Love Is Love

words and music by Cynthia Dougherty
© 2018 Cynthia Dougherty

Cynthia Dougherty introduced us to her unique musical style at the 2018 Conference. Scores of people asked that this song be included in PIO! and here it is. Cynthia shared her thoughts:

“ ‘Love Is Love’ is a song I wrote one dreary winter morning in 2018. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony speech/sonnet in 2016 struck me when he stated, ‘And love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love, cannot be killed or swept aside.’ I knew the moment I heard it that I would eventually want to write about it.

“A year and a half later, I picked up a ukulele for the first time and decided that I needed to be my own source of light in an otherwise dark time in my life. I hadn’t written anything for several years, felt it was time to give it a shot, and Lin’s words immediately came to my mind. I sat, started with the words ‘We love,’ and the rest just kind of poured out.

“Normally when I write a song, I tend to write one and then stop for months, sometimes even years at a time. ‘Love Is Love’ is unique because it opened up a floodgate in me. It inspired me to continue writing, and two months later I had written nine more songs and decided to put together my first album.

“ ‘Love Is Love’ is an anthem. It is about deep, meaningful, spiritual love . . . love that exists without boundaries, labels, or classifications. Not all people will believe or appreciate the message behind the song, but that won’t stop Love from existing. Nothing will.”