The song “It’s Over” by Erick Oscar seems at first glance to be just another ordinary song about the end of a relationship, and I would still classify it as acoustic gospel. It appears on the album Hold The Light, which has already been released.
A friend of his wife has remained in a toxic relationship for several months, and the situation became so tense that it inspired this song. All depends on a single statement, “I am ending this relationship out of self-respect; not hatred.” No one is attacked in that sentence, and the narrator walks out without identifying a villain or seeking revenge; to me that is what gives the song its authority. It sounds as if the decision to leave had been prayed over before it was actually spoken.

Self-Respect, Healing, Dignity

-PurpleMistress

That is my own interpretation, not something he states. If you put it that simply, the meaning of the line is entirely clear. I wanted a lyric which would make me uncertain about how the narrator actually feels; it was just my personal preference, and that’s why I listened to the song more than once.

This man, who used to sing love songs and ballads in his home, has for over 35 years played acoustic guitar with a church worship band and has written more than 1,200 songs in the process: a straightforward lyric such as this one is appropriate given that background. The production software, however, is a recent acquisition; he uses it to select the style, tempo, the vocals, the instruments and the arrangement, and he has already released several albums identifying himself as an amateur producer.

He says that his aim is to touch people’s hearts, and the song does this in a warm and straightforward way by stating that you should be able to leave with your dignity unchanged and without pretending that the situation had been simple. I’m not sure if the other songs on Hold The Light are equally direct. A door closing quietly, rather than being slammed, is something I’d prefer to hear rather than another song about revenge.