The group recorded its first release for the label, Livonia, in Defever's home studio. The album features Oliver's shivery vocals along with tape loops, samples, and guitar blasts, for a noise-damaged, ethereal collection of songs about ghosts, reincarnation, and dreams. By 1992's Home Is in Your Head, the band's lineup and scope expanded. New singers Denise James, Karen Neal, Melissa Elliott, and guitarist Jymn Auge added depth and breadth to the band's original lineup. An epic 23 songs long, Home Is in Your Head ranges from folky ballads to electrifying guitar maelstroms and tape collages. That year also saw the release of The Dirt Eaters EP, named for Defever's other, more rock-oriented group, of which Elliot was also a member. In 1993, His Name Is Alive released two albums: King of Sweet, a limited-edition release that mixed tape effects, samples, demos, and unreleased songs, and Mouth by Mouth, which added more pop structure into the group's inherently experimental and dreamy sound, resulting in its most accessible and diverse album to that date. A new drummer, Trey Many, took over Lang's duties.
As Defever's reputation as an innovative producer spread, he lent his skills to bands like Grenadine, a side project of Tsunami's Jenny Toomey and Unrest's Mark Robinson, other 4AD acts like Liquorice (which featured Toomey, Dan Littleton from Ida, and His Name Is Alive's Many) and Tarnation, and other Detroit-area bands like Godzuki and Outrageous Cherry. Defever also worked on other projects, including the folky ESP Summer (with former Pale Saint Ian Masters) and the electronic Robot World and Control Panel, and founded the Time Stereo art collective with a childhood friend, artist/musician Davin Brainard. Some of Time Stereo's projects included films, coloring books, and cassette-only releases from bands like Princess Dragon Mom, the Crash, Godzuki, New Grape, and Noise Camp.
Defever's diverse interests influenced His Name Is Alive's next release, 1996's Stars on ESP. Very little of the group's original ethereal sound remained, augmented instead with touches of dub, folk, gospel, and early- to mid-'60s pop like the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. At the time of the album's release, Defever claimed that he was so fascinated by the group's "Good Vibrations" that he listened to it for months at a time. The following year's Nice Day EP reached to garage rock and '60s R&B for its inspiration, and featured some of the gospel singers from Stars on ESP, including Lovetta Pippen, whose singing also gave His Name Is Alive's 1998 LP, Fort Lake, an earthy sensuality. Fort Lake also marked the first time the band worked with another producer, recording engineer Steve King. King, another Livonia native, had also worked with Funkadelic and Aretha Franklin, and his touch meshes nicely with the funk, soul, and classic rock allusions His Name Is Alive makes on the album. In preparation for recording Fort Lake -- named after a waterlogged Civil War fort in Michigan -- the group played monthly shows at the Gold Dollar, a tiny Detroit club. At this time, Pippen, bassist Chad Gilchrist, and additional drummer Scott Goldstein debuted as part of the new lineup.
In 1999, His Name Is Alive released a U.S. compilation of tracks from their first five albums called Always Stay Sweet; at the time, those albums were only available as British imports. Like the rest of the band's work, the compilation highlights their mercurial, unique nature. Someday My Blues Will Cover the Earth appeared two years later. Released in 2002, the darkly soulful Last Night ended up being the group's final album for 4AD, but His Name Is Alive found other outlets for their music, and were actually busier than ever. Time Stereo released several CDs, such as 2004's ten-disc Cloud Box set, Leaf Club, Brown Rice, and The Detroit River, as well as many MP3-only works, including the Summer Bird and Something_Nothing EPs and a remastered version of King of Sweet. UFO Catcher was released in 2005 on CD by the German label En/Of and on vinyl by Time Stereo, while Ypsilanti Records issued the full-length Summer Bird that spring. Late in 2005, His Name Is Alive released the Raindrops Rainbow EP via iTunes as a teaser for Detrola, their debut for Reincarnate, also the home of fellow former 4AD artist Lisa Germano and Sing-Sing, the project of former Lush member Emma Anderson.
Lord
His Name Is Alive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The spirit when I pray
Every time I feel
My whole hearts desire
Every time I feel
The spirit when I pray
Oh my soul
He sends down a fire
Lord, make me a channel of your peace
Lord, make me a channel of your peace
Lord, make me a channel of your peace
Lord, make me a channel of your peace
Lord, make me a channel of your peace
Lord, make me a channel of your peace
The lyrics of "Lord Make Me a Channel of Your Peace" by His Name Is Alive convey a message of surrender and submission to God's will. The singer acknowledges the presence of the Holy Spirit every time they approach God in prayer. They feel a deep longing in their heart, which they believe is their soul's desire for the divine presence. When the singer prays, they request that God make them a "channel of your peace," meaning that they want to be an instrument of God's love, compassion, and healing in the world. They want to be a conduit through which God's grace flows to others. The final line, "He sends down a fire," can be interpreted as a reference to the Holy Spirit's transformative power.
In essence, the song is a prayer for spiritual transformation, asking for the strength and guidance to be selfless and to serve others to the best of one's ability. The theme of service and selflessness is also reflected in the title, which echoes the famous prayer attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi, "Lord, make me an instrument of your peace." The singer is seeking to emulate Saint Francis by being a vessel of God's love in a troubled world.
Line by Line Meaning
Everytime I feel the spirit
Whenever I sense the presence of the divine force surrounding me
When I pray
During my moments of deep contemplation and communion with the divine
Everytime I feel my hearts desire
Whenever I feel a fervent longing in my heart
When I pray
During my moments of deep contemplation and communion with the divine
O my soul
Oh, the very essence of my being
He sends down a fire
The divine force sends down a powerful energy that ignites my soul and inspires me
Make me a channel of your peace
Grant me the ability to convey your message of peace and love to others
Lyrics © WARREN M. DEFEVER D/B/A PERFORATE MY HEART MUSIC
Written by: HIS NAME IS ALIVE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind