“Turn the page because where we are is not where we’re going...”

Ca… Read Full Bio ↴“Turn the page because where we are is not where we’re going...”

Canadian-born singer/songwriter Matt Brouwer’s latest single, 'Waking Up', is more than just a nod to the past 14 years of being a recording artist, which Brouwer is celebrating on the release of his first career spanning ‘best of’ collection, "Writing To Remember". The sentiment of a bookend and a new beginning is no accident and reveals a season of transition that Brouwer is happily embracing. With more than a decade of hit songs, including “Water,” “I Shall Believe,” “Tonight,” and the Top 20 "Sometimes”; two GMA Canada Covenant Awards; two Canadian people’s choice Vibe Awards—not to mention a 2010 Juno Award (Canada’s Grammy equivalent) for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the year—Matt has a lot to celebrate in all that has been accomplished so far over the course of his career. With the passage of time inevitably comes change and it is in looking back that Matt is starting to see a new and exciting road ahead.

Matt Brouwer got his start in the music industry while studying music at school in Alberta, Canada. While in college he and fellow students founded the band Monday Night Worship (MNW). Because of the spiritual content of his lyrics he was 'discovered' by a Nashville record company in 2000, and in 2001 recorded his solo debut CD "Imagerical". The album was released on May 29, 2001 on Reunion Records. He then formed his own label called Black Shoe Records and released an album titled 'Unlearning' in 2005, 'Where’s Our Revolution' (Universal) in 2009, and 'Till The Sunrise' in 2012. Brouwer's music has been hailed for its relentless vulnerability as he shares his life's story of tragedy (the tragic death of his father) and hope (his Spiritual pilgrimage) with his listeners.

“I never imagined where this journey would take me”, says Brouwer. “I can remember being 17 or 18 and feeling so compelled to want to shout from the rooftops about the Spiritual awakening I was experiencing. It was like being embraced by the most incredible love and connection to the Lord and the key to unlocking this door to my heart was through music. I was so hungry for that and totally committed and determined to follow it wherever it might lead me. My time in college and the friends I made there, the energy that was driving us, or driving me, to write songs and attempt to share them with the world felt like a humble but passionate expression of a new but relevant faith that was growing like a wildfire at the time. Fifteen years or so later, I still feel that longing. With all the miles travelled and water under the bridge, I still sit down in front or a piano or with a guitar and dream about what could be possible. I believe in the power of God’s love, transforming hearts through music and worship because I’ve experienced it and I’ve seen it happen in sometimes subtle and not so subtle ways. It’s something I believe I’ll be pursuing my entire life.”

That’s not to say that Brouwer believes that all anyone needs to find peace in life is a three minute pop song to solve all of their problems. Growing up in a very devout Christian family, Matt’s mom made sure that he and his siblings were memorizing full chapters of scripture by the time they started kindergarten and spending as much or more time during the week at church gatherings than in front of the tv or devouring any type of pop culture media. “I used to feel embarrassed by how sheltered we were, but now I am so thankful because it gave me an incredible foundation of solid teaching and an education in Biblical theology. But knowledge alone is pretty useless until it makes an emotional connection somehow and finds it’s way into your heart. For me, the music is what connected the two.”

Like so many new beginnings, much of the genesis for this fresh optimism happened when Hannah entered Matt’s life. The two first met while Matt was on a mission trip in Guatemala, where Hannah’s parents serve as medical missionaries. The relationship blossomed and they were engaged in spring 2010 and married later that year. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter, in September of 2013 and life forever changed. The balance of career and family has been a stretch at times, but it’s something Matt says he is learning to embrace and explore. “It might sounds strange, but I’ve never been less interested in pursuing a music career. Being married and having a family has re-oriented my priorities completely and the career things that used to be so important to me have become less so. In that way it’s been very freeing and has forced me to let go of control and allowed my steps to be directed by opportunities that the Lord brings our way rather than striving and trying to ‘make it’. If ten or ten million people are listening, it really doesn’t matter. Being a great husband, father, and friend are much more important to me right now than striving for some big career that takes me away from these precious gifts of family and community.”

Community and camaraderie has become increasingly more important to the singer and one listen to 'Writing to Remember' reveals this collaborative spirit that is a hallmark of Matt’s musical pallet. Those lending their vocal talents include JJ Heller, Jill Paquette, and even Vince Gill and Amy Grant on a deeply personal and emotional track, 'The Other Side'. 'Writing to Remember' is equally saturated with a spirit of hope, togetherness, and God’s love. The album beautifully bookends this first chapter with a nod to the next waiting to unfold. “These 15 songs truly represent the progression of learning for me and express the joys and struggles of life that has been lived these past 14 years”, says Matt. “It’s been cool to re-discover how relevant these simple truths still are in my life and I believe for all of us.”

Come and Be
Matt Brouwer Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Come and be, wash over me
Open my heart to You alone
When I am weak, You meet my need
Finish the work You started here

I lift my life to You now
I'll raise my voice to sing Your praise
I will follow Your commands

Find me here, calm my fear
Strengthening hope inside my heart
Teach me Lord, to know Your Word
Let it be alive in me, alive in me

'2001 New Spring Publishing, Inc./Wheat Sheaf Music (ASCAP) (admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Matt Brouwer's song "Come and Be" are focused on surrender and trust in the divine. The opening lines "Come and be, wash over me/Open my heart to You alone" express a desire to be cleansed and to fully open oneself up to God's presence. The following lines "When I am weak, You meet my need/Finish the work You started here" convey a sense of dependence on God, recognizing that we cannot complete our journey on our own, but need divine assistance. The song goes on to express a willingness to submit to God's will, to follow His commands and to be taught by Him.

The lines "Find me here, calm my fear/Strengthening hope inside my heart/Teach me Lord, to know Your Word/Let it be alive in me, alive in me" emphasize the importance of seeking God's presence, finding solace in Him, and allowing ourselves to be transformed by His Word.

Overall, "Come and Be" is a spiritual song about the power of surrender, faith, and trust in God's will. The lyrics are written in a simple, straightforward manner, but carry deep emotional and spiritual resonance.

Line by Line Meaning

Come and be, wash over me
I am calling for your presence to cleanse me completely.

Open my heart to You alone
I want to surrender my heart and let you have complete control over it.

When I am weak, You meet my need
Whenever I feel helpless, you come to my rescue and provide for my needs.

Finish the work You started here
I trust that you will complete the good work that you started in me.

I lift my life to You now
I give my whole self to you at this moment.

I'll raise my voice to sing Your praise
I will sing the good things you have done for me and worship you with my voice.

I will follow Your commands
I am committed to obeying your instructions and living a life pleasing to you.

Find me here, calm my fear
I am asking you to be with me and give me peace, taking away all my fears.

Strengthening hope inside my heart
I am looking to you to fill my heart with hope and make it stronger.

Teach me Lord, to know Your Word
I pray that you will enlighten me with your wisdom and reveal the truth in your Word.

Let it be alive in me, alive in me
I want your Word to fully come alive in my life and be a guiding light for me.