Brief Biography
Karen Clark Sheard was born the youngest of six children born to Pastor Elbert Clark and Dr. Mattie Moss Clark, a pioneering gospel choral director. Clark-Sheard is best known for being a member of iconic gospel group The Clark Sisters.
Karen's involvement in the Island Inspirational All Stars' "Don't Give Up" in 1996 (along with Donald Lawrence, Hezekiah Walker, and Kirk Franklin) led to her signing with Island Records.[1] Her solo career began with the release of her debut album Finally Karen in 1997. The album, consisting of half studio recordings and half live recordings, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album in 1998. The set did however win the Lady Of Soul award for Best Gospel Album the same year.[2]
After Yolanda Adams, Karen Clark-Sheard became the 2nd gospel artist to sign to Elektra Records. She released her Elektra debut album 2nd Chance in 2002 led off by the single "Be Sure". Though Clark-Sheard was in excellent form vocally, the slick, progressive sound of the disc was not received well. The 2003 followup The Heavens Are Telling fared well, but came at an awkward time when Elektra Records was being dissolved into Atlantic Records. In 2005, after a bidding war with several labels, Karen Clark Sheard finally signed with Word Records and issued It's Not Over, the following year.
Singers Mariah Carey, Faith Evans and Beyoncé all count Karen Clark-Sheard as one of their greatest vocal influences.[3]
Personal life
On June 16, 1984, Karen Clark-Sheard wed John Drew Sheard, a minister. Her husband is senior pastor of Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ in Detroit. Together they have 2 children: Kierra, who is also a gospel recording artist, and John Drew Sheard II, a young musician and up-and-coming producer.
In 2001, Clark-Sheard was faced with a life-threatening crisis when a blood vessel burst during a scheduled hernia surgery. Her doctors only gave her a 2% chance of survival due to her complications. After the blood clot was surgically removed, Clark-Sheard fell into a coma. The coma lasted three and a half weeks[4], but Clark-Sheard made a miraculous [5][6]recovery and recorded her sophomore album, 2nd Chance (named so because of the "second chance" given to her by God) [7], in 2002. Clark-Sheard's near-death experience is referenced in her daughter Kierra's song "You Don't Know".
Voice
* 1st Soprano
Highest Note
* Eb6 in "Name it and Claim it" (Gospel, motion picture, 1982) and "Livin'" ("You Showed Me" was a C6 natural)
Lowest Note
* G3 in "So Good" and "Its Not Over" (version from album of same title)
You Loved Me
Karen Clark Sheard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Especially different
You keep me on my feet
Happily excited
You love me
Everytime I awake
You love
You love me
Especially different
Everytime You keep me on my feet
Happily excited
Your touch, Your hand
Your style, Your intelligence
You kept me
No, no, no never left me
You caught me
You taught me
Give me some things to think about
Your not alone
I'll hold your hand
I'll help you
To understand
Oh...
Can't nobody
Nobody love you
Like I can
I'll step in
Right on
Right on time
Oh...
I'm with you
Always, always
On time
Woo...
Yeah, yeah, yeah...
Oh nobody
Can touch you
Like I
Can...
No...
The Lord has been kind
Been so wonderful
He is so awesome
Oh...
God has blessed me always
Oh I thank You Lord for all the things You've done for me
Oh I thank Your for being my healing, my protector
Lord I thank You for being my father, my mother
Oh...yeah...
You loved me
Especially different
You keep me
On my feet
Happily excited
Oh...you loved me
The song You Loved Me by Karen Clark Sheard is a soulful expression of gratitude and devotion to Jesus Christ. The first verse describes the unique and special love that Jesus has for the singer, which keeps her on her toes and feeling excited every day. The repetition of the phrase "especially different" emphasizes that Jesus' love is like no other and that it is a privilege to be loved by him. The singer goes on to thank Jesus for loving her and for being with her always. The second verse is more personal and intimate, as the singer describes the various ways in which Jesus has touched her life. She is grateful for his hand, his style, and his intelligence, all of which have kept her grounded and never left her side. She credits Jesus with not only catching her but also teaching her valuable lessons and giving her things to think about. The bridge of the song is an affirmation of Jesus' unparalleled love and support, as the singer declares that nobody can love him like she can and that she will always be there to hold his hand and help him understand.
Overall, You Loved Me is a powerful and emotional anthem that speaks to the deep connections that can be formed through faith and devotion. Karen Clark Sheard's soulful vocals add a layer of intensity to the lyrics, and her heartfelt delivery makes the song a moving tribute to the unwavering love of Jesus Christ.
Line by Line Meaning
You love me
The feeling and affection shown to me by you are outstanding.
Especially different
Uniquely different from any other love I've ever known before.
You keep me on my feet
Your love constantly uplifts and motivates me.
Happily excited
Your love brings me a great sense of joy and enthusiasm.
Every time I awake
At every moment of consciousness, I feel your love around me.
Thank You for loving me Jesus
Expressing gratitude to Jesus for his love and care.
Your touch, Your hand
Your physical and emotional presence in my life.
Your style, Your intelligence
Your personality traits and the way you handle things.
You kept me
You didn't let me go despite all my shortcomings.
No, no, no never left me
You never abandoned or forsaken me.
You caught me
You saved me from difficult situations.
You taught me
You showed me the right path and taught me life's lessons.
Give me some things to think about
You help me reflect and ponder over important matters.
Your not alone
Don't worry you're not alone
I'll hold your hand
I will be with you and support you through tough times
I'll help you
I'll be there to assist you in any way possible
To understand
So that you can comprehend the situation fully
Can't nobody
No one else in the world
Nobody love you
The kind of love that you receive from me
Like I can
It can only come from me
I'll step in
I'll be there to assist you
Right on
At the right moment
Right on time
Exactly when you need me
I'm with you
I'll always be by your side
Always, always
Forever and ever
On time
Precisely on schedule
Yeah, yeah, yeah...
Affirmative
Oh nobody
No one else in the world
Can touch you
The kind of touch that I can give you
Like I can...
Can only come from me.
The Lord has been kind
Grateful to God for his blessings
Been so wonderful
Thanks to God for his extraordinary miracles
He is so awesome
God is magnificent in his ways.
God has blessed me always
Thankful to God for his unwavering blessings.
Oh I thank You Lord for all the things You've done for me
Grateful to God for all his acts of kindness.
Oh I thank You for being my healing, my protector
Thankful to God for his protective, healing power.
Lord I thank You for being my father, my mother
Grateful to God for being like a father and mother to me.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Karen Clark-Sheard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind