TRENDING NRT NEWS: Staff Voices: A Journey Through Sound | Sarah Reeves Essentials | Narnia Coming To Life
BEHIND THE SONG WITH KEVIN DAVIS
#675 - "I've Been Here Before" by Sara Groves
Sara Groves shares the personal struggles that fueled the writing of this song from new album Floodplain.
 



I was a new believer and I became completely hooked when I first heard Sara Groves sing "The Word." Sara's albums have received well-deserved acclaim for her premier songwriting ability. Fourteen years ago, Sara's major label debut album Conversations led to her nomination for Best New Artist. She has followed up each album with her next "best" album with All Right Here and The Other Side of Something. 

With Add to the Beauty, Tell Me What You Know and Fireflies & Songs, Groves focused on a theme and wrote poetic commentary with songs about social justice and the impoverished. Her last album Invisible Empires was my top album of 2011. Floodplain, the newest album from thought-provoking singer/songwriter Sara Groves, is available everywhere from Fair Trade Services. I had the chance to speak with Sara about "I've Been Here Before."

Please tell me the personal story behind this song.

It's funny because it's almost a literal moment being reflected in the lyrics of the song. The guys in the band who played on my first five albums and I had a sweet fellowship with each other. Then, I started recording with the band I toured with on the road for the next five albums. Those guys were at the core of those albums. I had been invited to rejoin the original band for a week of studio time in California. We had already been there for one week, and it felt like a gift to get back together and play music together again, to play without any reason. We were free to not have a production schedule but just to remember what we love so much about playing music together. 

A couple of days in, we were having fun at "band camp" and our plan was for me to leave with some new music that would help me get unstuck. It was an overwhelming gift. I then was given the gift of another week of studio time to finish what we started, and now we knew we were working on an album. Every time I sat down to write, I didn't know where to start. My life felt like a closet full of hockey gear, and every time I would open the closet, the gear would fall out on top of me. That was my state of mind, and I was easily overwhelmed. I had a whole afternoon to write a song, and I was staring a blank page wondering why I couldn't do better. 

A big part of my process in dealing with my anxiety and depression has been getting counseling. Both my mom and my therapist have shared this same phrase with me over and over again: "Sara, have you been here before?" and "what happened?" Those have been the questions they've asked me. As I sat there to write, I thought, I'd been here before, and I thought about what happened. My friend tells me that she takes a call from me about this same time every album where I have tears and anxiety about song writing and feeling overwhelmed. I was sitting at my piano and realized that those were song lyrics: "I've been here before." It was delightful when I figured out how to close the loop by declaring in the third verse, "I've been here before, quiet in a pasture, honey on my tongue, resting by still water, I've been here before, feasting at a table in a barren land, saying I'll never doubt, never doubt again."

Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?

1 Kings 19:12 (KJV): And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

Psalm 23:4 (VOICE): Even in the unending shadows of death's darkness, I am not overcome by fear. Because You are with me in those dark moments, near with Your protection and guidance, I am comforted.

John 14:16 (NKJV): And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.

Matthew 11:29-30 (NKJV): "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Luke 15:11-32 (NIV): The Parable of the Prodigal Son.

Colossians 1:27 (NIV): To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

1 Peter 5:6-7 (NIV): Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

What is the takeaway message?

The lyrics of the song are the loop of what James K. Smith calls the "Prodigal Journey." He says we don't just know Jesus and then go straight to Heaven. We go through these miniature loops or prodigal journeys. We turn away, we come home. The word for when the Prodigal Son says "give me my inheritance" is the same word as if he said, "give me my existence" or "give me my being." We constantly say to God "give me my being," and then we wreck ourselves, and our hearts return to Him. That's what Paul talks about, when he says there's something better. It's a spiral, and not just a straight line. 

I was excited when the song made the full loop of saying, "I'll never doubt again" and realized that "I've been here before" as well, saying that I'd never doubt and here I am again. It's about looking back on the stories of God's faithfulness. In the second verse I deal with my depression, being wrapped up in a blanket with a lot of rocks in my backpack and not being able to move and go where I want to, thinking I can do better than this. Still He's leading me by still waters, even when I'm grossly incompetent. The themes I've been circling around are "who will save me from this body of death?" and "Praise be to God in Jesus Christ." What does that look like? 

There's a huge difference between being good for Jesus and letting Christ be good in you. That is day and night. For me, a lot of my struggle has been made worse from my shame of thinking I shouldn't feel like this. In what ways am I not being faithful enough? For me, the hand of grace does reach down to me, and the voice inside still says "I will be free" even though I've prayed for years to be released from anxiety and depression. I believe that God's heart towards me is empathy and walking with me through the valley of the shadow of death. He is my source of comfort. He's not doing this to me. It is part of the fall. My journey has been that God keeps calling me, speaking tenderly to me, and even though I think He's fed up with me, I have found that He's bent low to be with me on my journey. I can't be good enough for Jesus. Christ in me is the hope of glory.

Lyrics:
I've been here before
Staring at a blank page, waiting for a touch
Chasing down the muse that don't like me much
I've been here before
Stretched out like a man under desert skies
Waiting for the rain with a thirst inside

Oh, I've been here before
And I'll tell you what I've seen
The hand of grace reaches down to me
A voice inside says that I can be free

I've been here before
Wrapped up in a blanket, trying to face the day
Looking for a reason and a better way
I've been here before
Shaking in my anger, smoking like a gun
Wondering why I can't do better than I've done

I've been here before
Quiet in a pasture, honey on my tongue
Resting by still water
I've been here before
Feasting at a table in a barren land
Saying I'll never doubt, never doubt again

Oh I've been here before
The hand of grace reaches down to me
A voice inside says I can be free
A voice inside says I will be free


Sara has always had a knack for hitting me where I am spiritually and expressing the prayerful yearnings of my heart. This album is no exception as I get welled up praying along with several of the songs, especially "This Cup," "Expedition," "Floodplain," "Enough," "I've Been Here Before," "I Feel the Love Between" and "Signal." They are all stand-out tracks filled with overwhelming biblical truth and are companions in my personal prayer and worship time. Sara has captivating and catchy songs filled with inspirational lyrics, bringing sincerity and relatable themes that get deeper with each listen. Floodplain is one of the top albums of the year. This is truly a great album, a moving and prayerful listening experience which reflects how we are bound together as believers in faith, love and vulnerability.

"I've Been Here Before" is a reflection on God's hand of grace, and the voice inside that says "I'll be free" celebrates the victory she has felt over a period of intense anxiety that has plagued her. "I've been here before, quiet in a pasture, honey on my tongue, resting by still waters... saying I'll never doubt, never doubt again." The song is such a vulnerable and sincere prayer. You can't help but pray and sing along with Sara. God is speaking to us in His still, small voice inside as Sara proclaims in the song, and as believers we need to take time to "be still and know that He is God." If we aren't spending time with God and cutting out the noise of life, we can't hear Him telling us to "be free." We are all in need of a great big God to fix our mess in some way, and the beauty of grace is that it is not something we deserve or can earn, but is a free gift.

Jesus promises us in Matthew 11:29-30 that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Jesus came to claim us and set us free from the burden of sin. When we are in communion with Jesus, it is joyful and not a burden. The song reflects that truth beautifully with the lyrics "The hand of grace reaches down to me, a voice inside says I can be free, a voice inside says I will be free." I get goosebumps when Sara sings this song. Jesus invites us to come to Him, and He'll give us rest. Grace is freely given and isn't something we can earn by our good works. It is a gift from God by faith in Christ Jesus. This song helps me sing a prayer of Thanksgiving that I'm free in Christ. We can't be good enough for Jesus. Christ in us is the hope of glory. Amen to that!

Listen to the song below.
 

 

NRT Lead Contributor Kevin Davis is a longtime fan of Christian music, an avid music collector and credits the message of Christian music for leading him to Christ. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and three daughters.

Christian Music, Devotionals, Interviews, Editorials
Jason Gray
NEW! BEHIND THE SONG
#1203 - Jason Gray

The contemporary singer talks about finding grace in imperfection
 

ADVERTISEMENT
Cabrini
NEW! MOVIE REVIEW
'Cabrini'

NRT's J.J. Francesco reviews the new film from Angel Studios
 
Wayback Editorial
NEW! WAYBACK EDITORIAL
5 Things We Miss

Things that we don't often see anymore in Christian music.
Hulvey
NEW! RADIO RADAR
Hulvey "Altar"

Exploring songs currently heard on Christian radio
 
The CHH Drop
NEW! THE CHH DROP
#175 - Steven Malcolm

What's new in Christian Hip-Hop and Urban Soul for this week

Christian Music, Facebook Christian Music, Twitter Christian Music, YouTube Christian Music, Instagram

ADVERTISEMENTS

TRENDING NRT NEWS: Staff Voices: A Journey Through Sound | Sarah Reeves Essentials | Narnia Coming To Life

Christian Music

©2024 NewReleaseToday
A Division Of NRT Media Inc.

 

Secure
CHRISTIAN MUSIC
Discover New Artists
New This Week
Coming Soon
Playlists
Free Music
Album Reviews

NEWS
New Music
Movies / Media
Events
Tours
General

PODCASTS
NRT Now Podcast
NRT Podcast Network

VIDEOS
Music Videos
Exclusives

EXCLUSIVES
Articles
Devotionals
Interviews
Concert Reviews
We Love Awards

MORE INFO
RSS
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
Advertising
Staff
New Music Email
Contact

RESOURCES
Music Studies
Artist Training

CONNECT
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube