Any day that I get to listen to a Charles Wesley Godwin song that I haven’t heard before is a good day in my book.
Today, I heard “Whittled Heart” for the first time, and I am absolutely obsessed.
Godwin posted a video of himself singing this song way back in August of 2018, about a half a year before his debut album Seneca was released.
I’ll admit that this song checks all of my perfect song boxes and could easily be up there as one of my favorite of Godwin’s songs.
Godwin is a master at creating longing in his love songs. Songs like “Strawberry Queen” give the more lighthearted side of longing while songs like “Half A Heart” show the closed-off, more difficult side.
“Whittled Heart” is somewhere in the middle of these two, and when listened to in tandem with these other two songs, some really interesting motifs about hearts and love are revealed.
All three songs have the theme of giving even broken pieces of yourself to someone you want to love.
“Strawberry Queen” has the singer giving his heart to the titular queen in a box:
“So I wrapped a bow around my heart and placed it in a box of cherry wood
I asked her if she could take that box and do it good
She smiled and said she would, oh, my Strawberry Queen…”
“Half a Heart” has a much, much more somber take at giving your heart to someone with the woman in the song asking the singer to be gentle when he inevitably hurts her:
“Because I’ve only half a heart to break
So be gentle when you let me down…”
“Whittled Heart” goes one step further and has the singer proclaim that he will give his partner everything. It takes the more somber tone and mixes it with the idea of giving someone you love a part of you.
“I’ll give you all of me.
My flesh and bone
Laid at your feet”
This singer’s heart isn’t perfect. It’s rough around the edges, maybe has has some pieces chipped away. But he’s giving it to this other person anyway because they’ll be able to smooth it out.
His heart isn’t made of out gold or silver, it’s from a white oak tree. His heart is malleable and has been shaped by his past, but this person is the future that can continue to shape it.
It’s just a beautiful song that you absolutely need to go listen to right now.
And according to rumor, he’s heading back into the studio soon…
If course, that rumor came from his wife, Samantha… fingers crossed.
