Would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart. – Psalm 44:21

Secrets…we all have them.  And we don’t want to let them out.

“Secret heart, what are you made of? What are you so afraid of? Could it be three simple words, or the fear of being overheard?“

What are we afraid of? Surely God knows the innermost secrets of our hearts and minds. And, if He knows, does it really make sense to keep them from others?

“The very secret you are trying to conceal, is the very same one you are dying to reveal.”

Ain’t that the truth.  And doesn’t it always feel better…such a relief… when we finally let it out?

“Secret heart, come out and share it. This loneliness, few can bear it. Could it have something to do with admitting that you just can’t go through it alone.”

Ron Sexsmith sounds like he knows a bit about being lonely. His philosophy on songwriting and performing is deferential: “My main objective is to try to stay out of the way of the song. I want to write songs that are good whether I’m singing them or not.”

Ron’s style is a “melancholic pop folk”, perhaps an acoustic REM. Or, imagine fellow Canadian Gordon Lightfoot crossed with Nick Lowe. A very under-appreciated artist with a beautiful voice and guitar technique, Ron’s been around since the early 2000’s and has had songs covered by the likes of Steve Earle, Nick Lowe, Rod Stewart, Sheryl Crow, K.D. Lang and Michael Buble, just to name a few.

There was a great documentary film made about Ron (Love Shines) that chronicles his struggle to convert his niche following into mainstream success. The documentary was nominated for three Canadian Screen Awards in 2013.

Can you keep a secret?

Listen here:

Feist cover version: