Camp was raised in a Christian home and drew musical inspiration from worship music and secular tunes alike. Touchstone albums in his artistic development include U2's The Joshua Tree, Delirious?' King of Fools , Jars Of Clay's debut album, Jars of Clay, and Steven Curtis Chapman's The Great Adventure.
When one of the worship leaders at the school heard Camp playing with some friends at his dormitory, he urged him to become involved with their music ministry program, and soon he was performing at Christian music events all over California, recording a self-released disc called Burden Me in 2000.
At one such appearance, Camp met a young woman named Melissa, and the two struck up a friendship that blossomed into a romance. When Melissa broke off the relationship after a few months, Camp was crushed, but when he next saw her, her life had taken a serious turn -- she had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and was in the hospital. When Melissa went into remission, Camp married her, but after their honeymoon, they discovered the cancer had returned, and in early 2001 she passed on; she was only 21.
Camp poured both his sorrow and the faith that helped see him through into his music, and in 2002 he was signed to BEC Recordings, who released his first nationally distributed album, Stay; it was both a critical and commercial success, and five songs from the disc reached the top of the Christian singles chart. While touring in support of Stay, Camp met singer Adrienne Leisching, former singer with the Benjamin Gate; the two hit it off, and in 2003 they were married, and have since been blessed with two daughters.
In 2004, Camp released his second album for BEC, Carried Me: The Worship Project, which matched the gold record success of Stay, and Camp won two Dove Award trophies for Best Male Vocalist and Best New Artist. In 2005, Camp released two albums -- a studio set, Restored, which rose to number 45 on the Billboard Top Albums chart and spawned three number one Christian singles, and a live disc, Live Unplugged from Franklin TN. Camp also recorded the song "Open Up Your Eyes" for the soundtrack of the hit film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which earned him another Dove Award. The fall of 2006 brought another studio set from Camp, Beyond Measure, which reached number 29 on the Billboard charts and produced two more hit singles.
Speaking Louder than Before, his sixth album, was released on November 25, 2008.
The Way Songfacts reports that his seventh album, We Cry Out: The Worship Project , was released on August 24, 2010, and peaked at #1 on the Billboard Christian Albums Chart.
Away In a Manger
Jeremy Camp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No crib for His bed,
The little Lord Jesus
Laid down His sweet head
The stars in the bright sky
Looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay.
The cattle are lowing,
The poor baby wakes,
But little Lord Jesus,
No crying He makes.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus;
Look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle
Till morning is nigh.
Be near me, Lord
Be near me, Lord
Be near me, Lord
Be near me, Lord
Be near me, Lord
Be near me, Lord Jesus
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pray
Bless all the dear children
In Thy tender care,
And take us to Heaven
To live with You there.
Will be with You Lord Jesus
Will be with You Lord
Will be with You
Jeremy Camp's rendition of "Away in a Manger" captures the gentleness and sweetness of the traditional lullaby. The first verse paints a picture of the humble beginnings of Jesus, as there was no crib for Him to rest in, but instead lay His head on a bed of hay. The second verse mentions the awakening of the poor baby Jesus, but despite the discomfort, He never cried. The chorus expresses a desire for the Lord to be near the singer, which is a common feeling for many during times of vulnerability and insecurity. The final verse asks for blessings on all children under God's care and for the ultimate reward of joining Him in Heaven.
This song's straightforward interpretation is a beautiful tribute to the simple and pure essence of Christianity. It reminds us that God's love is powerful enough to manifest in the least expected circumstances. The lyrics of "Away in a Manger" have become a popular representation of the Nativity story, and the song has been recorded by many artists.
Line by Line Meaning
Away in a manger,
In a stable, far from home,
No crib for His bed,
No comfortable bed for the newborn King,
The little Lord Jesus
Christ the Savior, born in humility,
Laid down His sweet head
Sleeping peacefully on the hay,
The stars in the bright sky
Shining down on the newborn King,
Looked down where He lay,
Revealing the glory of God's creation,
The little Lord Jesus
The one who would save the world from sin,
Asleep on the hay.
Resting peacefully in the humblest of places,
The cattle are lowing,
The animals stir and make noise,
The poor baby wakes,
The infant Jesus becomes awake,
But little Lord Jesus,
He does not cry or fuss,
No crying He makes.
Content in His surroundings,
I love Thee, Lord Jesus;
A declaration of love to the Savior,
Look down from the sky
From heaven above, please see us,
And stay by my cradle
Be with me always, Lord,
Till morning is nigh.
Until a new day dawns,
Be near me, Lord
A prayer for companionship,
Be near me, Lord Jesus
A specific plea to the Savior,
I ask Thee to stay
Please don't leave me,
Close by me forever
A request for God's eternal presence,
And love me I pray
The ultimate expression of devotion,
Bless all the dear children
A desire for God's love and care for all children,
In Thy tender care,
Under the watchful eye of God's gentle love,
And take us to Heaven
A longing for eternal life, free from pain and sorrow,
To live with You there.
United with the Lord in glorious paradise,
Will be with You Lord Jesus
Looking forward to eternity with Christ,
Will be with You
From this moment on, relying on the Lord,
Will be with You
In every step of life, seeking God's presence,
Lyrics Β© Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY, MUSIC SERVICES, INC.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@heart4jesus761
The LORD has used your music to strengthen me in some very difficult times and inspires me to worship in song wherever I am. Thank you!
@faisca977
God bless your life always more and may He grant you the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of wisdom more every day Jeremy!!
@faisca977
Greetings from Brazil
@sewamazing4498
Amen
@rigolopez4159
Now your music expires me like it helps me worship the holy Spirit you keep doing that Jerry camp I'm serious bro holy spirit closing you
@BEEFSERPENT
Happy holidays everyone ππ
@CountryBird
You've made "Away In A Manger" so beautiful with the setting and sound of this lyric video.
@EduardoSilva-yy3xn
Jeremy...blessed...thank you by this music of faith
@tulsatornado1578
I love the way you sing. You have a wonderful and blessed voice. Thank you for all the music you sing. May God bless you and your family this holiday season. May everyone else here a blessed holiday season as well. Remember you are loved.
@glennstevens2682
Great rendition of Away in the Manager!! Love Jeremy's voice!!!