God with Us (song)
"God With Us" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by MercyMe | ||||
from the album All That Is Within Me | ||||
Released | 19 October 2007 | |||
Recorded | 2007 in the United States[nb 1]
| |||
Genre | Christian rock, worship | |||
Length | 5:52 (album version) 4:23 (music video) | |||
Label | INO Records | |||
Songwriter(s) | Bart Millard, Barry Graul, Nathan Cochran, Jim Bryson, Robin Shaffer, Mike Scheuchzer | |||
Producer(s) | Brown Bannister | |||
MercyMe singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"God With Us" on YouTube |
"God With Us" is a song written and performed by Christian rock band MercyMe. The song is lyrically a worship song, inspired by a question used by lead singer Bart Millard's pastor.
Released as the lead single from MercyMe's 2007 album All That Is Within Me, "God With Us" peaked at No. 1 on both the Hot Christian Songs and Hot Christian AC charts, and was ranked at No. 3 and No. 4 on the 2008 year-end charts, respectively. The song also ranked at No. 12 on the decade-end Hot Christian AC chart, and No. 19 on the decade-end Hot Christian Songs chart.
Background
[edit]"God with Us" was the first song written for MercyMe's album All That Is Within Me, as well as the song the band based the rest of the album around.[1] The song's lyrics were inspired by the question "Why does God look our way?", which the band's lead singer Bart Millard's pastor used to ask to his congregation.[2] Millard could not get this idea out of his head, and wanted to create a song around this idea.[2] "God with Us" was designed for the church,[2] as well as to be used in worship.[1]
"God with Us" was written and composed by MercyMe.[3] It was produced by Brown Bannister, and the strings on the song were recorded by the London Session Orchestra.[3]
Composition
[edit]"God With Us" is a worship song with a length of five minutes and 52 seconds.[4] It is set in common time and in the key of B major, with a moderate tempo of 92 beats per minute,[5] and a vocal range spanning from A3–E5.[5]
Critical reception
[edit]Critical reception to "God With Us" was generally positive. Mike Parker of Today's Christian Music commented that ""God With Us", a superlative, six-minute marathon, may be the best cut on the album",[6] also opining that "With plenty of time to sink its teeth into the song, the band delivers more emotion than on any tune since “I Can Only Imagine".[6] Kevin McNeese of New Release Tuesday called the song a "worship-filled moment",[7] while Jay Heilman of Christian Music Review opined that the song is "a reminder of how compassionate and loving the Lord is of us".[8]
Commercial performance
[edit]"God With Us" debuted at No. 17 on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart.[9] It advanced to No. 13 in its second week,[10] and to No. 8 in its third.[11] In its fifth chart week, "God With Us" advanced to No. 4,[12] a spot it held for an additional two weeks.[13][14] In its ninth chart week, the song advanced to No. 1, a spot it held for three weeks before being supplanted by "East to West" by Casting Crowns.[15][16][17] The song dropped to No. 2 in its 12th chart week and held that spot for three weeks[18][19][20] before advancing back into No. 1 and holding at that spot for five weeks.[21][22][23][24][25] In its 20th chart week, "God With Us" fell to No. 2, removed from the top spot by Matthew West's "You Are Everything", and held that spot for three weeks.[26][27][28][29] "God With Us" dropped out of the top five in its 29th chart week, falling to No. 6,[30] and dropped out of the top 10 in its 35th chart week.[31] In all, "God With Us" spent a total of 38 weeks on the Hot Christian Songs chart,[32] eight of them at No. 1.[15][16][17][21][22][23][24][25]
"God With Us" also peaked at No. 1 on the Hot Christian AC chart,[33] and spent a total of 38 weeks on the chart.[34] In Billboard's 2008 year-end charts, "God With Us" ranked at No. 3 on the Hot Christian Songs chart; only "You Are Everything" by Matthew West and "Call My Name" by Third Day ranked higher.[35] Billboard also ranked the song at No. 4 on the year-end Hot Christian AC chart, with only "You Are Everything" by Matthew West, "Let It Fade" by Jeremy Camp, and "Call My Name" by Third Day ranking higher.[36] The song ranked on Billboard's 2000s decade-end charts, at No. 12 on the Hot Christian AC chart[37] and No. 19 on the Hot Christian Songs chart.[38]
Live performances
[edit]MercyMe has performed "God with Us" live on concert tours. At the concert which took place on 4 November 2011 at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the band performed "God with Us" as part of their setlist.[39] At a concert in Council Bluffs, Iowa, the band, dressed in suits designed around their then-upcoming album The Generous Mr. Lovewell, performed "God with Us" as the final song of their setlist.[40] At a concert in Huntsville, Alabama, MercyMe performed "God with Us" as part of their setlist.[41]
Other uses
[edit]"God with Us" has been included in several compilation albums, such as WOW Hits 2009[42] and Wow #1s: 30 #1 Christian Hits!.[43] MercyMe included both the song and a live version of the song on their 2009 compilation album 10.[44]
Music video
[edit]A music video was released for "God With Us".[45] The video features MercyMe performing in a live setting.
Personnel
[edit]Instrumental and composition adapted from Allmusic,[46] writing credits adapted from sheet music[5]
- Bart Millard – lead vocals, writer, composer
- Jim Bryson – keyboards, piano, writer, composer
- Nathan Cochran – bass guitar, writer, composer
- Barry Graul – guitar, writer, composer
- Mike Scheuchzer – guitar, writer, composer
- Robby Shaffer – drums, writer, composer
- The London Session Orchestra - strings
Charts
[edit]Weekly charts
[edit]Chart (2007-2008) | Peak position |
---|---|
Billboard Hot Christian Songs | 1 |
Billboard Hot Christian AC[33] | 1 |
Year-end charts
[edit]Chart (2008) | Position |
---|---|
Billboard Hot Christian Songs[35] | 3 |
Billboard Hot Christian AC[36] | 4 |
Decade-end charts
[edit]Chart (2000s) | Position |
---|---|
Billboard Hot Christian AC[37] | 12 |
Billboard Hot Christian Songs[38] | 19 |
References
[edit]Notes
- ^ According to the inner liner notes of the album.
Footnotes
- ^ a b Davis, Kevin (22 May 2008). ""God With Us" by MercyMe". New Release Tuesday. Archived from the original on 26 May 2008. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ a b c "MercyMe". Crosswalk.com. Salem Web Network. 24 November 2009. Archived from the original on 3 April 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
- ^ a b All That Is Within Me (Media notes). MercyMe. INO Records. 2007.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "All That Is Within Me - MercyMe (Review)". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
- ^ a b c "MercyMe - God With Us Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
- ^ a b Parker, Mike. "All That Is Within Me (Review)". Today's Christian Music. CCM Magazine. Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ McNeese, Kevin. "All That Is Within Me (Collector's Edition - CD/DVD)". New Release Tuesday. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ Heilman, Jay. "MercyMe All That Is Within Me (2007)". Christian Music Review. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ "Christian Songs Archive (27 October 2007)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ "Christian Songs Archive (3 November 2007)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ "Christian Songs Archive (10 November 2007)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ "Christian Songs Archive (24 November 2007)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ "Christian Songs Archive (1 December 2007)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ "Christian Songs Archive (8 December 2007)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ a b "Christian Songs Archive (22 December 2007)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ a b "Christian Songs Archive (29 December 2007)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ a b "Christian Songs Archive (5 January 2007)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ "Christian Songs Archive (12 January 2007)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ "Christian Songs Archive (19 January 2007)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ "Christian Songs Archive (26 January 2007)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ a b "Christian Songs Archive (2 February 2007)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ a b "Christian Songs Archive (9 February 2007)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ a b "Christian Songs Archive (16 February 2007)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ a b "Christian Songs Archive (23 February 2007)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ a b "Christian Songs Archive (1 March 2007)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ "Christian Songs Archive (8 March 2007)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 29 October 2009. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ "Christian Songs Archive (15 March 2007)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ "Christian Songs Archive (22 March 2007)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ "Christian Songs Archive (29 March 2007)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ "Christian Songs Archive (10 May 2007)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ "Christian Songs Archive (21 June 2007)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ "God With Us (Billboard.biz)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 5 August 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ a b "Billboard Hot Christian AC. 15 December 2007
- ^ "God With Us (Hot Christian AC - Billboard.biz)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 5 August 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ a b "Hot Christian Songs Year-end (2008)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 24 August 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
- ^ a b "Hot Christian AC Year-end (2008)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 25 August 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
- ^ a b "Hot Christian AC Decade-end (2000s)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 17 August 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
- ^ a b "Hot Christian Songs Decade-end (2000s)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 24 August 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
- ^ DeBoer, Terry (5 November 2011). "Rock & Worship Road Show inspires audience to give". The Grand Rapids Press. ml.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
- ^ Torquati, Francesca (26 March 2010). "Review: "Rock and Worship Road Show"". Clash Entertainment. Clash Entertainment Inc. Archived from the original on 21 December 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
- ^ "8,200 show up for MercyMe's Rock and Worship Roadshow in Huntsville". The Huntsville Times. al.com. 31 January 2011. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
- ^ Monger, James Christopher. "WOW Hits 2009 - Allmusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
- ^ Monger, James Christopher. "Wow #1s: 30 #1 Christian Hits! - Allmusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
- ^ "iTunes - Music - 10 (Deluxe Edition) by MercyMe". iTunes Store. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
- ^ "MercyMe - God With Us (Music Video)". 3 October 2009. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2011 – via YouTube.
- ^ "All That Is Within Me - MercyMe (Credits)". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 October 2011.