From the recording Love Was Already Here
Love Was Already Here is a sweeping neo-folk symphonic country anthem about the sacred mystery of transformation, the realization that grace, healing, and divine presence were never waiting at the end of the road, but woven into every step of the journey itself. Written in the reflective and deeply spiritual voice of E. Craig Hendricks, the song moves from intimate acoustic storytelling into a soaring orchestral chorus, carrying the listener through shadow, struggle, redemption, and revelation.
Blending earthy acoustic guitar, cinematic strings, tribal percussion, and a heartfelt country-soul vocal, Love Was Already Here evokes the emotional storytelling of Chris Stapleton, the mystical lyricism of Leonard Cohen, the spiritual folk grandeur of Loreena McKennitt, and the anthemic emotional lift of Florence + The Machine. Fans of Mumford & Sons, Peter Gabriel, and Brandi Carlile will recognize that same blend of folk intimacy, spiritual depth, and cinematic power.
At its heart, this is a song about redemption, not through perfection, but through the alchemy of love that turns bitterness into sweetness, sorrow into wisdom, and wrong roads into sacred revelation. Love Was Already Here is both a spiritual testimony and a universal anthem for anyone who has ever discovered that what they were searching for… had been with them all along.
Lyrics
LOVE WAS ALREADY HERE
(Neo-Folk / Symphonic Modern Country Ballad)
[Verse 1]
Brothers… sisters… come walk with me
Down this road of mystery
I’ve stood at crossroads in the dead of night
Left hand calling, right hand light
Two whispers hanging in the air
One says go… one says beware
And every breath asks quietly
Which way now… who will I be?
[Verse 2]
Life don’t drag us chained behind
It gives us choices, one at a time
One foot forward, one turn gone
A winding road I stumble on
Like prayers written in ancient stone
Under stars where I walk alone
And I have tried to cut straight through
To find the place I thought I knew
[Pre-Chorus]
But oh… what beauty I would’ve missed
In the shadow, in the rain
Treasures hiding in the twists
Growing flowers out of pain
[Chorus]
Love was already here
Before the first tear fell
Before the wrong road called my name
Before I knew myself
In the bitter made sweet
In the falling and the rise
Love was already here
Waiting in plain sight
And all that’s left for me
Is to open up my eyes
And walk within the love
That’s been here all my life
[Verse 3]
Perfection never came to me
By walking flawless, wild and free
It came through bruises, broken things
And songs the wounded spirit sings
A lemon tree in summer heat
Still gives sweetness through the bitter seed
What once burned sharp against my tongue
Now tastes like mercy in the sun
[Verse 4]
Tell me fear can’t turn to gold
Tell me sorrow can’t unfold
Into something warm and bright
In the furnace of sacred light
I have seen regret redeemed
I have lived impossible things
And something greater walks with me
Through every shattered memory
[Pre-Chorus]
No… the road ain’t gotten smooth
No… the storms still come
But my eyes have learned to see
What Love was doing all along
[Chorus]
Love was already here
Before the first tear fell
Before the wrong road called my name
Before I knew myself
In the bitter made sweet
In the falling and the rise
Love was already here
Waiting in plain sight
And all that’s left for me
Is to open up my eyes
And walk within the love
That’s been here all my life
[Bridge] (Symphonic lift / spoken-sung)
I see it now…
Like a stone skipping rivers of stillness
Touching once… twice… again…
Circles widening where I cannot follow
Ripples singing silent songs
To places I may never know
Love moving farther than my hands can hold
Through every soul… every road…
[Final Chorus] (big orchestral lift)
Love was already here
Before the fear began
Before the wandering heart of mine
Reached out with empty hands
In the shadow and the flame
In the sorrow and surprise
Love was already here
Hidden in my life
And all that’s left for me
Is to finally realize
Heaven was never far away
It was here the whole damn time
[Outro] (soft acoustic / choir fade)
Brothers… sisters…
Fellow travelers on this holy maze…
The choice was never
Whether Love would find us…
Only whether
We would open our eyes…
…and walk within it.