1 - The band ma… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least three bands using the name "Glad"
1 - The band making the most longstanding use of the name is a contemporary Christian band (and often, a cappella ensemble) formed in 1972 on the campus of West Chester State University of Pennsylvania when singer Ed Nalle auditioned for a new Christian band. Nalle would write and produce much of GLAD's early material in addition to his role as lead vocalist. The other members (from Temple University in Philadelphia) were Bob Kauflin (keyboards, vocals), T. Coble (bass, vocals), John Bolles (guitar, vocals), and Brad Curry (drums). The group's name was chosen from a poll taken at a shopping mall. Playing over 200 dates annually at college campuses, churches and concert halls throughout the United States, GLAD released their first two albums on Myrrh Records in 1978 and 1980.
"The Reason" (on Beyond a Star) was their first a cappella song, which they subsequently re-recorded for their 1988 watershed album, The Acapella Project. That album was released with some trepidation because there was no track record in the genre for the Christian market, but it proved tremendously popular (selling over 400,000 copies), and received a Dove Award nomination and a Billboard Critic's Choice Award. Since that time, GLAD has alternated band and a cappella recordings and increased their admirers, evidenced by new groups that are obviously influenced by the group's elaborate, multilayered sound.
GLAD ventured into the mainstream with their 1995 release, A Cappella Gershwin (featuring some arrangements by the legendary Gene Puerling), which set the a cappella world buzzing and helped introduce their music to a wider audience.
GLAD's current lineup includes Nalle and longtime members Chris Davis (a musician with a strong background in classical and electric guitar, plus session work in the Northwest) and John Gates (an experienced studio percussionist who backed Gladys Knight & the Pips, Frankie and the Knockouts, and others), plus alternating keyboardists Paul Langford and Don Pardoe. Kauflin and Don Hart are the group's primary a cappella arrangers. Recently, the group has released recordings inspired by the writings of John Piper and the worship music of Sovereign Grace Ministries (formerly PDI).
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2 - The second band calling itself Glad is Timothy B. Schmit's band, who made one album in 1968 before he left to join Poco and become a leading figure in the development and evolution of Country Rock.
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3 - Third, Glad is also the name of a little-known UK indie band. Formed in Oxford in 1988, the band that was to become Glad changed their name more often than their underwear. Settling on Smitty’s Chopper for their first gig, the band’s original line-up was Mark Jordan (bass & vocals), Tony Greenham (guitar), Jon Williams (guitar), Will Crerar (drums) and John Tabinor (vocals). Jordan soon took over as main vocalist with Tabinor opting to leave rather than become an embarrassing appendage. The band’s name gradually morphed into Paisley Nightmare and Angus-Boyd Heron was recruited on bass, leaving Jordan free to focus on his frontman persona. After a final, Madchester-inspired name change to Glad and a personnel change in the drumming department, the band split in 1992.
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God So Loved the World
Glad Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Love was all there was to know
Pure, innocent, and free
Like we were meant to be
Long ago
Afraid we followed after love
And pain filled the Father's eyes
What He planned to do
To bring us home
God so loved the world He gave His only son
Faced the death that we deserved and overcome
And everyone that hears His word and believes the
promise that he's heard will never die (will never die)
Hope like an unexpected friend
Came to the helpless and condemned
And peace was oft at far and near
To answer every fear in our hearts
Grace only God could understand
Flowed freely from His hands
And when the perfect Lamb was slain
Bear the guilt and shame of us all
God so loved the world He gave His only son
Faced the death that we deserved and overcome
And everyone that hears His word and believes the
promise that he's heard will never die (will never die)
Through His death our forgiveness was obtained
And Heaven pinned me claimed once again
Through His life He's crushed the power of sin
That we can reign with Him forever more
God so loved the world
God so loved the world
God so loved the world
God so loved the world
God so loved the world He gave His only son
Faced the death that we deserved and overcome
And everyone that hears His word and believes the
promise that he's heard will never die (will never die)
God so loved the world
God so loved the world
God so loved the world
God so loved the world
The lyrics of Glad's song God So Loved the World are a reverent homage to the powers of love and sacrifice. The song speaks of a divine love that transcends time and space, a love that was present before the creation of the world and that will continue to exist long after it is gone. The opening lines of the song - 'Him the God of all the glory; Love was all there was to know' - convey the idea that love is the essence of all that is noble and good. The singer is describing a god who is defined by love: a god who embodies all the virtues of compassion, mercy, and sacrifice that we associate with love.
The song goes on to speak of the sacrifice that this god made for the sake of humanity. The singer says that 'from the first He knew what He planned to do' - this is a reference to the fact that god knew that he would have to send his only son to die for the sins of humanity. The line 'Love was all there was to know' takes on a new meaning here: it speaks of the idea that love was the only motivation for this sacrifice. The singer goes on to say that 'God so loved the world He gave His only son', encapsulating the idea that love is a force so powerful that it can compel someone to make the ultimate sacrifice. The imagery of 'faced the death that we deserved and overcome' speaks of the triumph of love over death: even though the son dies, love ultimately prevails.
The rest of the song continues in this vein, describing the hope, peace, and grace that this divine love brings to the world. The idea that forgiveness and redemption can be gained through this love is expressed beautifully through the lyrics 'Through His death our forgiveness was obtained; And Heaven pinned me claimed once again'. The song ends with a repetition of the phrase 'God so loved the world', which serves to reinforce the central message of the song: that love is the most powerful force in the universe, and that it has the power to redeem us all.
Line by Line Meaning
Him the God of all the glory
He is the God of all honor and majesty
Love was all there was to know
Love was the essence of His being
Pure, innocent, and free
God is pure, innocent, and free from sin
Like we were meant to be
We were originally created to be like Him
Long ago
Before sin entered the world
Afraid we followed after love
We were afraid, but we pursued love anyway
And pain filled the Father's eyes
God experienced the pain of seeing our sin and separation from Him
And ohhhh from the first He knew
God knew from the beginning what He would have to do to save us
What He planned to do
He planned to give His only Son to die for our sins
To bring us home
To bring us back into a close relationship with Him
God so loved the world He gave His only son
God loved us so much that He gave His one and only Son
Faced the death that we deserved and overcome
Jesus faced the punishment of death that we deserved and overcame it through His resurrection
And everyone that hears His word and believes the promise that he's heard will never die (will never die)
Anyone who believes in Jesus and His promise of eternal life will never die spiritually
Hope like an unexpected friend
Hope came to us when we were hopeless, like an unexpected friend
Came to the helpless and condemned
Hope came to those who were helpless and condemned because of their sin
And peace was oft at far and near
Peace was something we longed for, but seemed far away
To answer every fear in our hearts
But the peace that came through Jesus answered every fear in our hearts
Grace only God could understand
God's grace is beyond what we can comprehend
Flowed freely from His hands
God's grace is freely given to us
And when the perfect Lamb was slain
Jesus, the perfect sacrifice, was killed for our sins
Bear the guilt and shame of us all
He took on the guilt and shame of our sins so that we wouldn't have to
Through His death our forgiveness was obtained
We are forgiven because of Jesus' death
And Heaven pinned me claimed once again
Through Jesus, we are welcomed into heaven again
Through His life He's crushed the power of sin
Jesus' life showed us how to overcome sin's power in our lives
That we can reign with Him forever more
We can have eternal life and a close relationship with Jesus
God so loved the world
God's love is for everyone
God so loved the world
God's love is for every person in the world
God so loved the world
God's love for the world is immeasurable
God so loved the world
God's love is for every nation, tribe and tongue
Writer(s): John Stainer
Contributed by Keira R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
John-Marylou Wells
on There Is Hope
2nd stanza, 2nd line should read " And lives shared for years fall apart"
Dan Roman
on The Reason
Wrong lyrics!