The Song of Songs

Music by Doug Howell, Lyrics by Hannah Hurnard (based on The Song of Solomon)

the song of songs, the loveliest song
the song of Love, the King
no joy on earth compares with his
but seems a broken thing
his name as ointment is poured forth
and all his lovers sing

draw me, I will run after thee
thou art my heart’s one choice
O bring me to thy royal house
to dwell there and rejoice
there in thy presence, O my King,
to feast and hear thy voice

look not upon me with contempt
though soiled and marred I be
the King found me, an outcast thing,
and set his love on me
and I shall be perfected by love
made fair as day to see

2020 Notes

For notes on the original recording and entire project, see Songs from Hannah Hurnard’s Classic Hinds’ Feet on High Places.

On one of the darkest days of my life I was headed north, a dark, cold, sky pressing down, and down, until it scraped the top of the car. I started wondering what would happen if I drove into the concrete pillars ahead. I called out to God, and grabbed a book that happened to be on the front seat. It was Hinds’ Feet on High Places, a modern Christian allegory in the tradition of Pilgrim’s Progress. Thankfully, God used that book in a very powerful way to rescue me from that desperate moment.

In the following months, I wrote music to all the songs in the book (all based on the Song of Solomon), and eventually recorded Songs from Hannah Hurnard’s Classic Hinds’ Feet on High Places (with the great help and encouragement of my producer, Mike Kuzma) at Abbey Road Studios in London, just before Christmas, 1982. The album sold about 100,000 LPs, more than all of the others put together, and it is still my most streamed album.

The opening song has always been one of my favorites, and if you know the book, it’s actually sung by the main character, Much Afraid—a role reprised beautifully on the album by Carol Larsen. But I’ve always wanted to do my own version, too, as well as make the vocal-piano score available. I finally did!

Both Mike and I asked God to use the music to reach others with the Shepherd’s Love, just as the book had been used in my life, and I hope this rendition brings you a little glimpse of that great Love!

1983 Original Album Version