I admire people who are singer-songwriters. I may have said this here before, but I just don't place a ton of weight on people who simply have good voices. I've seen enough of the good (& the bad) on American Idol to know that there are a lot of people out there I have little to no respect for who can sing with the best of them.

Singer-songwriters are different. They are the words & the voice. That little difference makes a tremendous impact on what is being sung. One such artist I totally respect is Nichole Nordeman. My iTunes was shuffling through my music and her "Please Come" came on. This song is nearly 6 1/2 years old and it strikes me as profoundly now as it did the first time I heard it. Here are the lyrics. If you don't have this CD (or any other of her CDs) I'd highly recommdend it...

Oh the days when I drew lines around
my faith to keep you out, to keep me in, to keep it safe.
Oh the sense of my own self-entitlement
to say who’s wrong, who won’t be long, or cannot stay.
Cause somebody somewhere decided we’d be better off divided.
And somehow, despite the damage done He says come:

CHORUS:
There is room enough for all of us
Please come, and the arms are open wide enough
Please come, and our parts are never greater than the sum
This is the heart of the one who
stands before the open door and bids us come.

Oh the times when I have failed to
recognize how many chairs are
gathered there around the feast.
To break the bread and break these
boundries that have kept us
from our only common ground the
invitation to sit down if we will come:

CHORUS

Come from the best of humanity
Come from the depths of depravity
Come now and see how we need every
different beat on this same street.
Come.