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.”
I Shall Believe
Matt Brouwer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And lay Your hands over me
Will You find me tonight
Say it will be alright
And I will believe
Broken in two
I know You're on to me
When I'm so all alone
But I do believe
That not everything I gonna be
The way you think it ought to be
It seems like every time I try and make it right
It all comes down on me
Please say honestly You won't give up on me
And I shall believe
Open the door
And show me Your face tonight
I know it's true
No one heals me like You
And You hold the key
Never again will I turn away from You
I'm so heavy tonight
But Your love is alright
And I do believe
The lyrics to Matt Brouwer's song "I Shall Believe" are a heartfelt plea for comfort and reassurance from a higher power. The first few lines illustrate the singer's vulnerability and need for divine intervention. The lines "Come to me now, And lay Your hands over me, Will You find me tonight, Say it will be alright" suggest a desire for physical and emotional closeness, as well as a need for relief from anxiety and uncertainty.
The singer's confession of feeling "broken in two" is a powerful admission of vulnerability and a sign of an honest desire to connect with a higher power. The line "That I only come home, When I'm so all alone" suggests that the singer may have turned to faith in moments of desperation in the past. However, despite any doubts or misgivings, the singer conveys a strong sense of belief and an unwavering faith in something transcendent. This is evident in lines such as "But I do believe, That not everything I gonna be, The way you think it ought to be."
Ultimately, "I Shall Believe" is a moving tribute to the power of faith and the ways in which it can provide comfort, solace, and healing in moments of extreme distress or uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
Come to me now
Asking God to come to the singer and be with him.
And lay Your hands over me
Asking God to bless or heal the singer through touch.
Will You find me tonight
Asking God to seek out and find the singer, even in his darkness.
Say it will be alright
Asking God to speak words of comfort and assurance to the singer.
And I will believe
If God comforts and blesses the singer, he will have faith in God's presence.
Broken in two
The singer is feeling broken, shattered or divided.
I know You're on to me
The singer knows God can see through his facade.
That I only come home
The singer only turns to God when he's feeling alone or desperate.
When I'm so all alone
Expanding on the idea that the singer is feeling alone and in need of God's presence.
But I do believe
Despite his flaws and struggles, the singer has faith.
That not everything I gonna be
The singer knows that life won't always turn out the way he expects.
The way you think it ought to be
The singer acknowledges that his own expectations might not be realistic.
It seems like every time I try and make it right
The singer has tried and failed repeatedly to fix his life.
It all comes down on me
Despite his efforts, the consequences of his actions still weigh on him.
Please say honestly You won't give up on me
The singer pleads with God not to abandon him, even when he makes mistakes.
And I shall believe
If God sticks with the singer through his struggles, he will keep his faith.
Open the door
The singer asks God to provide an opening or opportunity for him.
And show me Your face tonight
The singer asks God to reveal himself and his love to the singer.
I know it's true
The singer is confident in God's love and presence.
No one heals me like You
God's love has a healing effect on the singer's emotional pain.
And You hold the key
God has the power to unlock the singer's potential or future.
Never again will I turn away from You
The singer promises to stay faithful to God.
I'm so heavy tonight
The singer is weighed down by his burdens or sins.
But Your love is alright
Despite his struggles, the singer finds comfort in God's love.
And I do believe
The singer's faith is restored by God's love and presence.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bill Bottrell, Sheryl Suzanne Crow
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Vanessa Dominguez
Gets me through my hard times . Thanks for making a song that fits like a glove.
Iris Rosario
The style that matt sing this song, it has spoken to my heart and soul. God has a plan with every individual and he has one for me. This song gave me courage to follow what God has place in my heart. God bless your vocals and keep sing for him, because in the same way God is talking to me he has use your songs to speak to others.
Lecuser
This song speaks to me....I've recovered from a rough patch, and I'm in better terms with God, and his purpose for me....I love this song...probably my all time favorite...thank you KLOVE for introducing this to me....
sarnold100
WOW!!! I heard this on Klove. This song pierced my soul! Sing to him who is worthy of honor, praise and glory! He will increase and we must decrease. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you Matt and your family.
monica ramirez
I lost 2 very close friends this yr, and going thru a very rough time with divorce and my children, at times just fall to pieces and feel so down and just dont feel that things will ever get better, and somehow listening to this song makes me wanna believe they will get better somehow...matt if u happen to read this you have a great voice and have been very inspiring to me and i will believe again thanks to you...and the man above...
Michele Tolfree
This song is a very beautiful song and pretty much sums up my life. I really need to listen to this a lot to believe that there is a path for me and keep faith and hope. Like this so much I have been learning to play my guitar again. This is how I feel about a person right know. I wish they could understand me maybe believe in me.
Taryn Spencer
This about sums up my life right now... college is tough as a christian.. and this song is exactly how I feel. Believing is the only thing keeping me strong
Gene Paradis
This is a fantastic song great voice what a way to praise God
kajork20
heard this song for the 1st time on the radio the other day, and it put me to tears...such a great song..
carole roeder
Really like Matt's version of this song-love his voice