The outcome is an album that represents the multiple facets of Cindy’s life as a wife, mother, and storyteller. “One of the greatest things in my life is being a mother to my two girls, Olivia and Savannah. I love seeing the world through their eyes; they teach me so much everyday and, of course, they inspire me.
Song Snapshots
‘Lay Me Down’
‘Lay Me Down’ starts off the record. “I wrote this song with my good friend and soul man Phil Madiera.” The music was inspired by the music from ‘O Brother Where Art Thou’ and came to her while gardening. “I was at our home in Canada, digging in the dirt and had my shovel out trying to break through this huge rock. I started singing this lyric based on a Psalm, Oh lay me down in your green pastures.”
‘The Sun Shines Through’
“This song like many was inspired by a few people in my life… all true stories of how we are sometimes handed a hard road and we wonder how we’ll make it through. It is so good to know that God will not leave us or forsake us, but bring about to completion the good work which He has started in us”.
Morgan has intentionally released few details about this record, preferring to keep it under wraps until just before the release date. In keeping with this path she has also decided to brave the digital frontier, releasing ‘Beautiful Bird’ exclusively in digital format through her website (cindymorganmusic.com) and iTunes, as well as, other hand picked online outlets. “The wonderful thing about doing a record like this is that you throw the rule book out the window… it really sets the creative spirit free to let each song, and the record as a whole, be what it is without boundaries that often squash the creative process.”
This record is a mix of all the musical styles Morgan has been a fan of. “It is a mix of Pop, Appalachia, Country, and Symphonic. I can’t choose the cello over the doboro so I wanted to make a record where they could live together. I am also a great admirer and pursuer of the art of writing a great country song and many of the lyrics are from that approach.” Morgan, who is a dynamic vocalist and pianist, has added to her musical quiver, the lap dulcimer. “I have written on the piano for so many years, it was great writing on different instruments. This really brings about different melodies and character of songwriting… I play the dulcimer and a little guitar.”
A songwriter's songwriter, Morgan has garnered eighteen number one hits that include ‘Listen’, ‘Praise the King’, ‘Take my life’, and ‘I Know You’; as well as Point of Grace’s recent hit ‘How You Live’. Morgan has garnered several Dove Awards and Billboard Music Video Award nominations. Her songs have been recorded by luminaries such as Michael W. Smith, Point Of Grace, Avalon, Rachael Lampa, Brit Nicole, Mandisa, The Martins, Michael English, BeBe
Winans, Sandi Patty, Jaci Velasquez, Mark Schultz, John Tesh, and Natalie Grant.
“A few years ago, I decided it was time for a rest from the road and take more seriously my desire to become a better songwriter. I decided of all places, to do this in Los Angeles. Along with my husband and our then one year old daughter, we headed to our little apartment in Burbank, California.” In Burbank, Morgan worked as a full-time songwriter in the Christian, pop, and country genres, crafting hits including Christy "It was so great to be around people who were not necessarily Christians because I recognized that their search goes on earnestly, and I felt so blessed that I knew what I believed and that I felt truth in that
belief."
Eventually, the family returned to Nashville and bought a house where they still make their home six months of the year. In this jambalaya of settings, Morgan engaged in a journey toward new self-discovery. She stretched as a wife and mother, and matured as a woman and musician. First and foremost, she drank deeply from a spiritual well and grew stronger in her faith. “Everyday is a new journey for me...I think we just keep on struggling and walking toward the path that God has set before us. I am so thankful to be here and to have a wonderful husband and two healthy children. I am so happy that I know Jesus and that He knows me and hears the prayers of my heart. I pray that whatever gifts he has given me, that I make the most of these gifts…never letting anything stand in the way of making manifest the wonderful goodness of God and the good news of what He has done for us.”
Postcards
Cindy Morgan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thought she would find herself there
Scared and afraid, she panhandled all day
To get enough for a one-way fare
And a taxi to the nearest Greyhound bus
Made a call, mom said please come home to us
I'm searching, I'm travelling
I still don't know where this will lead
Enjoying the weather
I'll get it together so don't worry
I'll send you a postcard
From my journey to me
Crawled through the desert and swam in the ocean
Tried meditation and a few magic potions
Marched at the Whitehouse against the attacks
Sent a call out to Buddah but he never called back
And I'm thinking there must be something I have missed
What do you think of all this
If you can't find the answers from anyone else
You'll just have to see for yourself
Under a blanket and up on a mountain
A sleeping bag prayer
Where she drank from the fountain
Though about Sunday school, thought about Jesus
Love that's so simple, grace that's so genius
And just like those ruby slippers you know
The answers were there in her soul
I'm searching, I'm travelling
But I'm not unraveling
I still don't know where this will lead
Enjoying the weather
It feels like forever
Since I've seen Tennessee
This is the last of my postcards
I'll be back home by the next star
I love you with all of my heart
Sincerely, me
The song, "Postcards" by Cindy Morgan is a story of a teenage girl who ran away from home at the age of seventeen to find herself in the city. The song explores her journey of self-discovery, her fears, and her misadventures in her pursuit to find purpose and meaning in her life. In the first verse, the girl is scared and afraid, panhandling all day to get enough money for a one-way fare. She is lost and unsure of where to go, so she hops on a Greyhound bus and travels around the country, trying to find herself.
In the second verse, the girl tries everything to find the answer to her life's big questions. She crawls through the desert, swims in the ocean, tries meditation and magic potions. She even marches at the White House and sends a call out to Buddha but to no avail. The journey starts to take a toll on her, and she wonders if she has missed something along the way.
Finally, in the last verse, she finds the answers she was looking for on a mountain. She remembers her childhood memories and thinks about Jesus and the simplicity of love and grace. The simple answers she was looking for were within all along, and she writes a postcard to her family, saying she's found what she was looking for.
Line by Line Meaning
At seventeen she ran away to the city
At the age of 17, she left her home to live in the city.
Thought she would find herself there
She had assumed that she would discover herself in the city.
Scared and afraid, she panhandled all day
Feeling scared and nervous, she begged for money throughout the day.
To get enough for a one-way fare
She collected enough money to purchase a one-way ticket.
And a taxi to the nearest Greyhound bus
She took a taxi to reach the closest Greyhound bus station.
Made a call, mom said please come home to us
She called her mother and her mother requested her to return home.
Crawled through the desert and swam in the ocean
She explored the desert and the ocean.
Tried meditation and a few magic potions
She made an attempt to learn meditation and experienced different potions.
Marched at the Whitehouse against the attacks
She participated in a protest march at the White House to fight against the attacks.
Sent a call out to Buddah but he never called back
She tried reaching out to Buddah but never received any response.
And I'm thinking there must be something I have missed
She pondered about what she could have missed.
What do you think of all this
She asked for someone's opinion on her adventures.
If you can't find the answers from anyone else
She believed that if she couldn't obtain answers from others, she would have to seek them herself.
You'll just have to see for yourself
She came to the conclusion that she'll have to experience things on her own.
Under a blanket and up on a mountain
She spent time on a mountain, wrapped in a blanket.
A sleeping bag prayer
She engaged in a prayer while wrapped in a sleeping bag.
Where she drank from the fountain
She drank water from a fountain.
Though about Sunday school, thought about Jesus
She reflected on her days when she attended Sunday school and pondered about Jesus.
Love that's so simple, grace that's so genius
She realized the simplicity and brilliance of love and grace.
And just like those ruby slippers you know
She discovered that the answers were within her, much like in the story of the Wizard of Oz.
The answers were there in her soul
She realized that the answers she sought were within herself.
But I'm not unraveling
She clarified that she was not falling apart.
It feels like forever
She felt like she was away from home for a long time.
Since I've seen Tennessee
She missed her home in Tennessee.
This is the last of my postcards
She informed that this would be her final postcard.
I'll be back home by the next star
She promised to return home soon.
I love you with all of my heart
She conveyed her love for someone dear to her.
Sincerely, me
She signed off the postcard.
Contributed by Wyatt D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Morgan Tillett
It's taken me years to find this song!
Durkanian Blake
Thank you :D