If I Had One Chance To Tell You Something
Encyclopedia
If I Had One Chance To Tell You Something is the eighth studio album
from Rebecca St. James
. This album
features a rather significant style variation. Retreating from the Nichole Nordeman
or Joy Williams style, St. James has taken on a more rock
-driven anthem (similar to secular acts Evanescence
and Alanis Morissette
). However, even in the particularly edgy "Alive
", Rebecca St. James
never deviates from the Christian
message that has driven all her songs from the beginning. The album includes the hit singles "Alive" and "You Are Loved".
The title song "You Are Loved" was inspired by an old family friend. St. James says, "This is a song that’s very close to me. It’s written about a childhood friend of mine that I grew up with in Sydney. I fell out of contact with him after leaving our Christian school to move to a different state. I ran into a mutual friend years later and asked how our friend, Daniel, was doing. This friend told me that Daniel had really fallen away from God and that he’d been abusing drugs as well. As I was thinking about what I wanted to write about on this album, he very randomly came to mind—and I felt that this ‘random’ thought was actually placed there by God. I had the concept… ‘If I had one chance to tell Daniel something, what would I say to him?’ The message I felt God really laid on my heart was to tell him…’You are loved.’ This is a song for the prodigals—which is all of us. God is the father that has His arms open wide waiting for us. He wants us to run towards Him and He will run toward us. It’s a song of hope and a message my generation needs to hear. ‘No matter where you’ve been and what you’ve done…you are loved.’ From this song came the album title—and really the key theme of the project.
I think I’ve come to realize, yes, we need to stand in awe of God and be blown away by His power. But it’s really His kindness and His love that draws us to Him and into a relationship with Him—His love makes us desire to know Him and love Him in return. That is for me the most important message I need to share—through this album and in my life. From how I relate in my relationships with others to what I say onstage –the message is 'we are extravagantly loved by God'".
"Shadowlands" was inspired by the writings of C.S. Lewis, while "Love Being Loved By You" is described by St. James as a worship song. "I Need You" was written for St. James's best friend Karleen.
"Beautiful Stranger" is described by the singer as her "Compassion International
song". She says, "For years I have wanted to write a song that sums up my heart for the work of Compassion International—and this is it—it arrived! Ever since I was a little girl and wanted to work in an orphanage and help kids in need, I’ve had a passion to show God’s love in practical ways. I think this song challenges me—and hopefully it challenges the listener—to not ignore those that we experience in our day-to-day lives who are hurting. I want this song to encourage people to reach out in the sense of reaching those who are hurting all around us. To offer God’s help and hope to those who are struggling with all kinds of needs - from poverty to loneliness, and to give to those that too often are lost and unnoticed in the crowd. What the song challenges us to do is to see that person as if we’re truly seeing Jesus –when we someone, we are loving Him. I am personally challenged by this song when I sing it and that’s a good thing."
Co-written and co-sung by TobyMac
, "Thank You" is simple message of thanks to God. The song "Take All of Me" was originally written by Hillsong United artist Marty Sampson and was chosen by St. James because of its worshipful tone. Rebecca says of "Forgive Me", "This song reminds me of the everlasting beauty of God’s grace." The song "I Can Trust You" was written as reminder to trust God. Rebecca says, "A major dream for me has been to get married and have a family—so this song really challenges me. God called me to trust Him with my desire to be married. To say, “Lord, if you have another purpose for me other than this desire that I have, I choose to trust you that you know what’s best for my life.’ He gave me the ability to do this. This song really talks about the challenges of giving God the things closest to us." Rebecca says of the final track, "Lest I Forget", "It’s somewhat of a sobering song but a song of gratefulness that simply treasures what Jesus has done for us."
. The song's are based in guitars, bass lines, and string arrangements. Rebecca also dabbles in hip-hop on the track "Thank You". The album was produced by frequent Rebecca St. James collaborators Tedd T. and Matt Bronleewe, and producer Shaun Shankel
.
in 11 years. It did manage to chart at no. 14 on Billboards Hot Christian Albums
chart, nine slots lower than 2002's Worship God.
Chart. It also proved to be successful in the UK where it peaked at #1 and in Australia where it landed at #36 on their 2006 Year-End Charts."You Are Loved" was released as the second single from the album. It peaked at #11 on Australia's 2006 Year-End Charts.
"God Help Me" was released as the third single from the album. It peaked at #2 in the UK, and landed at #81 on Australia's 2006 Year-End Charts.
"Take All of Me" was released as the fourth single from the album and peaked at #96 on Australia's 2006 Year-End Charts.
"I Need You", "I Can Trust You", and "Love Being Loved By You" were all released as singles in the UK where they peaked at #1, #2, and #1 respectively. "I Need You" also became the #1 song on their Year-End Charts for staying on the charts for 12 weeks.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
from Rebecca St. James
Rebecca St. James
Rebecca St. James , is a Christian pop rock singer, songwriter, musician, author, and actor. She began performing in Australia in the late 1980s and released her first full-length studio album in 1991. In 1993 she was signed to the record label ForeFront Records and released her major label debut a...
. This album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
features a rather significant style variation. Retreating from the Nichole Nordeman
Nichole Nordeman
Nichole Ellyse Nordeman is an eight-time Dove Award-winning contemporary Christian American singer–songwriter.-Biography:Nordeman was raised in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she played the piano in church...
or Joy Williams style, St. James has taken on a more rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
-driven anthem (similar to secular acts Evanescence
Evanescence
Evanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording private albums, the band released their first full-length album, Fallen, on Wind-up Records in 2003. Fallen sold more than 17 million copies worldwide...
and Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
). However, even in the particularly edgy "Alive
Alive (Rebecca St. James song)
"Alive" is a single from Christian pop and rock artist Rebecca St. James. A pop song with rock elements, "Alive" was released as the lead single from her album If I Had One Chance to Tell You Something on October 4, 2005.-Background:...
", Rebecca St. James
Rebecca St. James
Rebecca St. James , is a Christian pop rock singer, songwriter, musician, author, and actor. She began performing in Australia in the late 1980s and released her first full-length studio album in 1991. In 1993 she was signed to the record label ForeFront Records and released her major label debut a...
never deviates from the Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
message that has driven all her songs from the beginning. The album includes the hit singles "Alive" and "You Are Loved".
Writing and development
St. James co-wrote 11 out of the 12 tracks on the album, with the songs "God Help Me" and "You Are Loved" being written solely by the singer. Rebecca wrote "God Help Me" on her 27th birthday and says of the song, "I love singing this song because to me it’s an essential thought of the Christian life… ‘God help me..I’m not enough!". First single "Alive" is about how God can refresh you. She commented, "I love that this song is the first single from the album because it really represents where I am in my life right now. I feel over the last few years that God has really refreshed my soul. He’s done a lot of work in me personally in just re-vitalizing me as well as re-energizing me in a musical/ministry sense."The title song "You Are Loved" was inspired by an old family friend. St. James says, "This is a song that’s very close to me. It’s written about a childhood friend of mine that I grew up with in Sydney. I fell out of contact with him after leaving our Christian school to move to a different state. I ran into a mutual friend years later and asked how our friend, Daniel, was doing. This friend told me that Daniel had really fallen away from God and that he’d been abusing drugs as well. As I was thinking about what I wanted to write about on this album, he very randomly came to mind—and I felt that this ‘random’ thought was actually placed there by God. I had the concept… ‘If I had one chance to tell Daniel something, what would I say to him?’ The message I felt God really laid on my heart was to tell him…’You are loved.’ This is a song for the prodigals—which is all of us. God is the father that has His arms open wide waiting for us. He wants us to run towards Him and He will run toward us. It’s a song of hope and a message my generation needs to hear. ‘No matter where you’ve been and what you’ve done…you are loved.’ From this song came the album title—and really the key theme of the project.
I think I’ve come to realize, yes, we need to stand in awe of God and be blown away by His power. But it’s really His kindness and His love that draws us to Him and into a relationship with Him—His love makes us desire to know Him and love Him in return. That is for me the most important message I need to share—through this album and in my life. From how I relate in my relationships with others to what I say onstage –the message is 'we are extravagantly loved by God'".
"Shadowlands" was inspired by the writings of C.S. Lewis, while "Love Being Loved By You" is described by St. James as a worship song. "I Need You" was written for St. James's best friend Karleen.
"Beautiful Stranger" is described by the singer as her "Compassion International
Compassion International
Compassion International is a Christian child sponsorship organization dedicated to the long-term development of children living in poverty around the world. Compassion International, headquartered in Colorado Springs, functions in 26 countries such as Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, Haiti, Kenya, and...
song". She says, "For years I have wanted to write a song that sums up my heart for the work of Compassion International—and this is it—it arrived! Ever since I was a little girl and wanted to work in an orphanage and help kids in need, I’ve had a passion to show God’s love in practical ways. I think this song challenges me—and hopefully it challenges the listener—to not ignore those that we experience in our day-to-day lives who are hurting. I want this song to encourage people to reach out in the sense of reaching those who are hurting all around us. To offer God’s help and hope to those who are struggling with all kinds of needs - from poverty to loneliness, and to give to those that too often are lost and unnoticed in the crowd. What the song challenges us to do is to see that person as if we’re truly seeing Jesus –when we someone, we are loving Him. I am personally challenged by this song when I sing it and that’s a good thing."
Co-written and co-sung by TobyMac
TobyMac
Toby McKeehan , better known by his stage name TobyMac , is a Christian recording artist, music producer, hip-hop/pop artist, singer-songwriter, and author....
, "Thank You" is simple message of thanks to God. The song "Take All of Me" was originally written by Hillsong United artist Marty Sampson and was chosen by St. James because of its worshipful tone. Rebecca says of "Forgive Me", "This song reminds me of the everlasting beauty of God’s grace." The song "I Can Trust You" was written as reminder to trust God. Rebecca says, "A major dream for me has been to get married and have a family—so this song really challenges me. God called me to trust Him with my desire to be married. To say, “Lord, if you have another purpose for me other than this desire that I have, I choose to trust you that you know what’s best for my life.’ He gave me the ability to do this. This song really talks about the challenges of giving God the things closest to us." Rebecca says of the final track, "Lest I Forget", "It’s somewhat of a sobering song but a song of gratefulness that simply treasures what Jesus has done for us."
Music structure
If I Had One Chance To Tell You Something is described as "commercial alternative rock". It is much edgier and rock-based than St. James' prior album Worship GodWorship God
Worship God is the seventh studio album by Rebecca St. James, released on February 26, 2002. It is her highest charting album to date, peaking at #94 on the Billboard 200. The album produced the hit singles "Song of Love" and "Breathe"....
. The song's are based in guitars, bass lines, and string arrangements. Rebecca also dabbles in hip-hop on the track "Thank You". The album was produced by frequent Rebecca St. James collaborators Tedd T. and Matt Bronleewe, and producer Shaun Shankel
Shaun Shankel
Shaun Shankel is an American Grammy nominated, Dove Award songwriter and record producer, who has written and produced for some of the biggest selling artists in the Christian and pop music markets, selling over seven million albums and singles...
.
Track listing
Critical reception
The album received positive reviews. Rob Theakston of Allmusic gave the album 3 out of 5 stars and said "...the music is so contemporary and the lyrics sometimes so ambiguous, it's easy to forget where her message is coming from and what it's all about." JesusFreakHideout gave it 4 stars and commented, "If I Had One Chance To Tell You Something is a wonderful addition to Rebecca St. James's impressive career. Pop/rock and RSJ fans alike should find a lot to enjoy about this record, and it's a real treat to hear her return to the type of music-making that caused us to fall in love with her a decade ago." ChristianityToday favored the album saying, "This album's strengths far outweigh its weaknesses, and you can bet that as much as half of If I Had One Chance will do well on Christian radio. The challenge will be for St. James will be to avoid reverting to old material, continuing to press forward and try new things in her words and music. Nevertheless, this is a great recovery from her songwriting hiatus. Rebecca St. James is back, as inviting and rocking as she ever was."Chart performance
The album was not as successful as her previous endeavors and was her first studio album to not reach the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
in 11 years. It did manage to chart at no. 14 on Billboards Hot Christian Albums
Hot Christian Albums
Christian Albums is a Billboard chart of the best-selling Christian music albums of the week.-1980 number one Christian Albums:-1981 number one Christian Albums:-1982 number one Christian Albums:...
chart, nine slots lower than 2002's Worship God.
Singles
- "AliveAlive (Rebecca St. James song)"Alive" is a single from Christian pop and rock artist Rebecca St. James. A pop song with rock elements, "Alive" was released as the lead single from her album If I Had One Chance to Tell You Something on October 4, 2005.-Background:...
" was released as the lead single to the album on October 4, 2005. It proved to be successful, peaking at #3 on R&R's Christian CHR Chart and #13 on
Hot Christian Songs
Christian Songs is a Billboard chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States....
Chart. It also proved to be successful in the UK where it peaked at #1 and in Australia where it landed at #36 on their 2006 Year-End Charts.