Lyrically the album is teeming with the substantive lyrics that have made Chapman the most awarded artist in Christian music with 57 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, five GRAMMYs, 47 No. 1 singles and approaching 11 million albums sold. Musically there’s a sense of adventure that reflects Chapman’s ongoing willingness to experiment and leap out of his comfort zone. He’s never taken the gift of music for granted and approaches each new project both excited and humbled by the possibilities.
“I’m very, very grateful to be given the opportunity to make music and share the things that I feel like God has entrusted to me,” Chapman says. “I don’t take it lightly. I pray: ‘God, I want to know You and I want to make You known.’ God has continued faithfully to reveal Himself through dark places and reveal His mysteriousness. I get the sense that He’s telling an amazing story. He’s not confused. He’s not biting his nails worrying if the plan is going to turn out okay the way I do. He’s fully confident of His plans and He’s in control. That’s been something that I’ve held onto.”
The Glorious Unfolding is Chapman’s 18th album and his first studio album of all-original material in seven years. However, now, more than ever he felt it was time to express these steadfast messages of faithfulness, while successfully blending his trademark sound with musical creativity. “Musically, I really wanted to find those ways to make something that felt very honest and true, and yet very fresh and relevant,” Chapman says. “I felt like this had to be a little bit more exciting and energetic and I was ready to crank it up. It felt like this is the time to do that and celebrate. With this music, you will hopefully hear that and get a sense of the excitement and joy in this record.”
The album’s lead single, “Love Take Me Over,” is an exuberant anthem with an infectious melody that inspires listeners and gives the instant urge to hit repeat. “Even though it’s in the guise of a very fun, up-tempo sing-along-at-the-top-of-your-lungs song, it’s a message and a lesson that I have continued to be in the process of learning,” Chapman says of the song. “I need to be filled with love so that I can be loving in the way I respond. I’m still learning that the only way I want to love others well in my life is when I come to terms daily, sometimes hourly, sometimes in 15 minute increments, with the fact that I am loved fully and completely, not as I should be, but as I am. That drives me, then, to a place of living a life of love for others when I realize that I am loved first. We love because He first loved us.”
One of the many highlights from the album is “Together,” a beautiful song that Chapman wrote for his wife Mary Beth. “In October, we celebrate our 29th anniversary,” he says, acknowledging that the past five years, since their youngest daughter (Maria Sue) was killed in a tragic accident, have been especially trying. “Statistics show that 90% of marriages don’t survive the loss of a child. The fact that we are together celebrating 29 years of marriage is a testimony to God’s faithfulness and God’s grace.”
Chapman delayed playing this song for Mary Beth until it was completely finished, recorded and mixed. “I sat her down and played this for her as we held hands and wept together through this celebration of God’s faithfulness,” he adds, “I’m really hopeful that this song will encourage and minister to people in a deep way.”
The Glorious Unfolding also includes a special song, “Only One and Only You,” written to encourage his daughter Shaohannah. “She’s 13, which tells you a lot of what you need to know about her,” he says with a grin. “It’s that wonderful, incredibly awful time to try to be a young lady in this world and culture. I’m just very, very proud of her and I wanted to just write a song to tell her how amazing she is.”
Other standout tracks include “Something Beautiful,” an up-tempo, forward-thinking song about the unfolding and promises of God, and watching Him turn broken things in life into something good as He’s promised. “Take Another Step,” is another high-energy declaration that talks of taking those steps of faith in times of uncertainty, when the road ahead is completely dark, whether it be good or bad, and fully trusting what God has in store.
Whether encouraging those he’s closest to in this world to see themselves as God sees them or inviting an arena full of fans to sing along in celebration of God’s faithfulness, Chapman has spent his life creating music that makes a difference. The Glorious Unfolding continues that impressive legacy. In listening to the project, it feels like a landmark album, being musically inventive, yet bursting with truth, integrity and emotional gravitas in much the same way as The Great Adventure did when that ground-breaking album released in 1992.
The latest album installment is his second record since signing with Provident Music Group in 2012. His label debut, JOY, served up holiday classics alongside his engaging original tunes. It became the latest entry in the Paducah, Kentucky native’s beloved Christmas catalog and provided Chapman and co-producer Brent Milligan a chance to explore different sounds in the studio. On The Glorious Unfolding, Chapman and Milligan reveled in the chance to experiment further to provide a fresh framework for these new songs, utilizing different textures and techniques to expand on Chapman’s signature sound.
Recorded at Chapman’s home studio, he enlisted son Will Franklin to play drums on six tracks on the album and also engaged other musical pals such as Delirious? alum Stu G on guitar and acclaimed fiddler Andy Leftwich, a member of Ricky Skaggs’ band, Kentucky Thunder, and a key creative force in the making of Chapman's Cracker Barrel release, Deep Roots. On “Sound of Your Voice,” Chapman recruited surprise guests, wife Mary Beth, daughters Emily and Stevey Joy and daughters-in-law Julia Chapman and Jillian Edwards Chapman to sing background vocals.
Recording The Glorious Unfolding was a labor of love for Chapman, helping him give voice to his own joys and challenges and he’s hopeful it will do the same for others. “The theme was this idea that God will complete the story and in fact, He already has completed it and knows the ending,” Chapman says. “Yet a part of the mystery is that He is revealing it in our lives and it’s this unfolding, incredible tale of His love for us. This album gave me a chance to tell that, to celebrate loss and hope and new life. For all of that, I’m really grateful. It really is my hope that people will hear the sound of God’s voice whispering to them: ‘I know the plans I have for you. Will you trust me? Will you trust me through the hard seasons and through the good seasons? The story is good. Will you trust me and watch it unfold?’”
Beginning in September 2014 until April 2015, Chapman revitalized the well-known concert series "Sam's Place: Music for the Spirit" concert series. The series was once a month and was held at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville with featured performances by the likes of MercyMe, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith and Third Day.
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Steven Curtis Chapman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Their old familiar carols play
And wild and sweet the words repeat,
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
I thought how as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had roll'd along th' unbroken song
Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
In despair I bow'd my head,
There is no peace on earth, I said,
For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Yeah yeah
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep,
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep,
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.
Peace on earth, good will to men.
Peace on earth, good will to men.
Good will to men.
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Peace on earth, good will to men.
The song, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" is a representation of Steven Curtis Chapman's hope and his belief in God's salvation. Amidst the joyful ringing of bells on a Christmas morning, the singer contemplates about the universal message of peace and rejoices in the hope that God brings. He recalls that the same bells which had rung for the celebration of Christmas had also tolled in sorrow for war and despair. He had initially felt dispirited when he realized that the hate, violence, and sadness in the world is a hindrance to the message of peace. But then he hears the deeper meaning of the bell's sound, and claims that God is still alive and is watching. He continues to say that the lies will be exposed, and the truth will reign that will result in lasting peace.
The song was written in 1863, during the Civil War, and has since become a favorite Christmas anthem for many. Feltenburg states that the author, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, was moved towards despair due to various personal tragedies, including the death of his wife, Fanny, during a fire accident. The difficult times of the war had made him realize the pain of existence, and deeply doubted if peace on earth would ever be possible. Thus, he used the poem we now know as the song to put his feelings into words, and draw attention to the terrible conditions in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard the bells on Christmas day
I heard the sound of the bells that ring on the day of Christmas.
Their old familiar carols play
The bells sang the same songs that are always sung on Christmas day, which were familiar to me.
And wild and sweet the words repeat,
The words of the songs were both crazy and pleasant, and they were repeated multiple times.
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
The lyrics of the carol were about peace on earth and good will towards men.
I thought how as the day had come,
I considered that as the day of Christmas had arrived,
The belfries of all Christendom
The bell towers in all Christian churches
Had roll'd along th' unbroken song
Were singing an unchanging song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
The song was about peace on earth and good will towards men.
Till ringing, singing on its way
Until the sound of the bells, along with the singing,
The world revolved from night to day,
The world changed from being dark to bright,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
The sound of the bells and the singing was beautiful and inspiring,
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
The song was about peace on earth and good will towards men.
In despair I bow'd my head,
Feeling hopeless, I lowered my head,
There is no peace on earth, I said,
I declared aloud that there was no peace on earth,
For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Because hate is powerful and makes a joke of the song,
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
Which is about peace on earth and good will towards men.
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep,
The bells then rang louder and deeper than before,
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep,
A declaration that God is not dead and is always active,
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
The forces of evil will be defeated and the forces of good will win,
With peace on earth, good will to men.
And there will eventually be peace on earth and good will towards men.
Peace on earth, good will to men.
A repeated declaration that there will be peace on earth and good will towards men.
Peace on earth, good will to men.
Another repeated declaration of the same message, emphasizing its importance.
Good will to men.
A final declaration that there will be good will towards men.
I heard the bells on Christmas day
The song concludes with a restatement of the bells ringing on Christmas day.
Peace on earth, good will to men.
And a final restatement of the message of the song.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHNNY R. CASH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind