Still, Mad Men episode eight, season two © 2010-2014 AMC Network Entertainment LLC

In anticipation of his second solo album release next week, we’ve invited singer-songwriter and Girls founder Christopher Owens to take over HERO online. Over the coming days, watch out for exclusive content and insights into the San Francisco based musician’s influences, experiences and obsessions…

“There’s a song on the album called My Troubled Heart which sounds like one of these gospel standards,” says Christopher Owens of the lead track from his new album. “I was watching Mad Men a few years ago and at the end of one of the episodes there’s this priest, Father Gill. He’s young, white, happy, he’s the Father of a Catholic church. He’s set up, he’s doing OK. He’s in control and he’s confident. He gets home from a day of doing ‘priest stuff’ and he takes off his little white collar and jacket. And he picks up a guitar and starts to sing this traditional, spiritual song.

The song is about his days being hard but when it’s over, he gives his burdens to God and everything’s OK. I was like, “That’s great that he has that but what is so difficult in his life, anyway?”

Meanwhile, there’s this other character – Peggy Olsen. She works in a male dominated office, people are downright rude, she has this strict Catholic mother and sister who are always nagging at her, she’s single and she had to have her baby alone in a hospital because she didn’t even know she was pregnant. She’s got a lot of troubles!

She doesn’t have a song like this to sing because she’s not religious. She’s somebody who really needs a song like that, so I started thinking, what would she sing? What would you sing if you weren’t at the end of the day giving your troubles to God, you were just learning how to deal with your problems on your own?

My Troubled Heart is Peggy Olsen’s version of this song.”

Lyrics to Early In The Morning by Peter, Paul and Mary

Well early in the morning, about the break of day,
I ask the Lord, “Help me find the way!”
Help me find the way to the promised land
This lonely body needs a helping hand
I ask the Lord to help me please find the way.

When the new day’s a dawning, I bow my head in prayer.
I pray to the Lord, “Won’t you lead me there?”
Won’t you guide me safely to the Golden Stair?
Won’t you let this body your burden share?
I pray to the Lord, “Won’t you lead me please, lead me there?”

When the judgment comes to find the world in shame
When the trumpet blows won’t you call my name?
When the thunder rolls and the heavens rain
When the sun turns black, never shine again
When the trumpet blows, won’t you call me please, call my name!

Lyrics to My Troubled Heart by Christopher Owens

Well early in the morning at the break of day
I ain’t got no god to whom I pray
No lord above to set me free
I keep my burdens right here with me

And the valley’s deep and the mountain’s high
And my troubled heart is sure to make me cry
I gotta be a man if I wanna stay
Right here on earth til the end of day

When I lay my head down to go to sleep
I don’t pray the lord my soul to keep
I just worry sick all through the night
I ain’t got no mama for to hold me tight
I ain’t got no daddy for to hold me tight
I need somebody for to hold me tight

Christopher Owens’ new solo album, A New Testament, is next Monday, 29th September on Turnstile Music. Follow Owens on Twitter, Facebook and find tour updates at his website.

Stay tuned for more Christopher Owens-curated content in the coming days.