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Pat Barrett uses songwriting as a journal, a way of processing emotions

  • April 16, 2021
  • Tracy Riggs
  • Instagram, Media Reviews, Music, Music Reviews, Top Stories
Pat Barrett
Photo by Mary Claire

Pat Barrett uses songwriting as a journal, a way of processing emotions

“Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly” is not just a paraphrase of Micah 6:8b, in which the question, “What does the Lord require of you?” is answered. It’s also the name of Pat Barrett’s newest album.

Barrett, probably best known for writing “Good Good Father,” is a Dove Award winner, singer/songwriter, worship leader, husband and father of three. Just as “Good Good Father,” most of this latest work is a product of his life experiences and consists of “not just Sunday morning songs, but Monday morning songs,” Barrett said.

What he remembers most about “Good Good Father” is not the fact that it won a Dove Award but that it was written in the front room of his home.

‘So humbling’

“As a songwriter, you just never know if anyone will hear a song outside of just you when you are writing it,” Barrett said. “I can’t recall any other feelings [when I found out about the Dove Award win] than shock and surprise in the best way. Who would have thought that some words that you write on a piece of paper during a writing session in your living room will ever leave that space? It’s just so humbling.”

“Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly” took more than two years to come to fruition, with part written and recorded before the pandemic and some during. Several songs were inspired by 2020 events, like “Lightning,” written after George Floyd’s death.

“For me, some of the most memorable moments [while creating this album] were not pleasant,” Barrett admitted. “But they’re the ones that stick. It was the world shutting down and all of your professional plans for the year being scrapped; then it was the racial tension explosion as well. As a songwriter, I have always been very ‘in the moment.’ I use songwriting as a journal, a way of processing emotions. A lot of these songs came out of that time.”

Many of Barrett’s songs are well-known, with “Build My Life” named Faithlife’s No. 2 worship song in 2020. But though he has toured nationally and led worship in  church, his public persona doesn’t shape his life as much as being a Christian man, husband and dad.

“The vast majority of my life doesn’t take place on a stage with a microphone in front of my face, so I really love songs that speak to the things in my practical, ordinary life. In regards to songs about faith, if a song doesn’t speak to those ‘everyday’ things, I’m not that interested,” Barrett said.

His songs are encouragement for both those in the congregation on Sunday and those on stage. However, as an active worship leader, he has some advice for others in that position.

An honest place

“Lead from a place of honesty [because] no one’s life is perfect. Hype is overrated and pretending is exhausting.

“I’ve tended to see that the more I am comfortable in leading worship from an honest place in my own life, the more it encourages people to worship from an honest place in theirs,” Barrett explained.

The songs on “Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly” came from learning that God cares about every part of life, not just offerings and sacrifices.

Jesus cares

“Does He care about the way we act? Absolutely! Does He care about walking with us through life and growing with two steps forward, one step back as we are trusting? Yes, absolutely He cares about how we act, love and walk,” Barrett declared.

“This album is representative for me of two years of growing and learning to trust God more fully … . Trust is such a simple word, but it is a deep word. You know the feeling when you are being led and trusting that leading, and you know that feeling when you’re ahead of the leader and making your own decisions.

“You realize that there’s so much in the world you can’t control,” Barrett continued. “There are so many things outside of my life that I have no say about. However, there are things I do have a say in, like my wife and I can have a say in what we teach our kids in our household. We can model and show them forgiveness and kindness and generosity and honesty. There’s power in that.

“Just because the world takes a turn, it doesn’t mean that you still can’t make the decision to trust in your own life, the one that God put in your hands. You don’t know what tomorrow looks like, but you do know that this is the day that the Lord has made. You can either be anxious and worry about it or you can rejoice and be glad in it. This is me making that choice in my own life — to trust.”

Look for Barrett on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube or www.patbarrettmusic.com.


EDITOR’S NOTE – Reviews of films, books, music or other media that appear in TAB are intended to help readers evaluate current media for themselves, their children and grandchildren in order to decide whether to watch, read or listen. Reviews are not an endorsement by the writer or TAB Media.

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