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
China
Randy Stonehill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Far across the water
China
And when the sun is shining
Their land is cloaked in darkness
China
Silent eyes watching the western world
Who can reach you, China
All the ancient wisdom
Passed down through the ages
China
Still has left you thirsting
For something that can heal you
China
Laboring under the crimson hand
Countless wheels turning at each command
Praying for you, China
Some recall the story
Told by distant strangers
China
Whispered like a rumor
The King of Hearts is coming
China
Hands of love knock at your mighty wall
All your tears Jesus has felt them fall
He's calling to you, China
Praying for you, China
Who can reach you, China
In the song "China," Randy Stonehill reflects on the difficulties the country has faced under its communist government, and the longing for a greater spiritual connection that he sees in the hearts of the Chinese people. The opening lines speak to the enormity of the nation, with "a billion hearts" beating across the ocean. Despite the brightness of the sun in the day, China feels "cloaked in darkness," alluding to the repressive nature of its government regime. Meanwhile, there is a sense of inaccessibility to China - the people's "silent eyes" and "guarded hearts" seem impenetrable from outside.
The lyrics draw attention to the thousands of years of culture and wisdom that have developed in China, but also suggest that this legacy has not resolved the spiritual thirst that Stonehill perceives. The people are "laboring under the crimson hand" - a reference to the Communists - and they are left wanting for something more. Despite this, Stonehill recalls an ancient tale from afar, whispered "like a rumor," that the "King of Hearts" is coming to China. In the final lines of the song, there is a call for the Chinese people to hear Christ's love, which reaches beyond the walls that seem to separate them from the rest of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
A billion hearts are beating
There are a billion people in China.
Far across the water
China is far away from where the singer is.
And when the sun is shining
Even when the weather is good, China is still troubled.
Their land is cloaked in darkness
China is covered in a figurative darkness of its own making.
Silent eyes watching the western world
China is paying attention to the West.
Guarded hearts hidden like precious pearls
The people of China and their government are watchful and cautious.
Who can reach you, China
China is difficult to influence or change.
All the ancient wisdom
China has a rich cultural heritage.
Passed down through the ages
This heritage has been maintained for a long time.
Still has left you thirsting
Despite this, there is still a spiritual void in China.
For something that can heal you
China needs something to fill this void and make their country better.
Laboring under the crimson hand
The people of China are working hard under the government's power.
Countless wheels turning at each command
The government has a lot of control and influence on its people.
Praying for you, China
The singer is hoping for the best for China.
Some recall the story
Some people know about Christianity in China.
Told by distant strangers
These people are not from China and are not well-known there.
Whispered like a rumor
These stories are shared quietly and secretly.
The King of Hearts is coming
The singer believes that Jesus is coming to bring salvation to China.
Hands of love knock at your mighty wall
The singer is reaching out to China with love and hope.
All your tears Jesus has felt them fall
Jesus understands the struggles and hardships of the Chinese people.
He's calling to you, China
The singer believes that Jesus is calling out to the people of China.
Praying for you, China
The singer is still hoping and praying for the best for China.
Who can reach you, China
The singer is still acknowledging the difficulty of reaching out to China.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TheSecretLifeofWonderWoman
I have always loved this album and Randy's other music as well. I still do. All these years later, this is still what I love to listen to.
Kevin M Kraft
Great album. This song really moved me. I think about it often.
Andrew Levario
A song and a prayer for China.
You are not alone, God hears your cries.
He will rescue you.
Salad Bowl
2 billion hearts are beating
Noone Special
"praying for you China"
Darrel Frank
Thanks for posting pictures of the back sleeve and inner sleeves I had the tape
Chris Reimers
Still a very important subject.