1) Petra is a Christia… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name:
1) Petra is a Christian Rock band formed in 1972 by Bob Hartman, Bill Glover, John DeGroff, and Greg Hough. "Petra" means "rock" in NT Greek, making the band name a triple pun. Rising from the Jesus music movement, and initially signed to [recordlabel]Myrrh Records[/recordlabel], they fought to gain acceptance and recognition in a church culture that at the time believed rock music to be off-limits. Over time they eventually won over most of their critics, thanks to a steady approach and some solid adult contemporary airplay hits like "The Coloring Song," outside of their usual rock fare. By the mid-80's, when lead singer Greg X. Volz left the band and was replaced by John Schlitt, Petra had solidified their place as the foremost Christian rock band in the industry with a string of hit albums and singles and strong touring. The release of Petra Praise: The Rock Cries Out marked a turn towards modern-sounding worship music that would soon explode into the modern worship movement.
Petra was nominated for and won numerous Grammy and Dove Awards. In 1991, after the release of their acclaimed Beyond Belief record, Petra became the first rock band ever to win for Group of the Year at the Dove Awards. They were also the first Christian rock band to be inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
For three decades Petra continued to produce albums despite changes in their line-up as well as the genre and market. On May 24th, 2005 Petra announced their retirement after 33 years of ministry. They recorded one of their final performances in Franklin, Tennessee to release it as their last album, Farewell. Their last performance finished in the early hours of January 1, 2006 in Murphy, North Carolina. Bob Hartman and John Schlitt continue to tour under the moniker II Guys From Petra.
Lineups through the years:
Early 80's Captured in Time & Space lineup: Bob Hartman, Greg X. Volz, John Slick, Mark Kelly, Louie Weaver, John Lawry
Late 80's "Beyond Belief dream team" lineup: Bob Hartman, John Schlitt, John Lawry, Louie Weaver, Ronny Cates
Late 90's Petra Praise 2 - We Need Jesus lineup: John Schlitt, Louie Weaver, Lonnie Chapin, Pete Orta, Kevin Brandow
Farewell CD lineup: John Schlitt, Bob Hartman, Greg Bailey, Paul Simmons, with special appearances by Greg X. Volz and John Lawry
More members: Rob Frazier, Jim Cooper, David Lichens, Trent Thomason, Bryce Bell, Quinton Gibson, Justin Johnson
See also http://www.petraband.com/
Chameleon
Petra Lyrics
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You're not getting either
You seem content to ride the fence
When you know which side is greener
Some run hot, some run cold
Some run from their maker
Some run the risk of losing out
Chameleon
You blend with your surroundings
Chameleon
No one knows where you come from
Chameleon
You change with every situation
Compromising dedication
You compromise each word you say so innoffensively
You only want to hide behind your anonymity
You struggle for acceptance
And it takes you to extremes
The smile you hide your face behind
Is not all that it seems
Come out, come out
Come out from among them
Come out, come out
Come out and be free
There is no gray, no neutral ground
There's only black and white
And nothing in between the two
To turn a wrong into right
There is no time for your charade
You've got to make your stand
When salt has lost its savor
The world becomes so bland
The song "Chameleon" by Petra talks about a person who is indecisive and tries to fit in with everyone, instead of taking a stand for what they believe in. They want the best of both worlds, but end up not getting either one. They ride the fence and don't commit to one side, even though they know which one is better. The song states that some people run hot and some run cold, some run from their maker, and some risk losing out with lukewarm friends and fakers.
The title "Chameleon" refers to the reptile that has the ability to change its color to blend in with its surroundings. The person in the song is compared to this creature because they change with every situation and compromise their dedication to fit in. They are urged to come out from among those who they are trying to impress and be free. The song points out that there is no gray area or neutral ground, but only black and white. The person is told that they have to make a stand for what they believe in and not hide behind a smile that is not genuine.
Line by Line Meaning
You want the best of both worlds
You desire the benefits of opposing sides
You're not getting either
However, you're not receiving any advantages
You seem content to ride the fence
You appear satisfied to remain undecided
When you know which side is greener
Even though you understand which side is more beneficial
Some run hot, some run cold
Some individuals are passionate, while others are indifferent
Some run from their maker
Certain people try to evade their creator
Some run the risk of losing out
Others are in danger of being left behind
With lukewarm friends and fakers
They're accompanied by insincere individuals who are not true friends
Chameleon
You change your persona like a chameleon changes colors
You blend with your surroundings
You swiftly shift to fit in wherever you are
No one knows where you come from
It's unclear where your true personality stems from
You change with every situation
You alter your personality to match your surroundings
Compromising dedication
Your constant shift of personality implies a lack of devoted loyalty
You compromise each word you say so inoffensively
You change your speech to be accommodating but lose its sincerity
You only want to hide behind your anonymity
You solely desire to remain anonymous and are not genuine
You struggle for acceptance
You have difficulty being acknowledged and accepted by others
And it takes you to extremes
Your quest for approval leads you to go to excessive and unnecessary lengths
The smile you hide your face behind
You conceal your true personality behind a mask of happiness
Is not all that it seems
However, it's not a genuine smile
Come out, come out
You need to free yourself from this behavior
Come out from among them
Remove yourself from the company of insincere individuals
Come out and be free
Achieve freedom from your habit of altering your personality
There is no gray, no neutral ground
There are no in-betweens, only absolutes
There's only black and white
Situations are either right or wrong, with no middle ground
And nothing in between the two
There is no overlap or blurred lines
To turn a wrong into right
It's impossible to change a wrong into a right
There is no time for your charade
This behavior cannot continue
You've got to make your stand
You must decide your beliefs and stick to them
When salt has lost its savor
When your personality is no longer fresh and genuine
The world becomes so bland
People are no longer interested in getting to know the real you
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: BOB HARTMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Polly Burroughs
Lyrics: You want the best of both worlds
You're not getting either
You seem content to ride the fence
When you know which side is greener
Some run hot, some run cold
Some run from their maker
Some run the risk of losing out
With lukewarm friends and fakers
Chorus:
Chameleon
You blend with your surroundings
Chameleon
No one knows where you come from
Chameleon
You change with every situation
Compromising dedication
You compromise each word you say so innoffensively
You only want to hide behind your anonymity
You struggle for acceptance
And it takes you to extremes
The smile you hide your face behind
Is not all that it seems
Come out, come out
Come out from among them
Come out, come out
Come out and be free
There is no gray, no neutral ground
There's only black and white
And nothing in between the two
To turn a wrong into right
There is no time for your charade
You've got to make your stand
When salt has lost its savor
The world becomes so bland
Polly Burroughs
Lyrics: You want the best of both worlds
You're not getting either
You seem content to ride the fence
When you know which side is greener
Some run hot, some run cold
Some run from their maker
Some run the risk of losing out
With lukewarm friends and fakers
Chorus:
Chameleon
You blend with your surroundings
Chameleon
No one knows where you come from
Chameleon
You change with every situation
Compromising dedication
You compromise each word you say so innoffensively
You only want to hide behind your anonymity
You struggle for acceptance
And it takes you to extremes
The smile you hide your face behind
Is not all that it seems
Come out, come out
Come out from among them
Come out, come out
Come out and be free
There is no gray, no neutral ground
There's only black and white
And nothing in between the two
To turn a wrong into right
There is no time for your charade
You've got to make your stand
When salt has lost its savor
The world becomes so bland
rivotrich7
This is my favorite Petra song! Love the complexity of the instrumentation and Greg's voice sounds excellent as always but especially here. I used to stay up late at night as a teen and listen to it over and over on my cassette Walkman back in the day.
J Slick
I just listened again after many years. I'd forgotten how complex it was with the 7/4 guitar hook, the intricate pairing of bass and kick drum, Greg's OUTSTANDING singing, Bob's EXCELLENT lyrics, JDB's well-controlled mix, and lots of understated keyboard tricks in the background. No sequencers were used!
9682482
Irony takes on a whole new meaning here. I'd been saved for 4 months when I first heard this song in 1995. Domestic disasters drove me off course and from 2001 until this morning I was living in opposition to God. I WAS THE CHAMELEON! But a beautiful, mighty Eagle has just swallowed me up into His Kingdom again!
A P
Praise the Lord! My brother has returned home!
gingervytis
Our producer, Jon D Brown, referred to the ending of this song as "That's where the chameleon dies." The keyboard ending was a mixed up medley of two classical themes. The first half is from Bach's chorale prelude "Come, Sweet Death (Kom Susser Tod), then seques quite unexpectedly into a segment from a Chopin piano prelude. I guess it was the classical keyboard training raising it's chameleon head. (John M. Slick, Keyboards and Minister of Weird Musical Arrangements, 1979-1984).
J Slick
Someone below correctly noticed the Chopin-influenced section of the organ instrumental at the end. What he didn't notice is that the beginning of that section is from J. S. Bach, "Komm Susser Tod" (Come, Sweet Death). It was rather weird to put this at the end of a Petra song, but I had a lot of classical influence, so there it is. Jonathan Brown, the always-joking producer used to say, "That's where the chameleon died". ;-)
Foxtrot Renegades
Nice to see a Petra alum commenting. Awesome background info!
byzantine040
J Slick Thanks for the info! Seems like yesterday in the crowd rocking to these tunes!
Andrew Smith
Are you John Slick for real? Love your stuff brother. My top albums all time are Never Say Die, More Power to Ya and Not of This World.