)
  9. Fear Not (Incarnation)
  10. Amazed (Jesus’ Ministry)
  11. What a Savior (Passion Week)
  12. Come Holy Spirit (Pentecost)
  13. Day By Day (Church)
  14. You Alone Are God (Trinity)
  15. Your Word (Epistles)
  16. Faithful and True (Revelation)

“The Word” is a project by North Side Worship telling the grand narrative of the Bible.  It is available at North Side (May 3, 2015) and iTunes (May 5, 2015).