There is more than one artist with this name:

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/

The Prodigal's Song
Petra Lyrics

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I'm only happy when I'm with you
And living life the way you show me
Whenever I'm apart, I grow a colder heart
I only feign my love for you

And if a day goes by without speaking
I love like I don't really need you
But in my heart I find I recognize the lie

My every breath I draw from you

And I still find you true, pulling me back to you

(Chorus)
To you I will run
The prodigal son
Coming back home again to you
Open your arms
And into your heart
I'm folded in love again with you

And every moment that I've wasted
Chasing after my own dreaming
I know you will forgive and wipe away the tears
For all the lonely foolish years

And I will try to be true, living each day with you

All that I am
And all that I have

And all I can be
Is found in you

Overall Meaning

The song "The Prodigal's Song" by Petra tells the story of a prodigal who left his father's house, lived recklessly for a time and found himself broken, lonely and with a heart that was barely beating. The singer of the song is captive to a love he cannot live without - the love of his father. When he is apart from him, he grows a colder heart and pretends to love his father because he knows deep down that he needs his father to survive. The prodigal realizes that his father is the only one who can make him happy and that he has wasted time chasing his own dreams.

The song's lyrics contrast the father's love and forgiveness with the son's selfishness and emptiness. The son knows he has failed his father, but he is willing to go back home and ask for forgiveness and start anew. He sings about his father's unconditional love and how it has embraced him and made him whole again. The prodigal's heart is transformed by his father's love, and he vows to try to be true and live each day in his father's love.

Overall, "The Prodigal's Song" by Petra is a powerful song that beautifully portrays the transformational power of a father's love and the importance of being true to oneself and living a life that is dedicated to love and service.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm only happy when I'm with you
My happiness is solely dependent on being with you

And living life the way you show me
I can only truly experience life when I follow your guidance

Whenever I'm apart, I grow a colder heart
Being away from you causes me to become more distant and unfeeling

I only feign my love for you
Sometimes I pretend to love you when I really don't

And if a day goes by without speaking
Even one day without communicating with you can make me feel like I don't need you

I love like I don't really need you
I can sometimes act like I don't need you, even though it's not true

But in my heart I find I recognize the lie
I may try to convince myself otherwise, but deep down I know it's not true

My every breath I draw from you
You are the source of my life and breath

And I still find you true, pulling me back to you
I am constantly reminded of your love and it draws me back to you no matter what

To you I will run The prodigal son Coming back home again to you
I will always return to you, my loving father, even if I have strayed away like the prodigal son

Open your arms And into your heart I'm folded in love again with you
I am engulfed in your loving embrace and welcomed back into your heart

And every moment that I've wasted Chasing after my own dreaming
I regret spending so much time chasing my own shallow dreams in place of cherishing you

I know you will forgive and wipe away the tears For all the lonely foolish years
Despite my foolishness and loneliness, I know that you will forgive me and offer comfort for all the years I neglected your love

And I will try to be true, living each day with you
I will strive to remain faithful and live each day in harmony with you

All that I am And all that I have And all I can be Is found in you
My identity, my possessions, and my potential are all grounded in you

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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