From the recording The River Softly Prays
The River Softly Prays emerged from a quiet recognition that all of creation is already participating in a great act of devotion.
As I sat in contemplation, I found myself listening more carefully to the world around me. The river seemed to be speaking. The waves rushing toward the shore seemed to be rejoicing. Hummingbirds moved from flower to flower like tiny messengers carrying sweetness through the world. The fragrance of roses, lavender, and jasmine seemed to whisper of a love that has left its fingerprints upon all things.
The song is an invitation to see creation with fresh eyes.
Many spiritual traditions speak of a living Presence that fills all things. Yet in the busyness of daily life, we often forget how near that Presence truly is. We forget to listen to the wind moving through the trees. We forget to hear the music hidden within birdsong, rivers, ocean waves, and silence itself.
At its heart, The River Softly Prays is a song about remembering.
It is about recognizing that creation is not separate from Spirit but is one of Spirit's most beautiful expressions. The river becomes a prayer. The mountains become a hymn. The flowers become acts of devotion. Even the stars seem to participate in a sacred harmony that has been unfolding since the beginning of time.
As the song unfolds, the listener is invited to move beyond fear, separation, and forgetfulness, and to rediscover a world alive with wonder, gratitude, and belonging.
The tears that appear near the end of the song are not tears of sorrow. They are tears of recognition—the realization that Love has always been here. Flowing through every friend and stranger. Through every tree and river. Through every creature and every breath.
Like much of my recent music, this song is ultimately a song of homecoming.
A homecoming to the living world.
A homecoming to the heart.
A homecoming to the Love that flows through all things.
And if we listen carefully enough, we may discover that the river has been praying for us all along.
Lyrics
THE RIVER SOFTLY PRAYS
(Neo-Folk • Symphonic Americana • Spiritual Ballad)
E. Craig Hendricks
[Verse 1]
(Fingerpicked acoustic guitar, soft piano, distant strings)
Hear the river softly prayin'
As it wanders to the sea,
Singin' songs older than language
Through the roots of every tree.
From the mountains and the valleys,
From the stones worn smooth by time,
Flows a voice through all creation
Like an ancient hymn divine.
[Verse 2]
(Mandolin enters, fiddle weaving gently)
See the waves rush toward the shoreline,
Laughin' in the golden light,
Throwin' white foam to the heavens,
Dancin' through the day and night.
Like the children of a mother
Runnin' home with open arms,
Every tide returns rejoicin'
To the ocean's endless heart.
[Pre-Chorus]
Can you feel the world awaken?
Can you hear creation sing?
Every sparrow, every wildflower,
Every river, every wing.
[Chorus]
(Full band enters, strings rising)
Act upon the love that's callin',
Flowin' from the Great I Am,
From the stars and distant galaxies,
From the sea and every land.
I see nature dancin' round me,
I hear holy harmony,
And my heart beats with the rhythm
Of the Love in everything.
[Verse 3]
(Fiddle and cello deepen the atmosphere)
Little winged ones hum through gardens,
Gatherin' nectar in the morn,
Tiny messengers of sweetness
Where the gifts of life are born.
And the fragrance of wild roses,
Lavender and jasmine bloom,
Carries kisses of devotion
Through the fields of sweet perfume.
[Verse 4]
(Strings slowly building)
I can taste the golden honey
Hidden in the honeycomb,
Labor woven into blessing
By a wisdom older than stone.
And the salty breath of oceans
Lifts me gently on the tide,
Carries me above my doubting
With the Infinite as guide.
[Bridge]
(Orchestral swell, choir enters softly)
I hear the grasses bowin' low,
I watch the hawks in circles fly,
I see the moon pull at the waters
Like a mother callin' her children nigh.
I hear the song beneath all songs,
The music underneath the sky,
The whales below, the crickets singin',
The turning stars that never die.
And my heart remembers.
[Verse 5]
(Percussion enters softly, emotional rise)
Then the tears begin to gather,
Not from sorrow, not from pain,
But from recognizin' love
That has always here remained.
Flowin' through each friend and stranger,
Through each creature, leaf, and tree,
Love replacin' fear with trust,
And separation with unity.
[Final Chorus]
(Full symphonic lift, layered harmonies)
Act upon the love that's callin',
Flowin' from the Great I Am,
From the stars and distant galaxies,
From the sea and every land.
I see nature dancin' round me,
I hear holy harmony,
And my heart beats with the rhythm
Of the Love in everything.
[Outro]
(Music softens to piano, cello, and distant choir)
So I offer thanks and blessin',
I offer body, soul, and heart,
This vessel formed of earth and starlight,
Through which Spirit makes its art.
Thank you, Holy Mother,
For the seeds of love you've sown.
Thank you, Holy Sophia,
For the wisdom you have shown.
Still the river softly prayin',
Still the waves run to the shore,
Still Love pours through all creation,
Now and evermore.
And I stand among the wonder,
Grateful, awakened, and home.