“There’s Only One Man” Monday, 07/27/2020
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Though the copyright for this was registered in 1984, the work for this one goes back, probably, as far as 1980. The lyrics of the chorus and both parts of the first verse were written by Nancy Peterman. I was first introduced to Nancy through a mutual friend who explained to me that she was a lyricist looking for someone to help her compose music for one of her poems. She had been working with a guitarist friend on some of her other material, but on this one, they were stuck.
I went by Nancy’s dorm one afternoon or evening and sat with her for a short bit talking about her interests. She showed me the lyrics to “There’s Only One Man” and told me that she had a very specific idea as to how the melody should go. I wondered, “If you already have the melody to the words, why couldn’t your guitarist friend work this out for you?” She said that for the other pieces she had only the lyrics, no melody, so whatever he came up with was satisfactory. On this one, however, the melody had entered her mind as she had written the poetry, but she could not sing, nor could she even hum in tune, so she was hoping she could find someone who could look at the words and just intuit how the tune in her head should sound.
We prayed for guidance. Then I began improvising in the key of D major with a few chords on my guitar and just looking at the words, the melody came to me. As I began to sing, I got to the words “and fear is not worth its while” and stopped. “That’s all I have,” I told her. I asked her if that was what she had been hearing in her head - she said, “That’s it; that is exactly how I heard this in my head.” She said, “as a matter of fact, right where you stopped, is all I have ever had for the melody.”
I took what we had back to my dorm and over the next few days I worked at the rest of the first verse. It was not until sometime later that I bounced the idea off of Nancy that the song should have a second set of lines. She agreed. I was a bit uncomfortable simply coming up with more words on my own if she had a solid idea as to what they should be, but she said she did not. She encouraged me, saying she often sensed that another set of lines were needed to finish it. I should have a go at it.
I have witnessed the positive, encouraging effect that this song can have on its listeners, but two examples stand out in particular. The first, a young lady, sitting behind the theater center on campus who happened to hear me as I practiced. She expressed to me how it brought peace to her as she was going through some struggles at that time. The second, was a pastor who had recently lost his father to illness. (I filled in as a music minister briefly at his church and played “There’s Only” at one of the Sunday services.) Hopefully, the song’s potential power to minister peace and comfort will continue for others, as well.
Thanks to Nancy for sharing her creative gift.