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.
When You Are Near
Jeremy Camp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I'm before you in this silence
I feel refreshed with peace
Break this noise that binds the voice
That tries speak open up my eyes to see
Your gracious sovereign reach
It's hard to talk when I feel that you are near,
This hidden place where I know that you calm my fears
I know that you've washed my tears
The seasons of change I've faced
Have never left me wounded
Only scars of hurt
But never deeply rooted
This healing I have felt
No burden can replace
Redemptive hope has been the story of my pain
All is lost without the breath of life you give
And you give so much
I want nothing more than you so here's my heart
The lyrics to Jeremy Camp's When You Are Near speak to the power of silence in the presence of God. The singer is overcome with a sense of peace when they are before God, and they find that in the quiet, they are able to hear the "beauty" of God's voice. The noise of the world falls away, and the singer is able to open their eyes to see God's "gracious sovereign reach." This line suggests that in the presence of God, the singer is able to see and understand God's power and control over all things.
The second verse goes on to speak to the idea that even in the midst of difficult seasons, the singer is not wounded deeply, but only carries "scars of hurt." This is because, the singer says, God's healing power has been at work in their life. In fact, the singer goes so far as to say that "redemptive hope has been the story of my pain." This is a powerful statement that suggests that even in the darkest times, God is at work to redeem and restore.
Overall, the song is a beautiful expression of the peace and hope that comes from being in the presence of God. The message is particularly powerful for those who are struggling through difficult seasons, as it reminds them that even in the hardest times, God is at work, offering healing and hope.
Line by Line Meaning
There's no need to say a thing,
Words are not necessary when I'm in your presence
When I'm before you in this silence
Being silent in your presence brings me peace
I feel refreshed with peace
Your peace rejuvenates my spirit
Break this noise that binds the voice
Remove the distractions that prevent me from hearing your voice
That tries speak open up my eyes to see
Help me see the truth and beauty of your words
Your gracious sovereign reach
Your love and power extend beyond what I can comprehend
It's hard to talk when I feel that you are near,
I'm speechless when I'm in your presence
When all is quiet it's the beauty that I hear,
I can appreciate the beauty of your creation when there is silence
This hidden place where I know that you calm my fears
In this secret place, I can find peace and release my fears
I know that you've washed my tears
You have brought healing and restoration to my pain
The seasons of change I've faced
I have experienced many changes and challenges in life
Have never left me wounded
I may have scars, but I have never been broken beyond repair
Only scars of hurt
The pain I have experienced has left its mark on me
But never deeply rooted
The pain has not defined me or taken root in my soul
This healing I have felt
You have brought healing and wholeness to my life
No burden can replace
Nothing can take away the healing and restoration you have brought to me
Redemptive hope has been the story of my pain
Through my pain, you have brought redemption and hope into my life
All is lost without the breath of life you give
Without your life-giving breath, I would be lost
And you give so much
You are generous in your love and provision
I want nothing more than you so here's my heart
I desire nothing more than a deeper relationship with you, so I give you my heart
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: RON ANIELLO, JEREMY CAMP, JASON WADE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Michael Jenkins
I love this song!
Camelicar
He and Jason Wade have written an amazing song <3
Michael Jenkins
Yes it is!
AndreasMarioTV
+Pandasrule19 is that the lifehouse vocalist?
christilatintity
This is a very peaceful song. <3 it.
Heather O'Harra
I just bought this cd and I've been stuck on this one song. It's on repeat in my car. When you see me, my head will be bopping. It's that awesome. What a great talent and man of God Jeremy is, all for the glory of God.
Angela Burns
Heather O'Harra. Yes, he is so amazing. My favorite, he helps bring me out of any darkened day.
DaveMBand EMT
because God is gracious enough to let us come to Him in prayer. He is always with us and Jeremy Camp expresses deep thanks and praises to God for this. Nothing you say will ever take that away from him or from us. God be with you.. ~
Brenton Davis
DaveMBand EMT how unworthy I feel to speak to the Perfect one who sees through me but only the Blood of Christ has made this possible
Brenton Davis
I love the beautiful uniqueness of Christianity