The Power of Words
How Danny Gokey Uses Music to Inspire and Heal
In an insightful conversation with us, Danny Gokey talks to us about his thoughts on the interchange between his personal journey and his music. Known for his soul-stirring songs, Danny shares how he balances his creative process with the needs and emotions of his audience.
Danny admits thoughts about recipients of his music play into his creative process. “I can see people just in their cars, just letting go of the angst, the anxiety and finding hope.” For his worship songs, Danny aims to capture the crowd’s attention and fix their hearts on Christ.
Creating up tempo songs presents a unique challenge for Danny. “I know what I want to listen to when I turn my music on. I know what I’m looking for. And so I’m as a listener of music. This usually resonates with me, so I’m going to write [songs] towards that.” He strives to make these tracks engaging and repeat-worthy while maintaining a current sound that resonates with listeners.
Storytelling in Music
When asked about the role of storytelling in his music, Danny admits, “as far as my writing process, I don’t think I’ve been a huge storyteller. I can think of writers and genres that are really telling stories. I actually love it and want to explore it more.” He notes that the limited space in songs, typically composed of two verses, two choruses, and a bridge, makes it challenging to tell a comprehensive story.
He acknowledges that his genre doesn’t naturally lend itself to deep storytelling like country music does. Instead, he aims to set up scenarios that drive the point home, providing listeners with a clear emotional destination by the end of the song. “I want to take you right here to get you over here so that you feel a certain way.”
Inspiration from the Bible
“I look to inspiration and crafting is the Word of God.” He draws from its depth, integrating its stories and messages into his music. Danny’s songs include elements that drive home significant biblical truths, making the Bible an invaluable resource in his creative process.
“Our words contain images…it’s an image that plants deep in the heart of a person.” Danny Gokey
Danny emphasizes the power of words to create vivid imagery. “Most importantly, our words contain images. That’s what a word is. It’s an image that plants deep in the heart of a person. When I say burrito and taco, I mean, what are you thinking of? Like you get an image of a burrito and taco. So when you say overcomer, and when you say, more than a conqueror, or you plant an image that you want [the listener] to walk away with and hopefully extract the image of loser and whatever they say about themselves, like, ‘I’m a horrible person.’”
He continues, “That’s what they exchange going on with music. And that’s what you want. You want to give them a different picture than what they’re seeing right now.”
Danny’s insights reveal a thoughtful and intentional approach to music creation. His emphasis on the power of words and imagery highlights the transformative potential of music, offering hope and encouragement to those who hear it.
Want more? Check out our on-demand resources
Family Life Radio is listener supported. Those who listen give to make the music and content possible to shine God’s love, peace and encouragement into hearts, revealing truths that direct people in the way they should go.
If you feel led to give a gift today to help others draw strength, gain wisdom and experience peace through Family Life Radio click here.