In the late '60s he was a member of the rock band People!. People! released its first album I Love You in 1968 and had a Top 20 hit with the song, "I Love You" (written by Chris White of The Zombies).
Norman left People! and released his first solo album, Upon This Rock, in 1969. This could be considered the first Christian rock album, and included one of Norman's most memorable songs I Wish We'd All Been Ready. He followed up with the 1972 LP Only Visiting This Planet, which included an anthem for the burgeoning Christian rock movement, Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music. What made the album particularly significant was the combination of credible rock and roll music with songwriting that critiqued both American society and the contemporary church. Norman's songwriting stunned many in the Christian music scene by its bold references to subjects ranging from the Vietnam War to venereal disease and even the U.S. space program. The album was named the most significant album in Christian music history by a mid-1980s critic's poll in CCM Magazine, though it had slipped lower (though still in the top ten) in a similar CCM Magazine poll in the mid-1990s.
Norman's albums were a mixture of rock styles, with lyrics that were usually very serious, but occasionally very silly, (especially when performing with his best friend Randy Stonehill, whose first albums in the 1970s were produced by Norman).
In the late 1970s, Norman formed Solid Rock Records, which went on to release Stonehill's Welcome to Paradise and The Sky is Falling. He also produced Tom Howard's A View From The Bridge, and Mark Heard's Appalachian Melody among titles from other artists and himself.
But perhaps the most controversial involvement in Norman's career occurred over Daniel Amos' Horrendous Disc LP. The album had been dropped by Maranatha! Records after the label decided to quit releasing rock and roll albums and focus on children's releases and gospel music. So the band, now without a record contract, began to shop the project around to various labels. After considering a number of offers including the Warner Brothers' label Curb Records, Daniel Amos settled on Norman's Solid Rock Records. Norman had the album mixed and took photos of the band for the album's cover, though most of the tracks were recorded back in 1978 with Mike "Clay" Stone (Queen, Frank Zappa) as producer. For reasons that remain a mystery, the album was shelved until its release in April 1981, weeks before the band's follow up on Newpax Records, ¡Alarma!, hit record stores. The incident continues to generate controversy among the fans of D.A. and Norman.
The late 70's marked a difficult time for Norman. He was severely injured aboard an airplane in 1978 when an overhead compartment door fell on his head. Norman claimed that this accident gave him a "bipolar trauma" which made it impossible for him to work to completion on albums; he did not record a studio album for the next twelve years. A dispute with Word Records resulted in the dismantling of the Solid Rock label in 1980. Norman moved to Europe and formed the Phydeaux label.
In 1992, he suffered a severe heart attack and was expected to live less than one week. He survived high-risk surgery and was left with very limited cardiopulmonary ability. Even though easily winded, he continued to perform, although very infrequently. He performed what was billed as his "final" concert in October of 2003. Then, in 2005 he announced two more "final" concerts: one in his adopted home of Salem, Oregon and the other at a seaside festival in Norway. Additional dates in the United Kingdom were also planned. A further concert by Norman (with two members of the band People!) took place in August 2006.
Norman was inducted into the Gospel Music Association's Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2001. Larry passed away on Feb. 24th 2008 after a long battle with heart related problems.
www.larrynorman.com/
The Outlaw
Larry Norman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a band of unschooled ruffians and few old fishermen,
No one knew just where he came from, or exactly what he'd done,
But they said it must be something bad that kept him on the run.
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Some say he was a poet, that he'd stand upon the hill
That his voice could calm an angry crowd and make the waves stand still,
That he spoke in many parables that few could understand,
But the people sat for hours just to listen to this man.
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Some say a politician who spoke of being free,
He was followed by the masses on the shores of Galilee,
He spoke out against corruption and he bowed to no decree,
And they feared his strength and power so they nailed him to a tree.
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Some say he was a sorcerer, a man of mystery,
He could walk upon the water, he could make a blind man see,
That he conjured wine at weddings and did tricks with fish and bread,
That he talked of being born again and raised people from the dead.
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Some say he was the Son of God, a man above all men,
That he came to be a servant and to set us free from sin,
And that's who I believe he is cause that's what I believe,
And I think we should get ready cause it's time for us to leave.
The lyrics of Larry Norman's song "The Outlaw" depict the various beliefs that people have about Jesus Christ. The first verse portrays him like a criminal, an outlaw who roamed the land with an unschooled gang of hooligans. The second verse likens him to a poet, whose mere voice could calm an angry crowd and make the waves stand still. The third verse suggests he was a rebellious politician who spoke out against corruption and refused to bow to any decree. Ultimately, the fourth verse hints at his divine origins, detailing his miraculous feats, including walking on water, healing the blind, and resurrecting the dead. The final line reveals Norman's personal beliefs about Jesus, affirming his faith in Jesus as the Son of God who came to Earth to save humanity.
The lyrics reveal how people can have vastly different beliefs about the same person, in this case, Jesus. Whether he was a criminal, poet, politician or sorcerer, it is undeniable that Jesus Christ has had a profound impact on both Western and Global society. The song's central message of Jesus' divine purpose is reinforced by contrasting beliefs about Jesus' earthly persona. By presenting these various views, Norman highlights the complexity of Jesus' identity and encourages listeners to consider their own beliefs.
Line by Line Meaning
Some say he was an outlaw, that he roamed across the land,
There are some who claim that he was an outlaw, a vagrant who wandered throughout the land,
With a band of unschooled ruffians and few old fishermen,
He traveled with a group of uneducated, uncivilized men, some of whom were fishermen of advanced age,
No one knew just where he came from, or exactly what he'd done,
His origin and the extent of his activities were not disclosed,
But they said it must be something bad that kept him on the run.
However, it was alleged that he was avoiding doing something heinous to remain incognito.
Some say he was a poet, that he'd stand upon the hill
Some claim that he was a poet who stood on a hill,
That his voice could calm an angry crowd and make the waves stand still,
His soothing voice could placate even an irate mob and quieten the ripples of the sea,
That he spoke in many parables that few could understand,
He used to express most of his teachings in metaphors which perplexed many,
But the people sat for hours just to listen to this man.
Despite this, people often sat engrossed in his speeches for hours.
Some say a politician who spoke of being free,
Some people believed that he was a politician who harped on freedom,
He was followed by the masses on the shores of Galilee,
He had a massive following at the Galilee coastline,
He spoke out against corruption and he bowed to no decree,
He fearlessly spoke up against corruption and refused to concede to authority's demands,
And they feared his strength and power so they nailed him to a tree.
The orchestrators of fear trepidated his power and hanged him on a tree.
Some say he was a sorcerer, a man of mystery,
There are some who think that he was a magician, an enigmatic individual,
He could walk upon the water, he could make a blind man see,
He could walk upon water and rekindle the sight of a blind person,
That he conjured wine at weddings and did tricks with fish and bread,
He could miraculously turn water into wine at weddings and manipulate fish and bread,
That he talked of being born again and raised people from the dead.
He spoke about rebirth or reincarnation and revived deceased people.
Some say he was the Son of God, a man above all men,
There are some who consider him as the Son of God, a human being superior to all others,
That he came to be a servant and to set us free from sin,
He came to be a servant and to absolve humanity of sins,
And that's who I believe he is cause that's what I believe,
I maintain that he is the person and belief I have already mentioned since it is my personal belief,
And I think we should get ready cause it's time for us to leave.
I think we should all prepare since it is time for us to make an exit.
Contributed by Christian G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Bobby Kelly
That whole album "Only Visiting this Planet" is increadable... God speaks through all the songs.
robert bristow-johnson
i've always felt (for nearly a half century) that this song is virtually perfect. an essential Christian theology. well done, good and faithful servant.
video gameplay
an inspiration to me in my teen years, and still today.
sometimes I sing a norman tune on karaoke night (from cd)
listeners get real quiet and wonder whom im singing -- thanks mr norman.
Kenneth Briggs
There's real strength in Jesus
Thanks Larry
William Bailey
We could all use some more of this type of music nowadays.
Rodney Williams
I first heard this album in 1976 and I still LOVE it, He was the original CHRISTIAN rocker!
Jimmy Ross
I love that !!!!!!
Aerial Heights
Me too.
Danny Fox
What a dedicated, gifted, man of God, thank you my brother. Was fortunate to see him in Atlanta in a packed small Christian coffee house that we squeezed into for an all acoustic concert in the early seventies. Wonderful memories with close friends with a common belief in Yeshua. His music helped us worship the Almighty instead of the worship of man and his music.
drwinston
Did you put this video together brother Greg? Either way it is just about PERFECT! I saw that the segments come from the Gospel of John movie. I suddenly got in the mood to revisit this "Christian music oldie" and I was hoping to find just this sort of video. Thanks for the share. As things seem to be moving quickly on God's prophetic clock, now more than ever I'm excited about Jesus's return.
The Lord is risen!
The Lord is returning soon.