Wayne Watson was born on October 5, 1964 in Wisner,
Louisiana. He released his major label
debut album WORKIN’ IN THE FINAL HOUR in 1980 (Milk & Honey). Wayne has had 23 #1 Christian radio singles
over the course of his long career. On
January 1, 2011 he was among seven artists inducted into the Christian Music
Hall of Fame. Reflecting on his legacy
he states: “I think if I had any accomplishment for my generation I hopefully
influenced Christian songwriters to be very transparent and not to be hesitant
to writing about things that are going on in their lives-good and bad. I always tried to find a way to artistically
shape these things so they could be listened to by others who may be going
through the same kind of challenges and hopefully the music would be an
encouragement”. In 2004 he put out an
acoustic greatest hits type project entitled SIGNATURES (Spring Hill). That is what I will be reviewing here.
‘Almighty’ is a beautiful song of praise: “Almighty, most
holy God/You are faithful through the ages/Almighty, most holy Lord/You are
glorious Almighty God.../His Spirit still dwells, He speaks it is well/And the
hopeless they are offered new birth.../Let the prisoner go free/Join the dance
and sing”. This is one of eight songs
appearing on this project that Wayne wrote alone, and one of three songs
originally from his 1990 album HOME FREE.
Next up is ‘Watercolor Ponies’, the title track from his 1987
album. It is a co-write with Paul Mills
and will tug at the hearts of parents: “There are watercolor ponies on my
refrigerator door/And the shape of something I don’t really recognize/Brushed
with careful little fingers and put proudly on display/A reminder to us all of
how time flies.../They look a little less like little boys every day/Oh, the
pleasure of watchin’ children growin’/Is mixed with a bitter cup of knowin’/The
watercolor ponies are gonna one day-gonna ride away”.
‘Somewhere in the World’ is a touching song from the
perspective of a loving parent: “And I don’t even know her name/But I’m prayin’
for her just the same/That the Lord will write His holy Name right there on her
heart/’Cause somewhere in the course of this life/A little boy will need a
godly wife/So hold on to Jesus, baby, wherever you are”. ‘When God’s People Pray’ offers these words
of testimony: “He will not turn away when His people pray/When God’s people
pray/And take the pains of earth to the doors of heaven/When God’s people
pray/There is hope reborn, there is sin forgiven/And miracles you can’t explain
away/When God’s people pray”.
‘Friend of a Wounded Heart’ is one of Wayne’s most well
known and beloved songs. It was
co-written with Claire Cloninger and is the only song over five minutes long on
SIGNATURES. It is an inspirational gem:
“Caught like a leaf in the wind/Lookin’ for a friend where you can turn/Whisper
the words of a prayer and you’ll find Him there/Arms open wide, love in His
eyes/Jesus, He meets you where you are/Jesus, He heals your secret scars/All
the love you’re longing for/Is Jesus/He’s the Friend of a wounded heart”. ‘Field of Souls’ is the missions minded title
track from Watson’s 1995 album: “We work the field of souls, together you and
I/Some fields are blooming now and other fields are dry/We are not the same,
but differences aside/We’ll work the field of souls, together you and I/One is
off to foreign soil to work a distant land/And another anchor’s close to home
to hold a neighbors hand”.
‘Would I Know You’ is a great quiet song of reflection:
“Would I know You now if You walked into the room/If You stilled the crowd, if
Your light dispelled the gloom?/And if I saw Your wounds, touched Your thorn
pierced brow/I wonder if I’d know You now?/Would I know You now if You walked
into this place?/Would I cause You shame, would my games be Your disgrace?/Or
would I worship You, fall upon my face?/I wonder if I’d know You now”. ‘Home Free’ is one of my all time favorite
Wayne Watson songs. It is a song of
encouragement for those who aren’t healed on this earth and for those who’ve
lost a loved one: “We will be home free eventually/I believe at that ultimate
healing/We will be home, we will be free/Home free/I believe it’s more than
just a feeling/Cause at that ultimate healing/I believe at that ultimate
healing (2X)/We will be home/And won’t it be good to be home/Home free”.
‘Walk in the Dark’ is a light pop song of faith: “There will
be shadows, but I’m not gonna be shaken/Cause You’ve never forsaken a
vow/You’ve never failed me before this I know/I know, Jesus, You’re not gonna
fail me now/I know You won’t fail me now/I would rather walk in the dark with
Jesus than to walk in the light on my own”.
Last up is ‘Beautiful Place’, the title track from Wayne’s 1993
album. It starts off with words we can
all relate to: “If I had my way, I must admit/If I called every play of the
game/I’d pray for good times-blue sky and sunshine/And I’d avoid with a passion
any pain”.
Wayne’s son Neal Watson writes the following words in the
album’s liner notes: “By using an extremely simplified recording process (my
dad in a room with his guitar or piano and a vocal microphone), no editing and
very little production, we were able to put together a record that captures the
true heart behind the music of Wayne Watson”.
I certainly can’t argue with that!
Five of the songs have only piano accompaniment and five have only
acoustic guitar accompaniment. This
allows Wayne’s wonderful vocals and well thought out lyrics to shine
through. This is an album of folk, easy
listening, and adult contemporary sounds.
The most common theme is putting one’s faith and trust in God. There are also a couple terrific songs that
deal with family life. This is a
relaxing album that is good to listen to when you have had a stressful
day. I recommend it to fans of Steve
Green, James Taylor, and Michael W. Smith.
For more info visit: www.waynewatson.com
or connect with him on Facebook. I give
SIGNATURES a perfect 100%.