Born in Waco, Texas, Hester moved to Las Vegas, Nevada where he formed a jingle advertising company named MusAd. While in Las Vegas, Hester met now renowned music producer Brent Maher. Maher went on to produce Hester's first album, the self titled, Benny.... From 1991 to 1996 he was the music producer/musical director, songwriter and co-executive producer for the award winning MTV/Nickelodeon television series Roundhouse.
STEP BY STEP
Benny Hester Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's funny how time flies
I thought you were my friend
And I found that I was right
The way I've lived my life
I never took anyone's advice
But you showed me an open door
And a way I've never walked before
Step by step
Day by day
I never knew it could be this way
Step by step
Day by day
Jesus, I want to say
Although I may not understand
All the things that you have planned
I'll follow you step by step
My dreams were not your dreams
And my fears were not your fears
But you cared enough to tell me
What I didn't want to hear
And because I knew you were right
I would lie awake at night
And try to reason why He died
To think a love like that
I nearly let go by
Step by step
Day by day
I never knew it could be this way
Step by step
Day by day
Jesus, I want to say
Although I may not understand
All the things that you have planned
I'll follow you step by step
Night and day
I can't believe how you would pray
Moved by your words
I can still hear you say
"Give it up, haven't you had enough"
We'd all be goners if it wasn't for His love
Oh, yeah
I want to thank you for being kind
I'm so grateful for your time
And the hope you gave to me
Through Jesus
It came so naturally
Step by step
Day by day
I never knew it could be this way
Step by step
Day by day
Jesus, I want to say
Although I may not understand
All the things that you have planned
I'll follow you step by step
In the opening lines of Benny Hester's Step by Step, the singer reflects on time passing, noting how quickly it seems to fly by. The singer speaks to someone who was his friend and helped him see a different way to live his life. The singer reflects on how he thought he knew everything, never taking anyone's advice. But this friend showed him a new way to live, an open door the singer hadn't walked through before. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "step by step" and "day by day," emphasizing the slow and steady progress the singer has made. He acknowledges that he may not understand all of the things that God has planned for him, but he is committed to following him, trusting that his friend's guidance was founded in that same trust.
In the second verse, the singer reflects on his own failures and fears, acknowledging that he had some growing to do. He didn't want to hear the truth about himself, but he knew deep down that what his friend was telling him was right. Reflecting on the sacrifice that Jesus made for humanity, he admits that he almost let that love go by, suggesting that he had to reconcile his own previously held misconceptions in order to come to a deeper understanding. The bridge speaks to the power of prayer, with the singer thanking his friend for his kindness, the time, and the hope he was given.
Line by Line Meaning
Another day gone by
Time has passed since we last spoke
It's funny how time flies
It's surprising how quickly time passes
I thought you were my friend
I trusted you as a friend
And I found that I was right
You proved to be a true friend
The way I've lived my life
I have lived my life in a certain way
I never took anyone's advice
I didn't listen to anyone's suggestions
But you showed me an open door
You introduced me to a new path
And a way I've never walked before
An unfamiliar route that I had never taken before
Step by step
One step at a time
Day by day
Gradually over time
I never knew it could be this way
I didn't realize life could be like this
Jesus, I want to say
I want to acknowledge Jesus
Although I may not understand
Even if I don't comprehend everything
All the things that you have planned
Everything that has been predetermined
I'll follow you step by step
I will trust and follow Jesus one step at a time
My dreams were not your dreams
My aspirations did not align with yours
And my fears were not your fears
My worries were different than yours
But you cared enough to tell me
You showed concern by being honest
What I didn't want to hear
The truth that I didn't want to accept
And because I knew you were right
I acknowledged that you were correct
I would lie awake at night
I would lose sleep thinking about it
And try to reason why He died
I tried to find meaning in Jesus' death
To think a love like that
To imagine a love as great as Jesus'
I nearly let go by
I almost missed out on that love
Night and day
At all times
I can't believe how you would pray
I'm amazed by your devotion to prayer
Moved by your words
Inspired by what you said
I can still hear you say
Your words still resonate with me
"Give it up, haven't you had enough"
"Surrender and let go, don't you think you've had your fill?"
We'd all be goners if it wasn't for His love
We would all be in trouble if not for Jesus' love
I want to thank you for being kind
I appreciate your kindness
I'm so grateful for your time
I am thankful for the time you spent with me
And the hope you gave to me
I am grateful for the hope you instilled in me
Through Jesus
With Jesus' help
Contributed by Sydney R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.