Speak To Me

[Intro]
Speak to me, Lord, I'm right here...
Teach me how to pray...
[Verse 1]
I come to You with empty hands
Not knowing what to say
My soul is starved, my soul is bare
No bread, just Your word
[Pre-Chorus]
I don't know how to pray
But I know I need You
[Chorus]
Speak to me, Lord, I'm right here
I need nothing else but that
Speak to me, and I'll answer You
Teach me how to pray, oh Lord...
[Verse 2]
Like a child I come to ask
Without shame, without fear, without delay
To ask is to finally confess
That I'm nothing without Your love
[Pre-Chorus]
I don't know how to pray
But I know You'll hear me
[Chorus]
Speak to me, Lord, I'm right here
I need nothing else but that
Speak to me, and I'll answer You
Teach me how to pray, oh Lord...
[Bridge]
It's not the world that changes
(No, no...)
It's me, it's me who changes
(When I speak to You...)
And it's this heart, transformed
(Only by You...)
That will change the world entire
[Final Chorus]
Speak to me, Lord, I'm right here
I need nothing else but that
Speak to me, and I'll answer You
Teach me how to pray, oh Lord...
[Outro]
Speak to me...
I'm right here...
Teach me how to pray...

70s Motown soul ballad, tone of prayer and gratitude, in the spirit of David Ruffin. Warm, vulnerable lead vocal, slightly raspy grain, intimate and heartfelt phrasing like a sincere confession, restrained tenderness rather than explosive power. Slow tempo 78-82 BPM, soft rocking rhythm, minor key opening into major on the final chorus like a release of relief. Rich, prominent string section at the heart of the arrangement — soaring violins, deep warm cellos, and a resonant double bass carrying the emotion throughout. Delicate acoustic piano weaving beneath the strings, minimal drums with brushes, very little percussion. Soft female backing vocals, almost whispered, like a shared prayer. Stripped-down bridge, solo voice with only strings, violins and cello swelling gently, deep and quiet gratitude before a soft return of the groove, never explosive, fading out on whispered ad-libs over lingering strings.,