Performer, vocalist, and songwriter Franni Cash is set to release her long-awaited debut solo album, Here I Am. Following her departure from the contemporary group We The Kingdom, Franni has rediscovered herself and made her own kind of music. The resulting 13 songs on Here I Am reveal her journey, with all the bumps and bruises she’s experienced along the way, including escaping from a religious cult, reconciling with her faith, and coming out confidently to move on from the past.
To celebrate the news, Franni has released “Menace,” the latest song from the album, written with songwriters Natalie Hemby and Cameron Jaymes. The introspective earworm contemplates Franni’s tendency to get in her own way, set against a head-nodding groove and airy synths. “Menace” follows the release of “Church Clothes,” “Raised By Wolves,” and “Jesus All Along.” Franni describes herself as passionate about "creating great music with people she loves and connecting with others through honest, meaningful, and fun songs," committed throughout her journey to "spreading hope and the love of God."
It has been one of my missions to share the biblical truth behind Christian songs, helping women bombarded with negative messages from the world about identity and purpose know that their true identity and purpose are found in God. I had the chance to speak with Franni about her “trust fall” song, “Menace.”
Please tell me the personal story behind this song.
"Menace" is a new term that not many people are familiar with yet. It originated from my process of creating my own music. This is an honest song about my fear of making music again. When I think about my life, God has never let me down. The “trust fall” I’m singing about in the song is that God’s arms are safe and He’s going to come through. Just as you are a loving father to your three daughters and will be there for them no matter what, that’s who God is for me.
Producing my new album has been one of the most difficult experiences I’ve faced. As a somewhat successful band with my family, I didn’t realize how much of my identity it had become. When I stepped away, I had no idea whether I would even make music again. But I quickly realized singing was like breathing for me, and I had to write songs to get through life. It felt like a confirmation from God that I’m supposed to release my own songs when contemporary artist Brandon Lake asked me to open for him on his tour. I was terrified of people hearing my songs. It’s hard to face the transition and wonder whether God is going to come through for us.
Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?
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."
Isaiah 6:8 (NASB): "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!'"
Psalm 112:7 (NLT): “They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV): "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight."
Acts 13:22 (NKJV): "And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.'"
Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV): "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:13 (NKJV): "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV): “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Romans 8:28 (VOICE): “We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan.”
1 John 4:18 (NKJV): "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love."
What is the takeaway message?
While we may feel like a menace to God, we are actually a menace against darkness. What we see as our weaknesses, God can transform into our greatest strengths. I agree that the enemy targets us based on the areas he fears in us. One way to recognize our gifts is by noticing where we experience the most attack. God uses the enemy’s tactics for good. My new album, Here I Am, is about rediscovering God's true character after it's been distorted by others. It’s about finding your voice after years of comparison, choosing family over success, authenticity over perception, and freedom over fear.
Lyrics
I’m just a girl
In a weird world
Watching things happen
I think I can control, oh, no
I make my worries a habit
And I run like the rabbit
When God’s moving too slow
So tell me
Why I am always such a menace
To my own understanding
When I know that You get me?
Why I am always sabotaging
Instead of trust falling
In arms that wanna hold me?
God, save me
God, save me
God must of made me a builder
Cause I’m always building
Up fears in my mind at 30 stories high
I turn rest into reckless
Wear panic like a necklace
Always pushing me around
But You’re reaching out
Why I am always such a menace
To my own understanding
When I know that You get me?
And why I am always sabotaging
Instead of trust falling
In arms that wanna hold me?
God, save me
God, save me
I don’t trust You when I’m in it
Building up the fences
Can’t break this addiction
God, I’m such a menace
Don’t trust You when I’m in it
Building up the fences
Can’t break this addiction
Back to the beginning
So tell me
Why I am always such a menace
To my own understanding
When I know that You get me?
And why I am always sabotaging
Instead of trust falling
In arms that wanna hold me?
God, save me
God, save me
Oh
God, save me
God, save me
God, save me
Oh, I need You now
Closing Thoughts
This song celebrates God's sovereignty, professing that He is the ultimate ruler over our lives as Franni passionately prays, “God save me, God save me, God save me, Oh, I need You now.” This song speaks to the truth of our earthly challenges. It is about faith and letting God's plans be revealed in your life. He is there for us when we need someone to catch us.
I completely identify with Franni’s “menace” self-characterization and with the sense that she’s a menace and a “misfit” to God and others. I’ve been told I’m “too much,” “too sensitive,” and “too emotional,” and I’m deeply moved by this powerful song’s message. I’m just a guy in a weird world, and I think I can control it by overthinking, making my worry a habit, turning rest into restlessness, wearing panic like a necklace, and building fears in my mind 30 stories high.
I’ve had OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) since I was a kid and have unwanted intrusive thoughts. I read in Scripture that I’m not supposed to have worry, fear, and anxiety, and I’ve “worried” about whether that means I’m not faithful enough. The more I pray about my disorder, the more I see that the enemy is concerned about people like Franni and me. Because we acknowledge our brokenness and rely on God, we become a “menace” to him. God is there to catch us when we “trust fall,” always having our back. We now stand as a force, fighting bravely in spiritual warfare. If God is on our side, no one can stand against us.
God tells us in the Bible that we are all sinners and have all fallen short. We need to serve God because of who He is, not because of what He does for us. God doesn't promise to spare us from pain, but we need to trust Him. You have to trust Him, wait on Him, and wait for Him to orchestrate the plans for your life. This is a wonderful song of encouragement to live as a light and to know that, in Christ, we can do anything. God will never fail us or forsake us until the work of the Lord is finished. God has great plans for all of His children, as Jeremiah 29:11 says.
We have the very love of God in our hearts. We have faith to see the impossible come to pass, and we have a God who's waiting to back us up in this mission. Ask God to open your eyes today. Ask Him to reveal His footsteps so you can follow them. They will lead you to amazing places. Spend time with God, and let Him redeem and restore you. King Solomon wrote Proverbs 3:5-6 to remind us of the importance of trusting in God with all our hearts. The more broken you admit you are, the more His light shines through us. "Menace" is a wonderful song of encouragement, a prayer, and a reminder to ask God to break your pride, live redemption's story, and move closer to who we're meant to be in Christ.
This song connects to my favorite Bible passage and life verse, Isaiah 6:8. This verse stirs me to answer my calling as a Christian to do God's will. I think the key for me is how Isaiah 6 comes alive in this song and on this album, Here I Am. I'm consistently praying for the courage to say, "Here I am, Lord, send me" when God calls me. This song is a great prayer and an answer to that call. What is one area in your life where you feel God may be calling you to exercise faith, even though you doubt your strength?
God doesn’t make bad things happen to us. He came to give us life and to live with Him eternally by trusting in Jesus alone for our salvation. God is bigger than any calamity that we experience in this world. His love never fails. Thank You, Jesus. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” The Bible tells us that with faith, we can do anything in Christ. I'm completely convicted by the strong lyrics and find immense comfort in this song filled with biblical truth. If you are looking for a firm foundation in your life, make these lyrics your personal prayer: “Why I am always such a menace/To my own understanding/When I know that You get me? And why I am always sabotaging/Instead of trust falling/In arms that wanna hold me? God, save me. God, save me.” Amen to that.
