Written for: English Composition I
Date Written: 11/15/2006
Forgiveness
Ryan Watters
God’s Bible School and College
“Forgive
Me” by Rebecca St. James; Featuring Barlow Girl
Verse 1:
For all the times I’ve failed You, Lord
Forgive me
For all the ways I’ve fallen short
Lord, forgive me now
God, I’m so in need of grace
I fall upon my face
Forgive me
Verse 2:
You see the tears fall down my face
Forgive me
Take my fear; Lord, take my shame
Lord, forgive me now
Purify me; make me new
Like only you can do
Forgive me now
Verse 3:
Lord, we come to honor You
We are forgiven
We bring our love and thanks to You
We are forgiven now
God we praise You for Your grace
Before You we are raised
Forgiven
God we praise You for your grace
Before You we are raised
Forgiven
Forgiven
Written by Scott Dyer and Rebecca St.
James
©2005
Ever Devoted Music / Scott Dyer Publishing Designee
(ASCAP) / Up In The Mix Music / Rambuka Music (BMI),
admin. by EMI CMG Publishing
Forgiveness
While it is
not always recognized, people have varying concepts of
forgiveness. Martin Luther at one time crawled around
on his hands and knees for an extended period of time
seeking forgiveness. On the other hand there are people
who simply utter a few words in a ritualistic manner
with no sincerity and claim forgiveness. As a Wesleyan
Armenian, I believe forgiveness is to be found in the
middle of these two extremes. To more clearly explain
my position; I will use the song “Forgive Me” by
Rebecca St. James. This song accurately portrays the
attitude of seeking forgiveness in the Wesleyan
Armenian tradition, as I will further explain.
“Forgive Me” starts out in a slow, almost doleful
manner, with only the piano playing the same chords
over and over again. At the :08 mark the first of the
vocals is heard. There are no words, only a woeful
sighing. This is accentuated by a lone woodwind, which
adds it’s sorrowful melody to the artist’s moans. It’s
as if the artist in lamenting the past mistakes she is
about to confess, or maybe she is moaning because she
abhors the fact that her sins have forced into this
position and cannot express in words the agony she
feels. In any case, her cry is one of mourning. This is
how it should be with us. When we remember that we are
coming before a perfect and holy God we will be moved
to humility, and sincerity.
The lyrics begin at the :21 mark with no fanfare or
special flourish. They do not dodge the subject, but
simply come saying, “For all the times
I
failed…forgive
me”.
The strings enter on the :42 mark and continue through
the end of the first verse. The entrance of the strings
is opportunely placed at the point where the focus
changes away from the artist asking forgiveness to
realizing that she is in need of something that only
God can give, grace. The fact that we should humbly
come before God, realizing that only He can help us, is
reinforced by the line, “I fall upon my face”. Falling
at someone’s feet symbolizes that there is a need that
only they can meet. When we fall at God’s feet we are
recognizing the need that we have that only He can
fill. When coming to God for forgiveness, we have no
other option. We too must fall upon our faces before
Him knowing that the only thing that can rescue us is
His grace being extended to meet our need.
The ending of the first verse sets up a pattern that we
will see repeated throughout the rest of the song by
leaving long pauses in the lyrics between verses. It’s
as if the artist is meditating on what has just
happened, or possibly what is about to come, and
beckoning the listener to do the same. The first verse
ends with the piano slowly tapering off to nothing more
than a whisper leaving only the strings to lead into
the reentry of the piano in the next verse.
The second verse, like the first, begins solely with
the piano. This time, however, it comes in slightly
stronger than in the opening. It is as if the artist
has gained confidence from the first verse and is
pushing on in a more urgent manner. Also, the notes are
significantly deeper and richer indicating a deeper
level of searching and sincerity. This concept is
reinforced by the fact that the lyrics start more
abruptly in this verse, and personify the artist’s
urgency, and sincerity. This shift in the music is also
carried over to the lyrics. Now, instead of only asking
for forgiveness, the artist seeks for God to look
deeper into her heart. “Take my fear; Lord, take my
shame” is her cry. It is at this moment that she
realizes that God wants to do more than just forgive
our sins; He also wants to remove the effects of them.
Sin does leave behind some tormenting fragments, but
the artist later pleads, “Purify me; make me new”. She
is evidently confident of God’s ability to remove and
heal even the fragments that sin leaves behind.
The verse ends with another pleading for forgiveness,
but this time with a little more confidence. “Forgive
me now”
she implores. The music ends in much the same way as
the first verse, except for the piano, which finishes
on a strong, high note. This verse is again accompanied
by another lengthy interlude between the verses.
However, this interlude is more upbeat and stronger.
Instead of lightly tapping the keys as in the first
interlude, the piano fairly pounds out the melody
accompanied by strong string instrumentation. This ties
in perfectly with the feel of the second verse by
expressing a more imperative sense of urgency.
The third verse takes a very sharp turn both musically
and vocally. First, the music changes from the strong
ending of the second verse using emphatic piano and
strings, to the gentle, piano only style of the opening
verse. The biggest change, however, comes in the
lyrics. This is evident by the fact that instead of now
asking for forgiveness and purification, the artist
reaches out in faith, and claims God’s forgiveness.
Nowhere in this verse does the artist again ask for
forgiveness, but now praises her Savior for being
“Forgiven”. This follows the Biblical concept that we
are to claim God’s promise for forgiveness, not just
hope that we are.
Another important characteristic of this verse is that
it changes from first person to third person. Instead
of “I” it is now ”We”. I believe this is to show the
fact that while we must go through the first steps of
being forgiven by ourselves, we are not alone after we
receive it. While we (“I”) must take responsibility for
my actions in asking for forgiveness, afterwards we
become part of the family of God. This family consists
of others who have been in the same place we have been.
They also are “Forgiven”. So, when the artist cries,
“We are forgiven”, she is implying that the voices of
the entire family join in with her praise to God.
Around the 2:30 mark, the music builds sharply,
indicating that her joy cannot be suppressed any
longer, but she must joyfully praise Him for His
“grace”. Then, as if reveling in wonder, she repeats
the lines; “God we praise You for your grace, Before
You we are raised, Forgiven” This serves to accentuate
the already intense feeling of joy created by the
lyrics and music. However, the verse retains the sense
of humility evident throughout the song by using
phrases such as, “Lord, we come to honor You” and,
“Before You we are raised”.
At this point the song makes another variation by
reiterating “Forgiven”, not in a harsh, crude fashion,
as you would expect judging by the intensity of the
previous verse, but with soft, almost tranquil
resonance. This ends the lyrics for the song and the
piano alone is left to finish the music. An intriguing
facet of this ending is that it is identical to the
introduction. So, the song begins, and ends, with the
exact same notes, played in the exact same manner. This
could represent the attitude of the seeker during the
entire process. We should both enter and exit humbly
before the presence of God.
The song, as a whole, is very simple mechanically. Only
two types of instruments are used throughout the entire
song. First, and most importantly, the piano which
really is the instrument that drives the song forward
with it’s consistent, almost monotonous beat. Second,
the string instruments which serve to accentuate the
piano. This gives the song a very uncomplicated, and
smooth quality which would be lost in a more complex
composition. Not only is the music simple, but the
words also are unelaborate, often repeating themselves
for emphasis. Also, the artist’s voice is
unembellished. All this culminates in presenting a
sense of simplicity and sincerity throughout the song.
I believe the artist has found the secret to
forgiveness. She realizes that she has no hope of
impressing God with her sophistication, but must simply
fall on her face before Him; her only hope. We are to
come before him humbly, sincerely, just as this song
depicts. “Forgive Me” truly grasps the concept that
forgiveness is found not in the splendor of the
request, but in the sincerity of the seeker.
References
Christian
Lyrics Online. (2006). Forgive
me. Retrieved
November 14, 2006, from
http://www.christianlyricsonline.com/artists/rebecca-st-james/forgive-me.html.