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.
Stop And Listen
Bethany Dillon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah
I wake up, start the rush
And pour some coffee
Things to do pile up
Too many days I feel like
I run on empty
Does anyone else out there
Feel like me?
Oh but I'd be a fool to forfeit
The chance to take a moment
For You to rise like the dawn
Over my cold, tired heart, heart
And what I thought I had lost
Finds me when I stop
Stop and listen, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
It's the same slowing down
Lesson we all learn
But I don't pay much attention
Till I crash and burn
Oh but I'd be a fool to forfeit
The chance to take a moment
For You to rise like the dawn
Over my cold, tired heart, heart
And what I thought I had lost
Finds me when I stop
Stop and listen
So all together
Let's stop and sit at His feet
My sisters and brothers
For You to rise like the dawn
Over my cold, tired heart
And what I thought I had lost
It finds me when I stop
It finds me when I stop
Stop and listen, yeah
Stop and listen, yeah
Stop and listen, yeah
Stop and listen, yeah
Stop and listen
The song "Stop and Listen" by Bethany Dillon is a powerful anthem about the importance of taking a moment to stop and listen to God in the midst of the chaos of our daily lives. The song describes the frenzy of modern life, with its endless to-do lists and constant demands. The singer is exhausted and feels like she is constantly running on empty. But she realizes that the key to finding peace and purpose is to take a moment to pause and listen to God's voice.
The chorus is a call to action, urging listeners to slow down and take a moment to sit at God's feet. The lyrics suggest that by doing so, we can allow God to bring light and warmth to our cold, tired hearts. The song is a reminder that we are not alone in our struggles and that everyone needs to slow down and take a moment to listen to God's voice.
Overall, "Stop and Listen" is a beautiful and inspiring song that speaks to the importance of taking a moment to pause and listen to God's voice amidst the chaos of our daily lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Reiterating the title to put emphasis on the importance of stopping and listening to the lyrics of the song
I wake up, start the rush
Describing the busy and hectic start of the day
And pour some coffee
The routine of having coffee is a reminder of her daily duties
Things to do pile up
Referring to the never-ending list of tasks that occupy her day
Oh so quickly
Emphasizing the speed of how fast the time passes and how easily life can slip away if we don't take the time to appreciate it.
Too many days I feel like
A realization that she has been running on autopilot for too long.
I run on empty
A metaphor implying that physically and emotionally she is exhausted and in need of energy.
Does anyone else out there
Wondering if others are feeling the same way
Feel like me?
Questioning if anyone else has the same emotions and thoughts
Oh but I'd be a fool to forfeit
Acknowledging the importance of taking the time to stop and appreciate the good around her
The chance to take a moment
A chance to slow down, take a breath, and reflect on the past few days
For You to rise like the dawn
Invoking the imagery of a sunrise, as a symbol of hope and light after the darkness of the previous night
Over my cold, tired heart, heart
Describing her emotional state, exhausted and worn out from the constant rush of life.
And what I thought I had lost
What she thought was missing in her life
Finds me when I stop
Finding solace and comfort in stopping and taking a moment to reflect
Stop and listen, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Reiterating the same message of the song, to take the time to pause and appreciate life and the world around you.
It's the same slowing down
Acknowledging that slowing down is something that everyone needs to do, but it's not always easy or done until it's too late
Lesson we all learn
Learning that taking the time to stop and appreciate life is essential for our wellbeing
But I don't pay much attention
Admitting to having difficulties with slowing down and appreciating life
Till I crash and burn
To the point of exhaustion and emotional breakdown
So all together
A call to action for everyone to come together and appreciate life
Let's stop and sit at His feet
A religious reference to sitting down and resting at the feet of God, acknowledging His presence, and taking the time to appreciate the world around us.
My sisters and brothers
A reference to the people around her who she considers family and friends
Stop and listen, yeah
A reminder to stop and take a moment to appreciate the world around us
Stop and listen, yeah
Reiterating the message of the song
Stop and listen, yeah
Reiterating the message of the song
Stop and listen, yeah
Reiterating the message of the song
Contributed by Ellie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.