Rebecca was born in Sydney, Australia, to David and Helen Smallbone. She is the oldest of seven children, and currently lives in Los Angeles with Jacob. Rebecca took the name St. James from her grandmother, as it was her maiden name. Her album ‘’God’’ was certified Gold by the RIAA in 1995. Also, ‘’Pray ‘’ was certified Gold by the RIAA on the last week of September 1999.
Rebecca's musical career began in 1990 at age 13 when she began opening shows for CCM (Christian Contemporary Music) artist Carman during his Australian tour which was promoted by her father's company, David Smallbone Promotions. That same year she recorded her first album, Refresh My Heart. In 1991 she moved to the United States upon signing with ForeFront Records, and took her stage name at the label's request.
In 1999 Rebecca received a Grammy Award for her album ''Pray'' in the Best Rock Gospel Album category. Rebecca is the eighth Australian artist or group to win a Grammy Award.
In 2003 she played the part of Maggie (Mary Magdalene) in the !HERO rock opera.
Rebecca is an open supporter of teenage sexual abstinence, and has become an unofficial spokesperson for True Love Waits. The single "Wait for Me", from her 2000 album Transform, encourages waiting to have sex until after marriage. Later that year it also became the title and focus of a 46-city tour. James wrote the song herself on a tour bus, and it became instantly popular. The song was also used on the TV program The O.C. Rebecca's first book, titled Wait for Me: Rediscovering the Joy of Purity in Romance, was published in 2002 and further addressed the issue.
In November of 2005, Rebecca released her highly anticipated album If I Had One Chance To Tell You Something. After not putting out a new pop/rock album since 2000, this album combines Rebecca's overall versatility in vocal and song writing to the finest degree.
Rebecca sang a song on the 2005 soundtrack, Music Inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia called "Lion" for which she won a Dove Award.
A Special Edition of If I Had One Chance To Tell You Something was released in November 2006 and included two acoustic tracks and other special features.
In 2007. Rebecca released her live CD\DVD aLIVE In Florida featuring some of her No. 1 hits as well as fan favorites.
In 2008, two compilation albums, The Ultimate Collection (Double Disc) and Greatest Hits featuring some of her biggest hits were released. The same year she also released a new book called Pure: A 90-Day Devotional for the Mind, Body, & Spirit which broke into Top 10 at #9 on the CBA bestseller's list in Feb 2009. Pure is also nominated among the Top 3 books of 2009 for the youth/teen market.
The September 09' release of Loved, (Hachette/Faithwords) and the fall national film release of Sarah’s Choice capped 2009 as one of Rebecca’s most creatively diverse years.
I Thank You
Rebecca St. James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Alone and afraid
But You came close to me
And I'm forever changed
?Cause something stirred inside me
So much more than I can say
You've given me Your all
Now I?ll never be alone
I thank You
You never stopped loving me
You've held onto my soul
And I'm never letting go
Never letting go
Your love is so amazing
Beyond compare
And I can't imagine life
Without You there
For You have healed my spirit
I'm resting in Your loving care
Something stirred inside me
Something I just can't deny
For You have healed my spirit
Your mercy has restored my life
In the first few lines of Rebecca St. James’ “I Thank You,” the singer acknowledges a past filled with loneliness and fear. However, she sings that her life changed when God came close to her. The singer then dives into the meaning behind this life-changing moment; she sings that something stirred inside her, too much to put into words. She then thanks God for believing in her, giving her all of himself, and assuring her that she will never be alone.
As the song continues, the singer praises God for never stopping his love for her and for holding onto her soul. She is immensely grateful for this love that is beyond compare and cannot see her life without God in it. She believes that God has healed her spirit and that she is now resting in his loving care. The song concludes with the singer acknowledging that something stirred inside her, something that she cannot deny. She recognizes God’s mercy and how it has restored her life.
Overall, “I Thank You” is a powerful ballad that expresses gratitude to God for his love, mercy, and presence in the singer's life. It is a song of empowerment and assurance that one is never truly alone and that God’s presence can change one’s life.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a time when I felt
At some point in my life, I experienced a feeling of loneliness and fear
Alone and afraid
I was feeling isolated and scared
But You came close to me
Then, You came near to me
And I'm forever changed
By doing so, You have transformed me for eternity
?Cause something stirred inside me
During this encounter with You, I felt something awakening within me
So much more than I can say
Which is impossible for me to fully express through words alone
I thank You for believing in me
Thank You for having faith in me and my abilities
You've given me Your all
You have done everything within Your power for me
Now I?ll never be alone
Thanks to You, I will never feel lonely again
I thank You
This gratitude is simply insufficient to show how much You mean to me
You never stopped loving me
You have always loved me unconditionally
You've held onto my soul
You have protected and guarded my soul from harm
And I'm never letting go
And I will never release my grip on You either
Your love is so amazing
Your love is indescribably incredible
Beyond compare
There is nothing that even comes close to comparing to Your love
And I can't imagine life
Life would be unimaginable
Without You there
If You were not with me
For You have healed my spirit
You have restored, rejuvenated and renewed my inner being
I'm resting in Your loving care
Now, I am at peace and relaxed under Your affectionate embrace
Something stirred inside me
Again, I felt an inexplicable stirring within me
Something I just can't deny
An emotions that I simply cannot ignore or overlook
For You have healed my spirit
It is because You have restored, rejuvenated and renewed my inner being
Your mercy has restored my life
The way You have mercifully dealt with me is the reason why my life is now revived
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: LINDA ELIAS, MARC BYRD, REBECCA ST. JAMES, STEVE J. HINDALONG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind