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.
You're My God
Steve Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Unable to find meaning on earth
Yet through all of my days You were there
Though nature told of Your fame
Finally You spoke and called me by name
Now You're my end and beginning
Father of mercy to me
You will always be
Though You live in the light
You reach down through the dark of my night
You're my God
You will always be
With a word You erase all my guilt, then embrace me
And take me as Your very own
You're my God
How can I try to express
All that I feel, but I must confess
As Your wonder pours over my soul
You know every secret in me
Yet graciously clothe me in Your purity
Now I can soar in Your freedom
Safe in the arms of Your love
Sing songs to me
Play me the strains of Your love
The hope of Your cross makes me sing
In the first verse, the singer expresses his/her inner turmoil and inability to find meaning in life. The darkness in his/her soul is deep and pervasive, rendering him/her hopeless. However, despite the overwhelming darkness, the singer acknowledges that God has been a constant presence throughout his/her life. Even in the midst of the singer's despair, nature serves as a witness to the power and majesty of God. The second verse highlights the transformative power of God's spoken word. By calling the singer by name, God has given the singer a new identity and purpose. The singer now sees God as the beginning and end of everything in his/her life, a Father of mercy who has graciously extended love and salvation.
The chorus is a declaration of the singer's faith in God. Despite God's presence in the light, the singer recognizes God's ability to reach down into the darkest corners of his/her life and bring light and hope. The singer acknowledges God as the one who erases his/her guilt and offers the embrace of love, leading him/her towards freedom and soaring in His love. The final line of the chorus reflects the singer's trust in God as his/her ultimate source of security and acceptance.
Line by Line Meaning
My soul was in darkness from birth
Since my birth, I was lost and had no purpose in my life.
Unable to find meaning on earth
I was unable to discover my true identity and my purpose to exist on earth.
Yet through all of my days You were there
Despite me being unaware of You, You were always present in my life guiding me towards the truth.
Though nature told of Your fame
Your divine nature and extraordinary powers are evident in the beauty of the world around us.
Finally You spoke and called me by name
You revealed Yourself to me and called me by my name, making me realize my worth and purpose.
Now You're my end and beginning
You are the core of my existence and govern my life from the beginning till the end.
Father of mercy to me
You are a merciful father to me and forgive my sins, guiding me to stay on the right path.
You're my God
You will always be
Though You live in the light
You reach down through the dark of my night
You're my God
You will always be
You are my God forever, and you extend Your help to me even when I am in the darkest moments of my life. Nothing can ever change that.
With a word You erase all my guilt, then embrace me
And take me as Your very own
You're my God
You forgive all of my sins with the power of a single word, and then You hug me and consider me Yours. This is how much You love and care for me.
How can I try to express
All that I feel, but I must confess
As Your wonder pours over my soul
You know every secret in me
Yet graciously clothe me in Your purity
Now I can soar in Your freedom
Safe in the arms of Your love
I cannot fathom expressing the love and gratitude I have for You, and I confess my shortcomings. But Your amazing love touches my heart, and even though You know everything about me, You still bestow me with Your divine grace and purity. This has given me the liberty to soar high and free in regard to Your love and protection.
Sing songs to me
Play me the strains of Your love
The hope of Your cross makes me sing
I will sing praises to You, as Your love fills my heart with joy and happiness. I will always remember the power of Your cross and make me humbled and thankful.
Contributed by Landon O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.