She Holds Up Half the World
Posted: March 16, 2009 Filed under: Monday Morning Music 3 CommentsYesterday was my wife Dessa’s spiritual birthday (she was baptized 20 years ago in the Boulder, Colorado campus ministry). Her physical birthday was a week and 1/2 ago, and we celebrate 16 years of marriage this week –so I’m thinking a lot about her and decided to share this song. (I’m mostly sharing congregational church songs on this blog, but will make the occasional exception.)
Besides my salvation, my marriage is the greatest of God’s gifts to me. I feel humbled by the grace of God and guidance of his word that I’m able to have a great marriage… In my sinful nature I’m selfish, prideful, and self-destructive –but through God I can honestly say this partnership just gets better and better, deeper and more satisfying. There is an ancient Chinese proverb, “women hold up 1/2 the sky”, or “women hold up 1/2 the world.” I wrote this song for Dessa many years ago and stole that idea –very true of her in my life (although these days I think she holds up more than half).
My first independent CD release, “Nothing Else”, was a senior project in college, recorded in the campus studio, and this is the recording I made back then for that album. Since that CD is no longer available and you can’t get the recordings on iTunes, feel free to download and share this mp3. (By the way, my younger sister Holly is singing the background vocal.)
I also made a new Youtube video this morning of the song, in honor of my awesome wife. Happy anniversary honey!
SHE HOLDS UP HALF THE WORLD
Look inside my mind and see
what in my mind she means,
what she means to me;
she’s a lighthouse in the night.
She is half of all I am and if I fall she can
always lift me;
I’m lost at sea without her light.
When I’m losing the war,
she picks up my sword and fights for me.
She’s my support.
She’s all I need.
She holds up half the world.
She’s no ordinary girl.
I’m half empty without her.
She holds up half the world.
I’d always dreamed of finding someone;
I had in mind the one
who would complete me.
But she is more than I could dream of.
There are no songs to play,
no way to say, words can’t explain
what she means to me.
I’m half a soul without her love.
She holds up half the world.
She’s no ordinary girl.
I’m half empty without her.
She holds up half the world.
Monday Morning Music 
This song always reminds me of the vow I made to my wife and what she meant to me through good times and bad times. Happy anniversary brian and dessa!
Bro We will be singing “All To Jesus I Surrender” this sunday. I am playing with the band. Did you have the band when you played this? If so any recording?
Hey Michael – yeah, we did it with the band but very light and sensitive. Our guys have learned to do a great job with playing softly and appropriately — the drummer using brushes, bass playing whole notes, creating a mood. Unfortunately I don’t have a recording though.
Ok ..thanks for the advice, our drummer this sunday is my discipler who happens to own a coffee shop. They have open mics every friday. I remember you met me in a coffee shop during one of your open mic night. It ‘s amazing how God works!