Between the release of her debut album My Paper Heart and its follow-up Hundred More Years, Battistelli married Christian band percussionist Matthew Goodwin and gave birth to her first child, Matthew Elijah. According to the Hundred More Years songfacts Battistelli chose to title her sophomore record after the track "Hundred More Years" because the tune's subject matter of a couple falling in love and having their first child mimiced her own life. Hundred More Years was released on March 1, 2011.
Francesca Battistelli is no stranger to the stage. Raised by parents immersed in the arts and Broadway, she developed a love of music, theatre, and performance at a young age. But instead of using these talents for applause and accolades, Francesca prefers to point people to something beyond herself --towards hope in Christ. Her soulful piano-pop sound resembles a blend of her music interests -- jazz, rock, gospel and R&B -- woven beautifully together with themes of trust and risk-taking. In a noisy world filled with sounds and images, we cry out for an authentic voice--one who is not afraid to speak truth and purpose to a generation. In singer/songwriter Francesca Battistelli, we have found that voice.
Where Were You
Francesca Battistelli Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It feels like I'm falling alone
Out on an Island, there's a voice on the beach
Watching your plane pass over me
How could You miss me?
With my hands in the air
I thought You were listening
Where were You?
When I had no one to turn to
Where were You?
When my worst fears were coming true
Where were You?
I thought you'd come to my rescue
Where were You?
One set of footprints, on the path I'd been on
But You say You've been here all along, oh
If you really loved me, like nobody else
Why was I walking through hell
How could You miss me?
With my hands in the air
I thought You were listening
Oh, I thought You'd be there!
Where were You?
When I had no one to turn to
Where were You?
When my worst fears were coming true
Where were You?
I thought You'd come to my rescue
When my prayers bounced off the ceiling
I was facing down my demons
When my legs gave up beneath me
And I fell into Your arms
Where were You?
When I had no one to turn to
You carried me through
On your shoulders, black and blue
I never knew
The footprints in the sand were You
Were You
One set of footprints, on a path I'd been on
Now I know they were Yours all along
In these lyrics, Francesca Battistelli reflects on a time when she felt alone and abandoned, questioning why God seemed distant during her struggles. She begins by describing her attempts to reach out to God, feeling like she is falling alone with nobody to support her. The image of being on an island with a voice on the beach metaphorically represents her longing for God's presence while watching life pass her by.
Battistelli expresses her confusion and disappointment, asking how God could have missed her pleas for help when she had her hands raised and believed He was listening. She expected Him to be there for her, showing her love and providing comfort, but she felt abandoned. This echoes the feeling of abandonment often experienced when God does not seem to intervene in difficult situations.
The following section shifts to a scene with only one set of footprints on the path she had been walking. This is a reference to the famous "Footprints in the Sand" poem, where a person laments that during their hardest times, they only see one set of footprints, mistakenly perceiving it as God abandoning them. However, Battistelli takes a different perspective and acknowledges that God had been with her all along, even during her darkest moments.
The bridge of the song portrays the struggles Battistelli faced, from prayers feeling unanswered to feeling broken and relying on God's arms for support. It highlights the emotional and physical toll of her experiences but also acknowledges the eventual realization that God had been carrying her throughout.
In the closing lines, Battistelli concludes that the one set of footprints she thought belonged to her were actually God's all along. This realization brings her a deeper understanding of God's constant presence and unwavering love, even when it may seem like He is absent.
Overall, "Where Were You" delves into the vulnerable questioning and search for meaning in times of hardship, ultimately finding solace in the recognition that God is always with us, even when it may not feel like it.
Line by Line Meaning
Calling and calling, nobody home
Trying to reach out for help and support, but finding no response or assistance
It feels like I'm falling alone
Experiencing a sense of isolation and descent into despair without anyone to lean on
Out on an Island, there's a voice on the beach
In a state of solitude, hearing a distant voice of potential guidance or comfort
Watching your plane pass over me
Witnessing someone else moving on and leaving behind their struggles, while feeling left behind
How could You miss me?
Expressing confusion and disappointment at feeling overlooked or ignored by a higher power
With my hands in the air
Seeking help and surrendering to a greater force
I thought You were listening
Believing that one's prayers and pleas were being heard and understood
I thought You'd be there!
Having expectations of divine presence and assistance in challenging times
Where were You?
Questioning the absence or perceived lack of support from a higher power
When I had no one to turn to
Feeling completely helpless and without anyone to rely on for guidance or comfort
When my worst fears were coming true
Experiencing the realization of fears and anxieties, while feeling abandoned by a higher power
I thought you'd come to my rescue
Expecting divine intervention and salvation from difficult circumstances
One set of footprints, on the path I'd been on
Noticing a single trail left behind, symbolizing the presence of a higher power during difficult times
But You say You've been here all along, oh
Discovering that the absence felt was not due to actual abandonment, but rather a different form of support or presence
If you really loved me, like nobody else
Questioning the depth and sincerity of the higher power's love and care in light of perceived abandonment
Why was I walking through hell
Pondering the reasons for enduring intense suffering and hardship without apparent divine intervention
When my prayers bounced off the ceiling
Describing the feeling of prayers going unanswered or being unheard
I was facing down my demons
Confronting inner struggles and personal challenges while feeling unsupported
When my legs gave up beneath me
Experiencing physical and emotional exhaustion, feeling unable to continue the journey alone
And I fell into Your arms
Finding solace and strength, finally recognizing the presence and support of a higher power
You carried me through
Realizing that the higher power has been providing guidance and assistance all along, even when it was not initially perceived
On your shoulders, black and blue
Understanding that the higher power has experienced pain and hardships alongside the individual, acting as a source of strength
I never knew
Not having previously recognized the constant presence and support of the higher power
The footprints in the sand were You
Discovering that the footprints left on the journey were not from personal struggle alone, but from the accompanying presence of a higher power
Were You
Acknowledging and affirming the existence and support of a higher power in one's life
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NOLAN SIPE, MICHAEL POLLACK, JACOB HAWKES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Itz Celisse
"Where Were You"
Calling and calling, nobody home
It feels like I'm falling alone
Out on an Island, there's a voice on the beach
Watching your plane pass over me
How could you miss me?
With my hands in the air
I thought you were listening
I thought you'd be there!
Where were you?
When I had no one to turn to
Where were you?
When my worst fears were coming true
Where were you?
I thought you'd come to my rescue
Where were you?
One set of footprints, on the path I'd been on
But you say you've been here all along, oh
If you really loved me, like nobody else
Why was I walking through hell
How could you miss me?
With my hands in the air
I thought you were listening
Oh, I thought you'd be there!
Where were you?
When I had no one to turn to
Where were you?
When my worst fears were coming true
Where were you?
I thought you'd come to my rescue
When my prayers bounced off the ceiling
I was facing down my demons
When my legs gave up beneath me
And I fell into your arms
Where were you?
When I had no one to turn to
You carried me through
On your shoulders, black and blue
I never knew
The footprints in the sand were you
Were you
One set of footprints, on a path I'd been on
Now I know they were yours all along
Tonya Threadgill
I felt this way years ago. But God has shown me that he has always been there no matter where I was or am. He loves us all! He's always with us!
Evangelist oluwaseun Akinyele
This song talks about those times we have problems and how we deal with those prob
lems as we ask where God was.I love it!
Annabelle Frederick
God is with us even when it doesn't feel like it
JzVibez 2020
Ikr l, love him no matter what also bless Jesus
JzVibez 2020
His birthday is Christmas
J.M. Irving Books π
This song touches my heart in a way only that God can! π₯²π₯²π₯²ππ½ππ½ππ½π
Carmen Ortiz
"one set of footprints on the path id been on... now i know they were yours all along"
WOW!!!!
ππππ
Zdenka Pop
KrΓ‘snΓ½ harmonie ΔistΓ½ hlas pΔknΓ© pΓsniΔky moc hezkΓ©.
Vannessa Saccoman
"You carried me through..
On Your shoulders, black & blue." β€ Best part!
Γdna Telles
Vannessa Saccoman Γ³timo