Volz showed great skills in singing from a very early age. Being a self-taught musician, when he was 13 years old, he started his own band called The Wombats. As he grew up, he went on to share the stage with the likes of Janis Joplin, Chicago and others. In 1970 he became a born-again Christian and started performing with several Christian bands. He formed a band called Gideon's Bible, and later toured with a group known simply as the e Band, which was a part of the Jesus Movement. They released an album titled Because I Am in 1973 but broke up shortly after. Volz then moved to Springfield, Missouri, where he worked with legendary guitarist Phil Keaggy. He also performed the lead role in a rock stage musical called Ezekiel.
In 1976, Volz received two of the most important calls of his life. First, he was offered the lead singer position of REO Speedwagon. Volz, being a recently converted Christian, declined. Six weeks later, he got the call to participate in Petra's second album, Come and Join Us. Although at that time he participated as a guest singer in just three songs, founder/guitarist Bob Hartman (who, at that time, was sharing the lead-singing duties with co-founder/guitarist Greg Hough) offered Volz the full-time position.
His first full-time album with the band, Washes Whiter Than, came in 1979 and therein came one of the most prolific periods of the legendary band. Volz remained the lead singer until 1985 when he left to pursue a solo career. Volz released his first solo effort, titled The River is Rising in 1986 under Myrrh Records. He followed it with three other moderately successful albums. During this time, he also toured with Joe English in a band called Pieces of Eight. Volz' tours drew in the 1,000 to 1,500 range during this time - a very respectable number for a Contemporary Christian artist, but no where near the level he experienced at the end of his tenure with Petra.
In the mid-90's, Volz decided to retire for some time. Apparently, during this time he was dealing with the divorce from his long-time wife, Becky. He resurfaced in 1998 with a string of new albums released from that year on.
In October 4, 2005 he re-joined Petra for the live recording of their last DVD, Petra Farewell. He joined the stage with current singer John Schlitt for a medley of ballads, and he followed it with a solo rendition of "Grave Robber", which was one of his hits with the band.
During his career, Volz has also lent his voice to numerous projects in the Christian music scene.
Dream On
Greg X. Volz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All these lines on my face gettin' clearer
The past is gone,
It went by like dust to dawn
Isn't that the way?
Everybody's got their dues in life to pay
Half my life's in books' written pages,
You know it's true,
All these things
Come back to you.
Well I know nobody knows
Where it comes and where it goes
I know it's everybody's sin,
You got to lose to know how to win.
Sing with me,
Sing for the year,
Sing for the laughter n' sing for the tear.
Sing with me just for today,
Never tomorrow cause the good lord will take you away, take you away
Every time that I look in the mirror
Dream on, dream on, dream on,
Dream yourself a dream come true.
Dream on, dream on, dream on,
And dream until your dream comes true.
Dream on, dream on, dream on, dream on,
Dream on, dream on, dream on, ah. ah.
Sing with me,
Sing for the year,
Sing for the laughter n' sing for the tear.
Sing with me just for today,
Never tomorrow cause the good lord will take you away, take you away.
In the song "Dream On" by Greg X. Volz, the lyrics speak of reflection and introspection as the singer looks in the mirror and sees the lines on his face getting clearer as time passes. The past is gone, and everyone has their own journey in life to take with their taxes to pay. Half his life is documented in books he's read and learned from, and the rest of the lessons were learned from encounters he has had with numerous people, some wise and others not. As he sings, "everyone's got their dues in life to pay," meaning that everyone has a story to tell and everyone goes through life's trials and tribulations, some of which are universal.
The song then states that nobody knows where their journey in life will take them or how it will end as life is unpredictable. Everyone has their fair share of sins, but they can overcome them and learn from their past mistakes. He urges everyone to sing with him, for the year, and for the laughter and sadness that come with it. He urges everyone to sing just for now because tomorrow may never come. The chorus says to dream until your dreams come true, and to keep dreaming and aspiring because it is only then that you can truly achieve your goals and lead a happy life.
Line by Line Meaning
Every time that I look in the mirror
Reflecting on myself and my life
All these lines on my face gettin' clearer
My life experiences are leaving their mark
The past is gone,
I can't change what has already happened
It went by like dust to dawn
Time flies by quickly
Isn't that the way?
That's just how life is
Everybody's got their dues in life to pay
We all have to face the consequences of our actions
Half my life's in books' written pages,
I've spent a lot of time reading and learning
Lived and learned from fools and from sages.
I've gained wisdom from both foolish and wise people
You know it's true,
It's a fact
All these things
Life experiences
Come back to you.
Have an impact on you
Well I know nobody knows
No one has all the answers
Where it comes and where it goes
Life is unpredictable and mysterious
I know it's everybody's sin,
Mistakes are a universal part of life
You got to lose to know how to win.
Failure teaches us how to succeed
Sing with me,
Join me in this experience
Sing for the year,
Celebrate life
Sing for the laughter n' sing for the tear.
Embrace both joy and sorrow
Sing with me just for today,
Live in the moment
Never tomorrow cause the good lord will take you away, take you away
Don't wait to live your life, because you never know when it will end
Dream on, dream on, dream on,
Keep dreaming
Dream yourself a dream come true.
Believe in your dreams
And dream until your dream comes true.
Never give up on your dreams
Dream on, dream on, dream on, dream on,
Keep dreaming
Dream on, dream on, dream on, ah. ah.
Hold onto your dreams
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MOYA BRENNAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@wesholden9988
I know we have to becareful to not put people on a pedestal...but this dude was EASILY one of the best rock singers out of any secular singing guy and everybody else in between... this guy just " Had it"
@robertbutler7547
I love it already. I was 14 when I heard of Petra. The rest is history 😃
@robertbutler7547
He's still got that beautiful badass voice 🤩
@benhardy5088
Greg can hit those notes without even thinking about it. True talent.
@red---paulvanravenswaay2247
Amen
@John-rw2zf
We all love you Greg. Thank you for being there for us.
@JMarkJones
Greg is one of maybe five guys on the planet who can really pull of Dream On. I saw him do it live with his band Pieces of Eight at Atlanta Fest 1988 and it was nothing short of amazing. It basically put the whole crowd on their knees.
@rebelmetal4233
Unlimited range...I played bass on one of his solo projects in the early 90's...great singer and a great guy.
@jonathancastro3106
Amazing cover. This should have millions of views and likes, a hidden treasure indeed, we are lucky.
@infernl
The best lead man for Petra ever. Petra, my favorite rock band of all time. Nothing brings to mind my conviction like the lyrics of Petra songs!