What the Medicine is about

The Medicine Album Releases on July 6? An Explanation

The Medicine Album drops on July 6, 2010! (If you come hear me at Creation East, you can get it a couple days earlier.)

The reason I decided to re-release this album on a record label, is because I thought The Medicine deserved a shot at a national audience. I'm proud of the work we did, and the songs I wrote. It took me 3 years to write it and I hated the idea of the world not getting a proper chance to hear these songs before I moved on with the label. Besides, I was a long way from having a new album's worth of material ready. It would have been summer of 2011 before i had a new one. I'm a slow writer.

I realize this is a little confusing for many of you who don't understand (or care) about how music business works, but the truth is, most people have never even heard these songs.

Aside from one minor tweak on one song, the album has not been remixed or remastered. The only real difference is that this new version has 4 more tracks than the original plus video. I have included these new recordings to give people who already have the medicine album something new.

The Medicine (2010 Deluxe Edition) :

Reckoning Day
The Medicine
Skeleton Bones
Carbon Ribs
Dress Us Up
Death In His Grave
Belly of the Lion
Philadelphia
Out of the Ground
Ten Thousand
Carolina Tide
My Only
Between The Cracks
How He Loves (Single Version)

For those of you who can't wait, you can pre-order the album (and vinyl records) here.

"Death In His Grave"

Death In His Grave (Performance Video) from john mark mcmillan on Vimeo.

Though the Earth cried out for blood
Satisfied her hunger was
Billows calmed on raging seas
for the souls of men she craved

Sun and moon from balcony
Turned their head in disbelief
Their precious Love would taste the sting
disfigured and disdained

On Friday a thief

On Sunday a King

Laid down in grief

But woke with the keys

Of Hell on that day

The first born of the slain

The Man Jesus Christ laid
Death in his grave

So 3 days in darkness slept
The Morning Sun of righteousness
But rose to shame the throws of death
And overturn his rule

Now daughters and the sons of men
Would pay not their dues again
The debt of blood they owed was rent

When the day rolled a new

On Friday a thief

On Sunday a King

Laid down in grief

But awoke holding keys

To Hell on that day

The first born of the slain

The Man Jesus Christ

Laid death in his grave

He has cheated Hell and seated us above the fall

In desperate places he paid our wages one time once and for all

The World Doesn't Need Any More Songs

I read an interview with Bob Dylan a while back where he was asked about songwriting. Dylan's immediate response was "the world has enough songs". He said the world doesn't need any more songs "but a person who has something to say, that's a different story".

People often ask me how I write songs, but the question I would like to ask you first is: What do you really have to say?

Ultimately, I really don't care about your technique or your usage of metaphor. I don't care about your ability to communicate emotion with a melody. I, and the world, don't really care about your songs unless we, at least, feel like you have something to say.

So, do you?

Show of Hands : Should I Let My Beard Get Huge?

We'll be touring out west for almost a month and I was thinking about not trimming my beard at all. Infact I was thinking about establishing a no shaving policy for the whole band while we're on the road. But I leave it up to you. You vote. Should we grow them huge this tour? Yay or Nay?

The Story Behind How He Loves

How He Loves : A Song Story from john mark mcmillan on Vimeo.

One of the most interesting bands in worhship music

I really enjoy Gungor. I think these guys are one of the most interesting bands in worship music right now, and they're making some super legit music. We're touring with them this spring and it might be epic.... I'm just sayin'.