Amy Grant: Don’t Try so Hard Lyrics
Amy sings this with James Taylor
Another Monday comes and I just wanna breathe
Cause it’s a long,
long week for someone wired to please
I keep taking my aim, pushing it higher
Wanna shine bright, even brighter now
Wish I would tell myself
Don’t try so hard
God gives you grace and you can’t earn it
Don’t think that you’re not worth it
Because you are
He gave you His love and He’s not leaving
Gave you His Son so you’d believe it
You’re lovely even with your scars
Don’t try so hard
Do you remember how the summers felt when we were kids
Oh we didn’t think much about it,
we just lived
Taking our time,
beautiful leisure
When did we start,
trying to measure up
And all this time,
love has been trying to tell us
Don’t try so hard
God gives you grace and you can’t earn it
Don’t think that you’re not worth it
Because you are
He gave you His love and He’s not leaving
Gave you His Son so you’d believe it
You’re lovely even with your scars
Don’t try so hard
God gives you grace
You can’t earn it
Stop thinking you’re not worth it
Because you are
He gave you His love and He’s not leaving
Gave you His Son so you’d believe it
You’re lovely even with your scars
Don’t try so hard
I can not even begin to understand the process of writing lyrics and music. Four or fives times each year my sweetie and I attend the Yonkers Philharmonic concerts. I am in awe of several things:
the music
Over the last several years the conductor has given the audience some insight on the music, the composer and helped to deepen our understanding of the piece so that as we listen we can actively participate.
the musicians
who take the time to learn the piece, practice on their own and with the rest of the orchestra. the time and dedication this takes continues to set the example for artistry in general and music in particular. Each individual instrument completes the whole. With certain instruments the more the merrier.
the conductor
the conductor – if s/he sees, or in this case hears, how each individual component works together and understands how it should all sound together. With the Yonkers Philharmonic their last concert was the best I’ve ever attended.
Heart
Aw yes this is something I truly understand on so many levels. It’s so amazing that the hearts of these artists live on so long after they’re no longer around.
The songs that I’ve heard from Amy’s new album have touched me deeply. They seem to speak to where I am at this moment. In a way that I might never have imagined. Songs and music frequently hold memories, feelings that are deep within us. There is a song that no matter when I hear it I am in that moment where I fell in love with my husband. I can see the chair and his guitar, his voice (You’ve got a Friend) and I know that my heart and my very being are safe and secure with him.
While I don’t understand the process of song writing I do get the process of quilting. In the end our hearts are out there for the world to see. When we send our quilts out into the big wide world – whether that be on the internet, to a magazine for publication, to a quilt show for judging for ribbons or judging by the quilting world in general – we put our hearts on display for all the world to see.
Though quilters, particularly the Quilt Police, can be a brutal bunch no one can be harder on me than myself. I know this has been something of a theme since launching this particular blog however it’s a good theme, reinforced by the lyrics from “Don’t try so hard”. Trying hard and working hard/smart are two entirely different things. Trying hard, in my mind at least, means searching for and seeking the acceptance of others – particularly in the quilting world. Trying hard bears with it a certain level of anxiety built in – usually in the form of the negative voices telling me I suck, I’m not any good.
This time I know not only why it’s happening and how to get through it but am working on a plan to prevent some of this in the future. I say some because sometimes things are just out of my control.
Working hard is a subject for another day. And I’ll tackle it then.
I’m starting two email groups with one title: Lucy’s Nickles. I’ll post more information about them in a few days with an invitation to join.
Happy Quilting!
Teri
A Quilter's Heart 
Art is art and quilting is your art, part of the creative you. And just like anyone who receives a song they love and connect with as a gift from the writer and singer, I’m sure anyone who receives one of your quilts that you pour your heart into, sees it as a treasured gift, too!