Burning Like the Midnight Sun

Much of the music on Burning Like the Midnight Sun was built upon guitar tracks that Daugherty was originally developing for a solo instrumental album.[6] "The problem was, I kept putting down guitar ideas, and thought, 'This would make a good Choir song.' I would kind of go that direction, instead of my instrumental album direction, and now I have hardly anything for my instrumental album, and we have a Choir record. That was the catalyst for everything else that happened."[6] Even with Daugherty's contributions, Hindalong emphasized that "perhaps more than any other album by the Choir, Burning Like the Midnight Sun integrates the musical personalities of all five individuals."[4] Lloyd Epperly, writing for QRO, added that "it also might be time to make Christine Glass Byrd member number six," specifically highlighting her "immeasurable" contributions to "Mr. Chandler" and the title track.[7]

For the album's mix of rock styles, Hindalong considered Explosions in the Sky to be "sonically inspirational," as well as the then-most recent releases by the National, Beach House and Grizzly Bear.[9] The band also experimented with a more psychedelic sound on "I’m Sorry I Laughed."[10] According to Hindalong, "I threw a thin blanket over my drums and played with mallets to get that muffled sound. Tim played bass thru a wah-wah pedal that I worked with my hands. We lifted the sax riff from our Chase the Kangaroo album. Dan's Lyricon was truly emotive on the outro, maybe his best since 'More than Words' from our Shades of Gray EP in '86."[10] Hindalong also played around with unusual percussion on "A Friend So Kind." "Derri had already programmed a chillingly perfect loop," Hindalong said. "I just wanted to reinforce the backbeat with something metallic. So, I found a nail puller bar, decided to strike it with a screwdriver, and was really pleased how the note resonated in the key."[9]

"It Should Have Been Obvious" was the only track to incorporate music created outside the band.[11] "Max is my sixteen year-old son, and he's a high school football jock, but he also loves music, and he plays guitar and drums," Chandler said. "And one day he comes to me, he plays it for me, and it was very simple. It was a very simple G major chord that had some movement to it, and it just created this whole melody over it. And that launched the song for me once I heard that, because it was something I never would have played. Once he did that, it just developed into a thing where we collaborated on a chorus and a very simple bridge. I played the idea for Steve and Derri, and that's how that happened. The song would not have existed without [Max] starting it off."[11]

A large percentage of songs on the album address specific events in the band members' lives ("Mr. Chandler,"[12] "I'm Sorry I Laughed,"[13] "Legend of Old Man Byrd,"[14] "Invisible,"[15][10] "Say Goodbye to Neverland"[16]), while other tracks were inspired by close friends of the band ("A Friend So Kind",[17][10] the title track[18]), or Hindalong’s domestic life ("That Melancholy Ghost,"[19] "Between Bare Trees"[20]).

"Mr. Chandler" recounts an event 20 years prior when the Choir was at the airport on its way to perform in Canada, but was stymied by a misspelling on Chandler's paper ticket, as the name was printed "Kim" and not "Tim."[21] "This was back in the days where you could show up with 2,000 pounds of equipment at LAX at the curb, and slip the skycap a hundred bucks or something, and he’d make sure the whole thing got on," Chandler recounted. Once he arrived at the ticket counter, the agent "had a fit" about the misspelling on the ticket, and was further agitated when Chandler had no pen on hand to sign a form. "It was so theatrical," he added. Afterwards, he and the rest of the band rushed to the gate, only to end up missing their flight.[21]

"I’m Sorry I Laughed" details an incident during a soundcheck when the band was on tour in 1990. The stage at the St. Louis venue was long and narrow, and while warming up with his saxophone, Michaels fell off the stage. While he was unhurt, Michaels’ vintage 1963 Selmer was severely damaged, and the band was forced to perform several gigs without sax while it was being repaired.[13] "I felt ashamed for laughing," Hindalong said. "Most humans, it seems, share the same dark trait – finding humor in the misfortunes of others. That seems to be the primary appeal of most reality TV. Why are the humiliation, ridicule and suffering of other people so entertaining to us?"[13]

“Legend of Old Man Byrd” was a re-recording of a song Hindalong wrote and performed at Byrd’s 40th birthday party, and the song reflects actual details from Byrd’s personal life, including the “maple black guitar” which Hindalong gave him for his 30th birthday, later used to compose the popular worship song "God of Wonders."[14] Byrd remarked that Hindalong’s song was "a little embarrassing for me. It’s the one track I didn’t play anything on, because I would feel funny playing on it."[22]

"A Friend So Kind" was a musical eulogy to pianist Tom Howard, who had a long career in contemporary Christian music that began with his first album released on Larry Norman’s Solid Rock label in 1977.[10] Whenever Hindalong was working on a project that required orchestration, he would call upon Howard, who soon became one of his dearest friends.[17][10] When Hindalong heard the news of Howard’s sudden death,[23] "I sat at home in the dark for about three days, and wrote this song on the third day. It was a painful loss, and still is, because I never had a kinder friend who saw me for who I was and accepted me, and had the courage to tell me the truth, without judgement, but with love. The kind of guy that almost everyone that knew him thought he was one of their best friends. I don't know how he had that time or energy for that many people, but he really did. And I thought, 'Wow, now that would be a divine aspiration to be a friend like Tom.'"[17]

"It Should Have Been Obvious" mostly addresses slavery and racism, but it also serves as an apology to the LGBTQ+ community.[10] "It should have been obvious that a Christian should not have owned slaves," Hindalong said. "But it wasn't to so many who professed to be 'Christians,' including many of our nation's founding fathers. So, what things, I wonder, are not obvious to us today that should be? For example, I kneel before the cross of my redeemer 'just as I am.' Surely, Jesus embraces our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters 'just as they are.' […] It saddens me that this is such a divisive subject. I have studied it intently and discussed it at length. I view the relative passages of Scripture differently now, given their cultural contexts. But mostly my heart and mind are changing as a result of a few individuals who I care for and have begun to understand. If I am wrong – and I am wrong about things every day – I'd rather err on the side of mercy. So often Christians show a cruel face, in shameful contrast to the merciful face of Christ, whose heart we are called to exemplify."[10]

"Between Bare Trees," which Hindalong claimed was his favorite song on the album,[10] was inspired by the love of nature that he shared with his then-wife, Nancy. "She can identify most trees by their bark, seed and leaf. Through her eyes I have learned to appreciate the structure and beauty of bare trees. And it brings to mind the importance of transparency in a relationship."[10] At the same time, Hindalong admitted that, in revealing his domestic life, "sometimes I share too much. I don’t regret that personally, but it has been a problem for my wife, because Nancy’s a very private person, and has felt overexposed by it. And so, I have regretted that. I kind of steered clear of that this album; ‘Bare Trees’ is the only one."[20]