This Old House” by Stuart Hamblen – An Old Favorite That Never Grows Old
“Hearth and Home” is a uniquely American metaphor, but it conveys a message of the heart which resonates in every culture. Stuart Hamblen’s “This Old House” is an unforgettable expression of that message in song.
Hearth & Home
Perhaps the earliest example is the Greek goddess Hestia. Family, domesticity, and the correct ordering of the household were all concerns of Hestia. Vestia was her Roman counterpart. From Vestia comes the Latin vespers, or evening prayers. Likewise, Venus is the evening star. The modern concept of home economics and the nurturing, protecting aspects of family all fall within the domain of Vestia.
But these pagan myths are really just shadows and vestiges of the Biblical emphasis on family. It all started with Adam and Eve in the garden when the first family materialized from the breath of God. Adam’s job was to protect the garden and Eve was given to help him till it and establish the home. As politically incorrect as that may seem, he was the “defender of the faith” and she was “the keeper at home.”
Nonetheless, woman occupies a prominent position as provider at the side of her husband. Chapter 31 of Proverbs portrays her as a shrewd real estate investor and tiller of the soil. Her roots are in property, which she transforms into a home.
She considers a field and buys it; From her earnings she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength, and makes her arms strong. She senses that her gain is good; Her lamp does not go out at night.
This joyful partnership is captured in images of “home.” Home is that harbor of the soul to which man seeks refuge from the storms of life for sustenance and renewal. It calls to mind images of a family gathered around the hearth, or bowing to pray before a meal. It is captured in the word pictures that color our language:
* Home is where the heart is
* There’s no place like home
* Keep the home fires burning
* I’ll be home for Christmas
* Home is where you hang your hat
* Home is where the heart is
This Old House
One of the most nostalgic pieces of Americana on record comes to us from the early years of radio in Stuart Hamblen’s “This Old House.” It led the Hit Parade in 1954 with its down home rhythm and message. It was a perfect fit for female vocalist, Rosmary Clooney and she rode it to the top of the charts in both Britain and America that year. Shakin Stevens also produced his own version in England. Not many know that this lively song rose out of a somber story of human mortality.
Stuart Hamblen was a musical cohort of Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and John Wayne in the early days of radio. Hamblen and a friend were trekking through the woods in pursuit of game one day when they stumbled on an old, dilapidated shack, that appeared to be crumbling on its foundation. Forcing the door they were horrified to discover an old man dead and forgotten in the house. Scenes of his last days in the deteriorating structure flashed before Hamblen’s eyes and he hurried to translate the images to words on his brown paper lunch bag. He composed the music later in the week.
The words and the music of “This Old House” interact in a marvelous way to create a stirring mood. The verse depicts the aging human body in the decay of an old, dilapidated house. The need for this earthly tabernacle will soon be gone in the face of impending death. But this grim prospect is mitigated by the snappy bounce and rhythm of the tune, representing the joy of the soul anticipating a return to its Maker.
Hamblen was a devote Christian, capturing in song the promise of Christ at John 11: 23-26: Jesus said to her:
“Your brother shall rise again.” Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
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