Lewis was a close friend of J. R. R. Tolkien, the author of The Lord of the Rings, and both were leading figures in the English faculty at Oxford University and in the informal Oxford literary group known as the "Inklings". Due in part to Tolkien's influence, Lewis converted to Christianity becoming "a very ordinary layman of the Church of England". (Lewis 1952, pp. 6) His conversion had a profound effect on his work, and his wartime radio broadcasts on the subject of Christianity brought him wide acclaim. Late in life he married the American writer Joy Gresham, who died of bone cancer four years later at the age of 45.
Lewis's works have been translated into over 30 languages and continue to sell over a million copies a year; the books that comprise The Chronicles of Narnia have sold over 100 million copies. A number of stage and screen adaptations of Lewis's works have also been produced, the most notable of which is the 2005 Disney film adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe which grossed US$745,000,000 worldwide.
Title
C.S. Lewis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For I know not the way to go
As you guide me, I will conquer
Doubt, fear, despair, and pain
Though this world may be fallen
Your beauty shines everywhere
Stars that shine only at night
Newborn babies sleeping softly
All declare You are here
God You reign forevermore
Thank you for this life
Thank you for being holy
All that power, all that glory
All cast down to save the lost
Chief of sinners once my title
Stripped away by saving grace
Slave to sin or servant of God
I have chosen my place
I'll declare it out loud
My new title: child of God
In C.S. Lewis's song titled "Title", the artist is expressing gratitude towards God for his guidance, protection and grace throughout his journey in life. The opening lines of the song express the artist's dependence on God and his acknowledgement that he is lost without Him. He asks God to walk with him on this journey as he is unsure of which direction to take.
The artist then goes on to proclaim that with God's guidance, he is able to conquer all obstacles that he would face along the way: doubt, fear, despair and pain. Despite the fallen nature of the world, the artist sees God's beauty everywhere, from the stars that shine only at night to newborn babies sleeping softly, and trees clothed in leaves and light. All of these things declare that God reigns forevermore.
Towards the end of the song, the artist expresses his gratitude towards God. He acknowledges God's power, glory and holiness, and recognizes that all of it was cast down to save the lost. The artist further acknowledges that he was once the chief of sinners, but was saved by God's grace, and his title as a sinner was stripped away. Now, the artist declares himself as a child of God, and chooses to serve Him.
Overall, the song is a powerful declaration of dependence on God, and gratitude towards Him for His protection, grace and guidance.
Line by Line Meaning
God walk with me on this journey
I am lost and in need of guidance on my life path
For I know not the way to go
I lack the knowledge or experience to navigate this journey on my own
As you guide me, I will conquer
With God's help, I can overcome any obstacle or challenge
Doubt, fear, despair, and pain
These negative emotions and experiences can be conquered with faith and trust in God
Though this world may be fallen
The world is imperfect and full of suffering
Your beauty shines everywhere
Despite the world's imperfections, there is still beauty and goodness to be found
Stars that shine only at night
Even in darkness, there is still light and hope
Newborn babies sleeping softly
Innocence and new beginnings offer a sense of peace and joy
Trees clothed in leaves and light
Nature is a reflection of God's beauty and power
All declare You are here
God's existence and presence can be felt all around us
God You reign forevermore
God's power and authority are eternal and unchanging
Thank you for this life
Gratitude for the gift of life, despite its challenges
Thank you for being holy
Gratitude for God's purity and perfection
All that power, all that glory
The magnitude and greatness of God's power and glory
All cast down to save the lost
God humbled himself to save humanity
Chief of sinners once my title
Acknowledgment of previous mistakes and failures
Stripped away by saving grace
Redemption and forgiveness through God's grace
Slave to sin or servant of God
Recognizing the choice between a life of sin versus a life of service to God
I have chosen my place
Commitment to a path of righteousness
I'll declare it out loud
Boldly proclaiming faith and devotion to God
My new title: child of God
Identity as a beloved and cherished child of God
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Julie Gilbert
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Imaginetheday1967
I read The Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce last year. So much love for both of those! I'm in the camp of publication order for Narnia, but I've been rereading them this year in chronological order. It hasn't changed my mind, but I've enjoyed it. :)
bookslikewhoa
Haha, it is definitely a very divisive issue!! :)
Marie-Nhell Marco
I'm currently reading the Magician's Nephew. And I was done reading the Lion the witch and the wardrobe. Honestly, I didn't know that there's two different schools about how the chronicles of narnia should be read systematically. And yeah, I did start with the Iion the witch and the wardrobe simply because thats the one that I am familiar with.
Anyway, I love this video about C.S Lewis and how you gracefully delivered some of your insights.
Tyler Wyand
Three of my favorite books of all time are by him! Love his writing! The Great Divorce was mind blowing to me I love that book, the Screwtape Letters are superb at flipping the narrative and seeing things from another side! For my favorite Narnia book, I love The Horse and His Boy; it’s so wonderful and the picture it paints in my mind is glorious.
Aubrie Weaver
I also prefer the chronological reading but it helped that I read the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe years prior to reading the whole series. I personally loved seeing the theological Easter eggs as I got deeper and deeper !
Foxed Folios
Another excellent video, Mara. I’m a dyed-in-the-wool atheist, but I’ve definitely become more interested / open to reading well written non-fiction by people with different religious/philosophical takes on life and the human condition, so these recommendations are great. I really appreciate you offering some access points to CS Lewis’ work. 👍👏
bookslikewhoa
Oh good, I'm glad you enjoyed! It's hard to thread the needle for recs on Lewis, given how specifically Christian a lot of his stuff is, but if you go in knowing that, he really does have a lot to offer readers who are into "philosophy lite" type books
Gail Doughty
Outstanding video; nice exploration of the different sides to Lewis.
I missed Narnia in my childhood but when my eldest started the series I picked up Screwtape and was vastly amused.
Now I want to go back and read him again, and more of him.
bookslikewhoa
He definitely holds up to some good comfort rereading!
Moving Forward
Thank you, Mara! I started Hillsdale College's course this morning. I have put it off many times in my life and you gave me a great reference.