Saturday, September 02, 2006
Welcome!
Welcome to the site for "Another Million Miles" by The MUH (featuring Andrew Cos).
Click around for album info, lyrics, behind-the-song-writing info, and behind-the-recording info.
To return to the Andrew Cos Band website:
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Album biography
What? A "Greatest Hits/Best of" album from a band that only lasted 3 years?? "Loungy Favorites"?? Well, we wanted to do something different as a way to say a final farewell to you, our many friends and fans. What better than to take some tunes considered favorites from The MUH (plus a brand new song), rework the styles to have a jazz, lounge, and overall easy-going feel while keeping the same lyrics?
Intrigued yet? We hope so.
From out first days of playing together, albeit sonic torture, to the last days we've spent in the studio on this final album, we have grown so much, both collectively and individually, and whether you've taken the entire journey with us, or perhaps you just asked "The em-yu-aych?" a moment ago, we hope you enjoy what you hear and realize it's a simple testament of God's faithfulness to us. Find yourself a LaZboy and some lemonade, and remember that the journey is just as important as the destination.
--The MUH (Make Us Holy)
To return to the Andrew Cos Band website:
Hold down CTRL + W
or click here
Intrigued yet? We hope so.
From out first days of playing together, albeit sonic torture, to the last days we've spent in the studio on this final album, we have grown so much, both collectively and individually, and whether you've taken the entire journey with us, or perhaps you just asked "The em-yu-aych?" a moment ago, we hope you enjoy what you hear and realize it's a simple testament of God's faithfulness to us. Find yourself a LaZboy and some lemonade, and remember that the journey is just as important as the destination.
--The MUH (Make Us Holy)
To return to the Andrew Cos Band website:
Hold down CTRL + W
or click here
Sunday, January 01, 2006
8-A Million Miles (AMM version)
Behind the songwriting:
I remember going to a soccer practice after writing these lyrics, because I sang them over and over in my head as I ran laps. This means I probably penned them at school. My apologies to whoever the teacher was who didn't get my attention for that class period.
The power of the gospel on me has made me want to go run a marathon to bring all the lost souls to God. Alas, even a million miles might not bring even one of them a simple step closer unless they choose to come themselves. Still, I believe the Great Commission, along with Paul, calls us to "run" anyway, and thereby show our love to the lost, and by that they might come.
Of all the lyrics for the "Wannabe" album, my English teacher found this bridge most intriguing. Honestly I made up the words on the spot while writing the music just so I'd have something to sing while I played. They were weird, but had enough allure, I guess, for me to keep them. So come up with your own meaning for what "the moon" and "the ocean" and whatever else might mean. Let me know them! I'm very curious to see what it conveys to you.
Lyrics:
This life is so frail/
and we don't really know when we'll lose ours/
All we know for sure/
is that our time is running short/
before eternity/
For your eternal life/
I tell you, it's true/
do you know what I would do?/
(*) Well, I'd walk a million miles and more/
with you on my shoulders/
if it meant that you could stay at my real home/
Yes, I'd walk a million miles and more/
with you on my shoulders/
but only you can choose if you will come/
So will you come?/
It's not inherited/
no, it's not some special gene you get my chance/
Salvation only comes/
through the blood of one/
Jesus Christ/
whose tomb is vacant/
See, He died and rose for you/
I tell you, it's true/
and do you know what I would do for you, too?/
(*)
If the moon would fall/
into the ocean/
do you think that it would break/
or would it float?/
(*)
To return to the Andrew Cos Band website:
Hold down CTRL + W
or click here
I remember going to a soccer practice after writing these lyrics, because I sang them over and over in my head as I ran laps. This means I probably penned them at school. My apologies to whoever the teacher was who didn't get my attention for that class period.
The power of the gospel on me has made me want to go run a marathon to bring all the lost souls to God. Alas, even a million miles might not bring even one of them a simple step closer unless they choose to come themselves. Still, I believe the Great Commission, along with Paul, calls us to "run" anyway, and thereby show our love to the lost, and by that they might come.
Of all the lyrics for the "Wannabe" album, my English teacher found this bridge most intriguing. Honestly I made up the words on the spot while writing the music just so I'd have something to sing while I played. They were weird, but had enough allure, I guess, for me to keep them. So come up with your own meaning for what "the moon" and "the ocean" and whatever else might mean. Let me know them! I'm very curious to see what it conveys to you.
Lyrics:
This life is so frail/
and we don't really know when we'll lose ours/
All we know for sure/
is that our time is running short/
before eternity/
For your eternal life/
I tell you, it's true/
do you know what I would do?/
(*) Well, I'd walk a million miles and more/
with you on my shoulders/
if it meant that you could stay at my real home/
Yes, I'd walk a million miles and more/
with you on my shoulders/
but only you can choose if you will come/
So will you come?/
It's not inherited/
no, it's not some special gene you get my chance/
Salvation only comes/
through the blood of one/
Jesus Christ/
whose tomb is vacant/
See, He died and rose for you/
I tell you, it's true/
and do you know what I would do for you, too?/
(*)
If the moon would fall/
into the ocean/
do you think that it would break/
or would it float?/
(*)
To return to the Andrew Cos Band website:
Hold down CTRL + W
or click here
7-Love and Tears (AMM version)
Behind the songwriting:
This is easily one of my favorites, maybe now more for its age and associated memories than for the actual content anymore. I have no idea when I wrote this, but I played it way back when I only knew like 4 chords on a guitar. I was probably 11. My cousins recall me singing it really high, which forced me to break out the falsetto during those awkward preteen years. I doubt it was intentionally written for anyone in particular, but I've since dedicated it to my 4th grade teacher who died of cancer.
People seem to really like the line "Only the wise ones question what they know." I do too. There's a depth to it I never would have seen while penning it, and actually find it hard to believe I actually penned it so young, except I still have the paper with the date and my hard-to-miss, and equally hard-to-read scrawling. I remember writing that line with the game "Clue" in mind. I found it fascinating that one of the best strategies for winning was to ask a question where you already knew 2 of the 3 things. Come to your own conclusions as to what it means in relation to the rest of these lyrics.
The "Carpe Deum" part takes its inspiration from a favorite flick of mine that I first saw way back then: Dead Poets Society. "Seize the day boys." Everyday I try to see the world from atop my school desk.
Lyrics:
Like a lonely shore/
amidst the angry seas/
her golden touch no more/
but vast inner beauty/
Only the wise ones question what they know/
(*) All I want is to wipe her tears/
and reminisce on all those years/
and find the place where love and tears/
collide/
But now I'll stand, then sit/then sigh/
While she was going down/
the breath to be her last/
with it's frugal use, sown/
reaps so bountiful/
Only the wise ones question what they know/
(*)
All of this to say/
"Come let's seize the day"/
I keep repeating "Carpe Deum"/
I keep repeating "Carpe"/
I keep repeating "Carpe"/
I keep repeating "Carpe Deum"/
(*)
To return to the Andrew Cos Band website:
Hold down CTRL + W
or click here
This is easily one of my favorites, maybe now more for its age and associated memories than for the actual content anymore. I have no idea when I wrote this, but I played it way back when I only knew like 4 chords on a guitar. I was probably 11. My cousins recall me singing it really high, which forced me to break out the falsetto during those awkward preteen years. I doubt it was intentionally written for anyone in particular, but I've since dedicated it to my 4th grade teacher who died of cancer.
People seem to really like the line "Only the wise ones question what they know." I do too. There's a depth to it I never would have seen while penning it, and actually find it hard to believe I actually penned it so young, except I still have the paper with the date and my hard-to-miss, and equally hard-to-read scrawling. I remember writing that line with the game "Clue" in mind. I found it fascinating that one of the best strategies for winning was to ask a question where you already knew 2 of the 3 things. Come to your own conclusions as to what it means in relation to the rest of these lyrics.
The "Carpe Deum" part takes its inspiration from a favorite flick of mine that I first saw way back then: Dead Poets Society. "Seize the day boys." Everyday I try to see the world from atop my school desk.
Lyrics:
Like a lonely shore/
amidst the angry seas/
her golden touch no more/
but vast inner beauty/
Only the wise ones question what they know/
(*) All I want is to wipe her tears/
and reminisce on all those years/
and find the place where love and tears/
collide/
But now I'll stand, then sit/then sigh/
While she was going down/
the breath to be her last/
with it's frugal use, sown/
reaps so bountiful/
Only the wise ones question what they know/
(*)
All of this to say/
"Come let's seize the day"/
I keep repeating "Carpe Deum"/
I keep repeating "Carpe"/
I keep repeating "Carpe"/
I keep repeating "Carpe Deum"/
(*)
To return to the Andrew Cos Band website:
Hold down CTRL + W
or click here
6-Azure (AMM version)
Behind the songwriting:
These lyrics have miffed a lot of people, it seems. Hopefully I can demystify everyone here. You see, I like to sit and just think, trying to figure things out, and salvation has only made my curious mind more curious. "How can love exist between an infinite God and finite creatures?" "Why should it exist there?" "Why give us a second chance?" I always seem to end up, saying "I don't know, God, but I'm glad that you do. So I'll just trust in what you say."
So everyone's asking "Why are the tears azure?" I guess I've just always pictured sorrowful tears as gray and joyful tears as blue, and wanted to make the point that in my non-comprehension of salvation I can still appreciate it enough to cry for joy. "I know for sure" shows that at first I cried in sorrow for my sin, but by the time the tear falls within view, I really cry tears of joy. Did any of that make sense? If not, ask me in person sometime.
I used "azure" because I had just stumbled upon that word, and thought it would be cool to sing in a song. I actually had been mispronouncing it for several years. Go figure.
Lyrics:
From way down here/
You're way up there/
How can love exist/
between our two places?/
I'll admit I do not know/
But I'm glad that you do/
(*) I want you/I need you/
Though I find it easier to forget/
As joy drips/from my eyelids/
past my lips/and down to my chin/
I know for sure/
These tears I cry/
These tears I cry/
They're so azure/
They're so azure/
A peace that passes/
beyond all of my/
comprehension/
is what I desire/
I'll admit I do not know how you give it/
But I'm glad that you do/
(*)
To return to the Andrew Cos Band website:
Hold down CTRL + W
or click here
These lyrics have miffed a lot of people, it seems. Hopefully I can demystify everyone here. You see, I like to sit and just think, trying to figure things out, and salvation has only made my curious mind more curious. "How can love exist between an infinite God and finite creatures?" "Why should it exist there?" "Why give us a second chance?" I always seem to end up, saying "I don't know, God, but I'm glad that you do. So I'll just trust in what you say."
So everyone's asking "Why are the tears azure?" I guess I've just always pictured sorrowful tears as gray and joyful tears as blue, and wanted to make the point that in my non-comprehension of salvation I can still appreciate it enough to cry for joy. "I know for sure" shows that at first I cried in sorrow for my sin, but by the time the tear falls within view, I really cry tears of joy. Did any of that make sense? If not, ask me in person sometime.
I used "azure" because I had just stumbled upon that word, and thought it would be cool to sing in a song. I actually had been mispronouncing it for several years. Go figure.
Lyrics:
From way down here/
You're way up there/
How can love exist/
between our two places?/
I'll admit I do not know/
But I'm glad that you do/
(*) I want you/I need you/
Though I find it easier to forget/
As joy drips/from my eyelids/
past my lips/and down to my chin/
I know for sure/
These tears I cry/
These tears I cry/
They're so azure/
They're so azure/
A peace that passes/
beyond all of my/
comprehension/
is what I desire/
I'll admit I do not know how you give it/
But I'm glad that you do/
(*)
To return to the Andrew Cos Band website:
Hold down CTRL + W
or click here
5-Smile On Your Face
Behind the songwriting:
My family was staying in this Bed and Breakfast out in Pennsylvania with my grandparents, and our hosts, the Eby's, had this home video they liked to show to their guests as witnessing tool. It featured their 2 mentally challenged children, Jerry and Melody, with shot after shot of them jumping in a pile of leaves, riding horses, and simply enjoying life, both with toothy grins all the while. Though neither ever really said any of the words in the chorus to this song, call it artist license--they would have. The original recording is a secret song on the end of the "Tastes Like Chicken EP" and we thought we'd give it its own track on this album. Sorry, we didn't include any whistling or Oliver Twist imitations on this version.
Lyrics:
He was the kind of guy/
you couldn't walk right by/
without at least a glance in his direction/
His quiet, peaceful face/
seemed so out of place/
compared to all his imperfections/
Jerry walked to the beat of a different drum/
and all the people he would meet were forever changed/
(*) "Put a smile on your face/
Put a smile on your face/
'Cause you look more beautiful that way/
Put a smile on your face"/
Jerry would say/
Melody Joy/she sang her song/
of life beautiful and sweet/
She lived silent for twenty years/
but now she sings joyful melodies/
Before she met her Savior there in heaven's paradise/
she built bridges, broke down walls, and her grin could change your life/
(*)
Her eyes would say
Jerry Eby/and his sister Melody/
Though I never knew them personally/
I've heard stories about their lives/
Their passions/their witness/and their beautiful smiles/
(*)
To return to the Andrew Cos Band website:
Hold down CTRL + W
or click here
My family was staying in this Bed and Breakfast out in Pennsylvania with my grandparents, and our hosts, the Eby's, had this home video they liked to show to their guests as witnessing tool. It featured their 2 mentally challenged children, Jerry and Melody, with shot after shot of them jumping in a pile of leaves, riding horses, and simply enjoying life, both with toothy grins all the while. Though neither ever really said any of the words in the chorus to this song, call it artist license--they would have. The original recording is a secret song on the end of the "Tastes Like Chicken EP" and we thought we'd give it its own track on this album. Sorry, we didn't include any whistling or Oliver Twist imitations on this version.
Lyrics:
He was the kind of guy/
you couldn't walk right by/
without at least a glance in his direction/
His quiet, peaceful face/
seemed so out of place/
compared to all his imperfections/
Jerry walked to the beat of a different drum/
and all the people he would meet were forever changed/
(*) "Put a smile on your face/
Put a smile on your face/
'Cause you look more beautiful that way/
Put a smile on your face"/
Jerry would say/
Melody Joy/she sang her song/
of life beautiful and sweet/
She lived silent for twenty years/
but now she sings joyful melodies/
Before she met her Savior there in heaven's paradise/
she built bridges, broke down walls, and her grin could change your life/
(*)
Her eyes would say
Jerry Eby/and his sister Melody/
Though I never knew them personally/
I've heard stories about their lives/
Their passions/their witness/and their beautiful smiles/
(*)
To return to the Andrew Cos Band website:
Hold down CTRL + W
or click here
4-I've Only You (AMM version)
Behind the songwriting:
I distinctly recall writing this tune, which as surprising as it seems, is a rarity. I write fairly often, and tend to not have specific memories of when and where something was written, but not with this one: I was in the basement, the guest room, Jasmine acoustic in hand, and I was thinking "You know, if this house burned to the ground, and all my guitars and clothes and stuff were brought to ashes, I'd still have reason to be grateful, because I have a God who lets me call him Dad, and like Job I realize I was naked coming into this world and will be stripped of all earthly possession when I die." So I hope I wouldn't cry over losing any of this "stuff of earth" as Rich Mullins calls it. "I owe only to the Giver of all good things. So if I stand, let me stand on the promise that you will pull me through."
Lyrics:
What good is a mansion/
the biggest one around/
if there's no foundation/
and it's doomed and falling to the ground?/
Well I'll build on You/
(*) When everything is gone/
and I've only You/
I will be strong/
'cause You'll pull me through/
though life falls apart/
my real life's in You/
I've only You/
and You're more than enough/
I don't want to fight/
so I'll just turn my head/
I get hit on the right/
I'll take one to the left/
as I try to be like You/
(*)
Though I hit rock bottom/
and I keep on digging/
I'll look to the horizon/
for You Lord my salvation/
I've no doubt You'll come through/
My foundation's solid/
I'm standing on the very promises of God/
(*)
To return to the Andrew Cos Band website:
Hold down CTRL + W
or click here
I distinctly recall writing this tune, which as surprising as it seems, is a rarity. I write fairly often, and tend to not have specific memories of when and where something was written, but not with this one: I was in the basement, the guest room, Jasmine acoustic in hand, and I was thinking "You know, if this house burned to the ground, and all my guitars and clothes and stuff were brought to ashes, I'd still have reason to be grateful, because I have a God who lets me call him Dad, and like Job I realize I was naked coming into this world and will be stripped of all earthly possession when I die." So I hope I wouldn't cry over losing any of this "stuff of earth" as Rich Mullins calls it. "I owe only to the Giver of all good things. So if I stand, let me stand on the promise that you will pull me through."
Lyrics:
What good is a mansion/
the biggest one around/
if there's no foundation/
and it's doomed and falling to the ground?/
Well I'll build on You/
(*) When everything is gone/
and I've only You/
I will be strong/
'cause You'll pull me through/
though life falls apart/
my real life's in You/
I've only You/
and You're more than enough/
I don't want to fight/
so I'll just turn my head/
I get hit on the right/
I'll take one to the left/
as I try to be like You/
(*)
Though I hit rock bottom/
and I keep on digging/
I'll look to the horizon/
for You Lord my salvation/
I've no doubt You'll come through/
My foundation's solid/
I'm standing on the very promises of God/
(*)
To return to the Andrew Cos Band website:
Hold down CTRL + W
or click here
3-All I Know (AMM version)
Behind the songwriting:
Long-time MUH fans probably won't recognize this because it's the brand new tune for this record! It came out of a time of re-realizing my serious dependence on God. Do you ever think about blinking or breathing or your heart beating? It's funny how as soon as I mention blinking I'm aware of my blinking and it's not as automatic as it used to be. I sit there and think "blink, blink," and the same with breathing. Heart beats, of course, are different. Man, I take all of those functions for granted, because I know in a few minutes I'll forget all about breathing and blinking, but know I'll still be doing them both. So I thought I'd write a song about that feeling of re-realization. It's one of my favorites to play, probably 'cause the music's inspired from those long hours of gardening while listening to Norah Jones's CDs.
Lyrics:
See, it's a mystery/
how life can change in a mere instant/
Before I knew what was happening/
My hopelessness dissolved/
into peace inside/
We're reconciled/
(*) All I know/is I could not go on with you/
I couldn't even take a breath/to sing this song with you gone/
That's all I know/
I'm coming clean/erasing the lines across my forehead/
'cause lies cause stress/
I'm looking/to much bigger Hands than mine/
(The very ones I've been fighting)/
To hold me/
(*)
If you take me away from you then/
you'd see what that would do and/
I'd be just like styrofoam in fire/
'cause you're my life/
Though I'm a child on lap trying to steer/
you still hold the wheel/
(*)
To return to the Andrew Cos Band website:
Hold down CTRL + W
or click here
Long-time MUH fans probably won't recognize this because it's the brand new tune for this record! It came out of a time of re-realizing my serious dependence on God. Do you ever think about blinking or breathing or your heart beating? It's funny how as soon as I mention blinking I'm aware of my blinking and it's not as automatic as it used to be. I sit there and think "blink, blink," and the same with breathing. Heart beats, of course, are different. Man, I take all of those functions for granted, because I know in a few minutes I'll forget all about breathing and blinking, but know I'll still be doing them both. So I thought I'd write a song about that feeling of re-realization. It's one of my favorites to play, probably 'cause the music's inspired from those long hours of gardening while listening to Norah Jones's CDs.
Lyrics:
See, it's a mystery/
how life can change in a mere instant/
Before I knew what was happening/
My hopelessness dissolved/
into peace inside/
We're reconciled/
(*) All I know/is I could not go on with you/
I couldn't even take a breath/to sing this song with you gone/
That's all I know/
I'm coming clean/erasing the lines across my forehead/
'cause lies cause stress/
I'm looking/to much bigger Hands than mine/
(The very ones I've been fighting)/
To hold me/
(*)
If you take me away from you then/
you'd see what that would do and/
I'd be just like styrofoam in fire/
'cause you're my life/
Though I'm a child on lap trying to steer/
you still hold the wheel/
(*)
To return to the Andrew Cos Band website:
Hold down CTRL + W
or click here
2-Song In 7ths
Behind the songwriting:
This is a simple little tune I wrote as a jam song for concerts. We in The MUH never got to record it until now, and we wanted it to be fun and real, so I left the background talking and such. You should be able to hear my brother telling the guys how his girlfriend gave him a box with the hair she had cut off last year. Very odd sort of conversation, I know. The piano you hear is the old out-of-tune one at in an old church gymnasium. It provides a weird effect to the song.
Lyrics:
This song in 7ths/
was written for you/
I'd thought I'd compose a song/
to which you could groove/
So you do like the melody?/
Do you like the tune?/
This song in 7ths/
was written for you/
I've seen what you're into/
and it's not good/
(*) So why don't you come/
with me/
Then we can go/
away/
I don't think it's good for you to stay/
here much longer/
To return to the Andrew Cos Band website:
Hold down CTRL + W
or click here
This is a simple little tune I wrote as a jam song for concerts. We in The MUH never got to record it until now, and we wanted it to be fun and real, so I left the background talking and such. You should be able to hear my brother telling the guys how his girlfriend gave him a box with the hair she had cut off last year. Very odd sort of conversation, I know. The piano you hear is the old out-of-tune one at in an old church gymnasium. It provides a weird effect to the song.
Lyrics:
This song in 7ths/
was written for you/
I'd thought I'd compose a song/
to which you could groove/
So you do like the melody?/
Do you like the tune?/
This song in 7ths/
was written for you/
I've seen what you're into/
and it's not good/
(*) So why don't you come/
with me/
Then we can go/
away/
I don't think it's good for you to stay/
here much longer/
To return to the Andrew Cos Band website:
Hold down CTRL + W
or click here
1-Don't Settle For Less (AMM version)
Behind the songwriting:
I'm adopted, and every now and then I think about my birthmother, and the possible circumstances in her life at the beginning of my life.. She could be who I was writing to in this song, though at the time of penning, no one was specifically in mind. Once when The MUH played this tune at a concert, a girl from the crown came up afterward and told me "You wrote that song for me! Except for the September part, it was exactly my situation." Thankfully she'd found forgiveness and freedom from guilt by the time of that concert.
Lyrics:
I'm wondering why you didn't say no/
You could have left or at least tried to go/
But you stayed by will and tried to weather the storm/
even though you knew it was wrong/
It was something so temporary/
Leaving you scars that won't leave/
(*) For the rest of your lifetime/
you'll remember/
That one long night/
in September/
when you gave in/
Why did you settle for less?/
He said it was all right/
and there were no problems/
but after that night/
you both saw them/
Although he promised/
he'd never leave you/
all that he wanted/
from your one night rendezvous/
Was something so temporary/
Leaving you scars that won't leave/
(*)
Under the weight that's crushing you/
of all your guilt. Don't hide the truth/
It's time to be saved/
Come clean, be new/
Resolve to win and never be moved/
(*)
To return to the Andrew Cos Band website:
Hold down CTRL + W
or click here
I'm adopted, and every now and then I think about my birthmother, and the possible circumstances in her life at the beginning of my life.. She could be who I was writing to in this song, though at the time of penning, no one was specifically in mind. Once when The MUH played this tune at a concert, a girl from the crown came up afterward and told me "You wrote that song for me! Except for the September part, it was exactly my situation." Thankfully she'd found forgiveness and freedom from guilt by the time of that concert.
Lyrics:
I'm wondering why you didn't say no/
You could have left or at least tried to go/
But you stayed by will and tried to weather the storm/
even though you knew it was wrong/
It was something so temporary/
Leaving you scars that won't leave/
(*) For the rest of your lifetime/
you'll remember/
That one long night/
in September/
when you gave in/
Why did you settle for less?/
He said it was all right/
and there were no problems/
but after that night/
you both saw them/
Although he promised/
he'd never leave you/
all that he wanted/
from your one night rendezvous/
Was something so temporary/
Leaving you scars that won't leave/
(*)
Under the weight that's crushing you/
of all your guilt. Don't hide the truth/
It's time to be saved/
Come clean, be new/
Resolve to win and never be moved/
(*)
To return to the Andrew Cos Band website:
Hold down CTRL + W
or click here
Saturday, November 19, 2005
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