Randy Stonehill was born in Stockton, California on March 12, 1952, the son of Leonard Stonehill and his wife, Pauline Correia and is the younger brother of Jeffrey Stonehill.
He graduated from Leigh High School, in San Jose, California, then moved to Los Angeles where he stayed with pioneer Christian Rock singer, Larry Norman.
Stonehill's first album, Born Twice was released in 1971, with financial help from Pat Boone. The album—one side a live performance, the other side recorded in a studio—was recorded for a mere
$800US and according to Stonehill, "sounds like every penny of it!" [insert rim-shot here]
A year later, Stonehill made his film acting debut in The Blob sequel, Beware! The Blob (also known as Son of Blob), with Cindy Williams. He also made a cameo appearance in the 1973 Billy Graham film Time to Run, performing his song I Love You.
In 1976, Stonehill released the "Welcome to Paradise" album produced by Larry Norman with Andy Johns (The Who, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin) doing the engineering. This became a landmark album for the songwriter and was voted "3rd most important contemporary Christian album" in a mid-1980s poll of Christian music critics.(Contemporary Christian Music Magazine)
In the late 1970s, Stonehill then joined forces with Daniel Amos for the Amos n' Randy Tour. Stonehill would later provide backing vocals on several of Daniel Amos's musical projects.
1984, 'the album project "Celebrate This Heartbeat" Stonehill joined forces with longtime friend Phil Keaggy for the song Who Will Save The Children? The two later formed The Keaggy/Stonehill Band in 1989 with Daniel Amos bassist Tim Chandler and Swirling Eddie's David Raven on drums. Keaggy and Stonehill would also team up with singer Margaret Becker, drummer Joe English (former member of Paul McCartney and Wings) and others, in 1988 for the Compassion All Star Band's album "One by One".
UPDATED by Mark"The Shark" Christian
All I Know
Randy Stonehill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Enchanted by this journey we are on, until gravity has dropped us to our knees,
And all the shining dreams we treasure never leave us satisfied, but the heartache we embrace might be mercy in disguise,
To turn our gaze to Heaven until sorrow is a purifying snow - that's all I know, all I know.
Yes, and time seems to moving through me now, like I'm translucent, fading away,
I long to hold this miracle somehow; drink in all the wonder of these days,
But like a little, barefoot boy standing on the beach, every new wave comes to steal the sand beneath my feet,
Sometimes I cannot to stand to hear myself to pray; it's as if my very words become a wall,
I want what I want, and so I push the truth away...and I do not have to listen when it calls,
And I curse my duality: this darkness that dwells in me, and marks me to the marrow as an orphan of the fall,
But in the middle of this turbulence I see it's amazing grace that grips me after all,
After all.
What can be said of this mystery we're in? - I have only one answer to give,
If Jesus didn't die to be the savior of my soul, truly, I do not want to live,
For what would living be without a meaning and a hope? - precious little more than just some cruel cosmic joke,
It's like being all dressed up and there was never even anywhere to go,
That's all I know, all I know.
Punch drunk boxers wait for destiny to strike the fatal blow - that's all I know,
I will changed, I will be free, I will healed, I will be yours - it must be so,
That's all I know, all I know,
That's all I know, all I know.
Randy Stonehill's song "All I Know" is a contemplative and reflective piece about the continuous journey of life, and the search for meaning and purpose amidst the highs and lows that come with it. The first verse likens the start of the day to the beginning of creation in the story of Adam and Eve, alive with the freshness and beauty of God's perfect world, but with the knowledge that eventually, life's struggles and hardships will come. The second verse touches on the transitory nature of time, and how it can feel as if life is slipping away too fast, and the struggle to find meaning amidst the beauty and wonder of it all. The third verse speaks of the inner turmoil within each person, the struggle between wanting what we want and needing to listen to a higher calling, and the hope that grace will sustain and guide us.
The chorus is a repetition of the phrase "that's all I know," which is the acknowledgement that despite everything, the singer's faith in God and the truth of Jesus Christ is what anchors them and gives life meaning. It is an expression of humility and surrender to the idea that there is much we don't know, but that one thing we do know is the love and purpose that comes through knowing Christ.
Line by Line Meaning
Just like Adam we awake at dawn; our lungs alive with Eden's perfect breeze,
Like Adam, we wake up to a new day with the freshness and purity of Eden, reminding us of the world's beauty.
Enchanted by this journey we are on, until gravity has dropped us to our knees,
We are mesmerized by this journey that is life until the harshness of reality brings us down to our knees.
And all the shining dreams we treasure never leave us satisfied, but the heartache we embrace might be mercy in disguise,
We seek our dreams with a shining hope, but they often do little to bring us the satisfaction that the pain we endure does. The suffering we experience might be a benevolent disguise after all.
To turn our gaze to Heaven until sorrow is a purifying snow - that's all I know, all I know.
We should look towards heaven in times of trouble, trusting that sorrow can be like a purifying snow. This is all I can testify to - this simple truth.
Yes, and time seems to moving through me now, like I'm translucent, fading away,
Time appears to be slipping away as I feel transparent, gradually losing my solidity.
I long to hold this miracle somehow; drink in all the wonder of these days,
I yearn to embrace the miraculous and cherish each day's wonder, in every experience.
But like a little, barefoot boy standing on the beach, every new wave comes to steal the sand beneath my feet,
Like a little kid standing on the seashore, every wave seems to wash away what I have built, leaving me feeling disheartened.
There's a sweet hidden wisdom only the angels bestow - that's all I know.
There's a divine understanding the cherubs can give - this is all that I can be sure of.
Sometimes I cannot stand to hear myself to pray; it's as if my very words become a wall,
When I'm unable to get through to God, it feels like my own words become a barrier between us.
I want what I want, and so I push the truth away...and I do not have to listen when it calls,
I overlook the truth when it's against what I want, intentionally ignoring its call.
And I curse my duality: this darkness that dwells in me, and marks me to the marrow as an orphan of the fall,
I despise my double nature that has me dwelling in darkness, branding me as a child of original sin.
But in the middle of this turbulence I see it's amazing grace that grips me after all,
Despite the turmoil within, I recognize that it's grace that manages to hold me.
What can be said of this mystery we're in? - I have only one answer to give,
How can we understand the enigma we find ourselves in? To this, I have only one response to provide.
If Jesus didn't die to be the savior of my soul, truly, I do not want to live,
If Jesus hadn't paid the price to save my soul, I wouldn't want to keep living.
For what would living be without a meaning and a hope? - precious little more than just some cruel cosmic joke,
What is life without purpose or hope? It's like a tasteless, senseless satire.
It's like being all dressed up and there was never even anywhere to go,
It's like donning fancy clothes, and not having a destination to go.
That's all I know, all I know.
This is all that I sure about.
Punch drunk boxers wait for destiny to strike the fatal blow - that's all I know,
Like boxers waiting for the knockout blow, I'm in the dark about what may come next - this is all I'm certain of.
I will changed, I will be free, I will healed, I will be yours - it must be so,
I believe I'll transform, liberate, recover, and belong - this must be so.
That's all I know, all I know,
This is all that I know for sure.
Contributed by Maya C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.