Stories Behind the Song, September 15th, 2023

The stories that artists have shared with us about their releases.

In this week’s episode of ‘Stories Behind the Song’:

• ‘No Name Higher (Neon Feather Remix)’ by Mark & Sarah Tillman and Neon Feather

• ‘Let Go and Let God’ by Nicole Dyonashe

• ‘Through the Fire’ by Jeff Sparkman

• ‘Still Waters (Beverly's Song)’ by Doug Deforest

‘No Name Higher (Neon Feather Remix)’ by Mark & Sarah Tillman and Neon Feather

Mark and Sarah Tillman, well-known worship leaders and songwriters, have teamed up with Neon Feather to create an energizing and uplifting remix of their Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) song 'No Name Higher.' The sublime wonder of ten thousand angels boldly proclaiming His sovereignty and unending love is echoed in this beautifully joyful track, which glorifies the name of Jesus.

Mark and Sarah Tillman share: “‘No Name Higher’ was inspired by a scripture in Philippians 2:9, God has given Jesus a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow. Teaming up with industry veteran lyricist, Tony Wood, we anchored the song with that Bible verse.

We wanted to introduce the worship anthem to a new audience and teamed up with Neon Feather, a renowned EDM and remix producer in the Christian space, to give it an energetic, hopeful, and exciting lift. He transformed the listening experience from the original version.

Our hope is that every listener will encounter the Lordship of Jesus as they listen. The song will be promoted through church resources like MultiTracks and CCLI, and will be accompanied by a lyric video.”

The post on our website: https://www.christiandance.eu/2023/09/no-name-higher-neon-feather-remix-by.html

‘Let Go and Let God’ by Nicole Dyonashe

In every moment of surrender and faith, 'Let Go and Let God,' a beautiful song by Nicole Dyonashe, serves as an anthem of hope and affirmation. Nicole's journey of being compelled to race against the clock and trading dreams for haste finds melody in these soulful lyrics, coiling into a heartfelt chronicle of struggle and redemption

After graduating community college at age 16, Nicole felt pressured to have her entire life figured out She pushed dreams aside to force herself through her remaining university years as quickly as possible. She believed that if she slowed down, that meant she was letting down everyone who had given her these opportunities. Eventually, she understood that life moves on, and time does too, and that really we gain nothing from rushing through it; we only lose out on the dreams we could have but never made.

"Tick Tock" goes the clock minute by minute,
Hour by hour, day by day
"Tick Tock" goes the clock, it keeps going, never stops
You can't rewind; only one chance at living
So don't look back to a past you can't change
Just look forward to what still remains
You are more than the choices you've made
Just learn to let go and let God
Time is not a race to win, no prize to gain for finishing
You're there and gone. Life moves on.
My dreams turn to memories. Thing I thought would never be
Have come and gone, and life just carries on.
Too many years I spent rushing life, thought maybe I could stop time's flight
I'm done passing doors. I'm reaching for more. I'm gonna dream while I still can.
So don't look back to a past you can't change
Just look forward to what still remains
You are more than the choices you've made
Just learn to let go and let God

The post on our website: https://www.christiandance.eu/2023/09/let-go-and-let-god-by-nicole-dyonashe.html

‘Through the Fire’ by Jeff Sparkman

In life's most turbulent moments, the soothing melody of 'Through the Fire' by Jeff Sparkman transcends our worldly struggles, offering a powerful reminder of God's unchanging love and unwavering presence.

Jeff Sparkman shares: “I wrote through fire over a span of about 8 years. It was a song that needed to marinate a little.

The song is about the trials we go through, the mysteries of God, and the things we just can’t understand.

Why do people die before their time, why do we go through hard times, and why do we go through the fires of trials? But the truth is, whether God delivers us from the fire of suffering or He’s in the fire with us, either way, we are okay.

We can actually go through hard things and say boldly: “Here we go straight in because we know God is beside us, protecting us, and leading us”.

The end of the song is from a scripture, “weeping may last through the night, but joy comes in the morning”. That’s a promise for us. My favorite part of the song is the end, and it just feels like the last “here it comes” is coupled with the swelling of the music, like we can feel the joy and his love swelling up in us.”

The post on our website: https://www.christiandance.eu/2023/08/through-fire-by-jeff-sparkman.html

‘Still Waters (Beverly's Song)’ by Doug Deforest

Doug Deforest's 'Still Waters (Beverly's Song)' is a soul-stirring Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) composition that beautifully captures the ebb and flow of life through the metaphor of a mountain stream.

The ebb and flow of life is so much like that of a stream. It becomes a raging river at times, then gathers into gentle pools that seem to last forever. This song draws those comparable analogies without really telling the listener the answer. In the writer’s mind, the answer is clear. It's a belief in something bigger than us driving the boat. To the listener, it may be different, but as for Doug Deforest his belief in Jesus Christ and the safety in all he offers as he rumbles through life’s canyons is what this is all about.

About the song

At about 3 AM one morning, in a driving rainstorm between Houston, Texas, and Dallas, Texas, the writer heard that all too familiar "get a pen" voice in his head. He pulled over and had his wife jot down these words, and he has never changed one of them since. Original thought from a power only the writer could know at the time. That of someone who writes words that NEVER need to be changed.

The post on our website: https://www.christiandance.eu/2023/08/still-waters-beverlys-song-by-doug.html

About Stories Behind the Song

Every day, artists send us their latest Christian music releases, complete with lyrics and personal stories about the songs. Many of these stories have strengthened our faith, and we believe that these stories will do the same for you.

Every week, in this special space, we present deeply personal inspirations drawn directly from the artists' hearts—the divine whispers that gave birth to their captivating songs.

These stories are presented unedited as a bridge to help you deepen your relationship with God and better understand the artist's message and intent behind the song. We pray that these stories inspire, uplift, and remind you of God's unending blessings for you.