Norman was originally involved in Young Life Ministries and gained a considerable fan base by performing at the summer camps there. This has drawn parallels to musician Matt Wertz and producer Ed Cash (Chris Tomlin, Amy Grant), both who gained fame through their involvement with Young Life. Upon releasing Big Blue Sky, his third album, Norman included a slip asking for donations to the organization. His song "Walk Down This Mountain" is about an experience at Young Life's Wilderness Ranch.
Norman released Between the Dreaming and the Coming True in September 2006. The tour in support of this album featured Christian music newcomers Aaron Shust and Brandon Heath. Norman is a graduate of Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina. His song, "To Find My Way To You" was used on various promos for the CBS sitcom, The Class.
Bebo's single called "Britney" is written to Britney Spears, and is featured on Norman's ninth studio self-titled album. Recently (2007–2008) Bebo has appeared with several notable Christian artists on tour as they present Andrew Peterson's "Behold the Lamb" concerts during the Christmas season.
Bebo Norman's new album, "Ocean", released on September 28, 2010. It's a personal album, according to Norman, that covers the discovery of his true identity and the battle between fear and faith. The singer/songwriter told CBN.com that he hopes "Ocean" causes listeners to "look internally… at where they draw their own identity from. It’s worth wrestling with who we are, where we draw our value from, and where we draw our life from and .... refocusing on the source of whatever season of life we are in rather than focusing on the season itself."
O Come O Come Emmanuel
Bebo Norman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
O come, Thou day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
O come, Thou key of David, come
And open wide our heavenly home
Make safe the way that leads on high
And close the path to misery
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
O come, O come, Thou Lord of Might
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height
In ancient times did'st give the law
In cloud, and majesty and awe
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
"O Come O Come Emmanuel" is a traditional Advent hymn that dates back to the 8th or 9th century. The hymn has been translated from Latin into English, and the original author is unknown. The hymn consists of five verses, each addressing Jesus Christ by a different name or characteristic. Each verse represents a different way that Jesus will save his people.
The first verse calls Jesus Emmanuel, which means "God with us." The song states that the people of Israel are in exile and are mourning. They hope that Jesus will come and rescue them from their captivity. The second verse addresses Jesus as the "Rod of Jesse," a reference to Isaiah 11:1: "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots." The song calls on Jesus to free his people from Satan's tyranny and give them victory over death.
The third verse refers to Jesus as the "day-spring," which means the beginning of a new day. The hymn asks Jesus to come and cheer the people by dispersing the darkness and shadows of night. The fourth verse refers to Jesus as the "key of David," who will open the gates of heaven for the faithful. The hymn prays that Jesus will make the way to heaven clear and close the path of misery. Finally, the fifth verse calls Jesus the "Lord of Might," who gave the law to Moses on Mount Sinai. The hymn concludes by saying that Jesus "shall come to thee, O Israel," bringing salvation and hope.
Line by Line Meaning
O come, O come, Emmanuel
Come, Lord Jesus, come and be with us
And ransom captive Israel
Free the people of God who are held captive by their sin
That mourns in lonely exile here
Those who are separated from God are sad and alone
Until the Son of God appear
Until Jesus comes to save us from our sin and give us new life
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Be happy, be excited, Jesus is coming to save us!
Shall come to thee, O Israel
Jesus will come to save all of God's people
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Jesus, descendant of Jesse's family tree, set us free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
Free those who are under the control of Satan, our enemy
From depths of Hell Thy people save
Rescue the people of God from the power of sin and death
And give them victory o'er the grave
Through Jesus, we can conquer death and have eternal life
O come, Thou day-spring, come and cheer
Jesus, bring light and joy to our darkness and sadness
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Through Jesus' coming, our hearts are filled with hope and strength
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
Jesus, remove the darkness and confusion in our lives
And death's dark shadows put to flight
Jesus, overcome death's power and bring us to eternal life
O come, Thou key of David, come
Jesus, the one who unlocks the door to heaven, come to us
And open wide our heavenly home
Through Jesus, we can enter and experience the kingdom of God
Make safe the way that leads on high
Jesus, protect and guide us on our journey to heaven
And close the path to misery
Through Jesus, we can be saved from pain, sorrow, and suffering
O come, O come, Thou Lord of Might
Jesus, the powerful one who rules over all, come to us
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height
Jesus, who gave the law to the people of God on Mount Sinai
In ancient times did'st give the law
Jesus, the one who showed us the right way to live through the law
In cloud, and majesty and awe
Jesus, glorious and majestic, worthy of our worship and respect
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Celebrate joyfully, Jesus is God with us!
Shall come to thee, O Israel
Jesus will come to his people, fulfilling God's promises
Writer(s): R. SHAW, R. RINGWALD
Contributed by London N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.