{"id":"cbecb061-6783-4dee-ae38-7124e56d0348","title":"Teach Me How to Hold It","artist":"Iris Clark (by Alex Wilson)","album":"","year":2025,"genre":"Gospel/Soul","duration":"4:23","lyrics":"Verse 1\nThere’s a crack in my kitchen window, lets the morning through,\nCoffee on the stovetop, gospel on the news.\nI’ve buried what I loved, I’ve worked through Sundays too,\nI learned to say “I’m healing” even when it wasn’t true.\n\nPre-Chorus\nBut breath by breath I found a softer truth to tell:\nHope ain’t a lightning strike—sometimes it’s just a hand you held.\n\nChorus\nEverything’s a gift—teach me how to hold it.\nEven when it’s heavy, show me how to hold it.\nIf it breaks my heart, I’ll bring You every shard,\nLay it in Your mercy till it turns into a psalm.\nEverything’s a gift—teach me how to hold it.\n\nVerse 2\nThere were nights in the hallway, little light, big bills,\nSinging to a daughter who forgot how quiet feels.\nI kept a note on the mirror: “Eat, sleep, breathe.”\nTill the voice I gave to others finally started feeding me.\n\nPre-Chorus\nAnd breath by breath that ordinary miracle appears:\nJoy as a steady river, not the flood of one good year.\n\nChorus\nEverything’s a gift—teach me how to hold it.\nEven when it’s heavy, show me how to hold it.\nIf it breaks my heart, I’ll bring You every shard,\nLay it in Your mercy till it turns into a psalm.\nEverything’s a gift—teach me how to hold it.\n\nBridge (Call & Response)\nLead: I carried stones like secrets—\nChoir: Hold it, hold it.\nLead: I called my scars my story—\nChoir: Hold it, hold it.\nLead: I’m not what hurt has named me—\nChoir: Hold it, hold it.\nLead: I’m learning how to praise it—\nChoir: Hold it, hold it.\n\nChorus\nEverything’s a gift—teach me how to hold it.\nEven when it’s heavy, show me how to hold it.\nIf it breaks my heart, I’ll bring You every shard,\nLay it in Your mercy till it turns into a psalm.\nEverything’s a gift—teach me how to hold it.\n\nFinal Chorus / Vamp (Up a whole step)\nEverything’s a gift—teach me how to hold it.\nEven when it’s heavy, show me how to hold it.\nIf it breaks my heart, I’ll bring You every part,\nLay it in Your mercy till it turns into a psalm.\nVamp: I can hold it now—open hands—every midnight breaking red—\nAll: Everything’s a gift—teach me how to hold it.\n\nTag\nTeach me how to hold it.","notes":"Key F major → modulates to G major on final chorus; 74 BPM. Time Signature: 4/4. Verse: F–C/E–Dm7–C | Bb–F/A–Gm7–C; Pre-Chorus: Bb–C–Dm7–C/E–F; Chorus: F–C/E–Dm7–C | Bb–F/A–Gm7–C–F; Bridge: Primarily on the tonic F, with the choir adding harmonic color through simple chords; Vamp uses Bb–C–F–Dm7 | Bb–C–Gm7–C before modulating up a whole step to G major. Modulation hits on final 'Everything's a gift.'\n\nInstrumentation: Upright piano provides the main rhythmic and harmonic foundation, playing simple, soulful chords and subtle fills. The Hammond B3 organ adds warmth and depth, with gentle swells during the chorus and a more pronounced presence in the bridge and vamp. Clean tremolo guitar adds texture, playing arpeggios or simple chord voicings. P-bass lays down a solid groove. The drum kit starts with brushes in the verses and pre-chorus, transitioning to sticks in the chorus and building in intensity throughout the song. Tambourine is added from Chorus 2 onward, enhancing the rhythmic drive. Optional horns (trumpet, trombone, tenor sax) can be used on the lift into the final chorus, adding a soaring, celebratory feel. The 6-8 voice choir answers the lead vocalist in the bridge with simple, sustained chords and supports the final hook with layered harmonies. Keep the lead vocal relatively dry and forward in the mix, using a short plate reverb to add a touch of ambience. The overall mood should be introspective and hopeful, building to a powerful and uplifting climax.","description":"A deeply moving gospel-soul ballad about resilience, gratitude, and finding strength in vulnerability. Iris Clark's powerful vocals navigate themes of loss, hardship, and rediscovering joy. The song builds from quiet introspection to a cathartic release, emphasizing the importance of embracing life's gifts, even amidst pain, and finding solace in faith and community. The call-and-response bridge provides a moment of collective affirmation, leading to a soaring final chorus that celebrates the transformative power of acceptance and praise.","image_url":"https://v3b.fal.media/files/b/penguin/YU89DcaG_nVeSvZWMXzGp.jpg","audio_url":"","created_at":"2025-10-17T20:28:35.248+00:00"}