From her recording debut at age 1… Read Full Bio ↴She has always been an old soul.
From her recording debut at age 14, Bethany Dillon was one of those rare young singer/songwriters who did not fit the status quo. Her songs possessed a lyrical depth that belied her age. Her carriage, sense of composure and way of looking at the world revealed a certain maturity, disarming for one so young.
So it almost seems a given, seven years later, that 21-year-old Bethany Dillon—now married and living in Dallas with her husband, Shane Barnard (Shane & Shane)—would be officially grown up.
That she has something even more complete and compelling to say is a given, too. Major life moments have a way of doing that to anyone.
“The last year has been the sweetest year of my 21...” Bethany says, “There are so many layers to it, and I don’t always feel like a grown up, but it’s been a really sweet time of learning. I can see the grace of God in it. So much has come to the surface.”
Stop & Listen, Bethany’s fourth release on Sparrow Records, reveals a young woman coming to terms with God’s grace in a new season of becoming.
“This record is probably the most confessional record I’ve ever made,” Bethany says. “These songs feel a little more raw to me than usual. It’s probably just true the more life goes on, the more aware you are of your failures and struggles. And with that, in a believer’s life comes—odd as it is—a deeper joy.”
Produced by Marshall Altman (Brooke Frasier, Warren Barfield), a Los Angeles-based producer who persistently sought Bethany out after hearing her acoustic EP, Stop & Listen is a call to peace in the middle of life expectations and the day-to-day chaos that all too often takes over.
“Most of the songs are about the not-so-simple ideas of stopping, listening and waiting,” Bethany explains.
The title track—which she co-wrote with Joy Williams and Ben Glover—sets the tone. “I’m a to-do list person,” Bethany adds, “but I’m still called to know God and have an intimacy with Him, even in busy seasons. That Bible story of Mary and Martha has always bothered me. There’s Martha working so hard to get everything right and Mary sitting at Jesus feet. And Martha, in all her frustration, saying ‘Don’t you care that I’m doing all this?’ And Jesus replying, ‘You’re anxious about a lot of things, but Mary has chosen the one thing necessary...’ That’s such a hard thing for anybody to hear. That haunting call of the Lord... When I see Him face to face, I want to know Him. I’m called to know Him.”
“The Way I Come To You,” perhaps as much as any song on the CD, reflects this singer/songwriter’s spiritual journey as of late: “I love being married to Shane for lots of reasons—one being, how much I’ve learned about loving Jesus from him. He is constantly talking about the glory of God in the death and resurrection of Jesus. The more time I spend with him, the more I’m hit with the reality... the forgiveness and reconciliation found in Jesus is staggering. The freedom that we who are in Christ have is ETERNAL!”
“Get Up and Walk,” a song inspired by stories of healing throughout the New Testament, is a powerful reminder that God still restores the broken: “The promises in the Bible that grip me the most are the ones of contrast,” Bethany explains, “turning ashes into beauty, heaviness into a garment of praise, being transferred from the domain of darkness to the Kingdom of light. The words of Jesus ring true today, that he (or she) who’s forgiven much, loves much.... I’ve been forgiven of much; I was deaf, blind, and completely lost. But He broke through my deafness, and has forgiven me of much, and I can’t help but love Him much in return.”
“Reach Out,” continues the thread, inspired by an outcast woman in the Gospels (Mark 5; Luke 8). “What’s so moving about her story for me is her abandon,” Bethany says. “She had reached this point, this depth of need, that she was willing to risk her life to get healed by this man named Jesus. Her urgency is tangible on those pages—she couldn’t reveal her presence there, so she pushed her way through until she could just touch [Him],
...she took advantage of being in Jesus’ presence.” Such a story, she says, begs the question of us: are we desperate enough to have that kind of faith, to pursue Jesus at any cost?
Always one to push herself to write deeper and truer songs, Bethany says Stop & Listen is a big step forward. “I’ve always felt a sense of direction and focus in my writing, even back at age 14 and 15,” she says, “but I think even that has been honed and sharpened. The things I want to write about, the desire to tell a complete story, I think that’s really fresh.” The result on this record, she says, has been in being able to push through the anxiety that plagues the process and instead, relax and stretch.
Longtime producer and co-writer, Ed Cash collaborated with Bethany on two songs, including the first single, “Everyone To Know,” a simple, carefree song that sticks with you, long after the track is over.
I want everyone to know, everyone to know
I wanna tell the world about your love
“We wrote it in two hours... very simple, played the melody on the piano, and I was so drawn to it,” Bethany says. “It’s about how my life is so different, what I thought was freedom wasn’t... I remember chasing after things that didn’t satisfy me, and how now, being in a simple place, learning how to depend on God, I can finally see how much freedom there is. This song seemed like such a divine appointment, a reminder that the love of God in Jesus is so satisfying. Honestly, its one of the first singles I’ve felt really connected to.”
Sonically, Stop & Listen takes a decidedly different turn as well, not completely removing Bethany from the acoustic pop space she’s settled into, but giving her songs the layered, detailed attention they deserve. “Production-wise, a lot is going on,” she says. “But Marshall was really drawn toward the songs more than production, so there isn’t much in the way of huge dynamics—ear candy, strings, etc.—but rather simple, five or six instruments playing on a song. The players were so good, they spoke the same vocabulary to each other, and they really listened to the lyrics.”
“You hear every word to every song, and nothing gets in the way of the lyric. The sound is beautiful and honest and simply produced...more like a piece of art. That’s what I was pining for, to make a record that was more artful, more singer/songwriter than pop/folky....”
Her desire was to nurture her music, like her life, to a whole new place. To be intentional with every step. To stop and listen to what’s been growing in her soul and give it a life of its own.
And inspired by grace in this new season of becoming, so she has.
So Close
Bethany Dillon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was wrong but it takes so much to say it to You
Like a broken husband and wife
Who never talk but share their nights
I'm so close to being so far away from You
I have nothing when I'm living apart from You
Outside, creation groans
For my feet are close to slipping
Speak to my heart in time
You have promised, so I do believe
You won't forget this wandering child
Still I'm so close to being so far away from You
Though I know no one on their own makes it through
My soul clings to the dust
So in Your life, let it be enough
For my feet are close to slipping
Speak to my heart in time
You have promised, so I do believe
You won't forget this wandering child
I'm so foolish to believe that
I can escape Your love, Your love
I'm so foolish to believe that
I can escape Your love
For my feet were close to slipping
You spoke to my heart in time
And You have promised, so I do believe
You won't forget this wandering child
You're so close when I feel far away from You
You're so close when I feel far away from You
In Bethany Dillon's song "So Close," she sings about feeling disconnected from God despite being in close proximity to Him. The opening line "I'm so close to being so far away from You" sets the tone for the entire song, with the rest of the lyrics conveying the struggle of feeling distant from God while simultaneously desiring to be near Him.
Dillon compares her relationship with God to that of a broken husband and wife who "never talk but share their nights," highlighting the intimacy and yet the lack of communication that can exist in relationships. She acknowledges her mistakes by admitting it "takes so much" to confess her wrongdoings to God. The chorus serves as a plea for God to speak to her heart in time, promising to believe in His promises and not forget her as a wandering child.
Dillon further reflects on the consequences of living apart from God by stating that "creation groans" outside for the sake of losing their darkness and being made whole. She recognizes her own vulnerability by saying that her "feet are close to slipping" and her "soul clings to the dust," emphasizing her need for God's love and guidance. However, she also admits to being "foolish to believe" she can escape His love, ultimately concluding that God is always close even when she feels far away from Him.
Overall, "So Close" is a poignant expression of the human struggle of maintaining a strong relationship with God amidst life's challenges and missteps.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm so close to being so far away from You
I feel like I'm drifting away from You, even though I'm physically close.
I was wrong but it takes so much to say it to You
I know I made a mistake, but it's hard to admit it to You.
Like a broken husband and wife Who never talk but share their nights
Our relationship feels strained and distant, like a couple who sleep in the same bed but don't communicate.
I have nothing when I'm living apart from You
Without You, my life feels empty and meaningless.
Outside, creation groans To lose our darkness and be made whole
The world is broken and waiting for the restoration that comes when we turn away from darkness and towards You.
For my feet are close to slipping Speak to my heart in time You have promised, so I do believe You won't forget this wandering child
I feel like I'm losing my footing, but I believe You'll keep me on the right path.
Though I know no one on their own makes it through My soul clings to the dust So in Your life, let it be enough
I know I can't make it on my own, and I'm humbled by my human weakness. I need Your life to sustain me.
I'm so foolish to believe that I can escape Your love, Your love
Sometimes I try to run away from You, but I know deep down it's impossible to escape Your love.
You're so close when I feel far away from You
Even when I feel distant from You, I know You're still near and accessible.
Contributed by Gabriella Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.