Born Sherrie Veronica Krenn 28th August 1971 in Sydney, Australia, and usin… Read Full Bio ↴Born Sherrie Veronica Krenn 28th August 1971 in Sydney, Australia, and using her stage name Sherrie Austin, got her start in music opening for Johnny Cash in Australia at the age of 14. She later moved to the United States where she took up acting. She is most known in America for playing the role of Pippa McKenna on The Facts of Life in the late 1980s. In the 1990s, she started a singing career. In 1992 she teamed up with Phil Radford as a duo called Colorhaus and released one album, Water to the Soul. The album was unsuccessful and Austin made the decision to go to Nashville to follow her passion for country music. She originally signed to Arista Records where she released 2 albums, with the single "Never Been Kissed" as her highest charting single. In connection with the song, she released a lipstick called Austintatious, with the proceeds going to charity. After RCA acquired Arista Records, Austin's publishing company, Reynsong Publishing, formed Wrensong Entertainment and the independent label WE records, for the purpose of releasing her third solo album. She was later signed to Broken Bow Records where she released three singles, "Streets of Heaven", "Drivin' Into The Sun", and "Son of a Preacher Man"...the first a Top 20 hit. She's currently working on her 2nd album for Broken Bow Records and has a song on Tim McGraw's upcoming album. Her songs have been recorded by country artists such as Hal Ketchum, Dolly Parton, and Ronnie Milsap.

Skeeter Davis, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, k.d. lang and Loretta Lynn are among those who have influenced Austin.

Streets of Heaven
Sherrié Austin Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hello God, it's me again. 2:00 a.m., Room 304.
Visiting hours are over, time for our bedside tug of war.
This sleeping child between us may not make it through the night.
I'm fighting back the tears as she fights for her life.

Well, it must be kind of crowded,
On the streets of Heaven.
So tell me: what do you need her for?

Don't you know one day she'll be your little girl forever.
But right now I need her so much more.
She's much too young to be on her own:
Barely just turned seven.
So who will hold her hand when she crosses the streets of Heaven?

Tell me God, do you remember the wishes that she made,
As she blew out the candles on her last birthday cake?
She wants to ride a pony when she'd big enough.
She wants to marry her Daddy when she's all grown up.

Well, it must be kind of crowded,
On the streets of Heaven.
So tell me: what do you need her for?
Don't you know one day she'll be your little girl forever.
But right now I need her so much more.
She's much too young to be on her own:
Barely just turned seven.
So who will hold her hand when she crosses the streets of Heaven?

Lord, don't you know she's my angel
You got plenty of your own
And I know you hold a place for her
But she's already got a home
Well I don't know if you're listenin'
But praying is all that's left to do
So I ask you Lord have mercy, you lost a son once too

And it must be kind of crowded,
On the streets of Heaven.
So tell me: what do you need her for?
Don't you know one day she'll be your little girl forever.
But right now I need her so much more.
Lord, I know once you've made up your mind,
There's no use in beggin'.
So if you take her with you today, will you make sure she looks both ways,
And would you hold her hand when she crosses the streets of Heaven.

The streets of Heaven.

Overall Meaning

The song "Streets of Heaven" by Sherrié Austin is a heart-wrenching ballad that tells the story of a mother praying to God for her daughter's survival. The scene is set in Room 304 at 2am, and the mother requests a bedside tug of war with God as visiting hours are over. The child in the middle of this tug of war may not make it through the night, and the mother fights back her tears as she watches her child fight for her life. The pleading mother wants to know why God needs her child right now and wishes her daughter could stay with her a little longer. She fears her daughter is too young to be alone and asks who will hold her hand when she crosses the streets of heaven.

The mother then recalls the dreams and wishes her daughter made on her last birthday. She wanted to ride a pony and marry her dad when she is all grown up, innocent dreams that remind the mother of how fragile and precious life is. She insists that her daughter is her angel and asks God to show mercy by holding her hand if he takes her away to the streets of heaven. The mother knows that God holds a place for her daughter, but she is unable to imagine life without her.

Line by Line Meaning

Hello God, it's me again. 2:00 a.m., Room 304.
A mother is praying to God late at night in a hospital room.

Visiting hours are over, time for our bedside tug of war.
The mother has to leave the hospital soon, but she doesn't want to let go of her child.

This sleeping child between us may not make it through the night.
The mother's child is very sick and might not survive until the morning.

I'm fighting back the tears as she fights for her life.
The mother is trying to stay strong while her child is in a life-threatening situation.

Well, it must be kind of crowded, On the streets of Heaven.
The mother imagines Heaven as a busy and bustling place.

So tell me: what do you need her for? Don't you know one day she'll be your little girl forever. But right now I need her so much more.
The mother questions why God would take her child now instead of waiting until she is older. She wants to keep her child with her for a little longer.

She's much too young to be on her own: Barely just turned seven.
The child is only seven years old and still needs guidance and protection.

So who will hold her hand when she crosses the streets of Heaven?
The mother worries about who will take care of her child when she passes away and goes to Heaven.

Tell me God, do you remember the wishes that she made, As she blew out the candles on her last birthday cake? She wants to ride a pony when she'd big enough. She wants to marry her Daddy when she's all grown up.
The mother remembers her child's birthday wishes and dreams for the future, which now might not come true.

Lord, don't you know she's my angel. You got plenty of your own. And I know you hold a place for her. But she's already got a home.
The mother tries to remind God that her child is already loved and cared for, even though she is sick.

Well I don't know if you're listenin'. But praying is all that's left to do. So I ask you Lord have mercy, you lost a son once too
The mother feels helpless and can only pray for her child's recovery. She asks God to have mercy, reminding him that he lost a son as well.

Lord, I know once you've made up your mind, There's no use in beggin'. So if you take her with you today, will you make sure she looks both ways, And would you hold her hand when she crosses the streets of Heaven.
The mother knows that God's will cannot be changed, but she asks for one last favor if her child passes away: to make sure she is safe and protected on her journey to Heaven.

The streets of Heaven.
The song ends with a peaceful repetition of the title, reminding us of the mother's hope that her child will find peace in the afterlife.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SHERRIE AUSTIN, PAUL DUNCAN, AL KASHA

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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