In 1995, Amy soulfully blew on to the Christian Music scene, establishing herself as one of the most skillful and creative vocalists in the R&B/Pop Genre with her debut release, "I'm a Believer." The single of the same name went straight to the number one position on the Adult Contemporary Chart; as well as another number one song, "Devotion." This southern songstress captured the attention of thousands with her debut, largely due to her smooth vocal style and powerful music.
1997 finds Amy Morriss building on that solid foundation with her new release, "Within the Sound of Your Voice," which resoundingly echoes the unfolding process of listening to and learning from the God who gently whispers. "The title cut is probably the most lyrically important song to me on the record," reflects Amy as she quotes from the lyric of "Within the Sound of Your Voice."
"Let me live within the sound of your voice
I want my heart so in tune
I'll hear you whisper my name"
"That's where my life and my heart are right now," she reveals. "We say 'God, if you'll just give me a sign or scream at me, I'll get it! Most of the time He comes in a whisper or in a circumstance. God is always at work around us, and the only way we're going to be aware of it is if our relationship with Him is right."
If prolific songwriters add variety and spice to an album, this one is brimming with flavor. Collaborating with or borrowing from such talents as David Mullen, Ashley Cleveland, Cindy Morgan and Carolyn Arrends, Amy feels strongly that God took the strands of each individual songwriter and wove them into a project that aptly expresses her heart. "I feel like every one of these songs was specifically tailored for this record," she marvels. "The song Carolyn Arrends wrote ("It Has to Be You") was kind of a turning point for us when we were picking songs for the album. My A&R director, Loren Balman, played the song for me, and the lyrics bowled me over. The chord changes were great. The song conveys a lot of spiritual honesty and that's important to me; it felt like my song."
Another intresting angle of this collective song writing effort is the diversity in the message. Some songs are a celebration, some are reflective, while others, such as "We Need You," (written by Cindy Morgan) offer a lively opportunity for the listener to express praise or prayer to God:
"Send down, send down your love tonight
We need You, we need You
No more denying what is right
We need You, we need You
As usual, Amy delivers such messages with the cool, relaxed vocal style that explores every possible hiding place in a melody showcasing the unusually wide range of her powerful voice. While she has stayed pretty close to her rhythm. And Blues roots over the past several years, Amy is delighted at having the opportunity to stretch her musical wings a bit. "Within the Sound of Your Voice" most definitely has an R&B flavor to it, but is also meandering toward the vein of clutter-free pop, a niche where less is more and passion moves front and center. When asked about her musical influences, Amy will cite such legends as Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight, but ask her what her favorite album is and the answer may surprise you: Shawn Colvin's "Cover Girl."
"I like all kinds of music," reflects Amy. "R&B has been my main influence, but over the years I have really enjoyed listening to the work of Shawn Colvin, Annie Lennox, Jewel and other, more modern, progressive music."
"Those two genres don't meet very often," she continues. "I'm really excited about it because I didn't want the labeling of just R&B. Musically and thematically there was more in me thatn that, and this project provided an outlet for that."
Offering Morriss the "laboratory" in which she could experiment with her diverse musical tastes are two very creative and distinctive producers. Dennis Matkisky (who has worked with such talents as Kenny G, Chicago and Smokey Robinson) is a long-time family friend of Morriss'. He produced her first album and is a comfortable creative catalyst. "He can say straight forward things to me and I don't really care," she says laughing. "We know how to read each other, which is important when you're working in a studio together."
Joining Matkosky this time around in the producer's chair is Blair Masters, who has previously produced tracks for Christian artists Twila Paris and Point of Grace. Masters' approach put a fresh new spin on some already great musical ideas, resulting in a direction Morriss was intrested in exploring. "Not that we wanted to forget the old record," she is careful to point out, "But there was a lot more we wanted to do and say, it was almost a fresh start; Blair and I are opposites, and that worked great.
So with the process of recording behind her; with songs written and voiced, tapes mastered and pressed, what does Amy Morriss see from the upper side of the tapestry? "God is working," she observes. "He is hopefully going to use me where He's already working. I want to be right in my relationship with Him so I can be aware of that. That's what this record is about; hearing the sound of His voice.
Keep The Faith
Amy Morriss Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where I always dreamed I'd be
Here in Your arms, feeling secure inside
Through Your eyes
I can see tomorrow clearly now
Because of You, I'm living proof that...
Love comes to those who wait
Giving up's a big mistake
Love will come to you
Just keep the faith
Yeah, yeah
Who would have thought someone like me
Could have found the strength I need
So many times I felt like letting go
But my heart said no
I held on when hope we almost gone
Then I found You to see me through
Oh, love comes to those who wait
Time heals a heart that breaks
Giving up's a big mistake
Love will come to you
Just keep the faith
If I can stand against the wind
And give my everything
If I could fly, it's worth a try
With God's help, anybody can
Yes, they can
Love comes to those who wait
Time heals a heart that breaks
Giving up's a big mistake
Love will come to you
Just keep the faith, mmm-mmm...
Keep the faith
In "Keep the Faith," Amy Morriss sings about the power of perseverance and hope in the face of adversity. The song portrays the story of someone who has faced hardships and heartbreaks but has found love and support to stand up again. The opening lines of the song, "Look at me now, it's really me, where I always dreamed I'd be, here in Your arms, feeling secure inside" suggest that the singer has found a sense of security and comfort in the person they are with. Through the eyes of their loved one, they have started to see a brighter future and feel hopeful about tomorrow.
The song's chorus talks about the idea of "love comes to those who wait," indicating that good things happen to those who have faith and patience. As the song progresses, the singer speaks about their struggles and the times they felt like giving up. However, they held on to hope and found strength in their heart to keep going. The lines "If I can stand against the wind and give my everything, if I could fly, it's worth a try, with God's help, anybody can" emphasizes the idea that with the right attitude and faith, anyone can conquer their challenges.
Overall, "Keep the Faith" is an inspiring song about resilience, hope, and the power of love. The song encourages people to remain steadfast in their faith and beliefs, even when life gets tough. Through the singer's story, the song urges the listener to never give up on love and to always believe that things will get better.
Line by Line Meaning
Look at me now, it's really me
I have finally reached my dream and I am able to see myself in the place I always wanted to be
Where I always dreamed I'd be
I am in the place of my dreams, just where I always wanted to be
Here in Your arms, feeling secure inside
Being in your arms makes me feel safe and secure inside
Through Your eyes
Through your perspective
I can see tomorrow clearly now
I can see what the future holds clearly
Because of You, I'm living proof that...
Because of you, I am a living example that...
Love comes to those who wait
Love comes to those who are patient
Time heals a heart that breaks
With time, a broken heart can be mended
Giving up's a big mistake
It is a huge mistake to give up
Love will come to you
Love will find you
Just keep the faith
Just stay strong and keep believing
Who would have thought someone like me
It is surprising that someone like me...
Could have found the strength I need
Could have found the strength required
So many times I felt like letting go
There were many times when I felt like giving up
But my heart said no
But my heart did not agree
I held on when hope we almost gone
I kept holding on when hope was almost lost
Then I found You to see me through
Then I found you to help me through
If I can stand against the wind
If I can resist the forces that are trying to bring me down
And give my everything
And give everything I have got
If I could fly, it's worth a try
If I could fly, I would give it a shot
With God's help, anybody can
With God's assistance, anybody can accomplish it
Yes, they can
Yes, it is possible
Keep the faith
Continue to trust and believe
Contributed by Ryan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To new beginnings!
Love this song!!
Ronda Doolin
My fav Christian CD
Sybil Strum
This is the one when Teddy was in the hospital Saint Joseph he's saying this song he let me know that he was getting better and his Dad tried to sing it and I told his dad to be quiet let Teddy sing it and he sang it so well that I wish I would have had a tape recorder that so that showed that Teddy was getting better because he gave me to Faith he said love comes to those who wait time heals a broken heart do it he also sang My Sweet Lord and when he sang it he sang it to to Jesus he said I really want to know you I really want to show and this is Amy you did a good job singing it you are an excellent singer Amy Grant you're an excellent singer and I hope you're well and I hope your family is well and we just want to say thank you stay safe and remember this stop to violence start caring life is more important to dying and keep on singing you're a great singer you're a great Christian singer and I do love this song goodbye no I'm talking to her keep on singing this song bye I'm telling her that the only song that got you better don't move that was a yellow jacket