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
Refine Me
Jennifer Knapp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Burning to receive your peace
I come with my own chains
From wars I've fought for my own selfish gain
You're my God and my Father
I've accepted your Son
But my soul feels so empty now
What have I become?
Lord, come with your fire
Burn my desires; refine me
Lord, my will has deceived me
Please come and free me
Refine me
My heart can't see
When I only look at me
My soul can't hear
When I only think of my own fears
They are gone in a moment
You're forever the same
Why did I look away from You
How can I speak Your name?
Lord, come with Your fire
burn my desires; refine me
Lord, my will has deceived me
Please come and free me
Come rescue this child
For I long to be reconciled to You
It's all I can do
To give my heart and soul to You
And pray, and pray, oh I will pray
Lord, come with Your fire
burn my desires; refine me
Lord, my will has deceived me
Please come and free me
Come rescue this child
For I long to be reconciled to You
Refine me, refine me
Refine me, refine me
The lyrics of Jennifer Knapp's song Refine Me describe the singer's struggle with their faith and identity. They feel empty despite their acceptance of God and Jesus, and recognize that their own desires and selfishness have led them astray. The singer prays for God to come with his fire and refine them, to burn away their desires and free them from their deceitful will. The singer confesses their shortcomings and sees God as a source of reconcilement.
The singer's acknowledgement of their failures and desire for God's refinement speaks to the universal struggle of finding meaning and purpose in life. The lyrics suggest that this process requires confronting one's own flaws and weaknesses, which can be difficult and painful. The singer's plea for God's help reflects a belief that they cannot achieve this transformation alone.
Interestingly, the repetition of the phrase "refine me" in the chorus reinforces the idea of transformation as a process rather than a one-time event. The singer recognizes that refinement is ongoing and that they will likely continue to struggle with their desires and will throughout their life.
Overall, Refine Me is a deeply introspective and honest exploration of one person's relationship with God and their own spiritual growth.
Line by Line Meaning
I come into this place
I enter this space of worship seeking spiritual calm and serenity.
Burning to receive your peace
Intensely craving to receive your tranquil and placid presence.
I come with my own chains
I come into this space with my own self-imposed restraints.
From wars I've fought for my own selfish gain
From battles fought for my own self-interested and egocentric endeavors.
You're my God and my Father
You are the deity I worship and the paternal figure I embrace.
I've accepted Your Son
I have welcomed and acknowledged Your offspring, Jesus Christ.
But my soul feels so empty now
However, my inner self is experiencing a sense of incompleteness and barrenness at present.
What have I become?
I am questioning what kind of person I have turned into.
Lord, come with Your fire
Oh Lord, please come with Your fervor.
Burn my desires; refine me
Incinerate my urges; purify me.
Lord, my will has deceived me
Oh Lord, my volition has led me astray.
Please come and free me
Please come and liberate me.
My heart can't see
My heart is unable to comprehend.
When I only look at me
When I solely focus on myself.
My soul can't hear
My soul is incapable of hearing.
When I only think of my own fears
When I purely contemplate my personal anxiety and trepidation.
They are gone in a moment
These thoughts and feelings disappear swiftly.
You're forever the same
You are eternal and consistent, without any alteration.
Why did I look away from You
Why did I avert my gaze from You?
How can I speak Your name?
How am I able to profess Your name?
Come rescue this child
Please come and save me, Your offspring.
For I long to be reconciled to You
Since I yearn to make amends with You.
It's all I can do
It's the only thing I am capable of doing.
To give my heart and soul to You
To offer my entire self to You as a gift.
And pray, and pray, oh I will pray
To pray endlessly and fervently.
Refine me, refine me
Purify and improve me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KIM BONTRAGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Brian Carmichael
I was cleaning my room when I first heard this song off the Kansas CD I had purchased. The lyrics got my attention and it brought me to my knees. I was a Christian but I had stumbled into sin and this song really hit home. I asked God to forgive me.
CharliesAngel Jonnson
Praise God love and peace
Brett Karst
I went to Pitt State University and was in the same classes as she. I watched her go from a worldly person to a Christian. This was one of her first hits as far as I am concerned. It moves me even to this day.
Joey Norwood-Tolbert
This song will always be a part of my ❤️’s song.
сергей бурцев
бравоооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооооо
Javier Ramos
Thank You!
Javier Ramos
Thank You!
frogloveryummy
A 13 year old Justin Bieber introduced me to this song! So good
Alan H
Personally?
Angelica Johnson
😂😘