[MUSIC - MONICA MOORE SMITH, "LOOK UP"]
When you are lonely and feel small
And all your troubles are 10 feet tall,
All your hopes have gone and hit the wall,
There's something you can do.
When you are lonely and feeling blue,
Forgot the answers you ever knew,
Here's a clever little tip for you, something you can do.
Look up.
Try to see the sunshine.
Look up.
And when the skies are gray,
You know the sun is hiding somewhere.
Something good is on its way.
Do do do do do do do do do do.
Now I presume to tell you what to do
Because by experience I know it's true.
Yeah, the light that wants to shine on you.
This is what you do.
Look up.
Try to see the sunshine.
Look up.
And when the skies are gray,
You know the sun is hiding somewhere.
Something good is on its way.
Do do do do do do do do do do do do do.
Something good is on its way.
Look up.
Try to see the sunshine.
Look up.
And when the skies are gray,
You know the sun is hiding somewhere.
Something good is on its way.
Look up.
Try to see the sunshine.
Look up.
And when the skies are gray,
You know the sun is hiding somewhere.
Something good is on its way.
Hi.
Welcome back to Mormon Channel Studio.
I'm your host, Nicole.
That was an original called "Look Up"
by Monica Moore Smith.
Monica, how are you doing today?
I'm doing well.
How are you?
I'm doing great, thanks.
That was an amazing song.
Tell us a little bit more about that song.
So this one I love partly because I'm a huge fan of jazz.
And I'm just obsessed with that whole era,
you know, just with the fashion.
I mean, I love, like, dressing up,
and I love anything vintage.
And I just think it's such a classy era,
and I would love to bring it back.
Yeah.
And also lyrically with this one, it's just a positive song.
I think there's a lot of media out there that is
not--it's kind of degrading.
And so I wanted to put something out there that just, like,
anyone can listen to.
You can listen to it with your family.
But it's kind of a different style and not something maybe
you'd expect.
Right.
So I don't know.
And I just have so much fun with it.
I get to play with it, and it's very dynamic.
And so it's just like, just a good song.
Yeah, I loved it.
I was actually going to comment on the whole, like, jazz feel
and blues feel and the way that you sang it.
Where do you find your inspiration
when you're trying to portray a song
or if you're writing a song?
I think always the go-to thing--I think the best thing
to do, at least for me personally,
is to find how I relate to it and find an experience even
if, you know, maybe if I'm doing a cover and the lyrics
don't exactly fit my life.
I think if it's a song about sadness or about going
through a trial or a breakup, I think
those are things we all relate to.
And just finding that personal story
and allowing yourself to be vulnerable and share that
through the lyrics, I think that's what
connects other people.
And that's what connects me to other people's music.
Yeah, definitely.
So I think it's always just starting from an organic place,
and just in here.
Right.
And that was actually my next question,
is just how has music influenced you in your life
or when you're going through a personal trial
or whatever it is?
I think, as far as, you know, feeling the Spirit,
I think everyone feels it in a different way.
And I feel like for me, I'm not a hugely emotional person
or someone who really likes to open up necessarily,
so music gives me kind of a venue that kind of feels
safe for me to be vulnerable and to share how I feel.
And it kind of almost acts as therapy in a bit of a way.
So I feel like that is how it's connected with me when I find
songs that I really relate to.
It's just that it feels safe to me,
and it just opens me up in ways that nothing else does.
Great.
You did an amazing job.
And you're going to be singing another song for us, right?
Yes.
What are you going to be singing?
I'm singing "I know That My Redeemer Lives."
But I have my friend here, Doug Bush, to come accompany me.
Awesome.
Well, let's bring him out.
[MUSIC - MONICA MOORE SMITH, "I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVES"]
I know that my Redeemer lives.
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, he lives, who once was dead.
He lives, my ever-living Head.
He lives to bless me with his love.
He lives to plead for me above.
He lives my hungry soul to feed.
He lives to bless in time of need.
He lives to grant me rich supply.
He lives to guide me with his eye.
He lives to comfort me when faint.
He lives to hear my soul's complaint.
He lives to chase away my fears.
He lives to wipe away my tears.
He lives to calm my troubled heart.
He lives all blessings to impart.
He lives!
All glory to his name!
He lives, the Savior, still the same.
Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:
"I know that my Redeemer lives!"
He lives!
All blessings to his name!
He lives, the Savior, still the same.
Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:
"I know that my Redeemer lives!
I know that my Redeemer lives!"