Hear Blake Shelton’s Hymn-Like ‘Savior’s Shadow’

Nobody would ever accuse Blake Shelton of being a saint, but he has occasionally shared small glimpses of his spiritual life over the years, like his reverent cover of Dave Barnes’ “God Gave Me You” or by gamely anchoring a Christmas special for ABC. But his hymn-like new song “Savior’s Shadow” goes even further, unequivocally stressing his faith and humility as a guide through trying times.

The song, which appears on Shelton’s forthcoming album If I’m Honest (due May 20th), was written by Shelton with husband-and-wife songwriters Jon Randall and Jessi Alexander and depicts him in awe of his creator. With a rising and falling melody that recalls “Jesus Loves Me,” Shelton sings “Every mountain, every ocean, He hears my every breath,” backed by gentle acoustic guitar, swelling strings and the multi-part harmonies of Randall and Alexander.

“I dreamed the song last summer,” tweeted Shelton, who officially became divorced from Miranda Lambert in July 2015. “I woke up and wrote down everything I could remember.”

Shelton’s current single — and first release from If I’m Honest — “Came Here to Forget” is quite the contrast, dealing with earthly, carnal concerns in the aftermath of a break-up. This weekend, Shelton will headline the Tortuga Music Festival in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.