Eden: Song Story
Since the start of 2019 we have been releasing a new single on the first Friday of every month. It’s been a great year so far, with more to come as we finish out the year! One of our more ambitious singles — both topically and from a production standpoint — was our single from April, “EDEN,” written by Ted Kim (senior associate pastor at the Vineyard in Evanston, IL) and Josh Ray & Karl Anderson from Anchour Studios in Maine. Here is the backstory for “EDEN” from writer Ted Kim:
My wife Brittany is an Old Testament Bible scholar. She challenged me to read a brisk little book called “The Epic of Eden." Epic is about the story of the Bible, but framed from the garden.
While reading that book, the thought occurred to me that the end is a lot like the beginning, just with a LOT more people. We began in a garden and we are headed for a garden at the end of time - it just might look more like a city.
In some ways, every time we worship we are reenacting our FIRST story, the one in the garden where God walked face to face with Adam and Eve. This possibility is fully realized to us through Jesus.
From there, I had an idea: Jesus makes Eden possible for people whose lives have been distorted and derailed by sin. He is actually OUR Eden. It is only in and through Jesus that our deserts can become gardens, that our winters can be fruitful, and that even death can be life — that we can find ourselves back to where we started, back home with God. Namely, reunion. Jesus is everything.
From that point on, the song sort of wrote itself. The idea that Jesus is OUR Eden is an idea so beautiful and haunting for me - even the word Eden has a melody to it.
The conceit of the arrangement is a story I imagine to be true. What if Adam decided to take his son Seth to SEE the garden, knowing that they both couldn’t go in? The first verse and chorus are meant to be Adam telling Seth the story of the garden, when the food was impossibly delicious and the fellowship with God impossibly sweet. They are on the “way” to Eden. So I wanted it to be more “synthetic” - as the song goes along, the elements of the song become more “real” and “organic.” The down chorus is the hush that comes to us when we’re in front of great art; Seth and Adam are standing as close to the gates of Eden as they are allowed to and they are quiet. I think we’re naturally silenced by wonder. Finally, the last re-harmonized chorus is the look back at the garden knowing they wouldn’t be able to enter it in their lifetimes. But still, with hope.
As I said, Vineyard Worship’s singles release the first Friday of every month on all digital platforms. Keep up with all of our singles by subscribing to our Spotify playlist “Sing Together.” And be sure to check out this month’s single, “JESUS BEAUTIFUL,” while you’re there!
- Casey Corum
Casey Corum is the Director of Production and A&R for Vineyard Worship as well as a songwriter, worship leader, record producer, and creative catalyst based in the greater Los Angeles, California area. Casey also travels extensively working with artists, churches, and creative leaders on the stage and in the studio. For more info about Casey, visit his website at: caseycorum.net.