Sidewalk Prophets initially made a name for themselves at Indiana’s Anderson University where frontmen and main songwriters Dave Frey and Ben McDonald met. Although they don't consider themselves to be a worship band, they admit they probably do more worship music than original tunes--and that’s just fine with them. Integrating worship with real life is one of the simple truths Sidewalk Prophets has learned to live by.
These Simple Truths, the debut album by the GMA Dove Award-winning band, centers on the hope that Christ’s love provides.
“The more we look at today’s problems, the more we see that a lot of times people are fearful of being themselves,” explains Frey. “And finding our identity in Christ is one of the most crucial steps in loving others. Once people start realizing this and living confidently we’ll see a visible change from households to communities to ultimately the world. That’s what we’re all about. The name ‘Sidewalk Prophets’ even means that we are common people speaking the truth about life from our perspective as followers of Christ.”
I got the chance to interview Dave Frey before
Winter Jam about the Easter-focused song “Lay Down My Life,” which is written from the perspective of Jesus.
Please tell me about the background message behind the song "Lay Down Your Life."
We had this idea of getting down to the focus of the Gospel and what Jesus was thinking about before He walked up the hill to Calvary. We have some insight from the prayers that Jesus prays in the garden and before He gave His life. We wanted to write a song thinking about what was going on in the heart of Jesus before His incredible sacrifice. He was thinking about all the sins of the world and each of us, individually. Something I love more about Jesus every day is that He is such a relational God. If He could say one thing, He’d say, “Give me all your pride. Give me all your fears. Give me all your secrets. Give me all your tears. Give me all your doubt. Give me all your shame. Watch them wash away, I lay down my life for you. This is the moment when all will be made new. I know that you don’t understand. But this is part of a greater plan. So I lay down my life for you.”
Please tell me about the Bible verses you used in writing the song.
John 10:14-18: "I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”
How can listeners apply that message when they listen to the song?
Sometimes we feel so unlovable, and yet God loves us so deeply. This song is the reason for the worship response in our song “You Love Me Anyway.” I don’t know why God lavishes His love for me the way He does, but He tells us He’d do it again, even if just for one person. That’s the beauty of the Easter story.
Here are the lyrics:
All your pain
Will be made Mine
All your troubles
The tears you cry
Give it up
All that binds
I will place it on My shoulders
And up this hill I’ll climb
Father, give Me strength
I know there is no other way
I lay down my life for you
This is the moment when all will be made new
I know that you don’t understand
But this is part of a greater plan
So I lay down my life for you
This is love
That had to bleed
To bring you mercy
To set you free
You are mine
I am yours
And I will wear your burdens
Just like this crown of thorns
I will take your place
I know there is no other way
I lay down my life for you
This is the moment when all will be made new
I know that you don’t understand
But this is part of a greater plan
So I lay down my life for you
Give me all your pride
Give me all your fears
Give me all your secrets
Give me all your tears
Give me all you doubt
Give me all your shame
Watch them wash away
Watch them wash away
Give me all your pride
Give me all your fears
Give me all your secrets
Give me all your tears
Give me all you doubt
Give me all your shame
Watch them wash away
In Jesus’ name
I lay down my life for you
This is the moment when all will be made new
I know that you don’t understand
But this is part of a greater plan
So I lay down my life for you
Though I know that you don’t understand
These scars are part of a greater plan
And I lay down my life for you
Arms stretched out
Upon this tree
To show true love
To set you free
Please tell me about the background in writing the song "You Love Me Anyway."
Like all good stories, it all began on a dark and stormy night. Actually it was seriously stormy and we were in Ben’s basement in Anderson, Indiana, wanting to write a song about what Jesus means to each of us. The background of the first verse comes from a real life experience I had as a kid. I loved aquariums and owned a goldfish and one day my parents were out and left me and my friend with a babysitter. I decided to play with my goldfish named Mortimer and I accidentally killed it. My babysitter seemed to have a danger radar and sensed something went wrong and asked who murdered the fish. I lied and blamed my friend Joel, and to my surprise he took the blame for me.
Is there a personal story about the message of that song?
As the story continues, that next Sunday I felt terribly guilty for blaming my friend and I knew I had sinned. In church I sat in the balcony and started sobbing uncontrollably for what I had done and I told my mom I was sorry for hurting her and for hurting Jesus and she smiled and said, “It’s okay; Jesus loves you no matter what you’ve done.” So this song is about me and how I sometimes I feel like the lowest of all and know that Jesus loves me anyway. It was there in that “silly, little lie,” that I began to realize the power of grace. All the faults and downfalls will occur, and the true measure of a man or a boy is what we do after those moments. Some tragedies occur and the reason is never known, but in the midst of all storms there is a place where we are safe, a place where we are truly loved, in the arms of Jesus Christ.
Do you have any Bible verses you used in writing the song?
John 11:35: "Jesus wept."
Luke 23:34: "Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.'"
Romans 8:38-39: "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Here are the lyrics:
The question was raised
As my conscience fell
A silly, little lie
It didn’t mean much
But it lingers still
In the corners of my mind
Still you call me to walk
On the edge of this world
To spread my dreams and fly
But the future’s so far
My heart is so frail
I think I’d rather stay inside
But You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me
How You love me
It took more than my strength
To simply be still
To seek but never find
All the reasons we change
The reasons I doubt
And why do loved ones have to die?
I am the thorn in Your crown
But You love me anyway
I am the sweat from Your brow
But You love me anyway
I am the nail in Your wrist
But You love me anyway
I am Judas’ kiss
But You love me anyway
See now, I am the man that called out from the crowd
For Your blood to be spilled on this earth shaking ground
Yes then, I turned away with this smile on my face
With this sin in my heart tried to bury Your grace
And then alone in the night, I still called out for You
So ashamed of my life, my life, my life
But You love me anyway
Oh, God… how you love me
You love me, You love me
You love me, You love me
How You love me
How You love me
How You love me
Here’s Matthew Henry’s commentary on John 10:14-18: “Christ is a good Shepherd.. The Lord Jesus knows whom he has chosen, and is sure of them; they also know whom they have trusted, and are sure of Him. See here the grace of Christ; since none could demand His life of Him, He laid it down of Himself for our redemption. He offered Himself to be the Savior. And the necessity of our case calling for it, He offered Himself for the Sacrifice. He was both the offerer and the offering, so that His laying down His life was His offering up Himself. From hence it is plain, that He died in the place and stead of men; to obtain their being set free from the punishment of sin, to obtain the pardon of their sin; and that His death should obtain that pardon. Our Lord laid not His life down for His doctrine, but for His sheep.”
Our shame and guilt was taken away by Jesus at the cross. I know that my sins are the reasons for His crown of thorns and the nails in His wrists and feet. Jesus died for my sins and His sacrifice is the most beautiful moment in history.
The reason for His sacrifice is despicable--our sins. His resurrection is cause for the greatest celebration. God love us that much. It is because of His blood that we can experience true unconditional love and forgiveness.
These two songs are an amazing reflection of the truth that nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus. “Lay Down My Life” is from the perspective of Jesus and “You Love Me Anyway” is our worshipful response. I absolutely love these songs and this band. These are great songs to prepare your heart for Easter and remember the amazing sacrifice of our Savior Jesus.
(You can watch the music video of “You Love Me Anyway”
here.)
