Steven Curtis Chapman was born in Paducah, Kentucky on
November 21, 1962. His debut album was
1987’s FIRST HAND. Over the next several
years he became known for such songs as: ‘His Strength is Perfect’, ‘I Will Be
Here’, ‘For the Sake of the Call’, and ‘The Great Adventure’. In 1996 he released SIGNS OF LIFE
(Sparrow). The album was produced by
Brown Bannister and Steven, and was executive produced by Peter York and Dan
Raines. It won the Dove Award for
‘Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year’. In
the liner notes, Steven writes: “To the Lord of this dance called life, thank
You for giving the music for the dance and bringing purpose to every step. May this recording bring honor and glory to
the God by whom and for whom it was ultimately created”.
Steven co-wrote the first song ‘Lord of the Dance’ with
Scotty Smith. It is a rootsy pop song
featuring Stuart Duncan on the fiddle.
It makes it clear it is God who gives meaning to our lives: “I am the
heart, He is the heartbeat/I am the eyes, He is the sight/And I see clearly, I
am just a body, He is the life/I move my feet, I go through the motions/But He
gives purpose to chance/I am the dancer/He is the Lord of the dance”. ‘Children of the Burning Heart’ finds Steven playing
slide acoustic guitar among other things.
This one encourages us to be fully alive spiritually: “So let us throw
back our heads and run with the passion/Through the fields of forgiveness and
grace/We carry the eternal flame/With an undying hope and a blazing
conviction/Of a truth that will never fade/We are glowing in the dark/Children
of the burning heart”.
The title track, ‘Signs of Life’, is one of nine songs
Steven wrote alone. Steven plays an
electric guitar solo on this adult pop song.
Here are some of the words: “These are the signs, these are the signs of
life/The love that proves there is a living faith inside/These are the signs,
these are the signs of life/The compassion and concern that’s gonna make this
world keep turning/These are the signs of life/A love that’s flowing from the
heart/Where the grace of God has left its mark”. ‘The Walk’ is a marvelous rootsy song of
reflection on which Steven plays the mandolin: “There’s a man I know/He said
He’d come to show us the way/He died on a cross and He rose from the grave/And
proved He was more than talk/He taught us the walk.../Am I doing the walk?”
The next song, ‘Let Us Pray’, won a Dove Award for
‘Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year’.
It’s a song of encouragement: “Let us pray, let us pray, everywhere in
every way/Every moment of the day, it is the right time/For the Father above,
He is listening with love/And He wants to answer us, so let us pray”. ‘Free’ is an adult contemporary song that
makes use of The Nashville String Machine and runs over six minutes long. Of it, Steven writes: “This song was inspired
by the lives of free men and women I’ve encountered behind prison bars in my
work with Prison Fellowship”.
Leland Sklar plays bass on ‘Only Natural’. These opening words remind me of Paul’s
writings: “Mirror, mirror on the wall/Who’s the biggest fool of all?/You don’t
have to answer me/Cause when I look at you I see/A prisoner set free from his
chains/Acting like he’s still a slave/To the prison he’s been set free from/You
may say it’s only natural for me to act this way/Well, I know, it’s only
natural/But I have not been made only
natural, only natural/I’ve got the Spirit of the living God alive in
me/Giving me power so I don’t have to be/Only natural, only natural”. ‘Rubber Meets the Road’ is a great rock track,
inspiring Christians to stop being spectators: “I’ve got a Bible on the
table/I’ve got five more on my shelf/I’ve got a head half full of knowledge far
from what I’d call a wealth/But I know what I do know, better yet I know who
knows me/And He’s given us directions and he’s throwing us the keys/Sayin’
‘Fire up your engines, come on let’s go/This is where the rubber meets the
road/It’s time to put in motion everything you know/This is where the rubber
meets the road’”.
‘Celebrate You’ is an easy listening love song: “So, tell me
what you think, and tell me what you feel/I want to hear the thunder I’m so
quick to steal/Listen to the dreams you’re dreaming and celebrate you/Let me
show you what a treasure you are/A priceless gift from heaven to this thankful heart/I
want to take this lifetime to celebrate you/I want to celebrate you”. Shane Keister plays piano on the beautiful
‘What I Would Say’, a song directed to Steven’s grandfather: “I’d love to tell
you how the lovely girl you married/She’s been my hero and a treasure to us
all/I know you’d be proud of the way your name’s been carried/These are things
I would love to tell you if I could/And I would say I wish I could have known
you”.
Good friend Geoff Moore co-wrote the pop song ‘Land of
Opportunity’. I love these lyrics: “This
is a world full of options/It’s like a never ending buffet line/While all that
I’m really needing/Is living water and the bread of life.../Seek ye first the
kingdom of God (2X)”. James Isaac Elliot
co-wrote the closing ballad ‘Hold On To Jesus’.
It’s about spiritual commitment: “The doubts and questions are rising
with the tide/So I’m clinging to the one sure thing I know/I will hold on to
the hand of my Savior/And I will hold on with all of my might/I will hold
loosely to things that are fleeting/And hold on to Jesus/I will hold on to
Jesus for life”.
SIGNS OF LIFE runs a generous 56 minutes and 34
seconds. Pop music is the main course
genre wise, with doses of roots, adult contemporary, easy listening and rock
music mixed in. God is portrayed as the
giver of physical and spiritual life and the One who gives our lives
meaning. Several of the songs encourage
us to live vibrant, faithful Christian lives.
There are also a couple of touching songs dealing with human
relationships. One is addressed to
Steven’s wife Mary Beth, and the other to a grandfather Steven never knew. This album shows great maturity that comes
from life’s experiences and it is performed with excellence! I’m rating SIGNS OF LIFE 99%. For more info visit: www.stevencurtischapman.com.