This song was inspired by my experience of homelessness. The song is in two parts really. I wanted to highlight the very thin line between those looking at the homeless, and then seeing the world from the eyes of a homeless person. There are many stereotypes of the homeless when in actual fact it is a community unto itself. The same could be said about those who live the '9-5' lifestyle. I've often found, with many of life's situations, it's easy to judge something on first appearances without actually knowing anything about it. There can be many contributing factors to homelessness. It's not just alcoholics and drug addicts that stay in homeless hostels etc. There are those who fall on hard times, those who have health problems, and other people who will be as varied as their circumstance. According to statistics the average household is only two month's wages away from the prospect of being homeless. In the first quarter of 2011, there were around 60000 homeless households in temporary accommodation in Great Britain (www.poverty.org.uk). It is frightening to think that, while there are streets of empty houses, there are still tens of thousands of homeless households, and this all happening in the year 2011 in the UK!! There's something wrong with the system me thinks!! In any case, this song is about my experiences having seen homelessness from both sides of the fence. 

<p>The Bethany Christian Trust is a homeless charity in Edinburgh that do incredible work that get results. They helped me to get back on my feet through the tough times. If you want to know more about Homelessness in Scotland, want to help raise awareness and help support this award winning charity, have a look at their website for more info:  <a href="http://www.bethanychristiantrust.com/">bethanychristiantrust.com</a>.</p> The original lyrics:

 

Give me a sight, O Savior,

Of Thy wondrous love to me,

Of the love that brought Thee down to earth,

To die on Calvary.

 

Oh, make me understand it,

Help me to take it in,

What it meant to Thee, the Holy One,

To bear away my sin.

 

Was it the nails, O Savior,

That bound Thee to the tree?

Nay, ’twas Thine everlasting love,

Thy love for me, for me.

 

Oh, wonder of all wonders,

That through Thy death for me,

My open sins, my secret sins,

Can all forgiven be.

 

Then melt my heart, O Savior,

Bend me, yea, break me down,

Until I own Thee Conqueror,

And Lord and Sov’reign crown.