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/
If I Had To Die For Someone
Petra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Words and Music by Bob Hartman
I wear my seatbelt in the car I buckle up for safety
I run for cover from the storm
I wear a band aid on my knee I look both ways when crossing and I flee
Any danger I can see
And if I try each day to save my life in every way I can
How could I understand the way
'Cause I don't know if I could even if I think I would
If I had to die for someone
If I had to die for someone else
How could I ever give my life to set the guilty free
When I cannot imagine
If I had to die for someone else like me
Someone else like me
I keep away from falling rocks and I don't play with matches
I lock the door I don't know why
It seems to me I'm much too old to wear a scarf out in the cold but
I want to live until I die
I guess I love my life a little more than I should love it
And if I had to I don't know if I could
Lay it down
And I am glad that You are not at all like me
'Cause You laid down Your life and did it willingly
It still amazes me to know
It's me that You were thinking of
No One else could have a greater love
This song is a reflection on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and the difficulty of understanding what that entails. The opening lines set up a contrast between the everyday precautions we take to protect our lives and the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made in giving up his life for humanity. The lyrics express a sense of hesitation and doubt about whether the singer would be able to do the same - "If I had to die for someone else like me."
The second verse continues the theme of our love for life and the difficulty of imagining sacrificing it for someone else. The singer admits to being too attached to their own life, and questions whether they could ever lay it down for another. The chorus repeats the central question of whether the singer could give their life for another person, and acknowledges the greatness of Christ's love for us in doing so.
The final verse expresses gratitude that God is different than us in this way, that He was willing to lay down His life for us, and that nobody else could have a greater love than that. The song encourages the listener to reflect on the immense sacrifice of Christ on the cross and to consider how they might respond to such sacrificial love.
Line by Line Meaning
I wear my seatbelt in the car I buckle up for safety
I take every precaution to avoid harm to myself
I run for cover from the storm
I avoid danger whenever I can
I wear a band aid on my knee I look both ways when crossing and I flee
I do everything possible to prevent injury
Any danger I can see
I try my best to anticipate potential risks
And if I try each day to save my life in every way I can
I make a conscious effort to protect myself from harm
How could I understand the way
I cannot comprehend the extent of love that led to Christ's sacrifice
You died for me
Christ willingly gave up his life so that I may have eternal life
'Cause I don't know if I could even if I think I would
I am not sure that I could make a sacrifice as great as Christ's
If I had to die for someone
If I were in a position to give up my own life for another
If I had to die for someone else
If I had to lay down my own life to save another
How could I ever give my life to set the guilty free
I cannot imagine making such a sacrifice for anyone, let alone someone who is guilty
When I cannot imagine
I am not capable of comprehending the depths of selfless love that Christ displayed
If I had to die for someone else like me
If I had to make the ultimate sacrifice for someone who is similar to myself
Someone else like me
Another person with the same flaws, weaknesses, and struggles as myself
I keep away from falling rocks and I don't play with matches
I take care to avoid unnecessary risks
I lock the door I don't know why
I try to maintain a sense of security, even when it may not be necessary
It seems to me I'm much too old to wear a scarf out in the cold but
I may be overly cautious or worried about my own comfort
I want to live until I die
I have a strong desire to maintain my own life and well-being
I guess I love my life a little more than I should love it
I may be overly attached to my own life and well-being
And I am glad that You are not at all like me
I am grateful that Christ is not limited by the same self-centeredness that I may struggle with
'Cause You laid down Your life and did it willingly
Christ made the ultimate sacrifice out of his own free will, purely out of love
It still amazes me to know
I am continually in awe of the depths of Christ's love and sacrifice
It's me that You were thinking of
Christ gave up his own life to provide salvation for me, personally
No One else could have a greater love
Christ's love and sacrifice for me is the ultimate expression of selflessness and compassion
Lyrics © FUN ATTIC MUSIC
Written by: BOB HARTMAN, DINO ELEFANTE, LONNIE CHAPIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
steven mendez
John 15:13
Words and Music by Bob Hartman
I wear my seatbelt in the car I buckle up for safety
I run for cover from the storm
I wear a band aid on my knee I look both ways when crossing and I flee
Any danger I can see
And if I try each day to save my life in every way I can
How could I understand the way
You died for me
'Cause I don't know if I could even if I think I would
If I had to die for someone
If I had to die for someone else
How could I ever give my life to set the guilty free
When I cannot imagine
If I had to die for someone else like me
Someone else like me
I keep away from falling rocks and I don't play with matches
I lock the door I don't know why
It seems to me I'm much too old to wear a scarf out in the cold but
I want to live until I die
I guess I love my life a little more than I should love it
And if I had to I don't know if I could
Lay it down
And I am glad that You are not at all like me
'Cause You laid down Your life and did it willingly
It still amazes me to know
It's me that You were thinking of
No One else could have a greater love
dutchmcgee101
And some people say they're of the devil give me a break. These guys are one of the most bibilical sounding bands I've ever listened to.
Fielman Lyngdoh
I love petra so much
Rubi Mendoza
I love them too
Paul Chew
I had always thought this group is the best Christian rock band. They have been around for a long time. All there songs have the most incredible lyrics. This group is such a blessing and I wish they were still around. This group made me realize how to be a better Christian......
Deepu Prasad
the only other band I feel has come close to them in terms of biblically faithful lyrics is wolves at the gate
Wallace Costa
Além de uma letra belíssima e reflexiva, essa música me faz lembrar de alguns aninhos atrás... Saudade de Petra!
Thiago Lucena
Põe mais 7 anos na conta desde esse comentário kkkkk... pra mim ja são 16 aninhos, como o tempo voa.
Andrei I.
I play bass in a Black metal band but I LOVE PETRA!!!!!!!!!! 5 stars for all of theyr albums
cool boy
Amen
CRISTI
Amazing band
Best Christian band ever