See That Light Shine

Here's a tune with a fun folk sound that I'm pretty proud of. It came about while on a long walk with my daughter one clear evening. As we crested the hills of Redondo Beach, California, I noticed a light on a mountain in the distance. There are ranges that line the north side of Los Angeles, and it's really a beautiful skyline when the air is clear enough to see that far. While watching the flicker, the melody that became the chorus for this song popped in my head (see below).

I liked the words, and so I thought about what that might mean and how it would apply to life. The idea of past struggles in my relationship with my wife came up, and eventually turned into a history of our dating life together. In any relationship there are ups and downs, and sometimes it just feels like you're walking in darkness; but then you see that light shine, coming up over the horizon, and you're reminded that there is morning and with it, hope.

When you're there, don't give up, and don't forget that somewhere, light still shines, and will soon shine on you.

(Many thanks to Alex Barker for help on this video and in the album version, which you can hear in the background here. Edited by John So.)

I see that light shine, coming over the horizon

I think it's bright enough to shine on you and me

And though we walk through the darkness now, pretty soon we'll both be reminded how

That light shine, when we began our journey

It was a rainy October, the evening that we first met

We'd met before, earlier but we'd forget

I thought that you were taken, and had it all figured out

But I misread, everything that you were about

And in that fire light, we opened up our lives

And we haven't stopped since, ain't no reason we should stop right now

It was Valentines Day, when we both confessed our love

But by the summer, I said that mind had faded some

I moved west, to follow some dreams of mine

You moved too, to see if our lives aligned

And by those city lights, we started a new life

And we haven't stopped since, ain't no reason we should stop right now

It was a warm winter, when I decided it was time

To go ring shopping, and see if you would be mine

I made a plan, and sent you all over town

By the time you found me, I had one knee on the ground

And by that sunset light, we opened up our lives

And we haven't stopped since, ain't no reason we should stop right now

It was a Southern Christmas, when we got up before our friends

And promised God, we'd never let our love end

Through the good times, and bad we would walk in stride

Hands together, taking life side by side

And by those Christmas lights, we started a new life

And we haven't stopped growing, ain't no reason we should stop right now

And though the world may try, to slow us down at night

I see that light shine, to guide us on to the daylight