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/
Pied Piper
Petra Lyrics
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You tell them it's okay to have their cake and eat it too
You traded truth for Godless gain and no one will suspect
You're such a clever counterfeit of all that you reject
[Chorus]
Pied piper, playin' the tune they want to hear
Putting a tickle in their ear
Not know where you lead them too
But all the time you're leading them astray
The sheep just sit there grinning as they listen to your lies
Never knowing when you pull the wool over their eyes
You've got them trained to say "How high?" whenever you say "Jump!"
And those who disagree with you, you always seem to stump
You may not mean to harm a soul you say you're innocent
But when the final tally comes, you made more than you spent
You knew they'd have to pay the price for listening to you
You knew before too long they'd have to pay the Piper too
The song "Pied Piper" by Petra is a scathing critique of those who seek to deceive others through their words and actions. The lyrics focus on the titular character, who is portrayed as a master manipulator, able to convince people to follow him blindly, without realizing the true consequences of their actions. The first verse describes how easy it is for the Pied Piper to manipulate people, as he tells them what they want to hear, while risking nothing himself. He appears to be a "clever counterfeit" of all that he claims to reject, suggesting that he may be a hypocrite or a fraud.
The chorus emphasizes the dangerous power of the Pied Piper, who uses his music and his words to mesmerize his followers, putting a "tickle in their ear" and leading them astray. The imagery of the sheep grinning and being deceived by the Piper's lies emphasizes their innocence and vulnerability in the face of his charisma. The second verse implies that the Pied Piper deliberately exploits his followers, forcing them to obey him and punishing those who disagree. The final lines of the song suggest that the Piper's actions will have a costly price, both for himself and for those who follow him.
Overall, "Pied Piper" is a powerful warning about the danger of blindly following charismatic leaders and the importance of questioning authority and seeking truth.
Line by Line Meaning
It's not so hard to understand what people see in you
You are a convincing figure to many people
You tell them it's okay to have their cake and eat it too
You convince them that they can have everything they want without consequences
You traded truth for Godless gain and no one will suspect
You gave up honesty in exchange for personal benefits and no one realizes what you have done
You're such a clever counterfeit of all that you reject
You convince people that you reject certain things, all the while embodying those same things yourself
[Chorus] Pied piper, playin' the tune they want to hear
You manipulate people by giving them what they want to hear
Putting a tickle in their ear
You entertain them with your lies and deceit
Pied piper, wanting them all to follow you
You seek to have control and power over people
Not know where you lead them too
People don't realize that you're leading them down a dangerous path
But all the time you're leading them astray
You're purposely misleading people for your own gain
The sheep just sit there grinning as they listen to your lies
People blindly follow you, enjoying the lies and deceit you feed them
Never knowing when you pull the wool over their eyes
People don't realize that you're tricking them
You've got them trained to say "How high?" whenever you say "Jump!"
People have become subservient to you and obey your every command
And those who disagree with you, you always seem to stump
You're skilled at discrediting and silencing those who oppose you
You may not mean to harm a soul you say you're innocent
You try to portray yourself as innocent and not malicious
But when the final tally comes, you made more than you spent
In the end, you benefit significantly more than anyone else
You knew they'd have to pay the price for listening to you
You're aware that people will eventually suffer consequences for trusting and following you
You knew before too long they'd have to pay the Piper too
People will ultimately experience the negative consequences of being misled by you, just like in the story of the Pied Piper
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: BOB HARTMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Davy Somers
This reminds me so much of my childhood days. Greg X. Volts combined with the astounding song writing skills of Bob Hartman, really made the music of Petra. Christian or Non-Christian Its just good music, to listen to. God blessed them with many good years, and they helped many other people in those thirty years of playing.
Ana Fodor
I love this Petra music. It brings me back to my teen years
Oddman out & stuff
2:24 one of the best guitar leads ever! So on spot. It's when great music and talent come together. Would have been better from a fully asperated Les Paul through a Marshall Tube. BZ Bob. Growing up as a young believer in Christ, there were inspirations that help guild my faith.
Your band guided many young believers in the day of RATT, Dozzen, Twisted sister and so many others. There was a message of personnel faith that was convened. Darkness to light.
Chad Rasmussen
This song is biblically solid
fretworx
AMAZING guitar solo...
Patricia Rowe
excellent music and truth is always current!
tommy goldschmitt
when i listen to this song i think of all that is on tbn. rock on petra
Chad Rasmussen
This song is truth
Alondra Labute
This makes me think of many pastors I've known. You've got them trained to say "How high?" whenever you say "Jump!"
And those who disagree with you, you always seem to stump You can't question them, and they always expect you to obey everything they say. They will twist scriptures like "obey those who have the rule over you" and they exercise unrighteous dominion. If you disagree with them, they'll tell them they speak for God and if you disagree with them you disagree with God. We must be careful how we choose our spiritual leaders!
Jared Hayslip
Do not go by what people do or say ..people will leave you astray they will fool you in anyway they can ...
Good..bad.. so don't trust people for people are a road block ..they will slow you down to nothing ..they will leave you dry..they will run you over like a train..