Travis was born in Marshville, North Carolina, the second of six children of Bobbie, a textile factory worker, and Harold Traywick, a horse breeder, turkey farmer, and construction business owner. While growing up, Travis was forced to take guitar lessons by his father and began performing at the age of eight with his brother, Ricky. Travis began drinking at the age of 12, and by 14 was a regular marijuana user, who occasionally dabbled in harder drugs. He often fought with his father and soon dropped out of high school. He became a juvenile delinquent and was arrested for various offenses, including auto theft and burglary.
Harold Traywick entered Randy and Ricky in a talent contest at a nightclub called "Country City, USA" in Charlotte, North Carolina. In the meantime, Ricky, who also had brushes with the law, was sentenced to jail and Randy had to complete the contest alone, but he won anyway. The club's manager, Elizabeth "Lib" Hatcher, took an interest in Travis and gave him a job singing at the club. Travis began focusing on music. He first recorded for Paula Records and released two unsuccessful singles — "She's My Woman" and "Dreamin'". Travis' legal troubles continued and he was due in court for probation violations. Hatcher pleaded with the judge and Travis was released in her custody with the warning that if the judge ever saw him again "he'd better bring his toothbrush, because he would be going to jail for a very long time."
Travis moved in with Hatcher. This put further strain on her already fragile marriage. She eventually left her husband and, in 1982, she and Travis moved to Nashville, Tennessee. Travis was soon turned down by every record label in town. His early demo tapes were criticized by Nashville record executives as being "too country." Hatcher took a job as manager of a nightclub, "The Nashville Palace" and hired Travis as a cook and singer. It was during this time that an unlikely romance began to form between the two; Travis said "I think we discovered how much we needed each other."
Career
In 1982, Travis recorded an independent album Randy Ray Live and Lib Hatcher used it to secure a deal with Warner Bros. Records. However, the label said they had to keep their romance a secret, so as not to turn away fans, and changed his stage name from Randy Ray to Randy Travis. In 1985, Warner Brothers released Travis' single, "On the Other Hand," which topped out at 67 on the country charts. His next single, "1982", became a Top 10 hit followed by the re-release of "On the Other Hand" in 1986. The re-release became Travis' first number one hit.
His debut album, Storms of Life, went on to sell more than 4 million copies. In the late 1980s, he had a string of hits, including "No Place Like Home" and "Diggin' Up Bones." A song from his second Warner Brothers album "Always and Forever" titled "Forever and Ever, Amen" arguably launched the neo-traditionalist country era, boosting the popularity of country music beyond its traditional fan base. For two years in a row, Travis won the Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance, for the albums Always & Forever in 1988, and for Old 8x10 in 1989. Off the success of his first two albums, Old 8x10 shipped platinum. Always and Forever was number one for 43 weeks.
Travis and Hatcher married in 1991. That year Travis took part in Voices That Care, a multi-artist project that featured other top names in music for a one-off single to raise money for the allied troops in the Gulf War. The project included fellow singers Garth Brooks, Kenny Rogers and Kathy Mattea. By 1992, Travis was no longer charting high, as Brooks, Clint Black and others had taken over Nashville. He took a break from music to concentrate on acting and landed roles in several Western-genre films. He returned to recording with the 1994 album This Is Me and the hit single "Whisper My Name."
In 1997, Travis parted ways with Warner Brothers. He moved to DreamWorks Nashville and recorded You and You Alone, which produced the top 10 hits "Out of My Bones" and "Spirit of a Boy, Wisdom of a Man." These were followed by 2000's albums Inspirational Journey, 2002's Rise and Shine and 2003's Worship and Faith. The single "Three Wooden Crosses" from the Rise and Shine album reached No. 1 and won the CMA song of the year in 2003. That same year, Travis ranked #13 on CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music. Travis continues to act in film and television; he appeared on the series finale of Touched by an Angel. His second most recent album, Passing Through, was released in November of 2004. It combines the country music of his earlier years, with a little gospel mixed in from more recent albums. After the release of "Glory Train" in 2005 and the Christmas album "Songs of the Season" in 2007, Travis released his brand new single "Faith In You" as a free download from his official website. It heralds the projected summer [2008] release of his forthcoming album, "Around the Bend". Along with the release of the free single, RandyTravis.com has also underwent a complete overhaul, with opportunities for fans to create blogs and join an upcoming official fan club. The new sleek look of the website has attracted throngs of fans. Contributor Anthony Maurizio has recently produced the Digging Up Bones blog series on the website, which has increased website traffic and is considered one of the most esteemed country music articles available for reading.
Jerusalem
Randy Travis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can you see the storm on the rise
Look around you can;t deny
This is the hour of heaven's time
Armies gather in the East
For the war that's soon to come
Death will march with the mark of the beast
So seek the Light and walk with the Son
Soon we'll see His wrath come down
And the Lord descending from the sky
When you hear the trumpets sound
God has answered Jerusalem's cry
When the sun goes black
And the moon blood red
And the stars fall from the sky
The Word of God in the Bible says
We're living in the end times
Soon we'll see His wrath come down
And the Lord descending from the sky
When you hear the trumpets sound
God has answered Jerusalem's cry
Soon the dead in Christ will rise
And join Him in he sky
Even unbelivers will see
God has answered Jerusalem's cry
God has answered Jerusalem's cry
The lyrics of Randy Travis's song Jerusalem's Cry speak about the end-times prophecy from the Book of Revelation in the Bible. It warns of the imminent war in the east, the mark of the beast and the impending wrath of God. The song opens with the question, "Can you hear Jerusalem's cry?" which means that there are warnings of a divine judgement that is soon to come. As the song progresses, it mentions the biblical signs of the end times like the blackening of the sun, the turning of the moon red and the falling of the stars from the sky. Despite the doom and gloom depicted by the song, there is still hope of salvation for anyone who seeks the light and walks with the Son.
The chorus of the song reassures that God will answer Jerusalem's cry and there will be punishment for the wicked and salvation for the righteous. The second verse speaks about the rising of the dead in Christ to join Him in the sky and even unbelievers who will see that God has indeed answered Jerusalem's cry. The song conveys the message that the hour of heaven’s time is at hand, and it is important to seek salvation before it is too late.
Line by Line Meaning
Can you hear Jerusalem's cry
Are you aware of the plea for help coming from Jerusalem?
Can you see the storm on the rise
Can you see the impending turmoil and unrest?
Look around you can't deny
It is evident and impossible to ignore.
This is the hour of heaven's time
The time has come for divine intervention.
Armies gather in the east
Military forces have convened in the eastern region.
For the war that's soon to come
In anticipation of the approaching battle.
Death will march with the mark of the beast
The perils of war will result in significant loss of life.
So seek the light and walk with the Son
Therefore, find salvation and guidance in the teachings of Jesus Christ.
When the sun goes black
During the time of darkness.
And the moon blood red
As the moon changes to a dark red color.
And the stars fall from the sky
As the stars descend from the heavens.
We're living in the end times
These are the last days of the world as we know it.
Soon the dead in Christ will rise
The deceased who believed in Christ will resurrect.
And join Him in the sky
And unite with Him in heaven.
Even unbelievers will see
Those who doubted will comprehend.
God has answered Jerusalem's cry
God has responded to the supplications of Jerusalem.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Lance Dary, Matthew Hagee, Randy Travis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind