The debut release Where the Light Is from Dan Bremnes made an impact for the Canadian artist, highlighted by the hit songs "Beautiful" and "Where the Light Is." You can see Dan at Winter Jam this year. "Going Together" is Dan's first single since his 2015 debut album, and will be on his forthcoming new Word Records album Wherever I Go.
"I'm very excited to start on this next chapter, and am truly honored to work with such an exceptional team," Bremnes recently shared. The song is dedicated to Bremnes' wife of ten years, Britt. "From day one she has been the most supportive, sacrificial and amazing partner," Bremnes said. "This is our love story." I had the chance to speak with Dan in person at Winter Jam in Reading, Pennsylvania about "Going Together."
Please tell me the personal story behind this song.
This song was one of the first songs I started writing for this new album. I had my family out with me on Winter Jam last weekend, and that was the first time I had them all out with me. Life on the road with the family is a totally different ballgame. We have a four year old and a nine month old. I felt bad for everyone on the bus because I don't think they slept well.
It's been a crazy journey. A few weeks after my son Eli was born, we moved to Nashville from Canada. Whether they like it or not, we've all been on this whole journey together. When you make decisions on your own, it generally affects just you, but now it affects my whole family. If you do music, people see you as the person out front, but really it is a journey that you are going on together, whether you are together or apart.
My wife has been amazing, and oftentimes she's been the one to encourage me to keep going. It's the hard part and the beautiful part of making and performing music as a career. I talk about it in the song: times when I feel low and afraid of the future that's coming, Britt's been that strength.
Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?
Ephesians 5:25-27(NKJV): "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish."
Joshua 1:9(VOICE): "This is My command: be strong and courageous. Never be afraid or discouraged because I am your God, the Eternal One, and I will remain with you wherever you go."
Romans 4:3(NLT): For the Scriptures tell us, "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith."
James 2:23-24(NLT): "And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith." He was even called the friend of God. So you see we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone."
Hebrews 11:1(NLT): "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see."
Hebrews 11:8(VOICE): "By faith Abraham heard God's call to travel to a place he would one day receive as an inheritance; and he obeyed, not knowing where God's call would take him."
What is the takeaway message?
Someone once told me, "Life is what you make it." It's a simple phrase, but that's been our motto. In the last verse of the song I say, "I can see us when we're older and moving a little slower with a life full of memories, yeah, we wouldn't change a thing. And it might not come easy but the beauty is the mystery."
It's easy for us to look at the future and say that there are so many unknowns. What should I do and where should I go? Make it an adventure. We've had the privilege of the last seven years really being an adventure. We've traveled to a lot of different countries and met a lot of different people, and that's been our mission statement. Let's make life exciting. God's given us so many opportunities. Let's step out. Let's take a risk and do something together.
My new album is called Wherever I Go, and it's all built around the theme of stepping out and going on an unknown journey. It's not everybody's story, but I believe the invitation is open to each one of us to go on a journey and an adventure. We could do our story or God's story for us. One of them is a little more uncomfortable.
The big takeaway for me is how the children of Israel had the promise of God, and it led to a nation that had no land in the desert. They had a promise that God was bringing them out of slavery into the Promised Land, their own home. The first time they didn't want to go into the land, and they stayed. The second time under Joshua, they did go into the land. Joshua told them to "be bold and courageous. Don't be afraid, and don't be discouraged because the Lord goes with you wherever you go." That's the inspiration behind a lot of these songs and the decisions we've been making as a family. God has a promise for you and for me, but we have the face the unknown, the giants, the impossible, in order to get there. The saving grace is that it is way too big for us, but God goes with us. That's how you can be bold and courageous and not be afraid or discouraged in those impossible places. There is no way to go there without facing those fears.
Lyrics: I remember when it hit me
You were 19, bright eyes, big dreams
I felt the blood rush to my heart
I knew that this could be the start of something
Like you see in movies
The making of our story
So I got down on my knee
And I told you honestly
Baby, I don't know where we're going
But we're going together
Fast forward 8 years later
We're on this wild adventure
Got a baby in the back seat
Moving to another country
We packed up every last thing
Turned the chapter in this story
Both of us scared to death
You took my hand and said
Baby, I don't know where we're going
But we're going together
Oooh, oooh
We're going together
Oooh, oooh
We're going together
Through the unknown
Until we get home
We will hold onto each other
'Cause this love we share
Is an answered prayer
And it's only getting better
I can see us when we're older
And moving a little slower
With a life full of memories
Yeah, we wouldn't change a thing
And it might not come easy
But the beauty is the mystery
Of where this road leads
You and me
Baby I don't know where we're going
But we're going together
Oooh, oooh
We're going together
Oooh, oooh
We're going together (I remember when it hit me)
Oooh, oooh
We're going together (I remember when it hit me)
Oooh, oooh
We're going together
I had the great opportunity to speak with Dan in-person before Winter Jam about this personal song written to his wife Britt, which is a song that means a lot to me as I celebrate Valentine's Day with my wife, Jennifer. The key to a biblical marriage is to keep Jesus at the center and know that He is the light of the world. God is the only true source of hope, rest and security. We can never completely be those things for our spouses.
The message of this great new husband-and-wife song is that they are truly living out a faith journey, like Abraham and Sarah in the Bible, living in faith and with hopeful expectations. Dan and Britt are following God's leading in their lives, traveling from place to place without always knowing where they are going next. Abraham chose to walk by faith and not by sight, and God credited that to him as righteousness. Righteousness comes from faith in the unseen, like Abraham displayed in the Bible. As Christians, we all walk by faith every day. The beauty of walking by faith and not by sight is that we can learn to more fully trust God with our lives.
The key as a follower of Jesus is to walk by faith and to be guided in your daily walk by prayer and God's infallible Word, the Bible. This song reminds me that we need to have that type of faith that Jesus describes in the Bible: "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Happy Valentine's Day, Jennifer. It is my heart's desire to more selflessly show you my love and devotion and serve you in a Christ-like manner. As this song says, "Baby, I don't know where we're going, but we're going together." Amen to that!
Watch the music video 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.
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