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My third paper for English Composition 1 class.

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.