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 Water Is Alive
Petra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There are thirsty souls everywhere you go
Searching for a drink to satisfy
Their thirsty hearts till they overflow
They come up empty when the sun goes down
And they look around and they wonder why
Their grand delusion seems to quickly fade
They could be drinking living water
Till they're satisfied
Whosoever will won't ever be denied
The water is alive, there is no doubt
The water is alive, feel it flowing out
Alive, coming from within
Alive, and I will never thirst again
And now beneath the desert stars tonight
The oasis waits for those who roam
It seems so hard to think there was a time
That I used to call this wasteland home
He lets me drink the living water till I'm satisfied
Whosoever will won't ever be denied
Now and forever it will satisfy your thirsty soul
Now and forever living water makes your spirit whole
You could be drinking living water
Till you're satisfied
Whosoever will won't ever be denied
The song "The Water Is Alive" by Petra is a spiritual hymn that uses an allegory of the desert and water to teach about the human soul's thirst for something greater than themselves. The song presents the desolate world as a symbolic representation of the human condition, where people wander aimlessly in search of fulfillment but fail to find it. The lyrics highlight that people go through life feeling thirsty for something, looking for a drink to satisfy their parched souls, but they come up empty. The artist suggests that people's self-centered ways of finding fulfillment leave them high and dry, and their efforts are like drinking from their supply. The lyrics present the idea that to find inner peace and contentment, people need living water that comes from an eternal source that can quench the soul's thirst.
The song speaks about the oasis, waiting for those who are lost, and how one can find satisfaction by drinking the living water. The concept of living water here alludes to the teachings of Christianity, where Jesus is referred to as the living water that can satisfy the spiritual thirst of people. The song suggests that by drinking from this living water, one can be satisfied and never thirst again. The lyrics lead the listener to understand that the water is more than just physical water but refers to spiritual water, which can nourish and sustain a person's soul.
Overall, the song delivers a message of hope and the need to find spiritual fulfillment through finding the living water. It depicts the desert as a place where people are lost and searching for fulfillment but cannot find it on their own. The lyrics suggest that by drinking from the living water, one can find the peace and contentment that they need in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Gazing out across this desert world
Looking at the vast, barren expanse of land around me
There are thirsty souls everywhere you go
People are desperately searching for something to fulfill them
Searching for a drink to satisfy
Looking for something to quench their thirst for life
Their thirsty hearts till they overflow
They want their lives to be fulfilled and abundant
They come up empty when the sun goes down
They fail to find satisfaction in their search
And they look around and they wonder why
They are confused about why they are never fulfilled
Their grand delusion seems to quickly fade
Their false beliefs fade away when they fail to find satisfaction
When their own supply leaves them high and dry
Their own attempt to satisfy themselves fails
They could be drinking living water
They could find fulfillment in something greater than themselves
Till they're satisfied
Until they feel complete and whole
Whosoever will won't ever be denied
Anyone who seeks fulfillment in this way will find it
The water is alive, there is no doubt
This life-giving force is real and tangible
The water is alive, feel it flowing out
Experience the power and abundance of this source
Alive, coming from within
This force is constantly flowing and renewing itself
Alive, and I will never thirst again
This source will fulfill me permanently
And now beneath the desert stars tonight
In the midst of barrenness, there is still beauty
The oasis waits for those who roam
There is hope for those who continue to search
It seems so hard to think there was a time
It's difficult to remember what life was like before finding fulfillment
That I used to call this wasteland home
I used to live in a place of emptiness and futility
He lets me drink the living water till I'm satisfied
I have found fulfillment in this source
Whosoever will won't ever be denied
Anyone who seeks this source of fulfillment will find it
Now and forever it will satisfy your thirsty soul
This force will fulfill me permanently
Now and forever living water makes your spirit whole
This force makes me complete and whole
You could be drinking living water
You could find fulfillment in something greater than yourself
Till you're satisfied
Until you feel complete and whole
Whosoever will won't ever be denied
Anyone who seeks fulfillment in this way will find it
Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Hairy Wampa
So there I was, sitting on my couch in an existential coma after finishing Deathnote, freaking out and spiraling into ever deeper obsessive thoughts about what's wrong with me.
I am hollow, I was concluding, I am a cup with a hole in the bottom, and I move from one source to the next to drain them of all their life and joy, be that friends, family, entertainment, books. I feel a live for a bit but I am always left empty when that person or thing no longer satisfies, and my mirroring of their best qualities backfires and they kick me out of their life.
So I was huddled in that blanket of angst, when out of the blue, God came by and smacked me in the face. I was looking into the Cthulhu of my messed up mind, and all of a sudden I remember "Whoever drinks of the water I will give him will never thirst"
So I googled it, found John 4, gave it a read, and that bugger, that infuriatingly genius God had already talked about this exact fucking problem, and slapped me in the face with it. Here I was ready to give up and wallow in misery and he decided to show up and give me the answer I needed to fill up my ever draining cup.
A time is coming and now is when the true followers of God will worship him in Spirit and Trrth, and later on, my food is to the will of him who sent me.
I can't argue with that. He gave me the answer right there on how to get better. He doesn't want my penance, or atonement, that won't help me at all. The answer to feeling hollow and unfulfilled is to wash yourself off and read the Book. Meditate on who Jesus is, on how the law lives in him, and mirror that.
The living water is God's presence in the Holy Spirit. The closer you are to Christ, the more you'll feel his presence, the more that well of living water will fill you up and satisfy you. I mean, it isn't that simple, it's not an equation, it's a relationship too, but still.
It's a start. It's an answer, and a promise, and the whole fucking Bible story rolled up into 42 verses. Read the word, worship in your spirit and in seeking the Truth. Do the will of the Dude that wrote the whole universe, and the only one who ever did that successfully was Jesus. In a word, WWJD?
Fuck you God, for being so clever and still coming after me. But also, bless you and thank you for still coming after me. Gah, why do I have to keep learning the basics over and over? I feel like Zuko.
So yeah, if anyone is feeling empty, or doesn't know what to do, John 4:1-42 is a great place to get answers. If you're not familiar with the history and geography of the gospels, it shouldn't be too hard to look up context. It's the answer to the most basic questions we got, as people.
And now this song is stuck in my head. So thanks, God.
Relivit Media Productions
Petra songs and messages have always gone right to the core. I pray that the Lord would continue to bless the past members of this band that has changed so many lives. They truly were the real deal!
RUI RESSURREIÇÃO
@Brian Armstrong mine too.
Brian Armstrong
Changed my life!
Andrew Haxley
Relivit Media Productions yes they were, as a true born again christian, i listen to Petra and they never fail to disappoint me, their dedication to the wonderful lord is what makes me truely love them, btw jesus and god are my best friends, love u god, u are amazing to me, hope to see u soon, god bless u friend:)
Royal Kingdom Commando
Thanks for the music buddy! I use this music to lift me up when I'm down. God bless you!
Andrew Haxley
Michael Tornell i love this song too, god bless u friend, thanks for liking this too,
Johannes Forsberg
Praise Jesus!
Johannes Forsberg
@Andrew Haxley
And may God bless you!
Andrew Haxley
Johannes Forsberg praise jesus, god bless u friend,
Erik Martin
Best song on this album, and that's saying something, because every song on this album is great.