https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/wk39-jonah-meets-god/ Guitar Noise Discussion Board en-US Thu, 04 Jun 2026 22:14:56 +0000 wpForo 60 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/wk39-jonah-meets-god/#post-336830 Fri, 14 Aug 2009 18:04:18 +0000 Good start :D
Nice to see your input ....I have to commend you on taking on such a big story to try to cover in a song...basically a whole book in the Bible :shock:

I am going back and forth on the tiny plant vs hill....To me, it's one of those "If you know" there's a subplot with the plant, then you don't really need to mention the plant....but if you don't know the plant subplot, having the reference doesn't add anything because there is not enough about the plant in the song to be about to understand it's meaning in the story.....since you don't have a rhyme there, either would work....

...Musically, I am not sure which way you are leaning but gospel does seem the most natural chose....I guess it depends on how much experimenting you are up for :wink: .....maybe ska :note1:

Suggestions:

"Jonah feared the Ninevites"....I would not say it was fear as much as he didn't want them to repent and be saved.
Maybe
"Jonah hated the Ninevites"
Jonah 4:2
He prayed to the Lord, "O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Jon&c=4&v=1&t=NIV

Considering shortening the chorus or redoing these lines:
"Though storms may rage around you"
This doesn't seem to fit to be going back to the early point in the story "storms" after he is already in Nineveh and after he is waiting for the destruction that doesn't come.

Also....
"In my arms you won't be lost"
...this line is twisted a bit...more conversational would be "You won't be lost in my arms".....but that sounds a bit awkward as well...referring to being lost and arms being the solution....maybe...You'll be safe in my arms....or if you still want the short "o" to rhyme with "God"...."I'll protect you at any cost"
.....it looks like you were putting a few lines backward probably for an the old English "effect", but this one didn't see to make sense in the reference.

"Just boils at a peak"
This seems a bit awkward as well....."peak" seems to stick out but it is not rhyming with anything in the verse...or if you like the line, maybe drop the "just" as it weakens the image of "boils" ....
.....I know you mentioned before you want to get the main idea down the go back and check rhymes....they are quite sporadic in these lyrics, but if it's the effect you're going for, it should come out in the delivery.

James

PS I tried a Jonah song a few months back as well if you are interested in a listen, but mine was first person point of view
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7250316]]> Sunday Songwriters Group jamestoffee https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/wk39-jonah-meets-god/#post-336830 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/wk39-jonah-meets-god/#post-336822 Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:41:35 +0000 was unusual enough for me to look up the reference . . . that's the gourd I was referring to.

Since gourds come from vines, how about

Jonah sat underneath a vine ?

To me that sounds better lyrically.]]> Sunday Songwriters Group KR2 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/wk39-jonah-meets-god/#post-336822 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/wk39-jonah-meets-god/#post-336808 Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:17:03 +0000
would the hill sound better lyrically?

Jonah sat upon a hill
To watch the city burn
When nothing ever happened
God said, “Jonah, won't you learn?

OR

Jonah sat under a tiny plant
To watch the city burn
When nothing ever happened
God said, “Jonah, won't you learn?

jer]]> Sunday Songwriters Group contagiousjerm https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/wk39-jonah-meets-god/#post-336808 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/wk39-jonah-meets-god/#post-336790 Fri, 14 Aug 2009 06:36:44 +0000 Some good lessons there.
Funny that the story is aimed at children when adults could benefit from it as well.
(Wasn't Pinnochio also swallowed by a whale?)

Anyway, one line I couldn't swallow well . . .

Jonah sat under a tiny plant

How about

Jonah sat upon a hill

That's it . . . well then there's the thing about the gourd . . . which is a parable . . . some believe the whole story is a parable . . . in which case the gourd thing would be a parable within a parable.
OK, I believe I'm babbling now.]]> Sunday Songwriters Group KR2 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/wk39-jonah-meets-god/#post-336790 https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/wk39-jonah-meets-god/#post-36895 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:30:18 +0000
Anyway, Jonah meets God. Interesting Bible story of someone who just doesn't get it.

Jeremy


There's a little boat in Joppa
Where Jonah did once stray
Though God said travel east
He headed westward anyway
Jonah feared the Ninevites
And wanted them to die
But God his heart is bigger
Though his judgment may be nigh

He said be still… and know that I am God
Though storms may rage around you
In my arms you won't be lost
He said be still… I am the great “I am”
You may think you've got a better way
But I wrote the master plan

He booked passage for his great escape
But God a storm did send
And sent a fish to swallow Jonah
Feared his life was at an end
He turned to his last refuge
He turned to God in prayer
God said, “Jonah, go to Nineveh,
Can't you see how much I care?”

Chorus

So Jonah went to Nineveh
He said, “You're gonna die!
City wide destruction,
And fire from the sky!”
The king he heard that message
Said let everyone be warned
Each citizen wore sackcloth
Even the farmer's cow did mourn

Chorus

Jonah sat under a tiny plant
To watch the city burn
When nothing ever happened
God said, “Jonah, won't you learn?
Your anger at the Ninevites
Just boils at a peak
I'm God I have compassion
But you are bent on hate.”

Chorus]]> Sunday Songwriters Group contagiousjerm https://guitarnoise.forum/sunday-songwriters-group/wk39-jonah-meets-god/#post-36895