HUMBLE STATS. Here’s where people are listening to the song from Habakkuk’s prayer. Body count seems low. But I love the scattering. It’s like little digital disciples leaving Jerusalem (Kansas City) to spread the Good News or to die trying.
I APOLOGIZE for hitting you with a barrage of info about the song I wrote from Habakkuk’s prayer. But it’s where I am at the moment.
I keep paraphrasing the Bible for a full day, every day. I’m into 2 Kings 15 now with a few big books left. But at the end of the writing day, I check in on the stats of the song, I Will Thank God He’s My Savior.
Songs published independently, bypassing record labels, and going straight from the recording studio to the music distributor, don’t typically produce big numbers. I suspect more people will read this today than those who have listened to the song since it released on February 9.
That’s because this feature has an established readership. When it comes to music, however, I’m nearly invisible, or a shock to someone who knows me and sees my name as the songwriter.
The number of times the song has played on Spotify’s streaming service, apart from Amazon, Apple, and scores more, is a little over 2,000. And, honestly humbly, I have just 2 followers. Maybe relatives for all I know.
So, this is an exercise in humility for someone whose books have sold over two million copies. I have one Spotify follower for every one million books.
Which suggests I should stick with books. (Note to agent: You’re probably thinking “I told you so.” That’s okay. Sometimes a guy’s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do.)
Yet it was a rare moment when I felt the song of Habakkuk. So I saved it, sealed it, and sent it to whoever in the world wants to hear it.
Habakkuk’s prayer hits the road
Almost half the 2,000+ streams were here in America.
The other half has gone to the world:
- Latvia 2
- Zambia 1
- Jordan 1
- Israel 1
- Romania 2
- United Arab Emirates 3
- Switzerland 5
- Turkey 6
- Chile 7
- Belarus 1
- South Korea 1
- South Africa 13
- Canada 15
So far, 189 have added the song to their playlists, and 1,300 souls have listened to the song…some more than once, since the streams are over 2,000.
Others are listening to the song by playing one of the several videos I’ve uploaded to my YouTube channel. So, people are hearing it in different ways and different places.
Though the body count is small, we have no way of knowing what kind of effect the music will have on some individuals.
What I feel most as I look at the statistics is the geography. I’m imagining hearing someone singing the tune on a walking trail in the Philippines, or in the Outback and the Down Under of Australia, or on the lush, green mountains of New Zealand.
It helps to have an imagination
I have to imagine it because I almost never see the reaction to what I’ve done all my life, creating things from nothing in existence to something we can hold, watch, or hear. Writers are not performers who stand at the head of a crowd and soak it all in. We have to imagine it, and take encouragement from occasional kind words, while accepting the critical words as an opportunity to grow thicker skin.
I’ll tell you this, it’s cool to get letters and emails of thanks from complete strangers, some of whom I now count among my friends (Ted N., Steve G., and more).
And it is very cool to see a list of 49 countries that have heard my song and Habakkuk’s prayer of faith in hard times.
A video for your smart phone
I made a vertical version of the song with synced lyrics so folks can play it on a smart phone and sing along if they like.
To be clear, the artist who is singing isn’t me. I called the two vocalists “Gabe” and “Michela,” pseudonyms that tip the hat to a couple famous angels. The production company I hired in New York City used musicians whose names are reserved for their own songs. I couldn’t use them, sadly. I tried to work a deal to use their real names and give them an equal percentage of royalties. No deal.
So, I still don’t know who sings the song. If anyone ever figures it out, I’ll give you a free PDF set of 900 Bible maps. Keep your ear to the ground, except when you’re listening to the Habakkuk song. That’s a song we should sing with our heads up.
An invitation
While I was writing this, Spotify asked me to create a playlist with my friends. If you stream music from Spotify and would like to add one song to the list, respond to this email with anything from a “Yes,” or “Count me in, ” or “Here’s the song title.” Then I’ll send you an invitation with a link to contribute your song title. I’ll call the playlist “Steve’s Friends: Christian Songs We Love.”
But I’m not going to do anything until I find a friend.
Peace to you.
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