There are times when our path seems… Read Full Bio ↴(courtesy of Centricity Records)
There are times when our path seems so certain and our future looks planned and perfect. Then suddenly we are called into the unknown. The faithful embrace their calling—even when it doesn't seem to make sense. Just ask Daniel Kirkley, the gifted young vocalist who abandoned a promising medical career to enter the mercurial music business
Having worked hard to achieve his musical vision on Let Love Win, Kirkley is basking in the excitement of a dream coming true. During his early college days, the Lancaster, South Carolina native couldn't have imagined that life would take such a turn. A good student, who grew up in a solid Christian family, he'd always loved music but didn't really see it as a career.
"I started singing just in church when I was five or six years old," says Kirkley. "When I got older, I fell in love with science and medicine. I ended up getting an academic and music scholarship to University of South Carolina. I double majored in pre-med and classical voice, but at that point, music didn't seem feasible as a career. I actually wanted to become a pediatrician."
Kirkley began performing at Paramount Carowinds theme park in Charlotte, North Carolina during summer breaks. "I loved the experience so much, being in front of people and connecting with people," the young artist recalls. "To see people's connection with you as a person and how they could connect with a song, it was something I never experienced in the classical academic part of music. I came back to school just completely restless and not satisfied. I started to want something more besides pre-med, which terrified me."
Julie Roberts, Daniel's friend from childhood who has since become one of the new successful female artists in Country music suggested he check out Nashville's Belmont University. Though people around him were surprised when he opted to leave the University of South Carolina, giving up a full scholarship, Kirkley felt compelled. "I define it as 'blindly leaping,' which I think you have to do often with faith," he says. "You just step out and go for it."
Daniel remembers sitting down with his parents one night. "They told me that they had made a list of reasons that weren't acceptable for me to go to Belmont and they wanted me to give them my top three reasons for going," says Kirkley. "My first reason was 'I legitimately feel that this is where God is leading me.' My dad stopped me and said, 'That's the one thing I needed to hear.' They said 'We'll make it work and do whatever we have to do.'"
While attending Belmont, Kirkley landed an internship with BMG Music Publishing, working in the Gospel division. "I worked there two years and I fell in love with publishing," says Kirkley, who worked with industry veteran Joe Shell. "I actually never had written a song before I started working there. I never had a concept of what a singer/songwriter was. Within my first couple of weeks there, Joe took me on what he called a field trip. It was a mastering session for Kyle Matthews, which was cool because that was actually the first time I met [Centricity A&R VP] John Mays."
After his internship at BMG, Kirkley landed a job at Brentwood Benson Music. He also began pursuing his goal of being an artist. People began paying attention to Kirkley's talent and it was obvious he didn't belong behind a desk or behind a studio console, but on stage and in front of a microphone. Wanting to do a project from start to finish totally on his own, Kirkley released an independent album in 2003. He began getting calls to perform at churches and events.
When a friend introduced him to Guy Zabka, Director of A&R, at Centricity Records, he found a label home and people who were excited about his innovative sound. Kirkley's vocal style incorporates elements of his classical training, fused with vibrant pop sensibilities, and the blend results in a unique sound, unlike anything on the contemporary Christian music landscape. His rich full voice is seasoned by years of performing and tempered by a classical education that places Kirkley in a class by himself as a vocalist.
Now is Daniel Kirkley's time to move forward. He's paid his dues and he's been faithful to the calling on his life. The folks in South Carolina may have lost a potential pediatrician, but the world has gained a tremendously gifted artist with a powerful voice and a vision to share hope. God had a plan and Daniel Kirkley has been faithful. The result is music for a bright new dawn.
Joy to the World
Daniel Kirkley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.
Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
The lyrics of "Joy to the World" by Daniel Kirkley is a beautiful hymn that talks about the advent of the Lord and the joy that He brings with Him. The song begins, “Joy to the world, the Lord is come, let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing.” This line tells us about the arrival of the Lord and the call to the world to prepare for His reception. With the coming of the Lord, we are also reminded of the joyous chorus that heaven and nature sing out in His honor.
Moving on to the second part of the song, the lyrics say, “Joy to the world, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ; While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeat the sounding joy.” This verse is a beautiful representation of how the entire world rejoices in the arrival of the Lord. With the advent of the Lord, we are reminded of the hope that comes with Him, as well as the peace that follows.
The final verse of the song talks about the ultimate impact of the Lord’s reign. The line “He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love” tells us about how the Lord’s reign will heal the world of its sorrows and pain. It emphasizes the fact that with the Lord’s reign, there will no longer be any sorrow, and all the nations of the world will witness and celebrate His righteousness and love.
Overall, "Joy to the World" is a beautiful hymn that reminds us of the joy that comes with the Lord's advent, the hope that He brings, and the ultimate plan of His reign.
Line by Line Meaning
Joy to the World, the Lord is come!
Let us rejoice as the Lord has arrived on this earth.
Let earth receive her King;
Let the earth welcome its King with open arms.
Let every heart prepare Him room,
Let every person make space in their hearts for the Lord.
And Heaven and nature sing,
Even the heavens and nature are joyously singing at the arrival of the Lord.
And Heaven and nature sing,
Even the heavens and nature are joyously singing at the arrival of the Lord.
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.
Even the heavens and nature are joyously singing at the arrival of the Lord.
Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let us rejoice as the Savior has come to rule over us.
Let men their songs employ;
Let everyone use their voices to sing praises to the Lord.
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
All of creation, including fields, floods, rocks, hills, and plains, are joining in with the singing.
Repeat the sounding joy,
Let the joyful sound of the song be repeated over and over again.
Repeat the sounding joy,
Let the joyful sound of the song be repeated over and over again.
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
Let the joyful sound of the song be repeated over and over again.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Let us make a conscious effort to prevent sins and sorrows from growing.
Nor thorns infest the ground;
May the land be free from thorns and anything that may cause harm.
He comes to make His blessings flow
The Lord has arrived to bestow His abundant blessings upon us.
Far as the curse is found,
His blessings will reach as far as the curse of sin and suffering exists.
Far as the curse is found,
His blessings will reach as far as the curse of sin and suffering exists.
Far as, far as, the curse is found.
His blessings will reach as far as the curse of sin and suffering exists.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
The Lord governs the entire world with truth and kindness.
And makes the nations prove
He causes the nations to experience and prove His righteousness.
The glories of His righteousness,
His righteousness is magnificent and magnificent are the works of His righteousness.
And wonders of His love,
The wonderful works of His love are beyond comprehension.
And wonders of His love,
The wonderful works of His love are beyond comprehension.
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
The wonderful works of His love are beyond comprehension.
Contributed by Jackson W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.