As with most aspiring musical groups, By the Tree got their start playing a series of small venues — predominantly churches — throughout the southern and southwestern United States. Their near-constant touring cultivated a sizeable fan base.
In 1999 they released two independent, self-produced CDs, which they sold at their concerts. By 2001, these two CDs had sold a combined 30,000 units, which more than recouped their production costs, and additionally brought them to the attention of the Gospel music industry.
The band eventually signed with Fervent Records, part of the BMG music publishing company. Their first national U.S. commercial recording was Invade My Soul. The album charted in the Billboard Top 40 in the Contemporary Christian and Independent categories. The album eventually went on to win two Dove Awards: The album itself won Best Modern Rock/Alternative Album, and the album's title track won Best Recorded Song.
The band has gone through numerous lineup changes since signing with Fervent. Drummer Aaron Blanton joined the group prior to the recording of Invade My Soul, and bassist Ben Davis joined in 2002 for the recording of These Days. Original member Kevin Rhoads left the band shortly after the release of These Days and was replaced by Charlie Goddard, who left the band in 2003 to join the Jeff Deyo Band.
By the Tree has released four albums under the Fervent label, and they remain one of the more popular acts in Contemporary Christian music.
Chuck Dennie now lives in Franklin, TN with his wife Joanne.
www.wikipedia.org/wiki/bythetree
Change
By The Tree Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or at least free from this
A battle of my conscience a mind game
To resist
And I need You to change me
I'm drowning in my shame
And I need You to change me
Day and night
I try to find a little peace inside my soul
Never will I try to live
This life here on my own
The first two lines of the verse already sets the tone of the song. By stating "if only I were bullet proof" it shows that the singer is feeling vulnerable and in need of protection. This is followed by "or at least free from this," which implies that they are dealing with something that they feel trapped in. The next line, "a battle of my conscience, a mind game to resist," indicates that the conflict the singer is facing is internal and mental, a struggle between conflicting thoughts and feelings. The chorus then brings in the plea for change, with the repetition of "I need you to change me" emphasizing the urgency of the situation. The singer admits to feeling shame and wanting the blame taken away, indicating that they are aware of their faults and are seeking a way to overcome them.
The second verse further emphasizes the internal conflict, with the singer searching for peace within their soul. The line "never will I try to live this life here on my own" is a recognition that they cannot handle the situation alone and need help. This idea of needing assistance is reinforced by the repetition of "I need you" in the chorus, followed by the line "gonna take it away, take away my blame," which suggests that the singer is looking for someone to absolve them of their guilt.
Overall, "Change" is a song about inner turmoil and the need for help in overcoming it. The singer is vulnerable and conflicted, but also aware of their shortcomings and looking for a way to improve.
Line by Line Meaning
If only I were bullet proof
If only I couldn't be hurt by the things that haunt me
Or at least free from this
Or if I could just escape from these struggles
A battle of my conscience a mind game
I'm constantly fighting with myself over what's right and wrong
To resist
To resist temptation and the things that bring me down
And I need You to change me
I can't do this alone, I need divine help to become a better person
I'm drowning in my shame
My guilt and mistakes are overwhelming me
Gonna take it away, take away my blame
Please remove my guilt and shame, and help me start anew
Day and night
All the time, constantly
I try to find a little peace inside my soul
I'm searching for inner peace and comfort
Never will I try to live
I know I can't do this alone
This life here on my own
I need help and guidance to face my struggles, and I know I can't do it by myself
Contributed by Charlotte V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.