Listen and Love
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The Rain of Heaven
November, 1988 Photo courtesy of docpop Under the stubborn, wet November leavesI followed the golden streetlights tonightmuch further than I intendedthe shadow of my umbrellapassed over pools of shimmering asphaltlike a ghost made of the spacebetween starsI walked slowly as a tired childasking questions only childish lipsdare formyou breathed into me the refreshing fragranceof deep cool…
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A Month Full of Nights
September 26, 1988 • for Rick Photo courtesy of kthypryn The moon rose next to Mars tonightand fullA month ago and further North it waswe saw its fulness last—gaping into its beams as if drunkon the wind and stars—Bathed in its ghostly radiancewe gave and received tendernesses,our eyes gleaming,our lips parted,speaking into the nightprayers our swelling…
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Like This Leaf
September 16, 1988 Photo courtesy of ientu Like this first leaf of AutumnI fell for youI traded my lofty attachmentsfor sudden flight—gusts and whirlwindsforsaken placesforgotten cornersI let it go—that comfortable glade of green—and soon found I could knowother colors—love other places Like this first leaf of AutumnI set my course somewhere betweenecstasy and earthI too fear…
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Flags of Many Countries
January, 1987 • for Lee Photo courtesy of ruffin_ready into the concrete square we emergedfrom damp shadows of skyscrapersand the sky—scraped clean—beckoned blue we stood squinting into sunlightcheeks thawing whilewe drank in brisk airwe sent our spirits outto the skatersas they traced icy figureswe scanned the rows of flagsas they waved and furledround rows of poles…
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Eden Records: A History
Eden Records is a “home-grown” record label that began in Allen Park, Michigan, and released a total of nine albums during the 1970s and 80s. Eden artists included Doug Howell, Damascus, Shekinah and New Jerusalem. Though the company is not currently active, we are pleased to field questions from those who remember Eden fondly. Doug…
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The Dancer in Black
Fall, 1986 Photo courtesy of David Nava Under a windy Orionfour shadowy walkersglide smoothly overpavement and curb—streetlights and Ishow them where they must fall,where converge.Between solemn stridesI practice my spins—not gracefully, as you did.I confuse the air—you left it clean and calmas I remember… Dressed in blackyou passed like a cloudthrough the company of dancersfrom wing…
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Symmetry
October, 1986 • for Lonnie Photo courtesy of Ben Salter There’s a balance in all thissomehowme on the rightyou, the leftinhaling and exhalingwe looked through the same window: You watched the rush of oncomingtraffic, faces,the little stubborn islands of treeand twice-painted rock—symbols scrawled wildly on granite. I watched those names blurinto a second image:a ghostly reflectionof…
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The Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction
words & music by Doug Howell (Summer, 1985) all you want to hear is a sweet songyou don’t want to hear from mejust three short, painless minutesand a hook that’s hotcrossover Christianitybut tell me, where’s the sacrificewhen we always keep things nicefollowing some formula conformityyou say you’re protecting someone elsebut it’s really just yourselfwho can’t…
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Blair
words & music by Doug Howell (22 Oct 1979) Blair, I was used to playing solitairebut you caught all my defenses unawareand my feelings long since fallen into disrepairbut you made me feel like a millionaire how I hate the thought of leaving nowhow I wish that I could stay somehowbut I will always remember…
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Hollywood
words & music by Doug Howell (Sep 1981) walking down the boulevardthe eyes so hurtin’, flirtin’ and hardyou’re utilized and tossed aside each momentand bit by bit enamored by all the trumped up glamouryour greed begins expanding by exponent you take refuge in the numbers gameforget your honor, despise your name,you settle in behind your…
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Can’t Feel It Anymore
words & music by Doug Howell (4 Sep 1980) you telephonedhow can you sound so close, yet distantwe keep pretending time is nonexistentyou’re laughing like you used to dobut the most that I can seem to do issmile at the illusions I had plannedcause now I hold your laughter in my handsomehow it’s lost the…
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According to Your Word
words & music by Doug Howell (28 May 1980) I’ve spent my whole liferunning away from painthinking it wasn’t your willalways asking questionsdemanding you explainnever hearing you say,“Be still.” let it be done to meaccording to your wordtill your love flows through meinto this dying worldcan’t shut my eyes to all I’ve seendeny what I…
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Keep On
words & music by Doug Howell (5 Aug 1980) keep on, keep on drivingeven when the lights go outand you just can’t figure it outkeep on, keep on walkingwhen the darkness falls aroundand the circumstances confound you Jesus, did I love your blessingsmore than I loved youJesus, take away your blessingsstill I will love you…
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Where Could She Be?
words & music by Doug Howell (Apr 1982) if I’m meant to live my life aloneI know you’ll give me the strength to be on my ownknowing I’m your own is enough for mebut if there should be something more to your planthan I can see from where I standand if there should be one…
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Liar
words & music by Doug Howell (30 Oct 1978) yesterday at the fair you really took me for a rideyou said if I’d surrender you’d keep me satisfiedbut after just one time around it all came down the sameleaving me to hate myself for playing in your game liar, liaryou really took me for a…
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Dweller by the Dark Stream
words & music by Doug Howell (Feb 1980) well-mannered, cool and calmly persuadingmyself that I am truly what I seem to bea beast of greed unbounded still is ragingbarely contained beneath the straining liturgythey joke of pain as if it were so distantI laugh along, a desperate play for comedybut if they knew my most…
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Let Go
words & music by Doug Howell (30 Oct 1978) let gowhy is it so hard just to let golet me give you all the good things that I’ve planneddo you believe that I love you?I know, I know all your dreamsbut do you know I’ve got some dreams for youcan you trust me to make…
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The Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction
Description Now available in digital format only. Doug’s fourth solo album. More up tempo than any since his first. More experimentation with synthesized sounds (it was the 1980s). Edgy, like Bluer…, but with better production values. This was the first album not to include song notes in the original packaging. Total playing time – 52:47…
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The Barrier
Fall, 1984 Photo courtesy of Johan Larsson a measured worda careful goodbye from youand suddenlywords are flowinglike the music you requestedbecause, you said,the title fit yourcircumstance I sat then, poisedbetween duty and passionlife and some sort ofsacred chronologythat you thought sacred, but I didn’t—secure in my decisionI released the songand it rose from a longslumber chord…
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The Voice of My Beloved
Music by Doug Howell, lyrics by Hannah Hurnard (based on The Song of Solomon) the voice of my belovedthrough all my heart it thrillshe leaps upon the mountainsand skips upon the hillsfor like a roe or young hartso swift and strong is hehe looketh through my windowand beckoneth to me rise up, my love, my…