The band was formed by Marc Martel and Jason Germain who were roommates at Briercrest Bible College in Caronport, Saskatchewan. Martel and Germain added fellow Canadians Jeremy Thiessen and Tyson Manning, along with American Corey Doak in 1999, and released an eponymous debut album independently on Slyngshot Records. Tyson and Doak left the band, and later on Downhere signed with Word Records. In February 2001, they moved to Nashville, Tennessee. The band soon added bassist Glenn Lavender, whom they had met two years earlier, after his band broke up. Downhere's independent album was reissued with the inclusion of bassist Lavender, and released in 2001 as their international debut, downhere.
Their second album, also released through Word Records was entitled So Much For Substitutes. In 2006 they were signed to Centricity Records and released Wide-Eyed and Mystified which led to the 2007 Juno Award for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year, and Covenant Awards for Rock Album of the Year and Recorded Song of the Year ("A Better Way").
In 2007, the band released two additional CDs that were unique. In early 2007, they released Wide-Eyed and Simplified, which contained new versions of 8 songs from Wide-Eyed and Mystified, in addition to three popular songs from earlier releases. Later in 2007, the band released Thunder After Lightning (The Uncut Demos). This album contained 15 previously unreleased demos which were considered for use on Wide-Eyed and Mystified but were not used. The CD also contained demo versions of two songs which were used on Wide-Eyed and Mystified. In April 2007, Downhere released Thank You for Coming (The Live Bootlegs), a six-song collection of live songs recorded in 2007 while on tour with Jason Gray & Lanae Hale.
Their next album, Ending Is Beginning, was released on September 23, 2008. The band released the songs for a few days and gave fans the chance to give input on which songs they should put on the album, and as a pre-release to Ending Is Beginning in June 2008 they gave away the whole album Wide-Eyed and Mystified as a free download.
In October 2009, they released How Many Kings: Songs for Christmas, a collection of Christmas songs. This included "How Many Kings", which was a bonus track on Ending Is Beginning. Between the release of Ending Is Beginning and On the Altar of Love, Downhere released Two at a Time: Sneak Peeks & B-Sides, a collection of older songs compiled over their career, as well as two new songs: "You're Not Alone" and "The Song You Sing". "You're Not Alone" was released as a single in May 2010.
In May 2011, the first single,"Let Me Rediscover You", from their upcoming album On the Altar of Love was released. The album itself was released August 23, 2011.
Here I Am
Downhere Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sometimes it comes in the Spirit's breeze, yea
You reach for the deepest hope in me
And call out for the things of eternity
But I'm a man, of dust and stains
You're moving me, so I can say
All of my life, I make an offering
Here I am, Lord send me
Somehow my story is a part of your plan
Here I am
Set backs and failures, and upset plans
Test my faith and leave me with empty hands
Are You not the closest, when it's hardest to stand?
I know that You will finish what You began
And these broken parts, You redeemed
Become the song, that I can sing
Here I am, Lord send me
All of my life, I make an offering
Here I am, Lord send me
Somehow my story is a part of your plan
Here I am
Overwhelmed by the thought of my weakness
And the fear that I'll fail You, in the end
Oh, in this mess, I'm just one of the pieces
I can't put this together, but You can
Here I am, Lord send me
I wanna live my life as an offering
Here I am, Lord send me
Somehow my story, is part of Your plan
So here I am
Here I am, all my life an offering to You,
To You
Somehow my story is a part of your plan
Here I am
The lyrics to Downhere's song "Here I Am" are a powerful and heartfelt expression of surrender and devotion to God's call. The song acknowledges that sometimes God's calling comes in unexpected ways, such as through dreams or the Spirit's breeze, and that it often asks us to reach for the deepest hopes within ourselves and aspire towards eternal things. Despite our human weaknesses and faults, we are called to stand up and make ourselves available to God's will, trusting that He will help us through even the most challenging times.
The song recognizes that setbacks and failures are a part of life and can test our faith, but even during these difficult moments, God is present and working to bring about His plan for us. The broken and redeemed parts of our lives can become a beautiful song of praise, and even in the face of our own weakness and fear, we can trust that God will bring about the fulfillment of His purposes.
Overall, "Here I Am" is a powerful reminder of the transformative power of surrendering to God's Call and following where He leads, even in the midst of uncertainty and doubt. It is a call to trust in God's plan for our lives and offer ourselves as living sacrifices in service to Him.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes Your calling, comes in dream
Your calling can come in unexpected ways, like a dream
Sometimes it comes in the Spirit's breeze, yea
Sometimes Your calling can come in subtle, gentle ways like the Spirit's breeze
You reach for the deepest hope in me, And call out for the things of eternity
You see the best in me and call me to focus on eternal things
But I'm a man, of dust and stains, You're moving me, so I can say
I am imperfect, but through Your guidance, I can become better
Here I am, Lord send me
I am ready and willing to be used by You
All of my life, I make an offering
My entire life is devoted to serving You
Set backs and failures, and upset plans
Challenges, failures, and unexpected changes can test my faith
Test my faith and leave me with empty hands
These setbacks can leave me feeling helpless and vulnerable
Are You not the closest, when it's hardest to stand?
You are there with me in my darkest moments
I know that You will finish what You began
I trust that You will complete what You started in me
And these broken parts, You redeemed
Despite my flaws, You have saved me and made me whole
Become the song, that I can sing
My redemption story is something I can share and sing about
Overwhelmed by the thought of my weakness
I can feel discouraged by my limitations
And the fear that I'll fail You, in the end
I am worried that I won't live up to Your expectations
Oh, in this mess, I'm just one of the pieces
In the midst of all the chaos and uncertainty, I am one part of a larger plan
I can't put this together, but You can
I cannot figure out how everything fits together, but I trust that You have a plan
I wanna live my life as an offering
I want every aspect of my life to be dedicated to You
Here I am, all my life an offering to You
I am fully committed to living my life for You
Somehow my story is a part of your plan
My life experiences are part of a greater purpose that You have designed
Here I am
I am ready to answer Your call and serve You
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Capitol CMG Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Al Green, Mabon Hodges
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dayan Carrillo
I can't get tired of listening to this song,praise the lord!!
Juan Samarron
A great song !
Faith SVL
Me too.❤
Lauren's Hairtyles And Tutorials
Me neither! ❤️
Mary Jane Obinguar
the time that i hear it i always remember the Goodness of God He done for me!!
jmashack1
Somehow my story is a part of your plan. I look over my life, at all the dark times I have had and remember these words, "Somehow my story is a part of your plan". Thank You GOD I have no regrets.
Jennifer Nsenkyire
I love this song!
Mfon Essien
The song and the lyrics are Iconic !
Jasmine Threatt
I love this song!!!
Viny Ru
Que hermosa letra... Bendiciones!