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/
Coloring Song
Petra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Down the face of Someone who loved us so
He's the Perfect Man, He's the Lord's own Son
He's the Lamb of God, He's the only One,
That can give us life, that can make us grow,
That can make the love between us flow
Blue is the color of a heart so cold
Of the Love of God for a sinful race
Of the Blood that flowed down Jesus face
That can give us life, that can make us grow,
That can keep our hearts from growing cold
Gold is the color of the morning sun
That shines so freely on everyone
It's the sun above that keeps us warm
It's the Son of Love that calms the storm
That can give us life, that can make us grow,
That can turn our mornings into gold
Brown is the color of the autumn leaves
When the winter comes to the barren trees
There is birth there is death there is a plan
And there's just one God and there's just one Man
That can give us life, that can make us grow,
That can make our sins as white as snow
That can give us life, that can make us grow,
That can turn our mornings into gold
That can give us life, that can make us grow,
That can keep our hearts from growing cold
That can give us life, that can make us grow,
That can make the love between us flow
In the song "The Coloring Song" by Petra, the artist uses colors as metaphors to describe different qualities about God, Jesus Christ, and humanity. The lyrics describe that red symbolizes the blood that Jesus shed for humanity's salvation and how He is the only one who can offer true life and love. Blue is portrayed as the color of a heart that refuses to acknowledge the love of God for a sinful world, emphasizing how closed-off hearts can hinder spiritual growth. Gold represents the Son of God's love that can calm the storms of life and shine its warmth on everyone, ultimately transforming life and making renewed mornings. Lastly, the color brown symbolizes renewal and regeneration, which are under one God and one Man who can bring about spiritual rebirth and renew man's soul.
Overall, Petra's "The Coloring Song" uses the different colors to create beautiful and meaningful musical poetry, which highlights the spiritual qualities of God and Jesus, as well as reminding listeners of the divine nature of our world.
Line by Line Meaning
Red is the color of the blood that flowed
Represents the blood shed by Jesus as a symbol of His love for humanity.
Down the face of Someone who loved us so
Jesus loved humanity so much that He was willing to sacrifice His own life for the sake of love.
He's the Perfect Man, He's the Lord's own Son
Refers to Jesus' perfect nature as the Son of God.
He's the Lamb of God, He's the only One
Jesus is the only one who can provide the necessary sacrifice to reconcile humanity to God.
That can give us life, that can make us grow,
Only through Jesus can we find true life and spiritual growth.
That can make the love between us flow
Jesus' sacrifice not only reconciles us to God but creates a sense of unity and love among humanity.
Blue is the color of a heart so cold
Symbolizes humanity's cold and hard-hearted attitude towards God.
That will not bend when the story's told
Humanity has become resistant to hearing about God's love.
Of the Love of God for a sinful race
Jesus' death was a demonstration of God's unconditional love for humanity.
Of the Blood that flowed down Jesus face
The physical sacrifice Jesus made on the cross.
That can keep our hearts from growing cold
Through understanding and accepting God's love, our hearts can be softened.
Gold is the color of the morning sun
Represents the beauty and hope that a new day brings.
That shines so freely on everyone
God's love and grace is available to all without discrimination.
It's the sun above that keeps us warm
God's love provides comfort and warmth in difficult times.
It's the Son of Love that calms the storm
Only Jesus can provide the peace and calm needed during turbulent times.
That can turn our mornings into gold
Through Jesus' sacrificial love, our lives can be transformed into something beautiful.
Brown is the color of the autumn leaves
Symbolizes the inevitable cycle of life and death.
When the winter comes to the barren trees
The difficult and barren periods of life when we feel spiritually empty or distant from God.
There is birth there is death there is a plan
God has a plan for our lives that includes both joyful and painful experiences.
And there's just one God and there's just one Man
Acknowledges the one true God and the one way to salvation through Jesus Christ.
That can make our sins as white as snow
Through confessing and repenting of our sins to Jesus, we can find forgiveness and cleansing.
That can turn our mornings into gold
Jesus' love can transform even the darkest periods of our lives into something beautiful.
That can keep our hearts from growing cold
By accepting God's love, our hearts can remain soft and open to love.
That can make the love between us flow
Only through the love of Jesus can we truly experience unity and love among humanity.
Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@madd-mattmitchell917
I was in late 20s when this came out. Am now 68 and it is still beautiful. Thanks
@constitutional-veteran
I turned 50 this year and can sing every word of this song still. I've not listened to it in over 40 years..... WOW i forgot how much I love Petra.
@tigmonkey0996
This is my new favorite song I heard it on the Christian radio today
@PaintyVids
As an artist and new Christian I'm liking this song
@FJones-dt6oi
I heard this song when I was 17, a few months after a Petra concert in Alabama where I gave my life to Jesus. Petra still remains my favorite Christian Rock group.
@Moviefan2k4
I first heard this song in the late '80s, and I've loved it ever since. The message behind it is so simple, yet powerful at the same time. Glory to God for Petra!
@kimrasmussen4234
Beautiful Truth, beautiful song. Love Petra.
@scottrubin6464
Praise Jesus I got saved when this song came out brings back so many memories praise Jesus he was god in the flesh love this song.
@marinehero
Man, I grew up on Petra. I just turned 30 last week, but they're still my favorite all time band. They still Rock!!!
@GodRock369
And now In 2022 your 43 ❤️🙏✝️🙏❤️ STAY on the ROCK…