Like her Christian music peers Jaci Velasquez, Stacie Orrico, Rebecca St. James, and Rachael Lampa, Alli Rogers was poised for success at an early age. After winning a talent contest at AtlantaFest, the 16-year-old artist signed to Word Records and worked on her long-awaited debut. Before the album would ever see the light of day, however, Word was absorbed by Time Warner, and Rogers' major-label hopes came to a screeching halt when she was dropped from the roster after a host of personnel changes.
But she didn't let that keep her from making music for long. Rogers teamed up with friend Donnie Boutwell to write and co-produce her well-crafted debut, Always Eden, 11 tracks showcasing Rogers' lovely voice and poetic songwriting. For added accessibility and variety, Bebo Norman also sang a few background vocals that enhanced the album's overall vibe.
Now a little more than a year later, Rogers returns with her sophomore effort, The Day of Small Things, a disc that provides further evidence of the beauty of simplicity. The theme of "enjoying simple things of life" also extends to her songwriting as well.
"It's hard for me to work hard at the small things, the menial tasks, when I can't see the outcome, says Rogers. "I think a lot of people relate to that. When I was looking at the handful of songs I'd been writing, this theme seemed to stand out. The album is about looking past the daily, mundane things and seeing eternal purposes. It worked out well because I had been really inspired by Zechariah 4:10."
With a sound that would make any fan of Patty Griffin or Jonatha Brooke proud, Rogers' vocals are the real standout on the project, particularly on these lyrics on the title track: "You've shown me that we're never alone/And your Spirit will stay by our side/So I won't despise the day of small things."
While Always Eden was a little more introspective, The Day of Small Things has more of a universal message, particularly on a track titled "Hope," which Rogers wrote after seeing victims' pleas for help in the wake of tragedies like the tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. "We need to be passionate about bringing hope to people who don't have it, which is the actual definition of poverty," Rogers affirms. "I wanted to write a song that shares that everyone, from the richest of souls to those that are covered in poverty, we all need the hope that is found in Christ."
For more information about Alli Rogers, visit www.allirogers.com.
Choosing
Alli Rogers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But today I am confused
And losing ground
Is this part of some plan
The rise and fall of man
I can't be sure
When I'm away from my source of peace
Something fills that space in me
It's easy to get by
When I don't even try to
Find the truth
Today I learned that faith
Is not to be obtained like a place I can go
It's more of a choice than a feeling
And more of a wound than healing
The act of believing in you
And I guess I need to choose
But today I am confused and losing ground
But maybe this is where I grow
When I admit that I don't know
When belief becomes the only way to you
The lyrics of Alli Rogers's song "Choosing" reflect the internal struggle that many people face when it comes to their faith. The singer speaks of feeling confused and losing ground, as if they're standing on shaky ground when it comes to their beliefs. The rise and fall of man is mentioned, which could be interpreted as a reference to the cyclical nature of life and the idea that even the strongest beliefs can sometimes falter.
When the singer is away from their source of peace, something seems to fill the void inside of them, and they feel like they don't need their faith. It's easy to get by without really trying to find the truth or understand what they believe. However, the importance of faith is highlighted in the later verses of the song. The idea that faith is not something that can be obtained like a place to go, but rather a choice that we have to make, is expressed. This choice to believe in something that we can't necessarily see or touch is often more of a wound than healing, as it takes a lot of trust and vulnerability to put our faith in something.
The song ends on a hopeful note, with the singer realizing that maybe this confusion and uncertainty is where they can grow. When they admit that they don't know everything and that their beliefs aren't always steadfast, they can turn to faith as the only way to find their way back to their source of peace.
Line by Line Meaning
I guess I need to choose
I understand that a decision needs to be made
But today I am confused
However, I am currently uncertain
And losing ground
And my uncertainty is causing me to feel like I'm slipping away
Is this part of some plan
I wonder if this is all part of a bigger purpose
The rise and fall of man
Maybe it's just the natural cycle of highs and lows in life
I can't be sure
Regardless, I'm not completely confident in my understanding
When I'm away from my source of peace
When I'm not in my usual state of calmness and comfort
Something fills that space in me
I find myself filling that void with something else
And it feels like I don't need you
And it almost feels like I can do without my usual source of stability
It's easy to get by
I can manage without much effort
When I don't even try to
When I don't put in much effort to seek the truth
Find the truth
To discover a sense of understanding and certainty
Today I learned that faith
Recently, I came to realize that believing in something requires
Is not to be obtained like a place I can go
It's not something I can just physically access or achieve
It's more of a choice than a feeling
Rather, it's a deliberate decision rather than just a fleeting emotion
And more of a wound than healing
However, it can also cause pain and discomfort before bringing peace
The act of believing in you
Choosing to believe in something greater than myself
And I guess I need to choose
So, once again, I find myself needing to make a decision
But today I am confused and losing ground
But currently, I feel unsure and like I'm drifting further away
But maybe this is where I grow
However, perhaps this is where I can develop and mature
When I admit that I don't know
By acknowledging my uncertainty and humility
When belief becomes the only way to you
When faith is the only path towards understanding and peace
Contributed by Muhammad Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.