Listen & Love
Music and musings from a Michigan farm boy who somehow became a singer-songwriter in Hawaiʻi
Hoʻolohe me ke aloha
That’s a close approximation of “Listen & Love” in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi—the Hawaiian language—according to a friend of mine who grew up here. Believe me, I never thought, growing up on an apple orchard in the middle of lower Michigan, that someday I’d be living, writing and singing in the middle of the Pacific. But here I am, eight years now, and I’d love you to come along if you’re up for it.
I don’t think I’ve ever been Christian enough for the contemporary Christian music (CCM) world, nor secular enough for the pop music world. Guess I’m stuck somewhere in between. That makes me hard to categorize, I suppose, but that’s fine with me. I grew up in one of those categories and it didn’t work very well.
Why I’m here
If you’re interested in how I ended up in Hawai‘i, there’s a long answer in the blog D & D’s Big Hawaiian Adventure. As to why I’m now on Substack…? I’ve been spending more time here than on other social media platforms lately, and finally decided it would be the best suited to becoming a home base.
My music is mostly about love, a love that revolves around a center of faith. It’s always been that way: from the time I was trying to express my confusing feelings back in high school, through my years on stage as a Jesus music troubadour, to my backstage studio musician phase, and finally into my “retirement calling” present.
I plan to post here every few weeks, sometimes with a new song, sometimes delving into the backstory behind an older one, sometimes just sharing the everyday life of a slightly crazy uncle—as they call all us older guys here. (Why crazy? As Mr. Shellhammer says about Santa Claus in 1947’s Miracle on 34th Street, which we just saw again on Thanksgiving, “Maybe he’s only a little crazy, like painters or composers…” So I guess I qualify, but hopefully just a little.) David and I are still loving the down-market, slow-paced life of windward Hawai‘i Island, so I’m looking forward to sharing a bit of Big Island Aloha with you, too. 🌈🤙
You can subscribe for free to get my posts delivered to your email inbox, but of course you’re free to change that whenever you like and just check in online. In fact, that’s one of the main reasons I decided on Substack: you can choose to get my posts directly in your email, without having to sign in to an online app and wade through ads (as it is in Facebook).
But if you’d like to support me (Thank you! ❤️), the best way would be to share my songs and posts with anyone you think might be interested. And don’t forget to look me up on your favorite music channels and add me to your playlists! Or you could always take a plunge, and let me know what you think through a comment…
I just want this to be a space where you can relax, listen to some songs, explore the ideas and feelings that went into creating them, and connect. Maybe dream a little bit. No stage, no proscenium, no curtain, no spotlight. These days it’s all going on backstage.
OK. Start the music!
It’s December 8 already, so the first song I’d like to share with you is for me—like many of you, I’m sure—my favorite Christmas carol. Under normal circumstances, it is probably the one that I’d least want to meddle with, as it is so simply sacred, just as it is. But I’d always wondered in the back of my mind what it would sound like in 4/4.
So here’s my personal take, and with great respect to Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber, the carol’s authors, I’ve also shared a verse of my own. (By the way, his original version had six verses. If you’ve never read the history of the song, you should take a look. It’s fascinating to read how this simple song, written for a particular occasion—accompanied on guitar because the organ broke down—somehow became the world’s best-known Christmas carol.)
I lay awake several nights in a row, imagining the holy scene, and myself standing there. What would I have felt, and done? What would be my response to the babe in the manger? What could I possibly have to say, or give? What does his birth mean for me, here, now?
After all, if it was an eternal event, it has to mean something now, too—in the middle of this world we live in, all fractured and selfish and racist, lie-ridden and poverty-stricken. This world I helped create. Is there hope for this world as well as that world long ago?
silent night, holy night
sorrows flee, dreams take flight
lost and loved ones bending near
scenes of hope for the world appear
born of heavenly love
born of a heavenly love
born of your heavenly love
If you celebrate Jesus’ birth this year, take a moment to consider: If you were to add your own verse, what would it say?
For other music links, sheet music, lyrics, backstory and more, visit https://doughowellmusic.com/songs/silent-night/
Beautiful! Thank you for doing this, Doug. I look forward to future reflections!
Wow! This is gorgeous! 😍