[Intro - Walking upright bass, brushed snare, playful piano, muted trumpet] [Spoken - Warm male baritone] Funny thing about a fire... It doesn't always get the last word. [Verse 1] After the fire, there was ash on the sill, A yard full of silence and a house standing still. Then a knock at the door, and a friend in the rain, Said, "I brought two good hands. You don't have to explain." No sermon, no speeches, no grand point of view, Just a man with a shovel and a job he could do. [Chorus - Full swinging brass, walking bass] The first thing that grew was love, love, love! Not from the ground, but from heaven above. It showed up early with its sleeves rolled high, Put a little bit of green in a charcoal sky. I couldn't make it, couldn't force it on through, But love, sweet love, was the first thing that grew! [Verse 2] A week or two later, I was running behind, Had a hundred little troubles taking up my mind. Saw a woman drop her groceries in the cold and the snow, And the old me whispered, "Buddy, you've got places to go." But I heard that knock again, and I knew what to do, So I stopped and lent a hand like somebody once knew. [Chorus - Playful horn responses] The first thing that grew was love, love, love! Not from the ground, but from heaven above. It showed up early with its sleeves rolled high, Put a little bit of green in a charcoal sky. I couldn't make it, couldn't force it on through, But love, sweet love, was the first thing that grew! [Verse 3 - Horns soften, intimate vocal] Now love doesn't mean that every wrong is right, Or that every broken story gets repaired overnight. Sometimes it tells the truth when the truth is hard to hear, Sometimes it holds its ground without surrendering to fear. It isn't just a feeling that comes and goes with the day, It's a heart that's learning how to give itself away. [Bridge - Half-time gospel harmony building into swing] I thought love was a thing I had to find, Something I could lose or leave behind. But a seed I never planted took root in my soul, And the Spirit kept it growing where the fire took its toll. [Verse 4 - Prayerful, directly to God] Lord, I tried to grow a garden by the strength of my own hands, Made a thousand good intentions, drew a thousand better plans. But You planted something living where my best had fallen through, And the love I couldn't manufacture started growing there from You. So when somebody sees me loving past what I've been through, Let them see Your Spirit working in the little things I do. [Final Chorus - Triumphant full big band, gospel backing voices] The first thing that grew was love, love, love! Not from the ground, but from heaven above. It showed up early with its sleeves rolled high, Put a little bit of green in a charcoal sky. I couldn't make it, couldn't force it on through, But love, sweet love, was the first thing that grew! [Outro - Brass hits, playful saxophone fill, final sustained chord] [Male lead with gospel backing vocals] Love was the first thing... The first thing that grew!
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