My love is warmer than the warmest sunshine
Softer than a sigh
My love is deeper than the deepest ocean
Wider than the sky
My love is brighter than the brightest star
That shines every night above
And there is nothing in this world
That can ever change my love
Written by Tony Hatch, Sung by Petula Clark, 1965
Old pop songs never die, they just come back as oldies. Even some of the worst ones still come back. This isn’t necessarily the worst, but it was never one of my favorites. You’ll remember it too, and you may hate me for bringing it up, because it’s one of those songs that gets stuck in your head and plays on and on and on. Then you really do dislike it because it just won’t go away.
I don’t even remember how this one got started, but that doesn’t matter once it starts playing, it just plays. You’re gonna hate me, but misery loves company and I relish the fact that I can now torture many of you with this song giving you at least a day, maybe more, where you cannot get it out of your head.
For a while there, my words were all mixed up. My love was deeper than the brightest star and softer than the sky, until I had to look up the lyrics, so I could at least have them straight as the song played on mercilessly in my head. If you really want to torture yourself, you can click here for a YouTube video of Pet Clark on an old television lip sync version.
So what do you do when this happens? Well I found out I could turn it into a worship moment, and imagine the words were from God. After all, Paul prayed that we might “have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is” (Ephesians 3:18). That’s pretty close to the deepest ocean and widest sky.
But the best part by far, if you make this connection, is the last line: “And there is nothing in this world that can ever change my love.” That would be Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” God’s love never changes. He loves you the way you are, and nothing is ever going to change that. You are loved, wanted and planned for from the dawn of time, and your place in God’s family is sealed for all time and eternity. If you can let those thoughts rule in your mind as this song repeats itself in your head, heck, let it play on. It might just do us all some good.
John Fischer The Catch 
John,
As a child of the 60’s and a teenager of the 70’s, we sang this song with excitement in our church youth group, singing “God’s love” and “Your love” instead of “my love”. It really fit with the new personal relationships that we had with Jesus and of course, the music was new back then.
Doug
Reminds me of the movie “Sister Act” where they took secular love songs and addressed them to God. “My Guy” became “My God,” etc. Ain’t no mountain high enough to keep God from you! Blessings on ya
Every song ever written has truth in it, it is after all written by people who live in God’s world. Thank you John for finding the truth of some aspects of love where there didn’t appear to be any.
One song that resonates through my mind lately is “It’s so nice to be with you, I love all the things you say and do….change ”baby” and “Honey”and some other words to God and it is a love song to God. When I sing it that way in sunday School, the kids look at me like I am*&%$#. Elvis Presley’s Love me Tender is another good song for that type of venue described.
As I’m reading this I’m looking out on the sea and sky on a cruise ship! I wouldn’t say that song is my favorite either, but your message about it today seems appropriate for me today! 😎🙏🏻
Thanks for the reminder! I’ve been meaning to download a lot of Petula Clark songs from iTunes.
With all due respect this catch fell short for me. I can’t tell if the many sentences of opinion or lack thereof about the song are serious or humorous Either way they sort of detracted from the intended meaning. So often of late we’re admonished in putting forth the message of grace turned outward to set aside judgment to be available to be present in the market place as it were here we have a catch which is so laden with personal opinion (whether serious or humorous I can’t tell) as to distract and detract mightily from its message which by the way was a good one. I.E. finding the fingerprints of G-d anywhere and everywhere we look as so handily evidenced by the other commenters who can apply lyrics of all types to their relationship with G-d and his with them. Now imagine this catch without all the sentences about the misery of hearing this song, torturing others with its repetitiveness how it might not have been the worst pop song ever and was never a favorite. What if a reader had fond memories attached to this song or any other and what if you lost them right there and might not have gotten them back. I for one had no prior attachment to the song good bad or indifferent but did listen out of curiosity and then did remember it and actually enjoyed it. Perhaps next time the point being made and the readership might be better served with less of the opinions and more of the truth found therein. Just a thought ☺🎵
I preferred the Mrs. Miller version of this song. She goes off key and loses time with the beat of the song while doing her best. Someone trying hard but not quite getting it. Sounds like me!