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.
Reborn
Rebecca St. James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's someone in my life
And peace I can't describe
For I've been reborn
If you see a change in me don't wonder
I've found a whole new life
And hope that I can't hide
For I've been reborn
Have you ever felt a longing
A searching, within your soul
You want something more
But you don't know what for
There's one who will reach across the distance
From the heavens to the earth
Because he loves you
He loves you
Have you ever felt that something
Is missing within your soul
You want something more,
But you don't know what for
There is only One you need,
But you've got to believe
That He loves you enough
To give His life
The lyrics to Rebecca St. James's song "Reborn" speak to a profound transformation that the singer has undergone. The chorus is the focal point of the song, with the singer repeating the refrain, "If you see a change in me, don't wonder / I've been reborn." The singer then goes on to describe the peace and hope that she can't help but feel, now that she has found a new life. The song invites listeners to consider their own longings and searches for something more meaningful in their lives.
The verses provide a glimpse into the singer's experience of discovering something transformative. She asks if the listener has ever felt a searching in their soul or a sense that something is missing, and then beckons them to believe that there is someone who loves them enough to reach across the heavens and the earth to be with them. The song's message is one of hope and transformation, urging listeners to believe in something bigger than themselves and to seek out the love that can bring them peace and joy.
Line by Line Meaning
If you see a change in me don't wonder
Don't be surprised if you notice a difference in me
There's someone in my life
I have someone new in my life
And peace I can't describe
I can't find the words to explain how peaceful I feel
For I've been reborn
Because I've been born again
I've found a whole new life
I have a completely new way of living now
And hope that I can't hide
I'm filled with hope that is too great to keep to myself
Have you ever felt a longing
Have you ever felt a deep desire within you
A searching, within your soul
A longing that comes from deep within your being
You want something more
You know deep down that there must be something more to life
But you don't know what for
But you can't quite put your finger on what it is
There's one who will reach across the distance
There is someone who will reach out to you no matter where you are
From the heavens to the earth
From the highest place to the lowest
Because he loves you
Because he loves you deeply and unconditionally
He loves you
He really loves you
Have you ever felt that something
Have you ever felt that something is missing
Is missing within your soul
That there is a part of you that is not complete
You want something more,
You know that there is more to life than what you have
But you don't know what for
But you can't seem to figure out what it is
There is only One you need,
There is only one thing you need
But you've got to believe
But you have to have faith and trust
That He loves you enough
Believe that He loves you so much
To give His life
That He was willing to sacrifice everything for you
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, BMG Rights Management, Capitol CMG Publishing, Cloud9, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MATTHEW RYAN BRONLEEWE, REBECCA ST. JAMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DGray78
One of the best pop-rock artists and Christian artists of the 90s! I miss this era of rock music! I recently bought Kylie Minogue's rock album from the 90s, fell in love with that, and decided to revisit Rebecca's stuff!
Rela S
This song was amazing when I first heard it, when I heard it in concert, and even now years later, it still makes an impact on me. 😄
Talon Diwisch
There needs to be more songs like these on Christian radio. Even today. Seems like so much uniqueness is gone from it, unlike how it used to be.
Beauty
Gospel Classic. I was a teenager last I heard this, and now I'm in my late 20s.still bumping this.
Katie Gds
This music video scared me when I was little, I have no idea why. I was only 8 years old, that was like 5 years ago so whatever ^-^ I love her outfits! and I love this song too."That He loves you, enough to give His life" is amazing!! I love this..It really speaks out about God and how He loves us so much. It really makes me impatient to get to Heaven but I still have to wait to help other friends and to share the joy us Christians have! I can't wait though! :D <3 Thank you for the upload!!
K Joy
she is SO underrated!!!!!!!!! I love you Rebecca!!!!!
ThisIsJordanKay
She is the coolest. And she was ahead of the game with EDM in Christian music.
Julie
It's great to be a Christian and to enjoy lovely words with a great beat and modern touch. God Bless everyone!
irhjma30000
I'm so thankful to our amazing God for beautiful Rebecca and her wonderful music!
hepzirose 2407
I was a teenager when I first heard this song. I loved this song so much back then and still love it.