Say Once More
Encyclopedia
"Say Once More" is a 1988 single by Christian music
singer Amy Grant
. It was released as the fifth single from Grant's Lead Me On album. Unlike some of Grant's previous singles, this song made an impact on Christian radio but not on pop
or "mainstream" radio.
"Say Once More" is a downtempo love ballad. Unlike the other five singles from Lead Me On, "Say Once More" does not feature any explicitly Christian
lyrics, though it performed well on Christian radio and can arguably be read either as a secular love song or as a love letter to God
.
The song should not be confused with another Amy Grant song of the same name. Grant recorded a very different-sounding song with different lyrics, also titled "Say Once More", for her 1980 album, Never Alone
.
artist to achieve success on pop radio (though she would later achieve far greater success in the 1990s). The Lead Me On album is widely considered one of the greatest and most successful Christian albums ever recorded and was named the greatest of all time by CCM Magazine
.
and A&M Records
, the two labels which had overseen the original release of Lead Me On. That year, her new record label, EMI Records
, reissued a new digitally remastered edition of Lead Me On. In 2008, EMI
again reissued the album, this time as a double-disc 20th Anniversary Edition. The second disc of that re-release featured a new recording of "Say Once More" by Amy Grant with Will Owsley
on guitar. Grant described the new recording as "a songwriter's version", with the music stripped down to further emphasize the lyrics. In promoting the re-release, Grant performed the new acoustic version during various media appearances.
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
singer Amy Grant
Amy Grant
Amy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for her Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop"...
. It was released as the fifth single from Grant's Lead Me On album. Unlike some of Grant's previous singles, this song made an impact on Christian radio but not on pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
or "mainstream" radio.
"Say Once More" is a downtempo love ballad. Unlike the other five singles from Lead Me On, "Say Once More" does not feature any explicitly 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...
lyrics, though it performed well on Christian radio and can arguably be read either as a secular love song or as a love letter to God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
.
The song should not be confused with another Amy Grant song of the same name. Grant recorded a very different-sounding song with different lyrics, also titled "Say Once More", for her 1980 album, Never Alone
Never Alone
Never Alone is the third album by Christian singer Amy Grant, released in 1980 through Myrrh Recordings.By this point in her life, Amy had entered her sophomore year at Furman University and developed a budding relationship with studio songwriter Gary Chapman. The three songs from the album that...
.
Background
The first two singles from Lead Me On cracked the mainstream pop charts in addition to topping the U.S. Christian charts. The album's four remaining singles, however, charted only on Christian radio. The release of "Say Once More" came at a time when Grant was at what seemed to be the height of her career, having recently become the first Contemporary Christian musicContemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
artist to achieve success on pop radio (though she would later achieve far greater success in the 1990s). The Lead Me On album is widely considered one of the greatest and most successful Christian albums ever recorded and was named the greatest of all time by CCM Magazine
CCM Magazine
CCM Magazine was a monthly magazine published by Salem Publishing, a division of Salem Communications. It was first published in July 1978, and it has always been a Christian music magazine. On January 16, 2008, Salem announced that the April 2008 issue would be the final printed issue of the...
.
Chart Success
Despite the small role of faith in the lyrics, "Say Once More" was a success on Christian radio, peaking at #2 on the Christian music charts in the United States. However, it did not place on any of the major mainstream pop or Adult Contemporary charts.20th Anniversary Edition
In 2007, Grant had left Word RecordsWord Records
Word Records is a Christian record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a division of Word Entertainment , which, itself is co-owned by Warner Music Group and Curb Records...
and A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
, the two labels which had overseen the original release of Lead Me On. That year, her new record label, EMI Records
EMI Records
EMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide...
, reissued a new digitally remastered edition of Lead Me On. In 2008, EMI
EMI Records
EMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide...
again reissued the album, this time as a double-disc 20th Anniversary Edition. The second disc of that re-release featured a new recording of "Say Once More" by Amy Grant with Will Owsley
Owsley (musician)
William Reese "Will" Owsley III , known professionally as Owsley, was an American singer-songwriter, best known as for his work as guitarist in Amy Grant's touring band. His solo albums won critical acclaim and one Grammy Award nomination...
on guitar. Grant described the new recording as "a songwriter's version", with the music stripped down to further emphasize the lyrics. In promoting the re-release, Grant performed the new acoustic version during various media appearances.
Charts
| Chart (1988) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Christian | 2 |