In 1984, at the age of 15, Lewis auditioned for a children's musical called Hi Tops, written and produced by Ernie and Debbie Retino, creators of Psalty, the Singing Song Book. Lewis passed the audition and was able to go into the studio and participate in the Soundtrack recording with the rest of the cast members. While working with the musical, Lewis met a member of the Rockabilly band, The Lifters. After becoming friends with the members of that band, Lewis was asked to join. Soon after, the band changed its name to Wild Blue Yonder. Lewis also met her current husband, Brian Ray, through her association with the band.
Wild Blue Yonder was together for two years and recorded a single full length album, produced by Daniel Amos frontman Terry Scott Taylor, for Frontline Records in 1986. She would also sing on D.A.'s album Fearful Symmetry in 1986, and Taylor's solo album A Briefing for the Ascent in 1987. After Wild Blue Yonder disbanded, Frontline offered Lewis a solo recording contract at the age of 17. Beyond the Charade, her first solo project, was released in 1987. Lewis went on to record two more albums for Frontline, Joy in 1988, and Let Love In in 1990, before starting her own record label, Metro One Music in 1992 with a distribution deal through Diamante Music Group.
For a brief time, Lewis starred in a Nickelodeon Television series called Roundhouse. Lewis left the show after one year.
Her next solo project, Remember, was recorded and released on Metro One label in 1992, followed by The Bride in 1993, and Hymns: My Life in 1995. The Bride was listed at # 97 in the 2001 book, CCM Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music. A greatest hits collection released that year landed Lewis in the # 1 spot on the Pop/Dance charts with her rendition of "Shine Jesus Shine." Beauty For Ashes was released in 1996, the first album from Metro One to be distributed through a new arrangement with Myrrh Records. Ashes was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, and the song "People Get Ready...Jesus Is Comin' " was the # 1 song of the year (1996) in Christian Radio. The album also won an ASCAP award for "Beauty For Ashes" as the most played song (1997). The album contained four # 1 radio singles: "People get ready...Jesus is Comin' ", "Beauty of the Cross", "God's been good to me", and "Beauty for Ashes."
Gold was released in 1998 and gave Lewis two # 1 hits, "Lord, I Believe in You" and "Not the Same". Gold was later re-issued that same year with a new recording of "Lean On Me" (lead vocals by Crystal Lewis), which originally appeared on Kirk Franklin's album The Nu Nation Project that included "Lean on Me" featuring Mary J. Blige, R.Kelly, Bono, Crystal Lewis and The Family. That same year, Crystal won Dove Awards for "Female Vocalist of the Year" and "Spanish Language Album of the Year" for La Belleza de la Cruz. Lewis also joined Franklin along with Gerald Levert, Mary J. Blige, and Bono on stage at the 1999 Grammy Awards for a performance of "Lean on Me."
Lewis returned to her Rockabilly roots briefly in 1999 with The Attack of the Screamin' Rays. The live project Live @ The Woodlands, recorded live in Houston, Texas on November 6, 1998, was also released that year. Crystal picked up two more Dove awards in 1999 for "Special Event Album" for her contribution to the project Exodus, and "Spanish Language Album" for Oro. In 2000, Lewis released Fearless, which was nominated for "Best Christian Pop Album of the Year" at the 2000 Grammy Awards. The song "Only Fools" from that album was voted song of the year by ASCAP. Her first Christmas album, Holiday! A Collection of Christmas Classics, went on to be voted the 5th Best Christmas album of all-time by CCM Magazine.
Crystal released her second greatest hits project More in 2001. A second live project, More Live, recorded at the Sun Theater in Anaheim, California on November 17, 2001, was released in 2002, along with another collection of hymns and gospel standards, Holy, Holy, Holy. See was released in 2005, and, the children's project, Joyful Noise was released in 2006.
Never
Crystal Lewis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of God within my heart
Let it wash over my soul
With the water of the word
Let the river rise so high
That I be caught up in it
Let it flow and with it bring
Life and healing
Set my sails to catch
Your Spirit in my life
Let the wind of Your love
Take me away
Over the ocean of forgiveness
Let me bathe in Your mercy, soak in Your grace
[Chorus]
No, No, No never
Never, no never
Jesus will never let me go
The Bible tells me so
No, No, No never
Never, no never
He promised I'd never be alone
This I know
Make me to be an open vessel
Fill me with your Spirit oh Lord
Restore in my a willingness to pour it out
Create in me an overflow of pure and perfect faith
[Chorus]
Bring me to a place of surrender
To the place of letting it all go
Your will is all I long for
Your plan for me my goal
This little one to Him belongs
In my weakness, He is strong
The song "Never" by Crystal Lewis is a soulful plea to God to fill the singer's heart with His love and spirit, to guide her through life's difficulties, and to bring her to a place of surrender. The song starts with a metaphor of a river of God's love flowing within the singer's heart, and how it washes over her soul, bringing her healing and life. The river is a symbol of renewal, of being carried away by God's grace. The chorus repeats the phrase "No, No, No never" to emphasize the promise of God's steadfast love and protection, as stated in the Bible. The song reaffirms the singer's faith in God, and how she trusts His plan for her life.
The second verse of the song continues with the metaphor of the ocean, this time focusing on God's forgiveness and mercy. The singer asks to be surrounded by God's love and grace, to be immersed in it fully. She acknowledges that she is weak, but with God's strength, she can overcome any obstacle. The bridge of the song pivots to a request to be a vessel for God's spirit, to be guided by His will and to share His love with others. It's a humbling acknowledgement of the singer's role in a larger spiritual plan.
Line by Line Meaning
Send forth the river
I pray for God's spirit to flow through my heart and cleanse my soul.
Of God within my heart
I seek God's presence within me to purify my thoughts and emotions.
Let it wash over my soul
May God's spirit cleanse and renew my soul, freeing it from all impurities.
With the water of the word
Let God's scriptures guide and nourish my soul, quenching my spiritual thirst.
Let the river rise so high
May God's spirit overwhelm me, filling me with divine grace and mercy.
That I be caught up in it
May God's spirit lift me up and inspire me to transcend my limitations.
Let it flow and with it bring
May God's spirit move and inspire me to love and serve others.
Life and healing
May God's spirit bring new life and healing to all aspects of my being.
Set my sails to catch
I ask God to guide me and lead me towards his grand plan for my life.
Your Spirit in my life
I ask for God's guidance and presence to be with me every day of my life.
Let the wind of Your love
May God's love inspire and lead me towards a fulfilling and purposeful life.
Take me away
May God guide me towards a path of newfound transformation and growth.
Over the ocean of forgiveness
May God's spirit heal any and all past wounds of mine, and guide me towards forgiveness for others.
Let me bathe in Your mercy, soak in Your grace
May God bless me with his infinite mercy and grace, sanctifying me from all sin and suffering.
No, No, No never
I have full faith and trust that nothing will ever separate me from God's love.
Never, no never
I am confident that God will always be there for me, no matter what.
Jesus will never let me go
I know that Jesus is my ultimate savior and protector, who will never let me go astray.
The Bible tells me so
I firmly believe in the teachings of the Bible, which confirm my steadfast faith in Jesus.
He promised I'd never be alone
I have hope and confidence that God will always watch over me during life's trials and tribulations.
This I know
I am certain that my faith in God and his promises will always remain steadfast.
Make me to be an open vessel
I ask God to make me receptive and open to his messages, so that I may fulfill his divine plan.
Fill me with your Spirit oh Lord
I pray for God's presence to fill and inspire me, guiding me towards his will and purpose for my life.
Restore in my a willingness to pour it out
I ask God to restore my faith and willingness to share my blessings and love with others.
Create in me an overflow of pure and perfect faith
I pray for God to bless me with an abundance of faith and love, so that I may inspire others to follow his path.
Bring me to a place of surrender
I ask God to help me surrender my life to his will, for he knows what is best for me.
To the place of letting it all go
I ask God to help me let go of all my worries and fears, and trust in his divine guidance.
Your will is all I long for
I pray to align my desires and goals with God's will, for only he knows what is truly best for me.
Your plan for me my goal
I seek to fulfill God's unique plan and purpose for my life, guided by his infinite grace and love.
This little one to Him belongs
I remind myself that I am God's creation and child, and place my faith and trust in him above all else.
In my weakness, He is strong
I understand that my human weakness cannot compare to God's immense strength and love, which sustains me always.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IYIOLA BABATUNDE BABALOLA, KARA DIOGUARDI, TOM (GB 5) JONES, DARREN LEWIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind