The album opens with the upbeat mantra “YRM (Your Righteous Mind)” that features Dorinda Clark Cole of the legendary Clark Sisters. Throughout the set, the songs speak to the heart of mankind and address life’s everyday challenges. Lawrence put his touch on popular songs such as gospel pioneer Walter Hawkins’ “When the Battle Is Over” and Chaka Khan’s “Through the Fire” and assumes the role of teacher on new compositions such as “Second Wind;” “We Agree,” which features gold-selling praise and worship artist Israel Houghton; “The I Am Factor;” and “Spiritual” – an open prayer to become a spiritually minded person.
Lawrence learned his spiritual principles from an aunt who raised him in Gastonia, NC – not far from Charlotte. A fan of the music of Walter Hawkins and Thomas Whitfield, Lawrence taught himself to play the piano by the age of fifteen and put himself through the prestigious Cincinnati Conservatory of Music as a musical theater major. He and his Professor, Worth Gardner, wrote the 1986 musical revue, “Sing Hallelujah!” that played across the country - including an off Broadway stint at the Village Gate that earned praise from The New York Times. Lawrence eventually returned to North Carolina and joined the music staff of Jim & Tammy Baker’s PTL Club television program. However, word soon spread about his talent and Lawrence was recruited as a vocal coach for En Vogue and, in the early nineties, became music director for R&B star Stephanie Mills.
Mills’ manager signed Lawrence’s urban inspirational group, Company, to Giant Records and they released the Devotion CD in 1993. During that same period, Lawrence had been feeding his songs to the Tri-City Singers (comprised of singers from the Carolina cities of Charlotte, Gastonia and Spartanburg) through his pal Richard Odom, who was a member of Company and also of the choir. The choir’s members enjoyed the songs so much that Lawrence was eventually asked to shepherd the group. Their debut CD, A Songwriter’s Point of View was released on Gospcentric Records. Fueled by cameo performances from R&B crooner Peabo Bryson and Stephanie Mills, the album peaked at #2 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart.
With the success of the CD, the choir’s national career was launched and as its mastermind, Donald Lawrence was in the spotlight. Adorned in Afro-centric garb, the choir stood out among gospel choirs visually, and Lawrence’s unique blend of Hip Hop and other dynamic rhythms made their gospel music equally inimitable. Over the next dozen years, Lawrence took the choir to new heights with signatures hits such as “When Sunday Comes;” “Message To The Saints;” “Never Seen The Righteous,” and “The Best Is Yet To Come.” Lawrence retired the group at the zenith of its popularity in 2006 with a sold-out cross-country concert tour and a smash hit Finale CD/DVD project that featured the two biggest hits of the choir’s existence - “Encourage Yourself” and “The Blessing of Abraham.”
As Lawrence’s stature as a producer increased, requests poured in for him to collaborate with artists as diverse as Mary J. Blige; jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis; Hezekiah Walker & the Love Fellowship Choir (cutting his #1 smash “Souled Out”) and the legendary Clark Sisters on their Grammy Award winning comeback CD, Live: One Last Time. However, he also set time aside to carve out a career as a solo artist with backing by his group, Co. His 2004 solo CD debut I Speak Life featured the radio hits “You Covered Me” and the rousing anthem, “Healed.”
Since 2001, Lawrence has lived in Chicago, IL where he ventured to in pursuit of a master’s degree at Columbia College. The fine arts institution ended up offering him a faculty position where he has intermittently instructed students on the business of music. He visited the Living Word Christian Center where he fell in love with Pastor Bill Winston’s common sense teachings. That wisdom inspired Lawrence’s second solo CD, The Law of Confession Part 1, which was released in 2009. “A law is simply a principle, based on the predictable consequence of an act,” Lawrence said at the time. “Confession in the Greek language is homo-logeo which means to say what has been said. There is a spiritual law for confession: you just say what God has already said...`Speak The Word.’” Evangelists all over the country preached sermons based on the musical messages found in the CD. The initial radio single “Back II Eden” shot to #1 on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs chart and paved the way for follow-up singles “Let The Word Do The Work” and “There Is A King In You.”
The music industry has taken note of Lawrence’s majestic career and Verizon Wireless tapped him as its spokesman for its How Sweet The Sound (HSTS) national gospel choir talent competition in 2007. He has served as the face of the promotion in national television commercials, print advertising and as emcee of the actual events ever since. He also spent a year as musical mentor for BET’s “Sunday Best” television talent competition. It’s all a part of Lawrence’s future goals of expanding his career into television, film and more musical theatre.
In the meantime, he’s ready to unveil the YRM (Your Righteous Mind) CD, which is a continuum of what he’s been preaching through music for years. “This project really doesn't differ from my past ones,” he says. “I want to continue to teach, through song, spiritual principles and laws based on scriptures.”
Second Wind
Donald Lawrence & Company Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
People of faith, we know God will do just what he says.
But being honest with ourselves sometimes we struggle with ourselves,
Delay has caused us to question our faith.
I am a person a person of faith,
I know God will do just what he said.
But being honest with myself,
Sometimes I struggle with myself.
But I heard God speaking so and he wants me to let you know
You will be as strong now as were then.
Your gift will be as relevant now as was then (when I anointed you) I blew breath in you before,
And I can do it again I AM God and I give second wind (you can breath again)
Your life is not over,
You're just beginning to live.
Your latter will be greater than your past.
Everything that I promised you I am going to do.
I AM active,
Watching over my word,
I watch over my word.
Breath Again
Breath Again Breath Again Oh, oh, oh, oh Breath again,
Breath Again I command you to breath again.
Sing again
Smile Again
Live Again
I blew breath in you before and I can do it again.
I AM God and I give you second wind.
The lyrics of Donald Lawrence & Co.'s 'Second Wind' are a call to renewed faith in God, a reminder that being a person of faith does not mean we are always free of struggle. Despite knowing that God always keeps His promises, delays in their fulfillment can cause us to question our faith. The central theme of the song is the idea of second wind, the hope that God will give us strength and breathe new life into us even when we feel weak and worn out. The song highlights the idea that our past is not a predictor of our future, and that our faith can bring about new beginnings and new opportunities beyond what we can imagine.
The lyrics of this song convey a message of hope, addressing the struggles that people of faith may face, and the doubts and fears that can arise when we feel like our hopes and aspirations are slipping away. However, the song encourages us to trust in God's power and promises, assuring us that we are not alone and that God is always looking out for us. The idea of second wind is a powerful metaphor, highlighting the transformative power of faith and the potential for new beginnings even in the midst of challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
We are people,
We are human beings who belong to a community of faith.
People of faith, we know God will do just what he says.
We believe in God and trust that he will fulfill his promises.
But being honest with ourselves sometimes we struggle with ourselves,
However, we admit that we often have internal conflicts and doubts.
Delay has caused us to question our faith.
When things don't happen as quickly as we want, we may start to doubt our faith.
I am a person a person of faith,
I, like others in this faith community, believe in God.
I know God will do just what he said.
I trust that God will keep his promises.
But being honest with myself,
However, I must acknowledge my own struggles and doubts.
Sometimes I struggle with myself.
I sometimes have internal conflicts or doubts.
Where did the time go, is it slipping away?
I wonder how quickly time is passing and if I'm making the most of it.
But I heard God speaking so and he wants me to let you know
However, I've received a message from God and I want to share it with you.
You will be as strong now as were then.
You will regain your strength and vitality as you once had.
Your gift will be as relevant now as was then (when I anointed you) I blew breath in you before,
The talent or skill that you possess will still be useful and relevant, just like when you first received it from God.
And I can do it again I AM God and I give second wind (you can breath again)
God has the power to give you renewed strength and vitality, as if you are breathing fresh air for the first time.
Your life is not over,
You still have many years ahead of you.
You're just beginning to live.
You have many more experiences and opportunities ahead of you.
Your latter will be greater than your past.
Your future will be better than your past, with more success and fulfillment.
Everything that I promised you I am going to do.
God will fulfill all of his promises to you.
I AM active,
God is constantly working and involved in our lives.
Watching over my word,
God is ensuring that his promises and instructions are fulfilled.
I watch over my word.
God is making sure that his words are fulfilled.
Breath Again Breath Again Oh, oh, oh, oh Breath again,
Take a deep breath and feel renewed, refreshed, and revitalized.
I command you to breath again.
God is commanding his followers to take a deep breath and feel revitalized.
Sing again
Sing with joy and happiness, knowing that God is always watching over us.
Smile Again
Find happiness and contentment in life, even during difficult times.
Live Again
Embrace life with joy, hope, and faith, knowing that God is always with us.
I blew breath in you before and I can do it again.
I AM God and I give you second wind.
God has the power to give us renewed strength and vitality, like he originally gave us the breath of life, and this is what he wants for all of us.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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