There’s More

words & music by Doug Howell • © 2021 Creative Measures LLC

what does it mean to be one
with someone else
all my life I’ve just been by myself
but then you came
now it’s not the same
there’s so much more to me
than there ever was before
there’s more

what does it mean to be close
Lord, show us how
show me how to tear this fortress down
and just be me
for in you I am complete
there’s so much more to love
than we’ve ever dreamed before
there’s more

how can we be closer
when someone stands between us
when that someone’s Jesus
his spirit makes us one
one
three
in one

what does it mean to rejoice
you and me
in him joy is multiplied by three
it’s true that all my sadness
was only half as sad
but all that I called happiness
was only half as glad
there’s more
there’s more

Reviews

Beautiful ❤️🙏❤️🙏❤️🌹 —Ada S.

Beautiful all the way around. Melody, lyrics, vocals, guitar. Sounds amazing! —Kurt S.

Great song! —Rebecca W.-K.

Pretty song…love your playing Dan, gorgeous arrangement —Sue S.

Just beautiful music and tender words 🌷❤ —Vivi L. T.

Love this…more. —Barbara G. P.

2021 Notes

Of the dozen or so wedding songs I’ve written, “There’s More” is one of the later ones. But even back when I wrote my first one, “I Wanna Spend Time with You,” I think I had a pretty good idea of what marriage was about. Or at least what it was supposed to be about.

I became convinced quite early on that true love—not just marriage, but true love of any kind—was about oneness. A desire for, and commitment to oneness. For a kid in church a couple times a week, it wasn’t too hard to figure out, starting with Jesus’ own life and teachings. 

The well-known hymn in Philippians 2:5-11 is a powerful example: It says that Jesus loved us so much that he (i.e., the Creator) “emptied himself,” giving up his God-ness, giving up his Creator-hood, taking the form of a servant—the form of a created being, the form of human flesh. And it all begins with these words: “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus…” 

Another example is Jesus’ last earthly prayer for the disciples (John 17:20–23 NRSV). He prayed “that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

And this is how we are supposed to love one another, not just our spouses! Look around our world today and tell me how you think we’re doing. Yeah, I know, it isn’t easy to be one with someone else, is it? How do we lay aside our own needs and desires, putting someone else’s good before our own? I don’t know about you, but I need supernatural help! Hence this song-prayer.

And getting back to the song… The only time I really remember performing it live was in the home of a friend from St. Barnabas. Catherine was an exceptional attorney, teacher, writer, poet and playwright. But at the time we got to know her, she was suffering from lymphoma. At one point, she had just undergone a risky bone marrow transplant. While she was instructed by her doctors to avoid the public and recover peacefully at home, I came to visit once a week for a music session. It was supposed to be therapy for her, but it turned out to be just as much for me.

I’d sit at her piano, bring out one of the books in my bag, and we’d sing worship songs together. She’d make requests, too, and sometimes I’d sing her some of my own songs. One day I remember playing “There’s More” and it just seemed to click with her. She told me she really thought this one was special and that I should record it someday. 

So Catherine, this song is for you. When I remember you, I feel a great peace, and picture us in your living room singing songs to God. Now you sing with the angels. Thank you for your constant encouragement, your love of music and love of the Lord, which were and are an example to us all. And thank you especially for your support of David and me as a couple—now celebrating 32 years together as of this very release date! Godʻs eternal peace to you, Catherine. And Hauʻoli La Hoʻomanaʻo, Davey!

Music Notes

Dan Leonhardt has created a couple of gorgeous acoustic guitar tracks for this song, as well as an electric guitar part that garnishes the bridge with just the right amount of grit. Love, love, love it, Dan! Mahalo nui!

When I started putting the song together, I loved the guitar tracks so much that I submerged the piano part a bit so as not to distract, and left things mainly to the guitars and bass. Hope you enjoy it.

By the way, Catherine also introduced me to a beautiful version of “God Be With You Till We Meet Again,” familiar words, but set to the tune “Beach Spring,” a different tune than is normally sung. She had grown to love it at her previous Massachusetts congregation. I was fond of it, too, and asked her to sing it to me a few times so I could set it down in notation. I created a simple four-part arrangement that we sang every so often at St. Barnabas. I was reminded of it as I prepared this song, so I’ve uploaded it to my own site, as well as Sheet Music Plus, in case any of you are interested in trying it out.