Only Love
Song Lyrics
Little Bit of Light
Words and music by Noah Budin
© 2018 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
1ST VS.:
In the trail of the tail of a shooting star
We dance in the wake of holy sparks
Like a tiny tear in the fabric of the night
And the wax of the candle and the oil of the flame
And the phases of the moon, watch her wax and wane
As she pulls the night into the dawn
With a little bit of light
CHORUS:
Little bit of light
In the nighttime sky
Little bit of light
To purify
Little bit of light
To feed the soul
To bring us peace
To bring us hope
To bring us home
2ND VS.
We can let it shine in a million places
If we don’t let it fill up the empty spaces
It will only serve to obstruct our sight
For justice is vision that is unobscured
And the triumphs over struggles that we’ve endured
Have only occurred because the brave have led the way
With a Little bit of light
CHORUS
BRIDGE
All we ever wanted was peace upon the earth
And the time was right to celebrate our rebirth
CHORUS
Mi Sheberach
(A Healing Prayer)
Words and music by Noah Budin
© 2018 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
Beating like the wings of the raven flying empty
A heart will sing the only song it knows
And breathing in Your breath of life, the dove will circle gently
Leading to the healing path she chose
And I will reach
Out to You
Help me find
My own song
Source of strength
Misheberach
Avoteinu v’imoteinu
Sing to me from where you are
Imoteinu v’avoteinu
Hold me in your loving arms
Misheberach
Be a blessing
Amen
Sailing on the water was a way to make us stronger
Testing our resilience every day
And walking on the burning sands the endless days seemed longer
Than our strength to let you guide us on our way
And I will reach
Out to You
Help me find
My own song
Source of strength
Misheberach
Avoteinu v’imoteinu
Sing to me from where you are
Imoteinu v’avoteinu
Hold me in your loving arms
Misheberach
Be a blessing
Amen
Birmingham
Words and music by Noah Budin
©2018 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
1
Blood on the ground
Smoke in the air
Turned on the news
And you were there
In Birmingham
Fire in their eyes
Water on your skin
Can’t wash away
The ugly sins
Of Birmingham
Seven are the bulls
Standing by the water
Waiting for the slaughter
Of the innocents
Seven are the fools
Dancing with the martyrs
Standing up to barter
With the dissidents
In Birmingham
2
Hopes were blasted
The bells were broken
Shrapnel of bricks
Were the holy token
Of Birmingham
I hope I’m wrong
But I may not outlive
This barren search
For a love that forgives
In Birmingham
Blessed are the ones
Tithing at the altar
May they never falter
As they pretend to bleed
And blessed are the godless
Who’ve never made a payment
But have taken to the pavement
To pray with their feet
In Birmingham
3
If you were called
To fight for your freedom
Would you come running?
Would you come bleeding
To Birmingham?
And if you were called
To beat on the drum
For the life of a stranger
Would you still come
To Birmingham?
Hopeful are the children
The widows and the lame
Standing in the rain
Of apathy
Hopeful are the righteous
The brothers and the sisters
The marchers and resisters
And the refugees
Rising are the winds
Upon which our singing
Of freedom bells ringing
Ride from post to post
Rising are the cries
Of those unforgiving
And now we are living
With the ghosts
Of Birmingham
Love Will Follow
Words and Music by Noah Budin
©2018 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
I believe that dreams get shattered
And hopes are scattered like stars in the night
I believe that times are troubled
And we all stumble to find the light
I believe that promises spoken
Are often broken by those who seem wise
And I believe when we let our fear go
Love will follow and we will rise
I believe that rage can break you
And it can take you by surprise
I believe that thirst can blind you
And greed will find you despite your disguise
I believe that lies can fold you
And they can hold you until your dream dies
And I believe when we let our anger go
Love will follow and we will rise
I believe that walls divide us
And fools will guide us if we just stand by
I believe that roads connect us
And should not direct us to our separate lives
I believe bridges have crumbled
And I stand humbled as I sing this reprise:
I believe when we let our hate go
Love will follow and we will rise
I believe when we let our anger go
Love will follow and we will rise
I believe when we let our fear go
Love will follow and we will rise
Hey John
Words and music by Noah Budin
© 2018 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
CHORUS:
Hey, John
I ain’t waiting anymore
I can’t stand here at the threshold
Gotta walk on through the door
You can watch through the window
Tell me what you see
But the change you want to happen
Is the change you gotta be
Oh, the change you want to happen
Is the change you gotta be
1st vs.
I heard it said a train is coming
Coming down the track
Hallelujah, hallelujah
You better get on board
It might not be coming back
Hallelujah, hallelujah
And if her mighty engine
She’s running cold
Hallelujah, hallelujah
You gotta hold it with your heart
And feed it with your hungry soul
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, amen
CHORUS
2nd vs.
And like the mighty river
Keeps on rolling to the sea
Hallelujah, hallelujah
That mighty oak may still be standing
But the river rolls on past that tree
Hallelujah, hallelujah
She can carve her way through mountains
And the stones will go along
Hallelujah, hallelujah
We will gather at the ocean
And sing that river’s song
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, amen
BRIDGE:
You can shout it from the mountain
You can take it to the street
Do you remember how it was?
Can you feel the burning heat?
You can tell the congregation
You can close your eyes and pray
But you can never stop trying
To find just one more way (no you can’t)
CHORUS
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, amen
Swiftly Fall the Years
Words and Music by Noah Budin
© 2018 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
We’ll build our walls of leaf and twine
We’ll make our beds with boughs of pine
And I shall give you all that’s mine
For swiftly fall the years
We’ll weave our clothes with fabric torn
From words we’ve used to keep us warm
I’ll give you sanctuary from the storm
For swiftly fall the years
And when the wind seems hard to bear
And our fragile walls too thin
We’ll strengthen them with grace we’ve found
In bricks from where we’ve been
With our love we’ll build a door
We’ll add new windows, walls, and floor
And in our hearts grow room for more
For swiftly fall the years
And with our fingers we’ll lay bare
The furrows in the soil where
We’ll plant our seeds with restless care
For swiftly fall the years
And like an empty page is filled
With more than it can hold
Our love will grow with each word
As we hear the story told
And when my story’s almost done
Yours may not have yet begun
I’ll give you stars, moon, earth, and sun
For swiftly fall the years
Now take these gifts and use them well
For memory’s all I have to sell
How long we have no one can tell
For swiftly fall the years
And when my soul grows weary of this
Old and borrowed earth
I’ll meet you at the crossroads of
Release and precious birth
Grace
Words and music by Noah Budin
©2018 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
Grace she stands before me like an angel in the night
Her hands are catching darkness and her eyes are throwing light
And I am like a ship upon a rough and angry sea
And finally she comes to somehow hold and rescue me
And I am just a beggar, lost and looking to stay warm
And Grace’s arms just hold me, give me respite from the storm
And when my thirst is raging she’s the water I desire
And in my coldest nights she is my light and she’s my fire
As long I shall walk upon this earth
Like every man before me I’ve been flawed and falling
since my fragile birth
And I wonder, yes I wonder if she knows
That as long as she will stay I will never let her go
Grace she stands before me her arms open to me wide
And even in my blindness she’s been there for all of time
I am limping, I am ragged, I’m embattled, I am lame
But Grace will take my tears and heal me when she speaks my name
I am walking barefoot over rocks and snow and sand
But she will be my shoes and she will take me by the hand
To lead me ever higher to a just and righteous place
And clinging to my frailty I’ll try not to fall from Grace
As long I shall walk upon this earth
Like every man before me I’ve been flawed and falling
since my fragile birth
And I wonder, yes I wonder if she knows
That as long as she will stay I will never let her go
Only Love
Words and music by Noah Budin
©2018 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
Somebody like you
Somebody like me
Somebody like you and you and you and you can be
Somebody who builds
Somebody who mends
Somebody whose strength lies in the work
it takes to bend
Somebody whose strength lies in the work
it takes to bend
I may not know
How the world spins
It may not even matter who loses or who wins
‘Cause I don’t feel
The pull of power
And in the end amidst the rubble lies your tower
Yes in the end amidst the rubble lies your tower
Always in the end amidst the rubble lies your tower
Only Love
Only Love
Only Love
Will set us free
You count your money
You can climb your ladder
But in the end I know you know it just won’t matter
You can buy your votes
You can reach for fame
But you cannot count your blessings by how many
know your name
No you cannot count your blessings by how many
know your name
Whether it’s the color
Of my skin
Or whom I’m meant to love, God wants you to let me in
And you can feed your body
To keep it whole
But you will still be hungry if you do not feed your soul
Yes you will still be hungry until you feed your soul
Oh you will still be hungry until you feed your soul
Only Love
Only Love
Only Love
Will set us free
BRIDGE:
Love is what you do
And love is what you don’t
Love is what you will
And love is what you won’t
Love is what you are
And love it what you’ll be
There’s just one simple thing I know
Only love will set us free
Only Love
Only Love
Only Love
Will set us free
History of Time
Words and Music by Noah Budin
©2018 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
Hey, little sleepy one
I wonder where you go
When you close your eyes and dream
I wonder if you know
That the arms that hold you safe and close
Are made of only love
And that all my life you’re the one
That I’ve been dreaming of
Yes, though I have only met you
We’ve been walking side by side
Through the history of time
Hey, little sleepy one
I’m here to wish you well
For your journey has just started
It’s a story you will tell
From the ones who came before you
To the ones you’ve yet to know
May the generations follow you
Wherever you will go
May they bless you and protect you
May your lovingkindness shine
Through the history of time
I was younger than my children
And I believed that I could fly
So, too, may all your dreams come true
My sweet and precious child
For even when the road becomes
A hard and tiring climb
I will lift you up above the earth
And be there at your side
Through the history of time
Through the history of time
River’s Rising
Words by Noah Budin and Joe Black
Music by Noah Budin
©2019 Heart and Hands Music (ASCAP)
CHORUS:
And the river’s rising
And the water grows wide
Like the shores of Babylon
We lay down and cried
But the time for crying
Is over and done
And like that river
We will rise as one
Now rivers they wander
And rivers they swell
And old Mother Nature
She can raise a little hell
You can try to contain ‘em
With your hands, heart, and soul
But you ain’t gonna tell
No river how to roll
CHORUS
Now rivers they roar
When the water is high
But when the sky is silent
The river runs dry
Just remember that canyons
Carved from wind and rain
Will rise up singing
When the storm comes again
CHORUS
The children of the desert
Watched the Nile overflow
And the floodwaters showed them
That their crops would grow
Just like a force of nature
We will not be tamed
We will walk right through that water
In freedom’s name
CHORUS
Hymn
(Love is Real)
Words and music by Noah Budin
©2018 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
I was with you in the desert
As we walked upon the sand
Love is real, love is real, love is real
I welcomed you across the border
A stranger in that land
Love is real, love is real, love is real
I held you at the river
When the current became rough
Love is real, love is real, love is real
And I walked along your trail of tears
But I couldn’t hold you close enough
Love is real, love is real, love is real
And while our journey here together may be fleeting
With each step we’ll find another way to heal
And we shall sing out loud these words which bear repeating
Love is real, love is real, love is real
I marched with you in Georgia,
Alabama, Tennessee
Love is real, love is real, love is real
From the ashes of our houses
Will rise a brand new history
Love is real, love is real, love is real
I met you in Orlando
Colors shredded and we cried
Love is real, love is real, love is real
I walked down every main street
And held your hand with pride
Love is real, love is real, love is real
And while our journey here together may be fleeting
With each step we’ll find another way to heal
And we shall sing out loud these words which bear repeating
Love is real, love is real, love is real
You’ve sailed deep within those fragile ships
And searched for my embrace
Love is real, love is real, love is real
We’re still breaking chains around us
As we seek amazing grace
Love is real, love is real, love is real
And when they hold us down with fear and hate
And try to push us under
Love is real, love is real, love is real
We must take it to the street
And let these words roll down like thunder
Love is real, love is real, love is real
And while our journey here together may be fleeting
With each step we’ll find another way to heal
And we shall sing out loud these words which bear repeating
Love is real, love is real, love is real
Love is real, love is real, love is real
Losing Her Slowly
Words and music by Noah Budin
©2019 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
Any given day
Any given hour
Every given moment’s filled
With the power of love
And my heart
Lies weeping on the bed
As I stroke her head
And sing my song
And each breath is holy
We are losing her slowly
Shake those chains away
Spread love before today is gone
Gravity is cruel
Rise up like a wave
Then fall out of the sky toward earth
Like a slave to the memories
We’ve lost
Standing on the shore
Hoping there is more
Beyond that line
And each breath is holy
We are losing her slowly
I’ve heard the children sing
Even broken wings can fly
Standing in the room
Searching for the door
Maybe in and out are the same
And there’s more to know
Than the dark
Seeping through the cracks
Light will take us back
And love will win
Even the ending is holy
But endings never come slowly
We’ll meet face to face
In the place where we begin
Any given day
Any given hour
Every given moment’s filled
With the power of love
Because Of You
(A Song for Greta and Tommy)
Words and Music by Noah Budin
©2019 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
Because of you
I am here
Because of you
My path is clear
And if the dark
Should dim my view
I will go on
Because of you
Because of you
I know my song
Because of you
My voice is strong
And when I can’t
Recall the tune
I will go on
Because of you
Because of you
I know what’s right
Because of you
I still fight
And if I fall
And stumble through
I will go on
Because of you
Because of you
I am here
Because of you
My path is clear
And if the dark
Should dim my view
I will go on
Because of you
Breath of Life
Words and Music by Noah Budin
©2022 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
Little Jim died when the mockingbird fell
His fists were closed but his eyes could tell
The story of his life and a million more
I will drink from the water that you bring me
There’s still blood on the roots and rope in the leaves
There’s mud on my boots and I fall to my knees
To curse the Devil and thank him for
The breath of life within me
If I had a nickel for all the times
I’ve spent doing good I’d have two dimes
I’d summon up the angels on the river banks
And listen to the songs they’d sing me
The Mississippi River is chilly and deep
I pray to the lord my soul to keep
And if I never meet him I’ll still give thanks
For the breath of life within me
The Mississippi River is deep and wide
No milk and honey on the other side
Just ashes and bones and invisible graves
And the sound of the church bells sting me
And the headstones rise in the Mississippi mud
They look like cotton and the smell like blood
I can’t even speak their God-given names
With the breath of life within me
It was Mississippi June on the day he fell
And Byron De La Beckwith can rot in hell
For he died in prison and I must confess
To the joy that news did bring me
Well I ain’t no sinner and I ain’t no saint
And no one ever lived a life without complaint
But I’ll sing my truth as long as I possess
The breath of life within me
I’ll stand with you as long as I possess
The breath of life within me
I’d give you life if you could access
The breath of life within me
I’d bring you back, lay hands on your chest
With the breath of life within me
Your neck, your chest, your lungs I’d bless
With the breath of life
The breath of life
The breath of life
The breath of life within me
Take Me Home
Words and music by Noah Budin
©2018 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
When May seems the same as December
Take me home, take me home
And the sun is just a small dying ember
Take me home, take me home
When you are but a stranger among all my friends
And my friends are no longer by my side
When the darkness is all I remember
Take me home, take me home
When your name slips like sand through my fingers
Take me home, take me home
And the shape of your face no longer lingers
Take me home, take me home
When my hands no longer know the way to make the music play
And my heart forgets the melody inside
And my song can no longer find the singer
Take me home, take me home
When my legs can longer stand for freedom
Take me home, take me home
And my feet won’t march for love or for reason
Take me home, take me home
If I sail upon the water in a boat I built with dreams
And the hope upon the shore has all but died
And my eyes no longer seek the harbor’s beacon
Take me home, take me home
Strong
Words and music by Noah Budin
©2018 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
If we stand
Side by side
We can build a wall of love
To stem the tide
And if we stand
Face to face
We can see the eyes of God
In this place
If in our arms
We would hold
Another’s child and give them shelter
From the cold
Then our arms
Could spread out wide
Like wings of hope
Against a hard and tired sky
I am you
You are me
We are right where we belong
I am you
You are me
We are strong
If you bear
A broken soul
Give me the pieces, I will try
To make them whole
But if I fail
To soothe and mend
We are all both whole and broken
In the end
If you doubt
That you are where
Your voice will ring with truth, just know
I too am there
And if we doubt
That we are heard
Our silent deeds are louder than
Our shouted words
I am you
You are me
We are right where we belong
I am you
You are me
We are strong
BRIDGE:
Somos el pueblo unido
Somos el pueblo unido
Somos el pueblo unido
I am you
You are me
We are right where we belong
I am you
You are me
We are strong
Words and music by Noah Budin
© 2018 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
1ST VS.:
In the trail of the tail of a shooting star
We dance in the wake of holy sparks
Like a tiny tear in the fabric of the night
And the wax of the candle and the oil of the flame
And the phases of the moon, watch her wax and wane
As she pulls the night into the dawn
With a little bit of light
CHORUS:
Little bit of light
In the nighttime sky
Little bit of light
To purify
Little bit of light
To feed the soul
To bring us peace
To bring us hope
To bring us home
2ND VS.
We can let it shine in a million places
If we don’t let it fill up the empty spaces
It will only serve to obstruct our sight
For justice is vision that is unobscured
And the triumphs over struggles that we’ve endured
Have only occurred because the brave have led the way
With a Little bit of light
CHORUS
BRIDGE
All we ever wanted was peace upon the earth
And the time was right to celebrate our rebirth
CHORUS
Mi Sheberach
(A Healing Prayer)
Words and music by Noah Budin
© 2018 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
Beating like the wings of the raven flying empty
A heart will sing the only song it knows
And breathing in Your breath of life, the dove will circle gently
Leading to the healing path she chose
And I will reach
Out to You
Help me find
My own song
Source of strength
Misheberach
Avoteinu v’imoteinu
Sing to me from where you are
Imoteinu v’avoteinu
Hold me in your loving arms
Misheberach
Be a blessing
Amen
Sailing on the water was a way to make us stronger
Testing our resilience every day
And walking on the burning sands the endless days seemed longer
Than our strength to let you guide us on our way
And I will reach
Out to You
Help me find
My own song
Source of strength
Misheberach
Avoteinu v’imoteinu
Sing to me from where you are
Imoteinu v’avoteinu
Hold me in your loving arms
Misheberach
Be a blessing
Amen
Birmingham
Words and music by Noah Budin
©2018 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
1
Blood on the ground
Smoke in the air
Turned on the news
And you were there
In Birmingham
Fire in their eyes
Water on your skin
Can’t wash away
The ugly sins
Of Birmingham
Seven are the bulls
Standing by the water
Waiting for the slaughter
Of the innocents
Seven are the fools
Dancing with the martyrs
Standing up to barter
With the dissidents
In Birmingham
2
Hopes were blasted
The bells were broken
Shrapnel of bricks
Were the holy token
Of Birmingham
I hope I’m wrong
But I may not outlive
This barren search
For a love that forgives
In Birmingham
Blessed are the ones
Tithing at the altar
May they never falter
As they pretend to bleed
And blessed are the godless
Who’ve never made a payment
But have taken to the pavement
To pray with their feet
In Birmingham
3
If you were called
To fight for your freedom
Would you come running?
Would you come bleeding
To Birmingham?
And if you were called
To beat on the drum
For the life of a stranger
Would you still come
To Birmingham?
Hopeful are the children
The widows and the lame
Standing in the rain
Of apathy
Hopeful are the righteous
The brothers and the sisters
The marchers and resisters
And the refugees
Rising are the winds
Upon which our singing
Of freedom bells ringing
Ride from post to post
Rising are the cries
Of those unforgiving
And now we are living
With the ghosts
Of Birmingham
Love Will Follow
Words and Music by Noah Budin
©2018 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
I believe that dreams get shattered
And hopes are scattered like stars in the night
I believe that times are troubled
And we all stumble to find the light
I believe that promises spoken
Are often broken by those who seem wise
And I believe when we let our fear go
Love will follow and we will rise
I believe that rage can break you
And it can take you by surprise
I believe that thirst can blind you
And greed will find you despite your disguise
I believe that lies can fold you
And they can hold you until your dream dies
And I believe when we let our anger go
Love will follow and we will rise
I believe that walls divide us
And fools will guide us if we just stand by
I believe that roads connect us
And should not direct us to our separate lives
I believe bridges have crumbled
And I stand humbled as I sing this reprise:
I believe when we let our hate go
Love will follow and we will rise
I believe when we let our anger go
Love will follow and we will rise
I believe when we let our fear go
Love will follow and we will rise
Hey John
Words and music by Noah Budin
© 2018 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
CHORUS:
Hey, John
I ain’t waiting anymore
I can’t stand here at the threshold
Gotta walk on through the door
You can watch through the window
Tell me what you see
But the change you want to happen
Is the change you gotta be
Oh, the change you want to happen
Is the change you gotta be
1st vs.
I heard it said a train is coming
Coming down the track
Hallelujah, hallelujah
You better get on board
It might not be coming back
Hallelujah, hallelujah
And if her mighty engine
She’s running cold
Hallelujah, hallelujah
You gotta hold it with your heart
And feed it with your hungry soul
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, amen
CHORUS
2nd vs.
And like the mighty river
Keeps on rolling to the sea
Hallelujah, hallelujah
That mighty oak may still be standing
But the river rolls on past that tree
Hallelujah, hallelujah
She can carve her way through mountains
And the stones will go along
Hallelujah, hallelujah
We will gather at the ocean
And sing that river’s song
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, amen
BRIDGE:
You can shout it from the mountain
You can take it to the street
Do you remember how it was?
Can you feel the burning heat?
You can tell the congregation
You can close your eyes and pray
But you can never stop trying
To find just one more way (no you can’t)
CHORUS
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, amen
Swiftly Fall the Years
Words and Music by Noah Budin
© 2018 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
We’ll build our walls of leaf and twine
We’ll make our beds with boughs of pine
And I shall give you all that’s mine
For swiftly fall the years
We’ll weave our clothes with fabric torn
From words we’ve used to keep us warm
I’ll give you sanctuary from the storm
For swiftly fall the years
And when the wind seems hard to bear
And our fragile walls too thin
We’ll strengthen them with grace we’ve found
In bricks from where we’ve been
With our love we’ll build a door
We’ll add new windows, walls, and floor
And in our hearts grow room for more
For swiftly fall the years
And with our fingers we’ll lay bare
The furrows in the soil where
We’ll plant our seeds with restless care
For swiftly fall the years
And like an empty page is filled
With more than it can hold
Our love will grow with each word
As we hear the story told
And when my story’s almost done
Yours may not have yet begun
I’ll give you stars, moon, earth, and sun
For swiftly fall the years
Now take these gifts and use them well
For memory’s all I have to sell
How long we have no one can tell
For swiftly fall the years
And when my soul grows weary of this
Old and borrowed earth
I’ll meet you at the crossroads of
Release and precious birth
Grace
Words and music by Noah Budin
©2018 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
Grace she stands before me like an angel in the night
Her hands are catching darkness and her eyes are throwing light
And I am like a ship upon a rough and angry sea
And finally she comes to somehow hold and rescue me
And I am just a beggar, lost and looking to stay warm
And Grace’s arms just hold me, give me respite from the storm
And when my thirst is raging she’s the water I desire
And in my coldest nights she is my light and she’s my fire
As long I shall walk upon this earth
Like every man before me I’ve been flawed and falling
since my fragile birth
And I wonder, yes I wonder if she knows
That as long as she will stay I will never let her go
Grace she stands before me her arms open to me wide
And even in my blindness she’s been there for all of time
I am limping, I am ragged, I’m embattled, I am lame
But Grace will take my tears and heal me when she speaks my name
I am walking barefoot over rocks and snow and sand
But she will be my shoes and she will take me by the hand
To lead me ever higher to a just and righteous place
And clinging to my frailty I’ll try not to fall from Grace
As long I shall walk upon this earth
Like every man before me I’ve been flawed and falling
since my fragile birth
And I wonder, yes I wonder if she knows
That as long as she will stay I will never let her go
Only Love
Words and music by Noah Budin
©2018 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
Somebody like you
Somebody like me
Somebody like you and you and you and you can be
Somebody who builds
Somebody who mends
Somebody whose strength lies in the work
it takes to bend
Somebody whose strength lies in the work
it takes to bend
I may not know
How the world spins
It may not even matter who loses or who wins
‘Cause I don’t feel
The pull of power
And in the end amidst the rubble lies your tower
Yes in the end amidst the rubble lies your tower
Always in the end amidst the rubble lies your tower
Only Love
Only Love
Only Love
Will set us free
You count your money
You can climb your ladder
But in the end I know you know it just won’t matter
You can buy your votes
You can reach for fame
But you cannot count your blessings by how many
know your name
No you cannot count your blessings by how many
know your name
Whether it’s the color
Of my skin
Or whom I’m meant to love, God wants you to let me in
And you can feed your body
To keep it whole
But you will still be hungry if you do not feed your soul
Yes you will still be hungry until you feed your soul
Oh you will still be hungry until you feed your soul
Only Love
Only Love
Only Love
Will set us free
BRIDGE:
Love is what you do
And love is what you don’t
Love is what you will
And love is what you won’t
Love is what you are
And love it what you’ll be
There’s just one simple thing I know
Only love will set us free
Only Love
Only Love
Only Love
Will set us free
History of Time
Words and Music by Noah Budin
©2018 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
Hey, little sleepy one
I wonder where you go
When you close your eyes and dream
I wonder if you know
That the arms that hold you safe and close
Are made of only love
And that all my life you’re the one
That I’ve been dreaming of
Yes, though I have only met you
We’ve been walking side by side
Through the history of time
Hey, little sleepy one
I’m here to wish you well
For your journey has just started
It’s a story you will tell
From the ones who came before you
To the ones you’ve yet to know
May the generations follow you
Wherever you will go
May they bless you and protect you
May your lovingkindness shine
Through the history of time
I was younger than my children
And I believed that I could fly
So, too, may all your dreams come true
My sweet and precious child
For even when the road becomes
A hard and tiring climb
I will lift you up above the earth
And be there at your side
Through the history of time
Through the history of time
River’s Rising
Words by Noah Budin and Joe Black
Music by Noah Budin
©2019 Heart and Hands Music (ASCAP)
CHORUS:
And the river’s rising
And the water grows wide
Like the shores of Babylon
We lay down and cried
But the time for crying
Is over and done
And like that river
We will rise as one
Now rivers they wander
And rivers they swell
And old Mother Nature
She can raise a little hell
You can try to contain ‘em
With your hands, heart, and soul
But you ain’t gonna tell
No river how to roll
CHORUS
Now rivers they roar
When the water is high
But when the sky is silent
The river runs dry
Just remember that canyons
Carved from wind and rain
Will rise up singing
When the storm comes again
CHORUS
The children of the desert
Watched the Nile overflow
And the floodwaters showed them
That their crops would grow
Just like a force of nature
We will not be tamed
We will walk right through that water
In freedom’s name
CHORUS
Hymn
(Love is Real)
Words and music by Noah Budin
©2018 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
I was with you in the desert
As we walked upon the sand
Love is real, love is real, love is real
I welcomed you across the border
A stranger in that land
Love is real, love is real, love is real
I held you at the river
When the current became rough
Love is real, love is real, love is real
And I walked along your trail of tears
But I couldn’t hold you close enough
Love is real, love is real, love is real
And while our journey here together may be fleeting
With each step we’ll find another way to heal
And we shall sing out loud these words which bear repeating
Love is real, love is real, love is real
I marched with you in Georgia,
Alabama, Tennessee
Love is real, love is real, love is real
From the ashes of our houses
Will rise a brand new history
Love is real, love is real, love is real
I met you in Orlando
Colors shredded and we cried
Love is real, love is real, love is real
I walked down every main street
And held your hand with pride
Love is real, love is real, love is real
And while our journey here together may be fleeting
With each step we’ll find another way to heal
And we shall sing out loud these words which bear repeating
Love is real, love is real, love is real
You’ve sailed deep within those fragile ships
And searched for my embrace
Love is real, love is real, love is real
We’re still breaking chains around us
As we seek amazing grace
Love is real, love is real, love is real
And when they hold us down with fear and hate
And try to push us under
Love is real, love is real, love is real
We must take it to the street
And let these words roll down like thunder
Love is real, love is real, love is real
And while our journey here together may be fleeting
With each step we’ll find another way to heal
And we shall sing out loud these words which bear repeating
Love is real, love is real, love is real
Love is real, love is real, love is real
Losing Her Slowly
Words and music by Noah Budin
©2019 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
Any given day
Any given hour
Every given moment’s filled
With the power of love
And my heart
Lies weeping on the bed
As I stroke her head
And sing my song
And each breath is holy
We are losing her slowly
Shake those chains away
Spread love before today is gone
Gravity is cruel
Rise up like a wave
Then fall out of the sky toward earth
Like a slave to the memories
We’ve lost
Standing on the shore
Hoping there is more
Beyond that line
And each breath is holy
We are losing her slowly
I’ve heard the children sing
Even broken wings can fly
Standing in the room
Searching for the door
Maybe in and out are the same
And there’s more to know
Than the dark
Seeping through the cracks
Light will take us back
And love will win
Even the ending is holy
But endings never come slowly
We’ll meet face to face
In the place where we begin
Any given day
Any given hour
Every given moment’s filled
With the power of love
Because Of You
(A Song for Greta and Tommy)
Words and Music by Noah Budin
©2019 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
Because of you
I am here
Because of you
My path is clear
And if the dark
Should dim my view
I will go on
Because of you
Because of you
I know my song
Because of you
My voice is strong
And when I can’t
Recall the tune
I will go on
Because of you
Because of you
I know what’s right
Because of you
I still fight
And if I fall
And stumble through
I will go on
Because of you
Because of you
I am here
Because of you
My path is clear
And if the dark
Should dim my view
I will go on
Because of you
Breath of Life
Words and Music by Noah Budin
©2022 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
Little Jim died when the mockingbird fell
His fists were closed but his eyes could tell
The story of his life and a million more
I will drink from the water that you bring me
There’s still blood on the roots and rope in the leaves
There’s mud on my boots and I fall to my knees
To curse the Devil and thank him for
The breath of life within me
If I had a nickel for all the times
I’ve spent doing good I’d have two dimes
I’d summon up the angels on the river banks
And listen to the songs they’d sing me
The Mississippi River is chilly and deep
I pray to the lord my soul to keep
And if I never meet him I’ll still give thanks
For the breath of life within me
The Mississippi River is deep and wide
No milk and honey on the other side
Just ashes and bones and invisible graves
And the sound of the church bells sting me
And the headstones rise in the Mississippi mud
They look like cotton and the smell like blood
I can’t even speak their God-given names
With the breath of life within me
It was Mississippi June on the day he fell
And Byron De La Beckwith can rot in hell
For he died in prison and I must confess
To the joy that news did bring me
Well I ain’t no sinner and I ain’t no saint
And no one ever lived a life without complaint
But I’ll sing my truth as long as I possess
The breath of life within me
I’ll stand with you as long as I possess
The breath of life within me
I’d give you life if you could access
The breath of life within me
I’d bring you back, lay hands on your chest
With the breath of life within me
Your neck, your chest, your lungs I’d bless
With the breath of life
The breath of life
The breath of life
The breath of life within me
Take Me Home
Words and music by Noah Budin
©2018 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
When May seems the same as December
Take me home, take me home
And the sun is just a small dying ember
Take me home, take me home
When you are but a stranger among all my friends
And my friends are no longer by my side
When the darkness is all I remember
Take me home, take me home
When your name slips like sand through my fingers
Take me home, take me home
And the shape of your face no longer lingers
Take me home, take me home
When my hands no longer know the way to make the music play
And my heart forgets the melody inside
And my song can no longer find the singer
Take me home, take me home
When my legs can longer stand for freedom
Take me home, take me home
And my feet won’t march for love or for reason
Take me home, take me home
If I sail upon the water in a boat I built with dreams
And the hope upon the shore has all but died
And my eyes no longer seek the harbor’s beacon
Take me home, take me home
Strong
Words and music by Noah Budin
©2018 Hands and Heart Music (ASCAP)
If we stand
Side by side
We can build a wall of love
To stem the tide
And if we stand
Face to face
We can see the eyes of God
In this place
If in our arms
We would hold
Another’s child and give them shelter
From the cold
Then our arms
Could spread out wide
Like wings of hope
Against a hard and tired sky
I am you
You are me
We are right where we belong
I am you
You are me
We are strong
If you bear
A broken soul
Give me the pieces, I will try
To make them whole
But if I fail
To soothe and mend
We are all both whole and broken
In the end
If you doubt
That you are where
Your voice will ring with truth, just know
I too am there
And if we doubt
That we are heard
Our silent deeds are louder than
Our shouted words
I am you
You are me
We are right where we belong
I am you
You are me
We are strong
BRIDGE:
Somos el pueblo unido
Somos el pueblo unido
Somos el pueblo unido
I am you
You are me
We are right where we belong
I am you
You are me
We are strong
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