His Day: A Sabbath Song By Composer Eric Malizia

I Love New Songs! My own very talented friend Eric Malizia has written a new children’s song honoring the Sabbath Day – appropriately called His Day – and I am excited to share it with you today. The song talks about all of the activities that we can do on Sunday to make it a special, sacred day that honors the Lord and helps us to follow God’s fourth commandment to keep the  Sabbath Day a Holy day, and make it #HisDay. This would be a great song for anyone, including parents and Primary Choristers to teach to children (or themselves). 🙂

Here is the fun video of Eric and his family singing “His Day” together on their way to church. PLUS, an excursive interview with composer Eric, the lyrics to the song, and a FREE music Download included below!

FREE SHEET MUSIC: His Day – by Eric Malizia

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Exclusive interview with The Composer, Eric Malizia

Mosop: Tell us a little about you!

Eric M: I have been married to my wife Sadie for 13 years and we have four children. I’m originally from Norwalk, CT., and I met my wife in a singles ward while she was living there as a nanny. After moving back to Utah, we married in 2002 and I received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah a few years later. Growing up, my family converted from Catholicism when I was 7 years old. Sister missionaries came to our door, my family investigated the Church for several months, and the rest is history. I was inactive from the Church for about seven years during my teens and early twenties and when I came back into activity it was hard for me because I had didn’t have a lot of gospel knowledge. I didn’t know the order of the books in the Book of Mormon and was embarrassed if someone called on me to read because I couldn’t find anything. If I had known the song, “The Books in the Book of Mormon,” and other’s like it, I would have had a much easier time with things like that. As a result, the songs I try to write are simple truths that make sense to any listener, at any level of gospel learning. The most effective and powerful doctrines are the most simple. There is no need to over-complicate things. It’s about faith, repentance, being kind to other’s, love, service, helping those who need help, and just trying. Do the best you can—nobody says you have to take on the world. President Uchtdorf said it best,

“Start where you are.”

One of the blessings I received was that I was assigned for two years to be an early morning seminary teacher, where I feasted on the scriptures daily. It was a great experience for me, having only gone twice to seminary in high school. I try to include scripture references or words from prophets or Church leaders in my songs whenever I can. “His Day” mentions the “iron rod” from Lehi’s vision. It also makes mention of a line from Russel M. Nelson’s April 2015 conference talk [The Sabbath Is A Delight] where he said:

“I believe He wanted us to understand that the Sabbath was His gift to us.”

In the song I say, “Each Sabbath day’s a gift to me…”

When/How did you get the idea for this song?

Eric M: After I heard about the Church’s Sabbath Day campaign and saw they were using #HisDay, I immediately knew it would be a great title for a song. I’m always looking out for interesting titles or themes for songs. It was April 27, 2016 when I wrote the song.

How long did it take you to write the song?

Eric M: On the way home from work one day last month, I started recording the opening line to the song into my voice memos on my phone. In the short 10-minute drive I finished the whole first verse, lyrics, melody and all. The next day I wrote the lyrics for the second and third verses in about an hour. I knew right away it was something timely and special that I needed to share. After I wrote the song and looked at the Sabbath Day web page on LDS.org I saw that it said “Record a favorite song or write your own. Capture a moment on video. Get creative and use your special talents.” I had absolutely no idea they were asking people to do this and I knew I had to figure out the best way to share this song. That’s when I started brainstorming about how I can do a video that was simple enough to film myself but different enough to make people stop and watch for two and a half minutes. I prayed about it and thought long and hard about it and finally came up with the idea to film it in our mini-van on the way to church. Our family is always joking and singing so it was really natural to just put up the camera and do it. The kids learned the song pretty quickly and they were really into it. They are always singing “His Day” around the house now, which is so cool.

What would you like people to learn or feel from your song?

Eric M: The song is very positive and focuses on many of the fun, uplifting things you can do on the Sabbath. In the past I’ve had people who aren’t of our faith say, “I heard you can’t do this, or this, or this on Sunday.” When you are going to Church for the right reasons you don’t see it that way at all. The Sabbath truly is a gift and it is set apart from the rest of the week. I want people who hear the song to realize that we are blessed to have the Sabbath day to rest and spend quality time with our family. Hopefully it will help people plan activities that are right for their family. Maybe for some people, taking a walk or family history isn’t their favorite, but maybe learning an instrument or writing poems is. I just want people to feel that Sunday is not boring but it’s a reason to celebrate the Savior and our blessings that come with knowing Him and our Father in Heaven.

Do you have any other songs in the works?

Eric M: Yes! I have many, many more songs in the works and quite a few done. The ideas just keep coming and I couldn’t be happier about it. I pray to be inspired with musical ideas and I act on them when they come to me. Most of the time they don’t come out of the blue but I’m actively trying to create new melodies and lyrics all the time. Sometimes they don’t sound great after I revisit them and sometimes they are way better than I thought. It’s a really fun and inspiring challenge to put these songs together.

What are some of your musical goals?

Eric M: I want to have one of my songs published by a Church magazine or book such as The Friend, or The Ensign, a new Children’s Songbook or Hymnbook. I’ve written a few hymns as well. I’ve also decided that I want to record a full length children’s album and have made it my ultimate goal for this next year ahead. I’m already planning which songs will be on it and starting to think about videos, etc…I’ve never had so much music flowing out of me at once. It feels great.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Eric M: I started playing electric guitar when I was 13 and played in rock and heavy metal bands throughout high school. When I was 17, I got an acoustic guitar for Christmas and it changed my life. I all but gave up on the electric guitar a few years later and focused on acoustic guitar. Around this time I started taking singing a little more serious. I never had formal vocal lessons and I don’t read music. It is my goal to one day be able to sight read and pick up some sheet music and play something. I was inspired to start writing children’s music after watching a BYUtv documentary called Inspiring Lives, which featured LDS songwriter Janice Kapp Perry. I immediately knew I needed to write this kind of music that touches lives for good.

Thank you Eric for sharing your story,  your talents and your testimony with us!

– MoSop

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HIS DAY – Lyrics
1. One day out of each week I put aside to rest
I gather with my family and wear my Sunday best
At church I take the Sacrament, I learn, I sing, I pray
This is how I glorify the Savior on His day
His day is Sunday so I’ll celebrate
By worshiping and honoring the Savior on His day

2. I read the scripture truths and learn the word of God
Each Sabbath day’s a gift to me to hold the iron rod
I learn my fam’ly history and stories of the past
When I’m ready I will pay my tithing and I’ll fast
His day is Sunday so I’ll celebrate
By worshiping and honoring the Savior on His day

3. I take a fam’ly walk or sing a sacred hymn
I read or watch a conference talk that testifies of Him
I visit with my relatives or serve a friend in need
Gather round the dinner table to a Sabbath feast
His day is Sunday so I’ll celebrate
By worshiping and honoring the Savior on His day

©Eric Malizia 2016

Download Sheet Music Here: His Day