Career
Green was born in Portland, Oregon to missionary parents, Charles and Jo Green. He is one of six siblings who spent much of his early life in Argentina. He studied Music at Grand Canyon University, graduating in 1976. He originally broke into Christian music with the Mobile, Alabama based youth worship group Truth. He also sang backup vocals and played bass with Sandi Patti, White Heart and the Gaither Vocal Band. In 1982, he joined the Christian rock band White Heart as a vocalist. But a difference in ministry vision accompanied by a confrontation with his brother, Randy, led to a spiritual renewal in Steve's life in 1983. He signed a solo contract with Sparrow Records, and his self-titled debut album appeared in 1984. In the same year, he established Steve Green Ministries.
His break out year came in 1985 with the release of He Holds The Keys. The album garnered Green a nomination and win as Male Vocalist of the Year in the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) category. The following year, 1986, saw the release of two recordings, "For God And God Alone," and a high church style worship album entitled "A Mighty Fortress." The following year saw the release of his first Christmas recording, "Joy To The World." In early 1988, he released an album dedicated to his parents called "Find Us Faithful." As the 1980s came to an end, many of Green's songs became recognized standards including "People Need The Lord" and "Broken And Spilled Out." He was often considered the male version of Sandi Patti, using many of the same songwriters and styles as well as the traditional ending the song on a (literal) high note. Green also contributed background vocals to Patti's 1986 hit, "Let There Be Praise."
Green was one of the first artists to be involved with Promise Keepers, performing at their inaugural event at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado in July 1993 before 50,000 men. His song "Answer The Call" was inspired by the event and another song, "O Men of God Arise," embodies the Promise Keeper mentality.
Green recorded "The Mission" in 1989 and continued his success with "We Believe" in 1991. As the early 1990s direction of Christian music changed to a more rock oriented format, Green returned to traditional roots by releasing an album of hymns in 1992. Yet Green switched styles in 1994 on his "Where Mercy Begins" album. He also received the first of two career boosts due to outside events.
On September 9, 1994, a US Air jet crashed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, killing all aboard. One passenger was an up and coming Christian singer named Kirk Lynn. Lynn has just recorded Green's song "As We Sail To Heaven's Shore" from the 1988 "Find Us Faithful" album. Only a rough cut played at the memorial service for the passengers, grieving family members were told where to find the original song by Green, which boosted album sales for the older recording.
Green's style change continued on his 1996 recording, "The Letter." He was also instrumental in attempting to set up an accountability group for Christian artists following the adultery scandals of Michael English, Marabeth Jordan, and Sandi Patty as well as the Mike Warnke debacle. He was helped in this endeavor by Steve Camp, Wes King, and Michael W. Smith. That year also saw the release of his second Christmas album, "The First Noel."
Green changed focus again in 1998 by declaring he would only record songs that honor the Lord - songs that he could be satisfied with should it be his last recording. That year saw the release of "The Faithful" and 2000 saw the release of a devotional song album entitled "Morning Light." Two years later Green released "Woven In Time" and again found himself receiving a career boost.
Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster
Green was a personal friend of Space Shuttle Columbia commander Rick Husband, who was killed along with six others in the February 2003 disintegration during reentry. Green was interviewed by CNN and his song "God Of Wonders" got a boost from the unexpected publicity. He released another album in 2005.
Green's sister is married to Dr. Mark Bailey, president of the evangelical Dallas Theological Seminary, and he helped the seminary celebrate its eightieth anniversary in April 2004. He has also written a thirty day devotional titled, "The Power of the Cross" and has recorded numerous children's videos and songs.
His bilingual abilities have seen the release of two Spanish CDs in the United States.
He is married to Marijean Green, who has testified to her own struggle with bulimia and they have two children, Summer (b. 1984) and Josiah (b. 1986).
Green has expanded his musical ministry to include videos and James Dobson's Focus on the Family.
Praise To The King
Steve Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Praise to the King of kings
For He alone is grand and glorious
Praise to the Lord of lords
For He alone will reign victorious
Praise to the King of our salvation
Praise to the Lord of righteousness
Glorify Him and praise His holy name
Praise to the King of kings
For He is crowned with truth and righteousness
Praise to the Lord of lords
For He is clothed with joy and faithfulness
Praise to the Lord for He is glorious
Calling His children to the throne
Praise to the Lord our God victorious
Coming again to glorify His own
Gloria, gloria in Excelsis Deo
Gloria, gloria in Excelsis Deo
We will worship You, O Lord
For You alone are glorious
We will worship You, O Lord
In power of love You’ve given us
You O God are true and worthy
We will glorify Your name
Fill us with Your Spirit holy
In the love and power of Jesus’ name
The lyrics of the song Praise to the King by Steve Green are an expression of adoration and reverence to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The chorus declares the Majesty and Excellency of our God, stating that He alone is grand, victorious and worthy to be praised. The repetition of these verses reinforces the message being conveyed, that our God is the highest of Kings and Lords, the King of salvation, righteousness, and new creation. The second verse asserts a similar message highlighting that God is crowned with truth and righteousness and clothed with joy and faithfulness.
The song is a call to worship God, recognizing His sovereignty, power, and goodness. The desire is to glorify Him and lift up His holy name continually, recognizing that all honor is due to Him alone. The bridge, “Gloria, gloria in Excelsis Deo,” is a Latin hymn that means “Glory to God in the highest.” The use of a Latin phrase emphasizes the universality of the song, echoing the worship of the saints and angels in Heaven. The final stanza of the song reinforces the idea that it is only through the Holy Spirit that we are able to render true worship to God in love and power.
Line by Line Meaning
Praise to the King of kings
Let us honor the highest authority, who has supreme power and reign over all things.
For He alone is grand and glorious
Because only He possesses magnificence and splendor that surpass all others.
Praise to the Lord of lords
Let us recognize the ruler whose authority surpasses all other leaders.
For He alone will reign victorious
Because only He has the power to conquer and achieve lasting success.
Praise to the King of our salvation
Let us celebrate the one who rescues and saves us from danger or harm.
Praise to the Lord of righteousness
Let us acknowledge the one who always acts in accordance with what is morally right and just.
Praise to the God of new creation
Let us exalt the creator who has brought forth new life or restored life in us.
Glorify Him and praise His holy name
Let us honor, magnify and express our admiration and love for Him.
For He is crowned with truth and righteousness
Because He is adorned with honesty and moral virtue and always does what is just and right.
For He is clothed with joy and faithfulness
Because He is adorned with gladness and the quality of being loyal and steadfast.
Praise to the Lord for He is glorious
Let us exalt the one who is magnificent and esteemed in His character, achievements and splendor.
Calling His children to the throne
He is summoning His offspring to come closer and closer to His rightful place of authority.
Praise to the Lord our God victorious
Let us honor the ruler who is always triumphant and emerges as the winner or champion.
Coming again to glorify His own
He shall arrive once again to enhance the greatness and splendor of those who belong to Him.
Gloria, gloria in Excelsis Deo
A declaration of glorifying and praising God in the highest heaven.
We will worship You, O Lord
We will kneel and revere You, oh Ruler.
For You alone are glorious
Because only You are magnificent and worthy of praise.
In power of love You’ve given us
Through the might of His devotion, He has bestowed upon us strength and love.
You O God are true and worthy
You are truthful and deserving of attention and praise.
We will glorify Your name
We will exalt Your name by acknowledging Your greatness and praising Your qualities.
Fill us with Your Spirit holy
We pray to be drenched with His Holiness and be transformed by the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
In the love and power of Jesus’ name
Through believing in and living by the love and power of Jesus Christ.
Contributed by Ella F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.