Jeremy Camp, a multi-award winning Christian vocalist and guitarist, was bo… Read Full Bio ↴Jeremy Camp, a multi-award winning Christian vocalist and guitarist, was born on January 12, 1978 in Lafayette, Indiana. His thoughtful lyrics and booming voice have earned him legions of fans and accolades including 16 No. 1 songs, five Dove Awards, three ASCAP Songwriter of the Year wins and an American Music Award nomination. Before his music career began, his father (a pastor at Harvest Chapel church in Lafayette) taught his son how to play guitar. After completing high school, Camp attended a bible college in Southern California for two years.

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.

Take My Life
Jeremy Camp Lyrics

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Here i am before you now
I'm like a child reaching out
Here i am I'm giving all i can
Breaking my pride I feel I'm through
Shattered inside i run to you
And now i give it all to you

Take my life take my mind

take my soul take my will
I am yours now, and i give it all to you

Laying all down before my king
Offering all my everything
Laying all down before the one i serve
I can understand the reasons why
You came on this earth and died
And now i give it all to you

I can feel you on my shoulder
So I know that you are there

I can see you paint my picture
The beauty is all there

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jeremy Camp's Take My Life reveal a powerful message of surrender and sacrifice. Camp speaks of a personal transformation as he offers his life, mind, soul, and will to God. He is like a child reaching out, recognizing his brokenness and acknowledging that he cannot fix himself. He is willing to lay everything down before his King and offer all his everything. In the chorus, Camp directly states his willingness to let go of control and ownership of his life and yield it to God's will. He understands the reason for Jesus Christ's death and willingly surrenders all to Him.

Camp's lyrics are an emotional expression of a spiritual reality that many Christians experience. The repetition and simplicity of the chorus create a powerful effect that speaks to the listener's heart. The imagery of Christ's presence in every aspect of Camp's life brings a sense of comfort and peace. The decision to yield one's whole life to God, opening oneself up to the Holy Spirit's guidance, can be a transformational experience.

The song's message is reinforced by its simple, yet memorable melody. The acoustic guitar arrangement and harmonies complement the lyrics perfectly. Take My Life is a timeless worship song that remains relevant and inspiring to many believers worldwide.

Line by Line Meaning

Here I am before you now
I am present before you, Lord

I'm like a child reaching out
I come to you with the innocence and dependence of a child

Here I am I'm giving all I can
I offer all that I am capable of giving

Breaking my pride I feel I'm through
I acknowledge my flaws and am willing to put aside my ego

Shattered inside I run to you
In times of hardship and brokenness, I seek refuge in you

And now I give it all to you
Everything I have is offered to you, Lord

Take my life take my mind
Take control of my life and my thoughts

take my soul take my will
Take my essence and my desire

I am yours now, and I give it all to you
I am your servant now, and everything I have is yours

Laying all down before my King
I humbly submit to you, my King

Offering all my everything
I offer everything I have to you