Phil was born in Auckland, New Zealand and was adopted at birth. He left school to become a hairdresser. In his free time, he was lead singer and guitarist in the band Drinkwater.
Though he had little experience with the instrument, Newsboys offered him a position as bassist in 1995. He said at the time, "I already know how to play a guitar with six strings, four should be a cinch." He also sings background and some lead vocals for the band.
In June of 2000, Phil released his first solo album, Watching Over You, on Inpop Records. He supported this album with the Strangely Normal Tour accompanied by LaRue, Luna Halo, Earthsuit, V*enna & Katy Hudson. His second solo album, Bring It On, was released in November 2002 also on Inpop. His third album, The deliberatePeople. Album, was released on November 18, 2005 in conjunction with Phil and Heather Joel's newly founded Christian ministry, deliberatePeople.
His latest solo album follows his critically acclaimed sophomore 2002 release, Bring It On. Also in support of the ministry, his ministry website has journals containing a one-year Bible reading schedule and prayer guide. Both 12-month and 6-month Bible reading schedules are available on the dP website free of charge. The ministry also plans to have notes, journal entries, and insights corresponding with the one-year Bible reading schedule starting January 1, 2006.
His wife Heather is a former host of All Access and Hit Trip on CMT. They were married in 1996.
On December 31st 2006 he left the newsboys to devote more time to family and personal goals.
Drown
Phil Joel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All this noise inside
Holy Spirit won't you speak
I will be silent
I will be
I've been wrong before
By giving you the run around
Of letting go the upper hand
I'm feeling crowded
Don't want to be in this place
It's getting way too loud in here
Drown tonight
All this noise inside
Holy Spirit won't you speak
I will be silent
Take this heart of mine
Turn it to the divine
Break distractions
I will learn the sound of silence
So much static
In the rumors of a world of compromise
Always a little bit of truth
Disguising every good lie
Those poison lullabies
So out of tune
Yet they sound so right?
No, no!
Drown tonight
All this noise inside
Holy Spirit won't you speak
I will be silent
Take this heart of mine
Turn it to the divine
Break distractions
I will learn the sound of silence
Tonight
I will be still
And know You're God
I will be still and know You
I will be still and know You're God
Push this white noise down
I will be silent
Drown my worldly distractions
And the calls to comfort and self satisfaction
When the world threatens the peace
That surpasses all understanding now
I will be still and know You are God
The lyrics of Phil Joel's song "Drown" speak of a longing for silence amidst the chaos of the world. The singer asks for the Holy Spirit to speak and for himself to be silent, recognizing that he has been wrong before by being too loud and not giving God the upper hand. He feels crowded and overwhelmed by the noise of the world, seeking to drown it out and learn the sound of silence in order to turn his heart toward the divine. He recognizes that the world is full of static and rumors, disguising truth with good lies, and longs to push the white noise down and be still, knowing that God is in control and that His peace surpasses all understanding.
Overall, the song is a plea for a deeper connection with God in the midst of a loud and distracting world. The singer recognizes his own weaknesses and the allure of comfort and self-satisfaction, but ultimately longs to be still and know that God is God.
Line by Line Meaning
Drown tonight
Asking God to help silence the chaos within oneself tonight.
All this noise inside
Referring to the inner turmoil and restlessness that one experiences.
Holy Spirit won't you speak
Asking for divine guidance and clarity.
I will be silent
Choosing to be quiet and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
I've been wrong before
Acknowledging one's past mistakes and shortcomings.
By giving you the run around
Referring to avoiding facing the truth and running from God's plan for one's life.
And I can't stand the thought
Being uncomfortable with the idea of losing control and surrendering to God.
Of letting go the upper hand
Being afraid to give up control and let God take charge.
I'm feeling crowded
Feeling trapped and overwhelmed by the world's noise and opinions.
Don't want to be in this place
Expressing a desire to break free from the chaos and noise within oneself.
It's getting way too loud in here
Feeling like the inner chaos is becoming unbearable.
Take this heart of mine
Offering one's heart to God and asking Him to take control.
Turn it to the divine
Asking God to transform one's heart and thoughts to align with His will.
Break distractions
Asking God to help overcome the distractions that hinder one's relationship with Him.
I will learn the sound of silence
Desiring to learn how to listen to God's voice and be still in His presence.
So much static
Referring to the noise and distractions of the world.
In the rumors of a world of compromise
Acknowledging that the world often compromises the truth and leads people astray.
Always a little bit of truth
Recognizing that lies often contain a bit of truth that makes them convincing.
Disguising every good lie
The truth in a lie is disguised and makes it seem like a good choice.
Those poison lullabies
Referring to the dangerous and misleading messages of the world that distract from God's will.
So out of tune
The world's messages are not harmonic with the will of God.
Yet they sound so right?
Asking the question that do the words of the world truly feel right even when they are harmful.
Tonight
In this moment, right now.
I will be still
Choosing to be peaceful and be still.
And know You're God
Acknowledging God's power and His presence.
I will be still and know You
Deepening one's relationship with God through silence and stillness.
I will be still and know You're God
Being still and knowing that God is in control.
Push this white noise down
Asking God to help silence the noise and distractions of the world.
Drown my worldly distractions
Asking God to help overcome the worldly distractions.
And the calls to comfort and self satisfaction
Asking God to help overcome the temptations of comfort and self-gratification.
When the world threatens the peace
Asking for strength and peace when the world distracts and misleads.
That surpasses all understanding now
Asking for a deep and divine peace that is beyond human comprehension.
I will be still and know You are God
Being still and acknowledging that God is in control.
Contributed by Elizabeth P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.