Rebecca Reynolds and I began writing songs together in August, 2011, and in Spring of 2012 she sent me these image-filled lyrics, inspired partly by an early morning she spent on Lake Barclay duck hunting with her Dad. It’s one of the few songs on the record that isn’t quite like an old gospel song, but it has a very reflective, peaceful, meditative feeling and thought behind it.
Back when we wrote it I did a recording with just two guitars and vocal and we put it up here at the Rabbit Room for fun in April, 2012. I used my 1938 Martin D28 and D18 of the same year, recorded with Neumann KM-54s and quality preamps and eq.
This recording became the basis for the version on Trouble Go Down; Jeff added piano and accordion, Tim Crouch did strings, Mark Fain played bass, and the great Ellie Holcomb sailed her voice on the harmony lines during the choruses.
[Trouble Go Down is available in the Rabbit Room Store.]
“Everything Broken and Everything Beautiful” Music: Ron Block/Moonlight Canyon Publishing/BMI Lyrics: Rebecca Reynolds/Wynken Owl/BMI
Low, low flies the shadow owl, Across the morning waters. Low makes her gentle way.
Low, low lies my soul before Thee, Beside the morning waters. Low have I come to pray.
The wild heron cries with the wind in her eyes the carp dances honest and free stirs my soul, to see O, Lord
Welcome everything broken, and everything beautiful, trembling and holy, and drifting and brave.
There’s a cup of a moon, sleeping white on still waters, climbs a silver ladder, in the fracture of the waves.
Low, low burn the stars in waiting, Across the womb of heaven. Low make their tender way.
Low, low stirs the hymn of promise, beneath the womb of heaven. Low in the birth of day.
The fog angels bathe in a choir of praise yield to the sun as it rises sighing in silent reprises O,Lord
Welcome everything broken, and everything beautiful, trembling and holy, and drifting and brave.
There’s a cup of a moon, sleeping white on still waters, climbs a silver ladder, in the fracture of the waves.