Bryan Nance
Brent Lain
Brandon Johnson
Dallas Morgan
Justin Morgan
In 2002 Phat Chance Brandon Johnson left the group and they changed its name to stereo motion to reflect their new sound.
As of 2009 Justin Morgan played bass guitar in the ministry band of Liberty University. known as Exodus.
Enter into any high school in America and it won't take long to find five teenage boys that call themselves a band. Some have even had the chance to play for their youth group or at a birthday party. But, seldom will a band be roaming those halls that has shared the stage with such groups as Rebecca St. James, Big Tent Revival and NewSong even before signing a record contract.
The story began in 1995 in the living room of fifth grader Justin Morgan and his brother, third grader Dallas Morgan. Friend Bryan Nance joined the boys on occasion to play their instruments. Though they were not yet fused together as a band, the three practiced sporadically throughout the year and made their first attempts at song writing.
Over the next four years, an evolution took place as a group was slowly formed. Justin picked up the bass guitar and began taking lessons. Bryan and Dallas continued to polish their respective guitar and drum playing skills. Brent Lain was named lead guitarist and youth camp friend Brandon Johnson was handed the title of lead vocalist.
This group could still be found at the Morgans', but were more dedicated to polishing the band's pop/rock sound. After church each week, the five would invade the game room for three-hour blocks of time in order to write, arrange and practice songs.
Still not settled on a name, Justin suggested they call their newly formed band "Phat Chance." The group agreed that it spelled out the band's goals. "'Phat' is an acronym for 'Praising Him All Times' and it goes along with the purpose of the group," said Justin.
As could be assumed from the group's name, the self-penned lyrics are almost completely vertically focused. "Without You" is a prayer that says without God, his people are lonely and have nothing to live for in life. "He is what makes us live everyday, he's the reason we're alive," said Justin.
"Protection," derived largely from Psalms, is a song about God's protection over the lives of Christians. "Even through the struggles we've had, God has enlightened our spirits and helped us grow-and been our protection," said Bryan.
Realizing they needed assistance in further polishing their unique pop/rock sound, Phat Chance called on friend Scotty Wilbanks, formerly of NewSong. Wilbanks suggested new arrangements for existing songs and produced a five-song independent album for the group.
With a newly refined sound, Phat Chance was soon performing for their youth group, area churches and youth rallies. Thanks to Justin and Dallas' father, noted concert promoter Roy Morgan, the boys soon landed on the Summer Jam 2000 tour as the pre-concert band. "We would play for about 30 minutes outside of the venue for people that were waiting in line," said Justin.
The group was overwhelmed with the response they received from their short sets. Crowds loved their fusion of hooky pop and guitar driven rock. Their merchandise table was crowded night after night with new fans that had enjoyed their tight performance. "While people from home liked our music, these people didn't even know us and they still liked us," said a grateful Brandon. "It was great to be able to talk to and minister to all those people."
Roy Morgan soon began talking with record labels on behalf of the group. With a few phone calls, Phat Chance's five-song demo landed in the hands of Mark Stuart, lead singer of Audio Adrenaline and co-owner of Flicker Records. The group was quickly added to the label's roster.
The signing was a dream come true for the five. "I don't think the initial shock has set in yet," said Brandon. "Every guy dreams about being in a band."
In addition to finding a record deal just a year and a half after the final band line-up was set into place, the group was almost instantly welcomed onto the Summer Jam 2001 tour and Newsboys and Audio Adrenaline's Festival Con Dios. "My goal is to get out there and have fun and show people they can have fun worshipping God," said Brandon.
While the group's love for music and excitement for the band has led them to a place where they are allowed to tour the country as professional musicians, the reward has not come without a cost. This will be their last semester in the school system-Justin and Brent will spend their senior year being home-schooled by a tutor on the road, as will sophomores Bryan and Dallas. Recent high school graduate Brandon will put plans for college aside to focus on music.
"I'm excited about doing music, but sad that I won't see my friends as much," said Justin. "But, I've been called to be in the band and travel and I need to obey that, even if it means leaving my school my senior year. I have been given an opportunity a lot of people don't have."
Due to the heightened pressure from being in the public eye as a Christian band, each member of the group has chosen a pastor or church leader as an accountability partner. "At their age, it is very important that they are accountable to an adult," said Roy Morgan, now the group's manager. "They have been given a position of influence and Satan will attack them more now. We have put up a shield of faith and prayer around them to help guard them."
With the wider platform acquired through a record deal and national tours, the group agrees that the ministry potential for the band is limitless. "God's been opening doors for us to play our songs and people have responded even better than we thought they would," said Bryan. "But, even if we don't top charts, that's fine as long as God keeps blessing us and expanding our boundaries so we can bring glory to his name. That's all we want."
Without You
Phat Chance Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What have I done?
I turned my back and took the road to nowhere.
I can't believe this fear that I have,
And all of this pain,
I've driven myself to a dead end.
I want you near me.
(without you) I'm so lonely,
(without you) I have no purpose in life,
(without you) all my dreams fall apart,
(without you) without you in my life.
Oh god, can you help me out,
I keep drifting oh so far.
I lost my direction, spinnin' round and round,
I'm trying to find you.
Treading water, it's sink or swim,
But I can't help but wonder-
Won't you, will you, pull me back?
And I confess my sin to you,
And I admit that I need you.
The opening lines of "Oh god, look at me now, What have I done?" and "I turned my back and took the road to nowhere" give the impression of a person who has made a mistake, and now faces the consequences of that choice. The songwriter then continues to explore the negativity that has come from their decision, focusing on their isolation and loneliness ("I'm so lonely, I have no purpose in life"), and how their dreams have fallen apart ("all my dreams fall apart").
The chorus of "without you" is repeated multiple times, creating a sense of desperation in the songwriter. They feel lost and adrift, without the person they care about: "I want you near me, oh I need you near me". The line "treading water, it's sink or swim" emphasizes the urgency of the situation, and the fear that the songwriter feels that they will not be able to survive without their partner.
However, near the end of the song, the songwriter turns to a theme of confession and repentance. They "confess [their] sin" and "admit that [they] need" their partner. There is a glimmer of hope that the relationship can be repaired, and that the songwriter can find the direction they need in their life.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh god, look at me now,
Realizing the current state of oneself.
What have I done?
Regretting past decisions.
I turned my back and took the road to nowhere.
Choosing a path with no direction or purpose.
I can't believe this fear that I have,
Feeling surprised by one's own emotions.
And all of this pain,
Experiencing emotional distress.
I've driven myself to a dead end.
Feeling stuck and out of options.
I want you near me.
Expressing a desire for companionship.
Oh, I need you near me.
Acknowledging a reliance on someone else.
(without you) I'm so lonely,
Describing the feeling of solitude without someone.
(without you) I have no purpose in life,
Feeling aimless and lacking direction without someone.
(without you) all my dreams fall apart,
Believing that goals cannot be achieved without someone.
(without you) without you in my life.
Expressing the importance of someone's presence in one's life.
Oh god, can you help me out,
Asking for assistance from a higher power.
I keep drifting oh so far.
Feeling lost and disconnected.
I lost my direction, spinnin' round and round,
Describing a lack of focus and constant confusion.
I'm trying to find you.
Actively seeking out someone's presence.
Treading water, it's sink or swim,
Acknowledging a difficult situation with limited options.
But I can't help but wonder-
Expressing curiosity and uncertainty.
Won't you, will you, pull me back?
Asking for someone's help to be rescued from a difficult situation.
And I confess my sin to you,
Admitting fault or wrongdoing to someone else.
And I admit that I need you.
Acknowledging a dependence on someone else.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: PAUL H. JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Justin Vinbel
As I was getting ready for church this morning, these lyrics ran through my head like a fresh water stream. I used to listen to this (back when Personal CD Portable Players were still in use) and I loved it. I was a young kid. It's been atleast 8 years since I last heard it. Now I know the band name and the song, so now I will make a CD for my car all these years later . Thank you for posting it! God is so awesome! - Apart from Me, you can do nothing! - Jesus Christ.
vroga007
one of my first christian CDs. Wonder where this guys are, hopefully stil singing for God. God Bless!
RiverofGodToronto
everything's cool about this song!
Ara Treviño
I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS SONG FOR YEARS, IT'S BECAUSE ENGLISH IS NOT MY LANGUAGE
Lohe Hayes
My teenage years thankyou for the upload
Ara Treviño
PLEASE SAY I LIKE IT !!!
Michael Pieper
is this on ITunes? or under a different name? Loved these guys growing up!
Andrew Kimball
Whatever happened to these guys... so good
edwinmusic
I wanna download this cd! please anyone help me! =(
David Arellano
Someone help me with the lyrics, please!