On another continent, some 9000 miles from the United States, is a corner of the earth where there is no Internet, no electricity, no telephone. From wherever you stand, you see red dirt and sky, well-adapted wildlife, rock piles next to dirt roads that seem to go on and on forever. Desolate but not empty, the Australian outback offers people the chance to revel in the open space and solitary oneness this striking terrain provides. Had you traveled that same path years ago, you may have passed Jennifer Knapp along the way, a Grammy nominated, Dove Award winning artist, who was happy to let go of all the success she had to live a very different kind of life traveling to the most remote corners of Australia, looking to reclaim a part of herself she felt she lost in all the excitement of her accomplishments.
And then one day she decided to come back.
Before you start with any Eddie and the Cruisers comparisons, please note that Jennifer didn’t fake her own demise. She just decided to take a break, though at the time, she wasn’t sure she’d ever return. Considering Jennifer has over sold over 1 million records, spent years successfully playing to sold out audiences and had a considerable fan base, the choice wasn’t an easy one but definitely necessary. “I didn’t play, I didn’t write, my guitars collected dust for 5 years. I completely had to divorce myself from the whole thing because I never really took ownership of what music meant for me as an individual. I needed to figure that out, so I really left the music business with the idea that I may not ever do it again.”
At first, Jennifer set out to go to all the cities she had toured in, but never had a chance to visit. Growing up in a tiny town in Kansas, the trips across the US and Europe were exciting. This led to a jaunt to Australia, where she decided to stay. Walking away from her career wasn’t easy, as Jennifer was riding high on the wave of success. Having cultivated an audience within the Christian music spectrum, Jennifer’s first 3 albums were all critical and commercial successes. She won her first Dove Award in 1999 for Best New Artist, scored 2 Grammy nods and another Dove nomination in 2003. She opened for Jars of Clay, spent some time on the Lilith tour and continued to grow her audience, who clamored for more of her folk-rock message of spirituality and love. People magazine touted Jennifer as an “uncommonly literate songwriter,” but just as she was at the top of her game she…let go.
After seven years spent traveling, mastering the Playstation and spending time working at an antique store (and actually loving that she dreaded going to work in the morning like a “normal” person), Jennifer began to re-visit what made her happiest. “I had to go through a mourning process of walking away and convincing myself that it didn’t matter if I played music anymore. But it was hard, and the whole time I was gone, it was like I had a shadow following me. I began to return to it in my own private time, getting out my guitar, starting to play and falling in love with music again without any expectations. I just wanted to play because it meant something to me.”
Struggling with being a normal person with an abnormal occupation, Jennifer finally made peace with what she did best. “I was really enjoying the music I was playing at home. Half the record was written in Australia and as I played it, friends were responding to it. It fanned the flame. There are sad parts of working in the industry that made me feel disconnected, but I realized I was just afraid and was hiding. It seemed a shame that I could share my songs with people and I wasn’t doing it. I hadn’t worked in 7 years and there were fans on the Internet holding vigils for me to play again. It took me a long time to understand that connection and now it’s a passion of mine. In a true sense it’s a gift – you give it because you don’t want it back, and you want it to bless the person receiving it. What an amazing opportunity for me to have.”
Returning to Nashville, Jennifer holed up in the studio to begin recording the aptly named Letting Go, her fourth studio album. With Producer Paul Moak, best known as his work as a studio musician for artists such as Mat Kearney, Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith, at the helm, Jennifer had no intention of resting on past laurels. With Paul, they put together a whole new band of hungry young musicians and got to work. With the exception of longtime bass player Tony Lucido, the guys in the studio were musicians Jennifer had never even met before, who brought an energy she was craving. “All risk and high reward” is how she explains her new band with which she had an instant camaraderie.
While Jennifer made her initial mark in the Christian market, her time away made her realize that while she would never turn her back on that belief, she didn’t want to exclude any one else, either. As with past releases, she had gotten used to the focus on her song writing, that it was viewed as somewhat unusual for the Christian music industry. However Jennifer was always celebrated for her honesty and human approach to the divine, and she looks at Letting Go as a continuation of pushing those limits. “It was a struggle, because I was used to writing lyrics one way. I had to break that yolk to write a record that was honest about how I feel about life. It is the voice of people that I am concerned in preserving here, our right to express our deepest souls without the fear of condemnation. It’s my hope that the music feels legitimate and meaningful for whoever hears it. I wanted this record to reflect that.”
The result is the astonishing straightforwardness of Letting Go, an album of stripped back folk and country tinged rock that is as intimate as it is expansive. The musical warmth of Letting Go spreads throughout the record. From the wry opening words (“careful what you say, careful who might hear…”) of “Dive In” to the lyrical play of “Want For Nothing” and the evocative rocker “Inside,” Letting Go observes the world around it with captivating perception.
To say that Jennifer Knapp has come full circle would be a fair assessment. Beside the record release, Knapp has been asked to play on the re-vamped Lilith Fair tour, the first one in 10 years. Since Jennifer played on the last one in ’99, being asked to play the re-launch is very special, a reminder of why Jennifer came back to her musical roots. “There is a strong sense of community that has been in the back of my mind throughout this whole process. I want my core audience to find something familiar, but refreshed, on Letting Go. At the same time, I am so happy to throw off any cloak that has been put upon me that would make any music lover hesitate to listen to my music. I am so excited to bring all different types of people to my party. I’ve written this for them.”
Sometimes, you have to let go of everything to be able to come back.
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Biography taken from: http://www.jenniferknapp.com/about
http://www.jenniferknapp.com
His Grace Is Sufficient
Jennifer Knapp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've tried every last game there is
To play.
In this search for the Christ like perfection I'm convinced I've only
Left my God ashamed.
I cry I wonder can he hear my despair.
Afraid to lift
My hands afraid he doesn't care.
Still be his daughter can I still depend on him.
When I'm down search
Every mistake looking for new regrets.
sometimes I forget, I forget that
His grace is sufficient for me.
that it's deeper and wider than I can
Conceive.
His Grace is sufficient for me.
My convictions seem to fade with
Desperation,
my hope declines with each and every tear.
My sin an anchor
And this grace just an illusion.
The gavels heavy and justice is near.
Up Comes the light and finds the stains on my hands.
Up comes my pride, I
Hide, I know he won't understand.
Cause it's deeper than deep and it's
Wider then wide.
why did I ever doubt now I'm dying inside. His
Grace is sufficient!
In Jennifer Knapp's song His Grace Is Sufficient, the lyrics reflect the feelings of someone who feels they've exhausted every possible solution, tried every last game, and left God ashamed. She feels like nothing she does is good enough to achieve the Christ-like perfection she's been searching for. Her despair is so intense that she wonders if God can hear her, and even if He answers, can she still depend on Him when she falls again? Her hope declines with each tear and she feels like her sin is an anchor that drags her down. She feels like God won't understand her pride and doubts, but at the core of this song's meaning is a message of hope- that ultimately, God's grace is enough to cover all mistakes and sins.
Line by Line Meaning
I've exhausted every possible solution
I've tried tirelessly to find a solution to my problems
I've tried every last game there is to play.
I've tried every method and technique available to me.
In this search for the Christ-like perfection, I'm convinced I've only left my God ashamed.
In my pursuit of being perfect like Jesus, I feel like I have disappointed God.
I cry; I wonder, can he hear my despair?
I cry and wonder if God is aware of my intense pain.
Afraid to lift my hands; afraid he doesn't care.
I'm hesitant to approach God because I'm afraid that he doesn't care about me.
And if he answers and I fall again, can I still be his daughter? Can I still depend on him?
If God helps me, but I fail again, will he still love and support me?
When I'm down, searching every mistake, looking for new regrets.
When I'm feeling low, I start blaming myself, and I'm always on the lookout for things to regret.
Sometimes I forget, I forget that His grace is sufficient for me.
Sometimes I forget that God's grace is all that I need, and it is more than enough for me.
That it's deeper and wider than I can conceive.
God's grace is unfathomably large and beyond my imagination.
His Grace is sufficient for me.
Again, God's grace is all that I need, and it is more than enough.
My convictions seem to fade with desperation, my hope declines with each and every tear.
In moments of despair, it's harder to hold onto my beliefs and my hope seems to dwindle with every tear.
My sin an anchor, and this grace, just an illusion. The gavel's heavy, and justice is near.
My sins feel like a weight dragging me down, and grace feels like a lie. I feel like punishment is inevitable.
Up Comes the light and finds the stains on my hands.
When I finally see the truth, I realized all the shameful things I've done.
Up comes my pride, I hide, I know he won't understand.
My pride, shame, and fear prevent me from approaching God because I feel like he won't understand me.
'Cause it's deeper than deep, and it's wider than wide. why did I ever doubt? Now, I'm dying inside. His Grace is sufficient!
God's grace goes beyond any restriction; despite my doubts, I never had anything to worry about. His grace is all I need to survive.
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: JENNIFER LYNN KNAPP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
pinkcloudturnstogrey
Whenever I would fall I would play this song over and over and I mean ALL day long! I love the words!
Anthony V.
why are we the same person? lol
Renee De Angeles
Pray everyone repents. And lives in Love, not hatred. She is an inspiration to anyone who loves God and Jesus. No matter their sexuality. Thank you for the messages you share, Jennifer.🙏🙏🙏💚💚💚
El Rid
Jesus said "Go and sin No More." He did not say " Go and continue sinning." Sin is rejecting God's Word. He is clear on what He declares as sin. Picking and choosing what we want based on emotion is flawed. It is pride and we are all prone to it. Even Paul struggled with that...but he did not try to justify it nor demand or declare that God was/is "ok" with it. We are called to turn from sin through His Grace by The Blood of His Son who saves us. It is sufficient as he told Paul and is telling us. Standing up for TRUTH is not hate, but the enemy would have us believe otherwise and thus has deceived many who are in this world.
Jon Fazzone
What an Absolutely Amazing Album
Paul Stinnett
awesome
Ameer Or Dimly
Praying she repent...Kansas in 1997 was inspired by the Holy Spirit..one of the Greatest albums of the whole decade because of the words the tunes the humbleness conveyed, the anointing and the Glory it brought to JESUS.
I'm Her Werdio
Again, repent for what?
Michael Reid
@I'm Her Werdiothis person feels that her being a lesbian is need for her to repent