More than a call to worship, their latest project is a call to life. With Every Time I Breathe, Big Daddy Weave surrenders all that they have, and joyfully admit it is not enough. "We finally realized it is not the greatness of our offering, but it is the greatness of the God we are offering to that makes the difference," says singer/guitarist and primary songwriter Mike Weaver. "It is not the greatness of our songs, but it is the greatness of the God behind the songs. When the little boy showed up with two fish and five loaves, it was so not enough; but that is exactly what Jesus used to feed everyone. The reason our offering seems insignificant is because it is. But God is not looking for our significance. He is looking for our availability."
Heartfelt words from one of the most popular bands in Christian music. Indeed, One and Only, the group's 2002 debut release quickly cracked SoundScan's Christian Top 5 and Big Daddy Weave was rewarded with a Dove Award nomination for New Artist of the Year. Fields of Grace, Weave's follow-up, was a stunning display of pure power pop from a band chomping at the bit to get their new songs down on tape. On their third outing, What I Was Made For, the group battled the elements as Hurricane Ivan ravaged their homes. But even in the midst of the storm Mike Weaver says he experienced a fresh outpouring of God's grace and presence. It wasn't until it came time to write for Big Daddy Weave's fourth album that the inspiration dried up.
"We walk through different seasons," Mike explains. "Summer doesn't look like winter. Winter is radically different, but that doesn't mean it is a bad season. I was in this 'Winter' season of wondering why I couldn't hear God like I used to. Where did God go? So when the label said, 'It's time to cut another record,' I said, 'I've got squat!' But you know what? God never left. He never changed. He never stopped being worthy just because I didn't feel like singing a new worship song. He has been here the whole time, even though encountering Him right now means something different."
"It wouldn't have mattered if Mike had brought fifty songs to the table. That doesn't mean they would have been the right songs," says guitarist Jeremy Redmon, who doubles as the band's producer. "We realize we are only doing this because He allows us to. There is a peace that comes with that, because it takes the ownership out of our hands."
Joe Shirk, who handles sax and keyboards for the band, also feels the change of seasons. "We can't help but be changed by our circumstances," he insists. "Change has infiltrated our musical ideas because we hear God differently today than we did four years ago."
That realization sparked a new excitement in Big Daddy Weave. Worship, they discovered, was not simply what happened on the stage. It wasn't something that was confined to Sunday morning or Wednesday night. It didn't just occur during those 'Shout to the Lord' moments.
"Worship goes beyond the rise in popularity of worship music," explains Jay Weaver, the band's steady-on bassist. "It is about how we treat the guy at the cash register at the gas station. Lately I've felt like the woman at the grocery store whose little boy keeps tugging on her skirt. It's like God is continually trying to get my attention. 'It's not just about the music. It's not just about the music. It's not just about the music!' We're beginning to understand that experiencing worship has next to nothing to do with the music."
Drummer Jeff Jones says that concept hit Big Daddy Weave like a tidal wave in the midst of leading worship. "We saw people trying hard to make that time on Sunday morning magical," he muses. "We suddenly realized that unless you are practicing godly character throughout the week, what happens on Sunday morning is just going through the motions. What happens during those times of corporate worship is just a reflection of what goes on in your life throughout the week."
"Worship is a response," Mike declares. "It is not something that you have to conjure up. Worship always happens when you encounter the greatness and glory of the Living God. Isaiah saw God and said, 'Woe is me!' But after the angel touched the coal to his lips he said, 'Here am I, send me!' How did that happen? I don't know, but it was a response to an encounter with God. Worship should be our response to encountering God all the time. The truth is, we don't always feel like it. But does that mean if you don't feel it you just stop? No. We have a choice. We choose to worship in spite of how we feel."
Mike points to the title track (Every Time I Breathe as a perfect example of where the band is right now. "You don't think about taking your next breath," he says. "You don't have breathing on your 'to do' list. If you don't breathe, you die. It is as simple as that. Breathing is a natural part of life. That is what God is calling us to; a lifestyle of worship—to encounter God every moment, as naturally as taking your next breath."
While the songs on album artist=Big Daddy Weave]Every Time I Breathe enhance Big Daddy Weaves' reputation for producing instantly recognizable melodies and tight harmonies, it was the lyrics that the band was most concerned with.
"Our main focus has always been about communication," Mike says. "We don't want people to hear our songs and say, 'Whoa, that was cool.' We want people to hear our songs and say, 'Whoa, I understand what they mean.' I think people will really like these songs, and I think they will understand what we are trying to say. But the reality is that these songs are just fish and loaves. Without the touch of God they are just not enough."
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Every Time I Breathe
Big Daddy Weave Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As I tell You all the reasons why
This life is just too hard
But day by day, without fail
I'm finding everything I need
And everything that You are to me
I never wanna leave, I wanna stay in Your warm embrace
Oh, basking in the glory shining from Your face
And every time I get another glimpse of Your heart
I realize it's true that You are so marvelous God
And I am so in love with You, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
So in love with You
Now how could I after knowing One so great
Respond to You in any way
That's less than all I have to give?
But by Your grace I wanna love You
Not with what I say but everyday
In a way that my life is lived
Every time I breathe You seem a little bit closer
I never wanna leave, I wanna stay in Your warm embrace
Oh, basking in the glory shining from Your face
And every time I get another glimpse of Your heart
I realize it's true that You are so marvelous, God
And I am so in love with You
Wrapped in Your mercy I wanna live and never leave
I am held by how humble
Yet overwhelmed by Your majesty
Captured by grace, now I'm finding
I am free, You are marvelous, God
And knowing You is everything
Every time I breathe You seem a little bit closer
I never wanna leave, I wanna stay in Your warm embrace
Oh, basking in the glory shining from Your face
And every time I get another glimpse of Your heart
I realize it's true that You are so marvelous God
And I am so in love with You, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm so in love with You, I'm so in love with You
The first verse expresses feelings of struggle and a cry for help. The singer feels like life is too difficult to handle and they don't know how to handle it. They have probably cried out to God in prayer expressing their fears and concerns. The second verse begins to express the singer's realization that despite their difficulties, they are finding what they need and are discovering more about who God is. They are experiencing His presence in a deeper way and recognizing His goodness. The chorus expresses the singer's desire to stay in God's presence and bask in His love and glory. They feel closer to God and feel so in love with Him. The bridge underscores the singer's realization that they don't want to respond to God in a less than total way. They desire to love Him with all they have and every day of their lives.
Big Daddy Weave's song "Every Time I Breathe" was released in 2006 and remains popular amongst contemporary Christian music fans. The song was written by lead singer Mike Weaver and the band's bassist Jay Weaver. While the lyrics express a deep personal experience of faith, the band has also shared that it was inspired by an elderly woman at a church they visited who told them, "Every time I breathe, I breathe in the goodness of God".
Line by Line Meaning
I am sure all of Heaven's heard me cry
I believe that my cries for help have been heard by the divine realm
As I tell You all the reasons why
As I explain to You the factors which have made my life difficult
This life is just too hard
This life seems insurmountable to me
But day by day, without fail
However, I am experiencing gradual changes each day
I'm finding everything I need
I am discovering all the necessities I require
And everything that You are to me
Moreover, I am realizing how important You are in my life
Every time I breathe You seem a little bit closer
Whenever I inhale, it feels like You are nearer to me
I never wanna leave, I wanna stay in Your warm embrace
I always want to remain in Your loving vicinity
Oh, basking in the glory shining from Your face
And enjoy the celestial shine of Your face
And every time I get another glimpse of Your heart
Whenever I witness Your generous and benevolent nature
I realize it's true that You are so marvelous God
I acknowledge that You are indeed the magnificent deity
And I am so in love with You, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
And I am deeply in love with You
Now how could I after knowing One so great
After being familiar with an almighty being like You
Respond to You in any way
How could I react or reply to You inappropriately?
That's less than all I have to give?
In a way which is inferior to what I have to offer?
But by Your grace I wanna love You
However, through Your divine goodwill, I want to love You
Not with what I say but everyday
Not merely with words but each and every day
In a way that my life is lived
Through the actions that my life exhibits
Wrapped in Your mercy I wanna live and never leave
I want to exist in a state of Your compassion and never leave it
I am held by how humble
I am astonished by how meek You are
Yet overwhelmed by Your majesty
Yet, at the same time, I am overawed by Your greatness
Captured by grace, now I'm finding
I am caught by Your kindness and now I am realizing
I am free, You are marvelous, God
I am liberated because You are indeed the remarkable deity
And knowing You is everything
Furthermore, learning about You is the most significant thing
I'm so in love with You, I'm so in love with You
I am truly and deeply in love with You
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ANDY CLONINGER, MICHAEL DAVID WEAVER, MICHAEL R. FARREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@papaldanondo
I am sure all of Heaven's heard me cry
As I tell You all the reasons why
This life is just too hard
But day by day, without fail
I'm finding everything I need
In everything that You are to me.
Every time I breathe, You seem a little bit closer
I never want to leave
I want to stay in Your warm embrace
Oh, basking in the glory shining from Your face
And every time I get another glimpse of Your heart
I realize it's true: that You are so marvelous, God...
And I am so in love with You.
Yeah, so in love with You.
Now how could I after knowing One so great
Respond to You in any way that's less than all I have to give
But by Your grace I want to love You not with what I say
But everyday in the way that my life is lived.
Every time I breathe, You seem a little bit closer
I never want to leave
I want to stay in Your warm embrace
Oh, basking in the glory shining from Your face
And every time I get another glimpse of Your heart
I realize it's true: that You are so marvelous, God...
And I am so in love with You.
Wrapped in Your mercy, I want to live and never leave
I am held by how humble, yet overwhelmed by Your majesty
Captured by grace and now I'm finding I am free
You are marvelous, God, and knowing You is everything.
Every time I breathe, You seem a little bit closer
I never want to leave
I want to stay in Your warm embrace
Oh, basking in the glory shining from Your face
And every time I get another glimpse of Your heart
I realize it's true: that You are so marvelous, God...
And I am so in love with You.
Yeah, so in love with You ...
I am so in love with You.
@lazyparrott
It's my first time hearing this song, and its April 9 2013. I heard Redeemed on the radio, and began to cry, the holy spirit took over me, in a way i had not felt since i was baptized! So i just started listening to whatever else this band had to offer, and wow oh wow, it is amazing, and so real, like, you can just feel this band's spirit climb through the speakers!!!!!
@natashadahl6603
Rest in peace Jay. You were incredible in big daddy weave and will never be forgotten.
@Ken-ky4ju
May God bless his soul, Amen
@Wilbenster
RIP Jay Weaver, Thanks for the blessings!
@humbertojvanegasjr9912
Why are there so many dislikes??? I see the Devil is hard at Work.
The songs are for the heart from the heart for LOVE. BECAUSE OF LOVE. God Bless us all.
@paulnelson6430
Because some people despise what is good.
@undertakerg1827
Well brother he never stop working
@skiwime
we need to consider that some people could be hurting and the lyrics pierce their hearts, so a dislike could just be a reaction, like an upset child who tries to push a parent away who is trying to comfort them with a loving hug. Some videos (not this one) are naff and have no connection to the song - drone footage seems to be the in-thing at the minute with absolutely no relevance to the song - I have disliked videos (even though I liked the song) for this reason. Just my thoughts. Love this group. Be blessed Humberto.
@meeme821
Bad things happen because God was gracious enough in the beginning to give us free will. He's not going to take the away from us just because other people take it for granted. P.S-God is awesome!
@mamiewatts1844
I thank the Lord for every breath that I take