From the recording Land Of The Living (2001)
(CGCGCC)
This song started on Jan. 9, 1998 as a tender, lilting, sweet ballad for my wife. I had the first verse completed but was unable to do anything else with it and wasn’t sure what direction it needed to go.
On Sept. 16 of that same year, after tinkering around in an open C tuning, I stumbled on a very different melody that seemed to fit the words to a tee. I wrote the latter 3/4 of the song in a Cajun-hurry and quickly added what eventually became my first attempts at a harmonica solo right smack dab in the middle of the tune.
My south Louisiana roots got the best of me on this one in the studio thanks in no small part to the skills of Rick Naqvi (producer of More than Watchmen, co-producer of Land of the Living) and Rich Courtney (drums). From day one, this song begged to be a light-hearted, little wedded bliss number ensconced as a nonchalant, rootsy, Cajun two-step. Thus it became…
Lyrics
May Your Tenderness
I am your flesh my dear and you are now mine
we may be slightly clueless but may I ever find
my wisdom in foolishness, my strength in being weak
and may your tenderness forever be me
I hold you very near me and I kiss you on the chin
you look up at me lovingly and we both smile again
quietly, quietly rests the gold
but how quickly the tempest unfolds
our first winter was not so long ago
it was cold there in our first home but I had you to hold
pull the shades and dim the lights
can’t we just stay in tonight
I gave you my word and I made my solemn oath
blessings and mercy: let’s just drown in both
when my heart is locked and calloused won’t you go and get the key
when my heart is locked and calloused won’t you go and find the key
may your tenderness forever be me
honey, you make my heart beat