Michael W. Smith (born October 7th, 1957) is an American singer, author, so… Read Full Bio ↴Michael W. Smith (born October 7th, 1957) is an American singer, author, songwriter, guitarist, and keyboardist.

Since his first solo project in 1983, Smith has become one of the most popular artists in the contemporary Christian music world, while also finding considerable success in the mainstream. Smith has frequently topped both Christian radio and Billboard charts and is often listed as one of the top keyboardists in rock and roll in Keyboard Magazine. Smith has sold more than 13 million records and has had 29 #1 hit songs. By 2005, he had garnered 14 gold records and 5 platinum records, 40 Dove Awards, an American Music Award and 3 Grammy Awards. He was also named one of People magazine's most beautiful people.

The Glory Songfacts reports that recorded with a 65-piece London orchestra, Glory is Christian musician Michael W. Smith’s seventeenth studio album and his second instrumental record. It was released November 22, 2011. His first instrumental album was Freedom, which was released November 21, 2000.

Give It Away
Michael W. Smith Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

She asked him for forever
And a promise that would last
He said, babe you know I love you
But I can't commit to that
She said, love isn't love
'Till you give it away

A father lived in silence

Saw his son become a man
There was a distance felt between them
'Cause he could not understand
That love isn't love
'Till you give it away
You gotta give it away

As we live
Moving side by side
May we learn to give
Learn to sacrifice

We can entertain compassion
For a world in need of care
But the road of good intentions
Doesn't lead to anywhere
Cause love isn't love
'Till you give it away
You gotta give it away

As we live
Moving side by side
May we learn to give
Learn to sacrifice

Love is like a river
Flowing down from the giver of life
We drink from the water
And our thirst is no longer denied
You gotta give it away

As we live
Moving side by side
May we learn to give
Learn to sacrifice

There was a man who walked on water
He came to set the people free
He was the ultimate example
Of what love can truly be
'Cause his love was his life
And he gave it away
You gotta give it away

As we live
Moving side by side

May we learn to give
Learn to sacrifice

Overall Meaning

In Michael W. Smith's song Give It Away, the singer talks about the concept of love and how it can only be truly felt once it is given away. The first verse talks about a woman who asks her partner for a promise that would last forever, but he is unable to commit to her. She then insists that love is not true love until it is shared with the world. The second verse describes a father who has a conflict with his son as he grows into a man. The father is unable to understand his son, which creates a distance between them. It's clear that the message in both verses is the same: to feel the true essence of love, you must give it away.

The song then goes on to describe how love should be given away selflessly without any expectation in return. The singer asks the listener to learn to give and sacrifice, to have compassion for those who are in need of care. He goes on to describe how love is like a river that flows from the giver of life, and the more love we give to others, the more our thirst will be quenched. The song concludes by referencing Jesus Christ as the ultimate example of what love can be. His life was his love, and he gave it away freely.

Line by Line Meaning

She asked him for forever And a promise that would last He said, babe you know I love you But I can't commit to that She said, love isn't love 'Till you give it away
She wanted a commitment for their love Something that would last a lifetime He couldn't agree to that Yet, he loved her nonetheless Love cannot be bound by material things Only through giving it away can it truly be love

A father lived in silence Saw his son become a man There was a distance felt between them 'Cause he could not understand That love isn't love 'Till you give it away You gotta give it away
A father watched as his son grew up Yet, they never really connected There was a gulf between them Since the father couldn't understand. Love must be given unconditionally To truly love means to give it away.

We can entertain compassion For a world in need of care But the road of good intentions Doesn't lead to anywhere Cause love isn't love 'Till you give it away You gotta give it away
We can possess empathy for those in need But merely thinking about it isn't enough We need to act Merely thinking and talking doesn't lead to anything Love requires us to give it away.

Love is like a river Flowing down from the giver of life We drink from the water And our thirst is no longer denied You gotta give it away
Love is compared to a flowing river Comes from a higher power We just need to drink it to quench the thirst But we also must pass it on To truly experience love, we need to give it away.

There was a man who walked on water He came to set the people free He was the ultimate example Of what love can truly be 'Cause his love was his life And he gave it away You gotta give it away
A man who lived an extraordinary life Came to liberate and free others. He epitomized true love And lived a life embodying it. His love was genuine, and he gave it all away We too should give our love away.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MICHAEL W. SMITH, WAYNE KIRKPATRICK, AMY GRANT GILL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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