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.
Stand
Rebecca St. James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There is a time for all purposes
under the sun
There's a time for laughter
There's a time to let go
And a time to hold on
So we are here, but why are we waiting
The time has arrived
For us to rise
Joining our hands united together
This is our time to be strong
This is our time to rise up
To stand and be counted
This is our time to believe
To know in our God we are free
Let the world know to Him we belong
Lord capture our hearts now
Drown out the pleasures
and treasures that bind us
Give us Your courage
To be strong, to be brave
And to never back down
There's no time to lose
We can't be silent
In a world that is dying to find out the truth
We've got the hope
We've got the answer
Let's lay down our all
With reckless abandon
Rebecca St. James’s song “Stand” is a call to action and encourages listeners to take a stand for their beliefs. The lyrics of the song suggest that there is a time for everything under the sun, a time for healing, a time for laughter, a time to let go, and a time to hold on. The song emphasizes that the time has arrived for us to rise up, unite our hands together, and stand and be counted. It is a time for us to be strong and believe in our God, who gives us freedom. The song urges us to be brave, never back down, and never lose sight of who we are and what we stand for.
In the song, Rebecca St. James encourages listeners to let go of the pleasures and treasures that bind us and to have the courage to rise up and face the challenges ahead. She challenges us to be fearless and to never be silent in a world that desperately needs to hear the truth. She reminds us that we have the hope and the answer that the world is looking for and that we need to lay down everything with reckless abandon to fulfill our purpose.
One interesting fact about the song is that it was co-written by Rebecca St. James and Matt Bronleewe. Matt is also known for his work with other Christian artists, including Michael W. Smith and Natalie Grant. Another interesting fact is that the album “If I Had One Chance to Tell You Something,” on which the song appears, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a time for healing
Sometimes we find ourselves in situations that require healing and restoration.
There is a time for all purposes under the sun
Throughout life, we experience various ups and downs, but they all serve a purpose and happen for a reason.
There's a time for laughter
Amidst difficult times, there is always room for joy and laughter.
There's a time to let go
There comes a point where we need to let go of things that are holding us back or causing pain.
And a time to hold on
Conversely, there are times it is necessary to hold on to what we believe in and fight for what is right.
So we are here, but why are we waiting
We are present in this moment, but why are we hesitating to take action?
We are acting like dead men walking
We are going through life without purpose or drive, walking aimlessly like zombies.
The time has arrived
It is now the right moment to seize an opportunity or take action.
For us to rise
We need to step up and rise to the occasion.
Joining our hands united together
We need to come together in unity and solidarity to achieve a common goal.
This is our time to be strong
Now is our moment to be courageous and resilient.
This is our time to rise up
We have an important opportunity to take a stand and rise to the challenge.
To stand and be counted
We need to take action and make our voices heard, so we can be recognized for our efforts.
This is our time to believe
We must have faith in ourselves and what we stand for.
To know in our God we are free
We can find freedom and liberation in our faith and belief in God.
Let the world know to Him we belong
We need to spread the word that we are part of something greater, and God is guiding us in our endeavors.
Lord capture our hearts now
We pray for God to take over our hearts and redirect our focus to Him and His plan.
Drown out the pleasures and treasures that bind us
We ask God to help us let go of things that distract us from what is really important.
Give us Your courage
We need God's strength and bravery to face difficult times.
To be strong, to be brave
We require inner strength and boldness to tackle obstacles head-on.
And to never back down
We should not let fear or adversity make us give up or quit.
There's no time to lose
We must act promptly as there is no time to waste.
We can't be silent
We need to stand up for what we believe in and not stay quiet in the face of injustice or adversity.
In a world that is dying to find out the truth
We live in a world where people are longing for answers and the knowledge of the truth.
We've got the hope
In our faith, we have hope for a better tomorrow and can share that hope with the world.
We've got the answer
Through our relationship with God, we have the answer to life's difficulties and can guide others in the right direction.
Let's lay down our all
We need to give everything we have and put our all into our efforts.
With reckless abandon
We should give our all without hesitation and with boldness.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: L. STOKES, M. JAMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind