Keep This Heart Tender

words & music by Doug Howell (1972) • © 2018 Creative Measures LLC

I was hurryin’ down the sidewalk
so busy looking straight ahead
I didn’t notice the sky or the leaves on the trees
till one floated down in front of me
it was a beautiful shade of yellow
and also orange and brown and red

how much does it take to turn my head anymore?
oh, please, keep this heart tender to the leaves

I’m always hurryin’ down
that list of things to do today
and when I’ve got it all crossed off I wonder why
and how many people I’ve passed by
that needed a friend to love them
and someone who could point the way

how much does it take to make me smile anymore?
oh, please, keep this heart tender to their needs

you know, if you’re not careful
your heart will turn to stone
and while you’re not aware
it can make you all alone—
all alone

how many months have passed me by
since I told You how I needed You
how many times have I handled the show on my own,
thinking I was all alone?
how many times have I forgotten
that You were right beside me, too?

how much does it take to give my heart anymore?
oh, please, keep this heart tender to Your love

2018 Notes

I’ve been thinking a lot about seasons lately (see our recent blog, “Learning the Seasons,” for much more on that), so I was thinking it would be a perfect time to do a couple songs inspired by the seasons. And since I already did a couple down-tempo songs this summer, I think it’s time for something a little more up-tempo, too. This one was written way back in 1972, when I was at University of Michigan. It’s always been a favorite of mine, but I only performed it occasionally, and it never made an album roster.

I lived near central campus at the time, and walked back and forth a lot. One autumn day as I was walking quite hurriedly past the “toaster church”—so-called due to its uncanny resemblance to a concrete toaster, complete with two levers at the top—a leaf floated down right in front of my face. I know, it may seem like a silly thing to write a song about, but this particular leaf stopped me in my tracks. It changed my day. Hope you like it.

Oh, yeah, and special thanks to David for helping with background vocals! Since David’s joined another choir here in Hilo and has been singing a lot, I asked if he’d like to help me out, and he did. It was fun. And besides, it’s always useful to have a built-in background vocalist close-by! See if you can pick him out in the second and third verses.

Many thanks, too, to Christopher Sessums for the beautiful photo featured here. Check out his photo stream at flickr.com/photos/csessums/5394967790/in/photostream/.