Hearth Songs
Hearth Songs is a seven-song EP, my attempt to display the glory and beauty of ordinary Christian life. Including songs about my children, my wife, joy and suffering, these original songs are meant to encourage you to see God’s grace at work in the ordinary things of life.
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Lyric videos on YouTube
Help finish my next Psalms album here!
With special thanks to Brandon Bee, my talented and fearless producer, for his tremendous help in making this EP what it is; to Beth Whitney for contributing all of the background vocals on the album; to Aaron Fishburn, who played the upright bass on Winnie’s Song and Honey Wild & Manna Sweet; Emily Hiemstra for the wonderful fiddle parts on Winnie’s Song; and to Troy Glessner at Spectre Studios for mastering; and everyone who made this album possible at Patreon! Oh, and let’s not forget the thanks due to my wife and kids for dealing with my near-constant musical noise in every one of our living spaces, my brothers at New Christendom Press for quieting down (mostly) when I’m recording in the office next door, and Refuge Church for putting up with a pastor who’s always singing.
Hearth Songs Tee
All purchases from my store, including this shirt, help cover the cost of making more music. This premium cotton tee features the album cover from the EP, along with a line from Drawing Blood, “We’ll reap then with joy” on the front and on the inside neck label.
A Mighty Host
I still remember when I saw her
There as she wandered in the garden
Standing a stone’s throw from her mother
There in the hazy afternoon
And I could hear a hallelu—llelujah
Like wedding bells all silver gold
And oh, I felt it there and then—I still do
Her smile a-rushing through my soul
She’s awesome as a mighty host
She’s an army with its banners flown
Now who is this who shines forth as the dawn?
Clear as the moon and bright as sunbeam songs
She’s honey-sweet, and oh, she’s red-wine strong
Oh, many waters cannot quench this love
Do you remember all the good times
When we were countin’ every dime?
Oh we were poor as honest salesmen
Thirteen hour days, not much to show.
You always told me you that you felt—so rich then
We always kept each other warm
Didn’t we feast upon the fat things—a love like
Whisky and songs around the hearth
She’s awesome as a mighty host
She’s an army with its banners flown
Now who is this who shines forth as the dawn?
Clear as the moon and bright as sunbeam songs
She’s honey-sweet, and oh, she’s red-wine strong
Oh, many waters cannot quench this love
Weren’t we fruitful as a plum tree;
Better than trips to sandy shores
Give me the sound of all our children,
These rough and tumble afternoons
This life the Lord has given us—oh splendor!
And when I’m dying on my bed
Oh, God Almighty, let me hear them—a chorus
Of all my people singing Psalms
With ragged breaths I’ll sing along
She’s awesome as a mighty host
She’s an army with its banners flown
Now who is this who shines forth as the dawn?
Clear as the moon and bright as sunbeam songs
She’s honey-sweet, and oh, she’s red-wine strong
Oh, many waters cannot quench this love
Oh, many waters cannot quench this love
Oh, many waters cannot quench this love
Winnie’s Song
When you came round this wild-eyed world
My tussle-haired and doe-eyed girl
And opened up those big brown eyes,
This daddy was evangelized
Oh Winnie, oh darling may you be
The mother of a great and mighty company;
Ten-thousands, rising up to call you blessed,
Many thousands, all your foes to dispossess
When I’m picking out an old tune, she’s
singing “Daddy!” harmonies
Raising up her little voice
Birdsong whistling through the trees
Oh Winnie, oh darling may you be
The mother of a great and mighty company;
Ten-thousands, rising up to call you blessed,
Many thousands, all your foes to dispossess
Now Winifred, I know you’ll see
Many years that I won’t be
So when you’re old and hear this song,
Will you think of me and sing along?
Oh Winnie, oh darling may you be
The mother of a great and mighty company;
Ten-thousands, rising up to call you blessed,
Many thousands, all your foes to dispossess
Oh Winnie, whoa darling may you be
The mother of a great and mighty company;
Ten-thousands, rising up to call you blessed,
Many thousands, all your foes to dispossess
Many thousands, rising up to call you blessed
Oh Winnie, may you evermore be blessed
All Of The Rooms That We Filled With Our Love
She was a beauty, a little bit quaint
Bohemian dreams and a poet’s ink-stains
I was annoyed, I was reading my book
Hiding away in the library, but
She interrupted and never looked back
I was embarrassed, and now we both laugh
Thinking about those Jr. High days
When we were young, setting hallways ablaze
Glory me, don’t these years float on by?
Glory me, my love
Glory me, don’t these years float on by?
Glory me, my love
I wrote you songs that still make me cringe
But you fell asleep to them up in your room
Thinking about all the babies we’d have
And all of the rooms that we’d fill with our love
Glory me, don’t these years float on by?
Glory me, my love
Glory me, don’t these years float on by?
Glory me, my love
Now I’ll write you songs while I’m watching you cook
And later we’ll dance to them up in our room
Singing about all the babies we made
And all of the rooms that we filled with our love
Drawing Blood
She’s lonely
She sees the same blood, third time this year
And home—home isn’t home
With that empty room,
with that empty nursery room
Sometimes things just go wrong.
Sometimes you feel that old Curse, pressing in
Tearing his claws, drawing blood
Shaking the ground with his ugliest roar
Heaving his breakers to crash on your shore
The specter
Haunting her everywhere that she goes
And oh—Lord, don’t you hear?
Lord don’t you hear
that old wraith rattling bones
Sometimes things just go wrong.
Sometimes you feel that old Curse, pressing in
Tearing his claws, drawing blood
Shaking the ground with his ugliest roar
Heaving his breakers to crash on your shore
Lord would you wrestle him down?
Lord, come and shatter his teeth, in his mouth
Heal up the flesh that he tore
Put songs in our mouths of our fortunes restored
Sowing in tears, but we’ll reap then with joy
Bringing our sheaves in, we’ll reap then with joy
We’ll reap then with joy!
We’ll reap then with joy!
We’ll reap then with joy, joy, joy!
We’ll reap then with joy, joy, joy!
We’ll reap then with joy, joy joy!
Daphne’s Song
She’s a willow-wand with sunshine hair,
Cider-sweet like sweet-pine air
Little roses sitting on her blush-wine cheeks
She’s laughter ringing in the thin-aired peaks
See her running heath and up the hill
Wingèd, flying down past the mill
Daffadowndilly, all yellow-white
Zephyr-riding, wingèd sprite
Oh, Daphne
Are you gonna break my heart?
And make me
And make me give you away?
Oh, Daphne
When I held you there
You stole me
Oh, you stole me all away
Now she’s sittin’ careless on the kitchen floor
Watching mama, gonna pitch in more
And she’s singing treble like a winter wren
Silver clear ’til the last amen
Wearing mama’s apron, mama’s mien
And mama’s eyes, all laurel green
With her prettiest dress, all floral lace
And mama’s smile there on her face
Oh, Daphne
Are you gonna break my heart?
And make me
And make me give you away?
Oh, Daphne
When I held you there
You stole me
Oh, you stole me all away
Oh no don’t grow too fast,
or leave too soon,
My little girl
But when you do, know
you take my love
Wherever you go
Oh no don’t grow too fast,
or leave too soon,
My little girl
But when you do, know
you take my love
Wherever you go
Wherever you go
Oh, wherever you go
Oh, Daphne
Oh, Daphne
Oh, Daphne
You stole me all away
You stole me all away
Old Neptune, He’s Roaring
The mountains are magnets and you are the steel
The dangerous peaks and the heady, thin air
Beckoning, calling, and waving their hands
Saying come on, boys, come further up, further in.
Old Neptune is roaring and shaking his fists
Swallowing islands and timbered ships
But look to the glory, it’s there to be had
And take to the oars or you’ll wish that you did
Come on, boys, don’t you know?
There’re dragons out there, dragons out there
Come on, boys, don’t be slow
Cut down Leviathan, go get the girl.
Come on, boys, don’t you know?
There’re dragons out there, dragons out there
Come on, boys, don’t be slow
Cut down Leviathan, go get the girl.
She’s prettier than any sunset or sky
Bright as a flower, all slender and wild
And you swear that you’ve never seen anything more
Lovely as this river daughter before
She’s a glorious thing, she’s the glory of man
A bone out of Adam, a garden again
So son take your strength and your courage in hand,
And see if she won’t be a crown on your head
Come on, boys, don’t you know?
There’re dragons out there, dragons out there
Come on, boys, don’t be slow
Cut down Leviathan, go get the girl.
Come on, boys, don’t you know?
There’re dragons out there, dragons out there
Come on, boys, don’t be slow
Cut down Leviathan, go get the girl.
Don’t give any heed to cowardly tongues
There’s glory out there, out there to be won
Look to the King; He’s thrown down Goliath
And cut off his head; take courage, now son
Don’t give any heed to cowardly tongues
There’s glory out there, out there to be won
Look to the King; He’s thrown down Goliath
And cut off his head; take courage, now son
Come on, boys, don’t you know?
There’re dragons out there, dragons out there.
Honey Wild & Manna Sweet
You were seventeen and I was
Thinking I would lose my mind
‘Cause you were standing there in that dress
A river valley green and wild
Running vi’lent through the pines
I saw you laughing with your hair down
Oh, you taught me how to burn
And I was wond’ring if I could have you
If I could take that river home
You were nervous; you all bright-eyed,
Supple faerie, curve and draw
Up in Eden, in your white dress
Honey-wild and manna-sweet
Hundred-twenty proof and neat
Took that wrong door and I looked through
’Til' you found me laughing there
And I was wond’ring if I could have you
As I took your trembling hand
You were sitting at my table
Hoping I would come back home
Little faces, little voices
Raucous, joyful supper time
Fruit all heavy on the vine
And I knew then as they ran me down
When I opened up that door
That you couldn’t give me anything
More than what you’ve given me
Oh, I’m wealthier than kings