Today’s featured song: First Love by Joe English from the 1982 album Held Accountable.

Track 25 of Tape JM-31 brings us back to The Larry Black Show. It should be obvious from my page about this show (here) that I have a particular fondness for Larry Black. It was more than just hearing the music; it was hearing what Larry had to say about the song, and what he had to say about the secular music that he played on his show. I enjoyed the music on his show far more than listening to the same music when I did hear it on a Christian station that played that music. His intros to and followups on songs are some of my favorite parts of the music on my tapes. I also really liked his attitude about asking for donations to keep the show going. He didn’t give a long, drawn out plea about how money needs to come in because things are so bad, etc. He just said, here is a need if you want, and if you don’t like that, ignore what he said. Great way to state it!

This song is a reminder of the place that Jesus must have in our lives – FIRST place!

There’s a single most thing that’s certain
If ever a truth was true
Is that in spite of my many failures
My very first love is You

Lord, the world is filled with lies
They make the truth fade from view
But nothing in all creation
Will ever lessen my love for You

Havin’ Jesus for my first love
Makes the darkest day shine
He has filled me with His Spirit
And I’ll love Him until the end of time
And that’s a long time

There’s been a very long list of heartaches
From other loves long ago
But when I finally felt love from you, Lord
I let the new feeling grow

All the pain that hurts the heart
And makes the tears freely flow
Will never turn me from You, Lord
Or hurt the love that I’ve come to know

Havin’ Jesus for my first love
Makes the darkest day shine
He has filled me with His Spirit
And I’ll love Him until …

If ever there comes a dark time
When love is nowhere in view
I know that nothin’ in all creation
Will lessen my love for You

Havin’ Jesus for my first love (first love!)
Makes the darkest day shine
He has filled me with His Spirit (Spirit!)
And I’ll love Him until …

Now that’s a long time
Now that’s a long time

Havin’ Jesus for my first love
Makes the darkest day shine
He has filled me with His Spirit
And He’s mine for all time
He is, oh yeah

Havin’ Jesus for my first love
Makes the darkest day shine
He has filled me with His Spirit
And He’s mine for all time
He is, oh yeah