Th… Read Full Bio ↴ZOEgirl was a very successful Christian pop rock band from 2000-2006.
The group was started with the three ladies: Alisa Noelle Girard, Chrissy Conway and Kristin Swinford. The three have each gotten married since then and go by the following names: Alisa Childers, Kristin Schweain, Chrissy Conway-Katina.
With more than 1 million albums sold worldwide and an impressive track record that heralds them as the fastest-selling debut artist in the 26-year history of Sparrow Records, ZOEgirl has managed to create a success story that continues to get bigger and bigger with the release of each new album. Performances at venues like New York's Madison Square Garden, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Walt Disney World have helped ZOEgirl become one of the top female pop groups in Christian musica platform upon which Chrissy Conway, Alisa Girard and Kristin Swinford keep building brick by brick. ZOEgirl exploded onto the scene in 2000 with the group's self-titled debut (ZOEgirl), scoring four Top 5 radio hits. They followed with a sophomore album, Life, which continued to propel the girls' blossoming career. Those first two projects placed ZOEgirl in front of hundreds of thousands of fans on stage with artists such as Newsboys, Plus One, Avalon and Carman. Following the late 2003 release of their last album, Different Kind Of FREE, ZOEgirl hit the ground running as a featured artist on the 25-city Shoutfest tour before heading out on their first headlining tour in early 2004.
The FREE Experience tour, which also featured Superchick, Joy Williams and Focus on the Family speaker Susie Shellenberger, was a huge success with audiences across the country. The FREE Experience tour saw sell-out attendances in many markets during a year when the touring industry was taking a hard hit. Now, with Room To Breathe, their first new album in over a year, ZOEgirl is moving forward with some of the most compelling music of their career. Produced by Mark Heimermann, Double Dutch (Robert Marvin), Josiah Bell, Shawn Shankel, Tedd T and Dan Muckala, Room To Breathe encompasses ZOEgirl's growth as singers, songwriters, artists and women. "I think with each album we've been able to integrate more and more of who we are," Alisa says. "We've really seen a need and have been trying to fill that void for young girls to have a different option when it comes to pop music, and we've done it without trying to fit into any kind of mold or demographic. I think we've just really focused in on who our listeners are and what they want to hear." As every recording artist knows, longevity does not come easily in a fast-paced music industry that is constantly chasing the next big trend. But ZOEgirl's biggest accomplishment is their unending ability to connect with their fans around the world. "Our audience is constantly expanding," says Chrissy. "We've got younger girls, teenagers (including boys!), and parents coming to all of our shows and they are having a great time.
We've had some great conversations with them and we really love getting their feedback."
That feedback whether it comes through letters, after-show meetings or one-on-one time spent with young girls on recent mission trips translates into some of the real life moments Chrissy, Alisa and Kristin write about on their albums. Room To Breathe captures those poignant moments that come straight from the heart. Filled with soaring harmonies and brimming with a personal style that is quintessentially their own, the CD's tracks include the album's first radio single, About You, an up-tempo pop melody about learning to take the focus off yourself and make it all about God. Dead Serious, the track ZOEgirl calls the most fun song on the album, is a tribute to "all of those kids who really are standing up for what they believe, even though it's not always the most popular thing to do", Kristin explains. The album's title is pulled from a song called The Way You Love Me, written by Chrissy and songwriter Lynn Nichols. "This song talks about how it's so unfathomable to realize how much God loves us despite what we do every day", Chrissy explains. "We can't ever fully grasp how he could love us so much that he died for us. The lyrics say, You gave me room to breathe, a place to get away. I'm standing in your presence with a debt I can't repay".
One of the album's most honest and affecting songs is Scream, a lyric and music written by Alisa and inspired in part by some painfully revealing stories told by girls the group met on the road and while on a mission trip. "There are girls out there who admit to all kinds of self-destructive behaviors like eating disorders, drug abuse, drinking and cutting themselves out of a desperate need to numb the pain and cry out for help," Alisa shares. Does anybody know how I feel? Sometimes I'm numb; sometimes I'm overcome...Do I have to scream for you to hear me? Do I have to bleed for you to see me? Because I grieve and you're not listening to me. The song was a shower of emotions for Alisa, who was jointly inspired by hearing the deep hurts shared by the girls she'd met, and in honestly grieving her own personal pain and dealing with depression. "It took me two hours to write the whole song, and it was as if in that two hours I went through the pain of it and the healing of it. It was as if God just poured it out of me. It was so powerful." Having traveled on summer mission trips for the past two years, Chrissy, Alisa and Kristin have gained a renewed passion and vision to reach the world. As part of that effort, they have launched ZOEgirl Missions, a way to partner with their listeners in reaching out to areas in need. The first official ZOEgirl Missions trip took place last summer in Quito, Ecuador. Partnering with Big World Ventures, ZOEgirl took a missions group to visit retirement homes, play with children in orphanages, perform drama and music, and participate in various work and building projects for churches in Quito. This July, ZOEgirl is planning a second trip to Ecuador, partnering again with Big World Ventures, and taking various teams with specific gifts. Chrissy, Alisa and Kristin will bring with them construction teams, music and worship teams, and teams that will visit nursing homes and orphanages. They will spend time with the residents, nurturing and serving them with whatever they need, whether it's a haircut, a hug, or someone to sit with them and hold their hand. It's ZOEgirl's hope that they will touch those who experience so little human touch. "If we hadn't done these trips we wouldn't be the group we are now," says Alisa. "The girls who have gone on these trips have inspired more songs than they know." "These trips have really opened my eyes to the world,"
Chrissy adds. "It has given me a new appreciation for life and has taught me so much in the process." Glancing back, in the rear-view mirror of their career, it's the relationships they build, the lives they touch and the impact they make for Christ that fuels this trio of women more than anything else. "At the end of the day, in 20 years, I want to get a letter that says, I gave my heart to Jesus at a ZOEgirl concert,'" Alisa says. "To me, that's success. It's great to sell albums and win awards, but we aren't truly successful if we aren't leading people to heaven. That's eternal." Chrissy adds, "If we were remembered for anything else it wouldn't seem like we had fulfilled what we know God has called us to do."
ZOEgirl after 2006:
After Chrissy Conway's 2005 marriage to one of the Katinas, she now goes by Chrissy Conway-Katina.
When ZOEgirl announced their disbandment in 2006, Kristin took some time off but in spring of 2007, started working on solo material. Her tentative solo album was set to release on March 1, 2008 but in March 2008 announced that on her official MySpace that she will no longer release a solo album in favor of forming a new musical group ColmanBlue. As of May 2008, the group consists of Kelli Trontell and herself. Chrissy was interviewed by Amy Hagberg in April 2008: The hour long interview can be heard here.
Last Real Love
ZOEgirl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and you'll liable to find
voices, choices meant to open your mind
So be careful ('cause any thing goes)
In the wake of the date
Our faith is at Stake
it won't stop 'til its all been taken away
You gotta becareful what you follow
Chorus:
Where can I go?
Who can I trust?
'cause I'm tangled between what's real and what's dust
but I'm holding fast tryin to save the last
The last real love
Oh it's hard to tell the truth and the lies
when I'm doubting and I'm tired of trying
But I've taken my stand I'll defend the last
Real love
Last real love
A millenium haze, cultural phase,
it's a dissasociated, medicated daze
You gotta be careful (coz everything is relative)
But if we go with the flow
If we forget what we know
We only end up dried up dying slowly
That's why you gotta be careful what you follow
Chorus:
Where can I go?
Who can I trust?
Coz I'm tangled between what's real and what's dust
but I'm holding fast tryin to save the last
The last real love
Oh it's hard to tell the truth and the lies
when I'm doubting inside and I'm tired of trying
But I've taken my stand I'll defend the last
Real love
Last real love
Someone has to right the wrong
Someone has to help us coz we're not that far gone
Help us coz we're not that far gone
We still have the last real love
Chorus:
Where can I go?
Who can I trust?
Coz I'm tangled between what's real and what's dust
but I'm holding best tryin to save the last
The last real love
Oh it's hard to tell the truth and the lies
when I'm doubting inside and I'm tired of trying
But I've taken my stand I'll defend the last
Real love
Last real love
Where can i go? Who can I trust?
Where can i go? Who can I trust?
Tangled between what's real and whats dust
Tangled between what's real and whats dust
I'ts hard to tell the truth and the lies
I'ts hard to tell the truth and the lies
Taken my stand I'l defend the last
Real love
Real love
Last real love
Real love
Last real love
The lyrics of "Last Real Love" by ZOEgirl addresses the confusion and disillusionment that people may face in a world where there seems to be very little truth and honesty. The song highlights the need to be cautious about what one believes in, and to not blindly follow what others are doing. It encourages people to look for genuine love, and to hold fast to it, no matter the challenges they may face in the process. The song acknowledges that it can be difficult to distinguish between truth and lies, but that one must take a stand for what they believe in and defend it.
The song also comments on the current state of society, where there is a "millennium haze," a sort of detachment from reality that has been fueled by the use of medication and societal pressure to conform. The lyrics urge listeners to be careful of what they follow, as everything today appears to be relative.
Overall, "Last Real Love" is a call for people to be discerning in their beliefs, to search for genuine love, and to stand up for what they believe in even when it is difficult to do so.
Line by Line Meaning
Take a look Read a book
Educate yourself by exploring voices and choices that can broaden your perspective
and you'll liable to find
This exploration can lead to discovering important truths
voices, choices meant to open your mind
These voices and choices can open the mind and help understand different perspectives.
So be careful ('cause any thing goes)
However, one must be cautious and discerning in the information consumed.
In the wake of the date
As time moves forward
Our faith is at Stake
Our beliefs are at risk
it won't stop 'til its all been taken away
If we do not protect our beliefs and knowledge, they may be lost entirely.
You gotta becareful what you follow
Therefore, we must be careful what we place our trust in.
Where can I go?
The singer questions where she can turn to for true guidance.
Who can I trust?
She also questions who she can trust to lead her in the right direction.
'cause I'm tangled between what's real and what's dust
She feels caught between what is true and what is fleeting.
but I'm holding fast tryin to save the last
However, she hangs on tightly, trying to preserve the last
The last real love
remaining example of true love to hold on to.
Oh it's hard to tell the truth and the lies
It's difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood.
when I'm doubting and I'm tired of trying
Especially when doubt and weariness are present.
But I've taken my stand I'll defend the last
Despite these challenges, the singer affirms her position to defend the last
Real love
example of true love and hold onto it relentlessly.
A millenium haze, cultural phase,
The singer refers to the current social climate and its ambiguity.
it's a dissasociated, medicated daze
The culture can feel detached and desensitized, and many may look to medications as a solution.
You gotta be careful (coz everything is relative)
It's important to be discerning because everything is subject to interpretation.
But if we go with the flow
If we simply follow the current
If we forget what we know
And forget what we've learned
We only end up dried up dying slowly
We risk becoming stagnant and dying a slow death without growth or progress.
That's why you gotta be careful what you follow
Therefore, we must be especially discerning in what we choose to accept as true.
Someone has to right the wrong
The singer recognizes the need for someone to bring about change.
Someone has to help us coz we're not that far gone
However, she reassures us that it's not too late and that help is available.
Help us coz we're not that far gone
We need this help to become the best versions of ourselves.
Where can i go? Who can I trust?
She repeats her questions about where to turn for guidance and whom to trust.
Tangled between what's real and whats dust
She still feels caught between what is true and what is fleeting.
Taken my stand I'l defend the last
Nonetheless, she remains committed to her position
Real love
to defend and preserve the last remaining example of true love.
Last real love
Thus she repeats the song's title, bringing the message full circle.
Contributed by Kaelyn T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.