Greetings,
It is amazing that it has taken me this long to make this particular list. I mean, you may not know this, but I would consider Amy Grant to be my favorite female singer. She has been there for my entire life and was one of the few good memories I have where my childhood is concerned. So, I have always seen her as a source of comfort for me, and she was one of the reasons why I fell in love with music. Well, it was really her and Jem and the Holograms, but that's a discussion for another day. To be honest, Amy Grant has had an immense effect on my life.
So, I have, on a few occasions, used my writing as a way of thanking her for all she has done to make my life a bit better, and thus, I thought I could do that today by sharing my favorite songs by her. Trust, this was a difficult list to make. I love so much of her music, but quite a few songs hold a very special place in my heart for many reasons. Here are the ones that I hold the closest.
#10. "That's What Love Is For" - I once had a friend who thought that Heart In Motion was Amy's first album. I suggested we see other people after that. Anyway, quite a few songs from this album did very well and pushed Amy right into the mainstream, even more than she already had been. But being a hopeless romantic, I guess, of course, I had to pick the power ballad love song as my favorite. I am so predictable.
#9. "El Shaddai" - I know that when people say that a song sounds beautiful, they tend to be talking about the music half. But this song has some exquisitely sounding words in it, and most of them are in another language, as you can tell from the title. Yes, all those names that we can call God certainly have a lovely ring to them.
#8. "Saved By Love" - Is it just me, or do we not have nearly enough songs about the love that one feels for their family? Of course, we have a million songs about romantic love, which is easily the most fleeting. But when it comes to the more, hopefully, strong and lasting love between family members, we are lacking. Thank God for songs like this. Also, I may have named one of my books after a lyric in this song. Just like I did with a lyric from my Number One song. I am not a thief. I hope.
#7. "Lead Me On" - I hate to use the word "epic" as it has been so overused in recent years, but I just have to do it in this case. This song is rather epic. From the bigness of the music production to the strength of the message, this might be considered something of a masterpiece for Amy. Well, considering how long her career has lasted, it was bound to happen some time.
#6. "Everywhere I Go" - The synth sound can really go either way with me, to be honest. And as this song comes from an album released smack dab in the middle of the 80's, I am not surprised to find it here. But there is just something about this song that always makes me smile. Maybe it is just the joyful sound of it all. Or maybe it's because my mother was never the biggest fan of it. Oh, I am so bad.
#5. "Thy Word" - Every now and then, a song from the Contemporary Christian Music genre trickles down into the songs that people sing during worship services at church, or even school, as it happened in my case. This is one of those songs. Now, whilst I think it is beautiful, I also think it should be sung by one person at a time. Maybe because of my own personal "group sing" experiences, where everyone always messes up the note on the "to the end" line. Just saying. But whatever. This song is still brilliant.
#4. "Doubly Good To You" - Time for me to get a little sad here. This wonderful song was written by one of Amy's good friends, Rich Mullins. He is kind of a legend in the world of Christian music, and he is responsible for my favorite album of all time. Sadly, for us anyway, he passed away nearly twenty years ago. But he did leave a vast legacy of great music, including this incredible love song.
#3. "The Prodigal" - Spoilers, this may have been inspired by a certain parable. However, due to the lyrical content, I think it can be used to express the longing for anyone you love to return. There's something so bittersweet about it, yet there is some hope lying in there. As always.
#2. "All I Ever Have To Be" - So, for a very long time, this was actually my favorite song by Amy. Obviously, that changed, but I still love it dearly. Something in those lyrics about doubting yourself and what have to give the world, but being reminded that you are made by God and that He has a plan in mind. It is such a comfort. Always has been and always will be.
#1. "After the Fire" - I remember seeing Amy on the Oprah show singing this song to her mother and her sisters a long time ago. It was rather emotional, in the best way. One thing I have always said about Amy is that she puts intricate beauty into simple things, and this song is, in fact, a simple one. At least, it seems that way. But in the ease of the notes and the words, she tells a story that can travel far and last a lifetime. It will for me, of that I am sure.
And there are my favorite songs by my favorite singer. I could go on and on about what an impact that Amy Grant has made on my life, even more than I already have, but even for a writer like myself, there will never be enough words. So, the most I can ever really say to her that could sum it all up is "Thank You".
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
