All is well (a song)

People who know me well know that I love songwriting and have been writing songs for over twenty years. I've been in a couple small bands, mostly as a drummer, but once as a lead singer and guitarist, although I'm really shy about my singing since I'm more of a writer than a singer. I usually reserve my singing now to small house concerts with a handful of friends who I know won't make fun of me when my voice inevitably cracks. I went to a songwriting conference once and was pleasantly surprised to learn that many songwriters are average singers who either find other people to sing their songs or choose to sing their songs themselves despite not being the most talented singers. I usually hate how my voice sounds recorded versus how it sounds in my head when I'm singing or live when I'm just singing in my living room. My favorite radio station is Coffee House on Sirius radio because they play live acoustic versions of songs where you can hear what famous musicians sound like without their digitally altered voices. Anyway, I'm saying all this to preface that I'd like to share more of my songs with people because I don't want to keep them to myself. So...I will be sharing songs from time to time, giving some background about the context it was written and including the words so you can sing along!

This one is called "All is Well." It was written while I was in between jobs and we were living in our basement during the height of the pandemic. I was in therapy, individual and marriage counseling, and the future was very unclear as the first line alludes. This song seemed to well up in me and ground me during this time. It became a prayer and a proclamation. Not long after writing this, the shutdown was lifted, I got a new job, and we moved out of our basement into our dream house. I'm glad I wrote this song when I was at my lowest versus when things seemed to be looking up because I think it's much more beautiful and costly to sing in moments like that.

The song is clearly a nod to Julian of Norwich's famous quote, "all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well." It's about finding your anchor when everything around you goes to hell. Be well.

All is Well

When the path's no longer clear (All is well, All is well) When I'm overcome by fear (All is well, All is well) When I lose all I hold dear (All is well, All is well) You remind me you're still here (All is well, All is well) All is well All is well All is well All is well When I'm suffering defeat (All is well, All is well) When it's time to call retreat (All is well, All is well) When I see you run to me (All is well, All is well) And I fall down at your feet (All is well, All is well) When hopelessness prevails (All is well, All is well) When injustice tips the scales (All is well, All is well) When peace comes off the rails (All is well, All is well) Because Your love never fails (All is well, All is well) You've never failed me yet In my grief, in my regret Even when all goes to hell Still you're with me All is well When I'm young and when I'm bold (All is well, All is well) When I'm lonely when I'm cold (All is well, All is well) When the pain's too much to hold (All is well, All is well) When I'm fragile when I'm old (All is well, All is well) All is well All is well All is well All is well All is well