#292 LEGACY by Michael Card (1983)

LEGACY by Michael Card (1983)
Milk & Honey - MH 1045

Producers:

Randy Scruggs & John Thompson

File Under:
Acoustic Folk/Inspirational/CCM

Time Capsule-Worthy Track:

El-Shaddai

Intelligent music...Biblically literate...CCM for grown-ups. These are terms that have been used to describe Michael Card's ministry. Card always came across like more of a college professor than a rock star. He wrote popular songs that he and other artists turned into huge hits, but he never seemed to prioritize musical hooks over meaty lyrics. I don't remember ever hearing a Michael Card song that went for the easy God-as-my-girlfriend trope. No, he wrote songs that made us think... songs that gave us a deep appreciation for the Word of God.

Unlike so many kids who saw The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show and instantly decided, "That's what I want to do with my life," Michael Card did not set out to be a professional musician. "I started writing music because of the influence of a man named William Lane, who was my principle professor in college," Card explained. "He also gave leadership to the church I attended. One day he gave me his sermon for the next week and asked me to write a chorus, and that's basically how it started." Card was blessed to attend a local church that was very nurturing. "I wasn't the only person writing songs in that church," he recalls. "Several musicians came out of that encouraging place."

FIRST LIGHT (1981)

A connection to musician (and future Grammy winner) Randy Scruggs led to Michael Card's first recording contract. The result was a 1981 record called First Light. The very first song on the album was I Have Decided, which became a huge hit for Amy Grant.

Legacy was Card's 1983 sophomore release. While it contained some very memorable songs that believers have been singing ever since, Card himself is a little fuzzy on the details. "The recording was so long ago I don't have any specific memories," he admits. "Mainly I remember how excited I was to get to work with Randy Scruggs. He had been a boyhood hero of mine in Nashville. His brother Steve was a close friend." 

Musically, Michael Card had more in common with what was then called the "Inspirational" genre than with Christian rock. His records relied on acoustic-based instrumentation, memorable folk-style melodies and Card's unpretentious, high-pitched vocal.

The record opens with Love Crucified Arose. When I asked Michael to comment on the song he said, "That one was sparked by a quote from Emily Dickinson: 'When love was crucified it arose.' It was a broad overview of the resurrection."

The song became a staple of Christian radio airwaves and remains a popular Easter song to this day. Card's penchant for digging deeper lyrically was on display here:

Long ago He blessed the earth
Born older than the years
And in the stall a cross He saw
Through the first of many tears


A life of homeless wandering
Cast out in sorrow's way
The Shepherd seeking for the lost
His life the price He paid

Love crucified, arose
The risen One in splendor
Jehovah's sole defender
Has won the victory

Love crucified, arose
And the grave became a place of hope
For the heart that sin and sorrow broke
Is beating once again

Throughout Your life You've felt the weight
Of what You'd come to give
To drink for us that crimson cup
So we might really live

At last the time to love and die
The dark appointed day
That one forsaken moment when
Your Father turned His face away

Love crucified, arose
The One who lived and died for me
Was Satan's nail-pierced casualty
Now He's breathing once again

Now That I've Held Him In My Arms was a musical re-telling of Simeon's first encounter with a young Jesus. All these years later, it remains poignant and moving.

That old man in the temple
Waiting in the court
Waiting for the answer to a promise
And all at once he sees them
In the morning sunshine
A couple come in carrying a baby


Now that I've held Him in my arms
My life can come to an end
Let Your servant now depart in peace
Cause I've seen Your salvation
He's the Light of the Gentiles
And the glory of His people Israel

Now's the time to take Him in your arms
Your life will never come to an end
He's the only way that you'll find peace
He'll give you salvation 
He's the Light of the Gentiles
And the glory of His people Israel

The Bible education continued with The Voice Of The Child. This one had a fairly adventurous arrangement and a robust lead guitar solo. The song's ending is hauntingly beautiful.

This Must Be The Lamb was another crucifixion/resurrection-themed track, again providing much greater depth and Scriptural accuracy in the lyrical content than the typical CCM song.

Side One of Legacy wrapped with the dramatic Dragonslayer, reminding one of something C.S. Lewis might've penned, had he been a songwriter. 

The starlit wizards came to see
Who might this newborn Dragonslayer be
He come the serpent's lies to cease
To win for us a never-ending peace

The serpent reared his ugly head
In the stillness of the garden
To bite the Dragonslayer's heel
And defeat His plan of pardon

But the Mighty One provided for
The fallen ones instead
And the quest began to slay the beast
To finally crush his head
To finally crush his head

Behold the Dragonslayer
He stills the serpent's scream
He stops his accusations
He spoils the dragon's dream

Behold the Dragonslayer
He died to set us free
The dragon thought he'd won then
It wasn't meant to be
It wasn't meant to be

The dragon sought to take the child
Of the woman clothed in sunlight
But once again the King stepped in
And began to fight the last fight

And so the battle raged between
The heavens and the sky
And the dragon was defeated
And at last was doomed to die
At last was doomed to die

Side Two of Legacy begins with another song that was embraced wholeheartedly by Christian radio. Abba Father is centered around spiritual adoption, sonship, and our relationship to Father God. It's an upbeat track that holds a special place in the hearts of many believers.

The next song, El Shaddai, is remembered as one of the most beloved CCM songs of all time, once again demonstrating the Scriptural integrity for which Card became noted. "I wrote the words and John Thompson wrote the music," Card says. "He gave it to me in the studio one day and asked if I heard anything in it. I took it home that night and the words came pretty quickly." The song gained massive popularity after being recorded by Amy Grant, though Card's rendition is more organic and earnest. El Shaddai was included on RIAA's 365 Songs of the Century list.

The solemn God Will Provide A Lamb gave us an example of something else Card would become quite adept at in future releases - exploring Old Testament accounts and tying them in with New Testament principles. To me, this song shows the connection between Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son and Father God's willingness to do the same. This application is not accomplished in an overt, heavy-handed way, but rather is implied. It's subtle and effective. 

A departure, Livin' We Die begins with what sounds like an acappella gospel choir before transitioning into an uptempo track of exhortation and encouragement.

Legacy ends with Tell The World That Jesus Loves You, a children's ditty that Michael wrote with Randy Scruggs. It's sort of reminiscent of John Fischer's All Day Song.

"I think I was pretty happy with the record," Michael says, "although, when I listen now to all the old records, I mostly hear the mistakes."

The eighties were a busy time for Michael Card. "Back in those days I just kept writing songs and kept my head down," he remembers. "A lot of work. A lot of time away from home. A lot of time in the studio."

Michael Card wasn't a typical CCM star (which is fitting, since the Body of Christ is a great, big, diverse community). Many of the artists profiled on this blog started garage bands as teenagers and hit the road for Jesus after dramatic, Damascus Road-type conversion stories. Others came to serve the Lord after tasting fame and fortune in the mainstream arena. As we've already noted, Michael Card took a less traveled route. The son of a doctor and grandson of a pastor, he's a graduate of Western Kentucky University, where he earned bachelors and master degrees in Biblical studies. He's also received honorary Ph.D.’s in music and Christian education from Whitfield Seminary and Philadelphia Biblical University. It takes all kinds.

After Legacy, Card rose to further prominence in the 1980s as a songwriter and recording artist, but he eventually felt limited by having to pack what he called "the vast depth and richness of Scripture" into 3-minute songs...ones that would hopefully be popular enough to be played on the radio. While many of his songs were played extensively on Christian radio airwaves from coast to coast, Card also became a respected, award-winning author of books and articles, rubbing shoulders with well-known Biblical academics such as Brennen Manning, Dr. Larry Crabb, Kirk Whalum, Don Wyrtzen, and many others. 

According to the bio on his website, Card's chief aim is "to know and be known by God by asking questions and entering into meaningful discussion with one another." He continues to encourage and build up fellow believers in the United States and around the world by sharing what he's learned. During an era that has come to be defined by mega-churches, Card is busy facilitating the growth of smaller and more intimate communities within his audience’s churches and neighborhoods.“Thomas Merton said, ‘The least of learning is done in the classroom,’ and he is so right,” says Card. “The bulk of what I’ve learned whether academically, musically, or personally is through interacting with people, which is why I think community is so important to our growth as Christians.”

Michael Card has also been somewhat of an energizer bunny across the decades. He comes across as a laid-back guy, but my goodness...the musical and literary output over the years is astounding. Thirty-seven albums, 25 books, a radio program, tons of magazine articles...and no signs of slowing down anytime soon. You can avail yourself of albums, Bible studies, books, DVDs, sheet music and more at store.michaelcard.com.  

Whether it’s through writings, concerts, or teaching, the core of Michael Card's contributions to the body of Christ can be summed up in a couple of words: Biblical Community. That was true when Legacy was recorded back in 1983, and it's still true today. “I strive to reach people where they are,” explains Card. 

Card lives in the Nashville area. At the time of this writing, he and his wife, Susan, have four children and one grandchild. More than 4 million albums bearing his name have been sold, and he's written more than 19 #1 hits. 

Not bad for a guy whose primary goal in life is simply to be a Bible teacher.