At 17, Joy and her family moved from Mississippi to Memphis, and it has since been her home. Shortly after relocating, her older sister let her tag along to the Lilith Fair women’s music festival in Nashville. Joy remembers,
The whole trip was amazing! I had always loved music, but not until that night did I realize how much a part of me it was. The last performer was Sarah McLachlan. When she stepped out of the darkness into a single beam of light, the most beautiful sound came out of her mouth. Tears immediately formed in my eyes. I was mesmerized ... paralyzed. Every word, every note, every stroke of her guitar awakened something inside of me.
Inspired by such a captivating performance, Joy was determined to learn how to play the guitar. Although she had never played one in her life, Joy called her parents the next day and asked them to help her buy one. They went down to Strings & Things, bought a cheap Fender acoustic--which she still has and loves—and began her life as a musician. She recalls, “I started watching other player's hands and tried to mimic what I saw. Most of my learning was just practice and finding chords and then remembering where they were. I still can't read music. I play by ear...and heart.”
At age 20, Joy began performing in a local cover band called Krysalis which developed a small--but faithful--following. She also began experimenting with many things, including drugs. Although her dad was a preacher and she knew about God, she recalls,
"I realize now that my understanding of Him was all wrong. I had no clue who He really was...and is. I actually never gave Him any thought through the majority of my life, until last year, on April 4th. For some reason, a few months prior to that day in April, I became somewhat aware of sin and sin in my life. I became convicted, which was foreign to me. I was scared and I didn't understand what was happening. My mother came for a visit about that time and convinced me to see 'The Passion of the Christ' with her. I had no desire to see it. I knew this wasn't a movie for enjoyment, so to speak. But something inside me would not let me back out. So I went. I had no idea what was about to happen to me. No idea that in just a few moments, I would meet that same Christ. And I did...right there in the theater...curled in my seat...Heaven opened and let me in. Imagine that!"
Joy soon began attending a large and vibrant fellowship of young Christians at the High Point Church in Memphis. There, she was befriended by Ardent Records artist Todd Agnew, who began to mentor her both musically and spiritually. Todd was impressed with her talent and testimony, and asked her to make a couple of guest appearances on his recent project, “Reflection of Something.” The record label was also impressed with Joy and invited her into their studio to begin recording her own songs. “The Fake EP” is her first offering of five self-penned tunes that honestly chronicle her struggle with faith and her self-discovery in Christ:
"I want people to know that pain is not working against us. It brings us closer to the One who knows pain better than anyone else-Jesus Christ. He understands and hurts right along with us. When we are persecuted, He is persecuted. When we cry, He cries. And when we laugh...He laughs too. He goes through life with us and in us. And our life’s struggles and heartaches only remind us that we are not alone. They show us that if we fall, He will fall with us. He will not let us go alone. He will not let us go...."
Joy’s vision is to communicate hope within struggle, faith despite fear, and art that’s not simply propaganda. A true study in contrasts, Joy Whitlock is anything but “Fake.”
Fake
Joy Whitlock Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I may live
I’ve scattered into pieces
Will You gather them
I’ve put my hope in Your word
I’ve got nothing left to give of any worth
Make me real
Make me real.
Cause I don’t wanna be a fake
I don’t wanna be a phony
What lies behind this face
So close so far away.
Oh weak knees
Why can’t you stand
Why do I feel so stupid
Always giving in
I curse Your name forsake Your love
As if those splinters in Your back wasn’t enough
What’ve I done
What’ve I done.
Cause I don’t wanna be a fake
I don’t wanna be a phony
What lies behind this face
So close so far away.
Cause He’s a light unto my path
And a lamp unto my feet
For these I don’t have to ask
For Thou art with me.
Shattered dreams
And wasted years
Silent screams
And nameless fears
I’ve put my hope in Your word
This world’s got nothing left to give of any worth
Make me real
Make me real.
[1 John 2:5,6
Psalms 119:73-80]
In the song "Fake" by Joy Whitlock, the singer is asking God to make her real and authentic. She acknowledges that she has scattered into pieces and needs God to gather them. The first stanza also demonstrates that the singer has put her hope in God's word and has nothing left to give of any worth. She recognizes that she does not want to be a fake or a phony; she wants to be true to herself and others. The singer questions why she feels so weak and stupid, continuously giving in to temptation. She even admits to cursing God's name and forsaking His love. In the bridge, the singer recognizes that God is the light unto her path and the lamp unto her feet, and for this, she does not have to ask. The song ends with the singer reflecting on shattered dreams and wasted years, but she still puts her hope in God's word, recognizing that this world has nothing left to give her.
Line by Line Meaning
Come to me
Addressing God to ask for help
That I may live
With God's help, the singer wants to get her life back on track
I’ve scattered into pieces
The singer’s life is shattered and broken
Will You gather them
She is asking God to help bring the scattered pieces of her life back together
I’ve put my hope in Your word
She is expressing her faith in God
I’ve got nothing left to give of any worth
She is admitting that she has nothing left to offer without God's guidance
Make me real
She wants to be authentic and true to herself and to God
Cause I don’t wanna be a fake
The singer doesn't want to pretend or put on a false self
I don’t wanna be a phony
Being inauthentic is not something the singer wants to do
What lies behind this face
What is really going on inside her is beyond what is visible on the surface
So close so far away.
Despite any outward appearance of being okay, she feels distance between herself and God
Oh weak knees
A metaphor for feeling powerless and vulnerable
Why can’t you stand
The singer is asking why she can't seem to find strength and stability
Why do I feel so stupid
She is being self-critical and feeling down about herself
Always giving in
She feels like she can't resist temptation and always fails
I curse Your name forsake Your love
The singer has been angry and upset with God and has turned away from Him
As if those splinters in Your back wasn’t enough
This is a reference to Jesus' crucifixion, which the singer is saying wasn't enough to save her from her own struggles
What’ve I done
She is questioning why she has turned away from God
Cause He’s a light unto my path
The singer recognizes that God provides guidance and direction
And a lamp unto my feet
God provides clarity and illumination to guide her path
For these I don’t have to ask
She knows that God is always there providing guidance
For Thou art with me.
She feels the presence of God in her life
Shattered dreams
The singer has experienced loss and disappointment
And wasted years
Time that she can never get back and feels has been wasted
Silent screams
Pain and suffering that is not expressed outwardly
And nameless fears
Unknown worries and anxieties that have taken hold
This world’s got nothing left to give of any worth
The singer recognizes that worldly things don't have any real lasting value
Make me real
She wants to be genuine and authentic
[1 John 2:5,6 Psalms 119:73-80]
Reference to biblical passages that deal with following God's commands and finding a path forward
Contributed by Skyler W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.