Photo by Nick Fewings
Contemporary Christ artist Phil Wickham was 18 years old when he began his career in 2002. Since then, he released ten albums, including:
- Give You My World (2003)
- Phil Wickham (2006)
- Cannons (2007)
- Heaven & Earth (2009)
- Response (2011)
- The Ascension (2013)
- Children of God (2016)
- Living Hope (2018)
- Christmas (2019)
- Hymn of Heaven (2021)
He received a Dove award in 2019 for Worship Recorded Song of the Year for his song Living Hope.
Also, check out my other Phil Wickham reviews.
Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site! Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.
1. What message does the song communicate?
Amid Wickham’s low, “you” and only “you” showed up and called him by name, liberating him from his former life and towards “you”. Prompting Wickham to cease fear, “you” is Wickham’s guidance, protection, and light that shines through his inner-darkness.
Who is “you”? It could be God, but surely a wife or girlfriend could take him in at his worst, quench fear, calms, protects, guides, and whose love breaks through? Without any unique attributes, nouns, or acts that point us towards God, it’s up to the interpreter to decide which view is correct.
Score: 4/10
2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?
I deducted two points to assume it’s talking about God. Under this assumption, all the lyrics are consistent with the Bible.
Lyrics posted with permission.*
[Verse 1]
You saw me first
You let me in when I was at my worst
The moment when I heard You say my name
Wickham describes his personal experience, reminiscent of God’s love while we were sinners (Romans 5:6-8). To “let me in” points to Wickham’s personal relationship with God (John 15:1-11, Acts 17:27, Romans 8:15, Romans 11:16-24, and Philippians 3:8-10).
It’s the first time in so long, I’m not afraid
I’m not afraid
God is with Wickham, granting him courage to face his fears (Genesis 15:1, Joshua 1:9, Deuteronomy 31:6, 1 Chronicles 28:20, Psalm 23:4, Psalm 27:1, Psalm 34:4, Psalm 56:3-4, Psalm 94:19, Psalm 115:11, Psalm 118:6, Isaiah 35:4, Isaiah 41:10-13, Isaiah 43:1, Isaiah 54:4, John 14:25-27, Romans 8:15, Romans 8:38-39, 2 Timothy 1:7, Hebrews 13:5-6, 1 Peter 3:13-14, 1 Peter 5:6-7, and 1 John 4:18).
[Pre-Chorus]
You are the voice that calms the storm inside me
Much like the words of Jesus rebuked the wind (Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41, and Luke 8:22-25), so too His voice guides Wickham towards inner-peace (John 14:27, John 16:29-33, Romans 5:1, Ephesians 2:14-15, and Colossians 3:15).
Castle walls that stand around me
All this time my guardian was You
That is, God is Wickham’s defense (Ruth 2:12, 2 Samuel 22:3-4, Psalm 3:3, Psalm 5:11, Psalm 18:30, Psalm 27:1, Psalm 32:7, Psalm 34:22, Psalm 41:2, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 57:1, Psalm 59:1, Psalm 61:3, Psalm 91:1-16, Psalm 118:8, Psalm 121:7-8, Psalm 138:7, Proverbs 18:10, Proverbs 30:5, Nahum 1:7, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, and 1 John 5:18).
You are the light that shines in every tunnel
God’s light drives out darkness (Psalm 107:10-16, Luke 1:79, John 1:1-13, John 12:46, Ephesians 5:8, Colossians 1:13, and 1 Peter 2:9).
There in the past, You’ll be there tomorrow
That is, God is always with Wickham (Deuteronomy 31:6-8, Joshua 1:5-9, Psalm 23:4, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 139:7-10, Isaiah 41:10, Jeremiah 23:23-24, Zephaniah 3:17, Matthew 6:25-34, Matthew 28:20, John 14:16-17, Hebrews 13:5, Romans 8:38-39, and Revelation 3:20).
All my life Your love was breaking through
See Verse 1.
[Chorus]
It’s always been You
There is no other (John 14:6 and Acts 4:12).
It’s always been You
Repeats line 1.
[Verse 2]
My northern star
Your love will be the compass of my heart
That is, God guides Wickham (Psalm 32:8, Psalm 37:23-24, Psalm 73:23-24, Psalm 119:105, Isaiah 30:21, Isaiah 48:17, Isaiah 58:11, Proverbs 3:5-6, Proverbs 16:9, Proverbs 20:24, Psalm 25:4-9, Psalm 25:9-10, Luke 1:78-79, John 14:26, John 16:13, and Romans 8:14).
Oh, I just want to be right wherе You are
Right where You arе
Better is a day with God than a thousand elsewhere (Psalm 84:10).
[Bridge]
Who stood with me in the fire?
It was You, it was always You
Who pulled me out of the water?
It was You, it was always You
And who carried me on their shoulders?
It was You, I know it’s You
Wickham’s testimony is that God was with him amid his battles (see Pre-Chorus, line 5), will pull him out of some situations, and will carry him in others (See Scripture on Verse 1, lines 4 and 5).
The fourth and sixth lines repeat the second.
Score: 8/10
3. How would an outsider interpret the song?
Unbelievers will find a positive message about how Wickham was carried out of his past by someone who loves him. However, without knowing who Wickham is or hearing this song within a Christian context, they probably wouldn’t conclude that this song is about God, pointing them closer to a more human interpretation.
Score: 3/10
4. What does this song glorify?
While it glorifies God when we assume “You” as “God”, His identity is not clearly shown throughout her song.
Score: 5/10
Closing Comments
Phil Wickham’s It’s Always Been You follows an unfortunate trend. While Christians will be quick to assume this song is about God’s rescue, the song is not clear on this point, showing ambiguity. Yes, if we assume God, the lyrics are Scriptural and would bring glory to God. However, unbelievers will probably draw a different conclusion had they heard it outside church or Christian radio.
I cannot recommend this song for corporate worship.
Final Score: 5.5/10
Artist Info
Track: It’s Always Been You (listen to the song)
Artist: Phil Wickham
Album: Hymn of Heaven
Genre: Contemporary Christian Music (CCM)
Release Year: 2021
Duration: 4:02
Agree? Disagree? Don’t be shy or have a cow! Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.
*Copyright © 2021 Songs From Richmond Park (BMI) Be Essential Songs (BMI) Heavenly Junkie Music (BMI) Phil Wickham Music (BMI) Simply Global Songs (BMI) Be Essential Songs (BMI) (admin at EssentialMusicPublishing.com). All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Comments
J
“Who stood with me in the fire” probably refers to Daniel 3:24-25
“Who pulled me out of the water” might refer to Matthew 14:31 or Lamentations 3:53-57
Michael Ramsey
This review would make it seem most people don’t have deductive reasoning. LOL. I think you don’t give unbelievers enough credit for their logic. Also I think the scores don’t reflect the review in general.
Don Shreffler
Thank you so much for this resource! It helps me think critically about the songs I choose to lead and I always want to take great care in that regard. In response to this particular post it seems that your main critique of the song is that it is not specific who the song is referencing, be it God, or someone else important in the author’s life. I agree on that point so far as it goes. I would prefer that God is mentioned specifically. You also state that your main concern is how an “outsider” would perceive the song and that you cannot recommend it for “corporate” worship. If an outsider has joined us for corporate worship, are they not aware who we are worshiping? I think most of the time the answer would be yes. If there is any potential doubt, I would recommend a corporate reading of one of the many scriptures you referenced prior to or during this song to draw scripture and song together, which is something we should be doing anyway. I try to do that most Sundays with our congregation. It’s a reminder that we are singing songs that contain the concepts of scripture but are not scripture themselves. Scripture is the ultimate authority, not the latest catchy worship song. As far as believers go, surely we understand from the pervasive biblical imagery that the author is indeed referencing the God of the Bible. Again, I am in agreement that it is preferable to reference God and Jesus by name, but my more urgent concern is that what we are singing about them is biblically accurate and specific. If a song doesn’t mention God by name I might deduct a point, if it says something vague or incorrect about God then I would drop it several points and not recommend it at all. To that end I think a higher score and maybe a tempered recommendation to use the song bolstered by the scriptures it refers to might be warranted. But, perhaps you would rather base your recommendations on the song alone not including how we might bolster and give weight to the songs with extra readings and exhortation. If that’s the case then I defer to you as this resource is based on your criteria and not mine. Thanks again for your service to the family of God and your willingness to hear from us in response!
Vince Wright
Don,
Thank you for your compliments and comments!
My review is based on the assumption that church context is not taken into consideration. However, section 2 reflects its Biblical accuracy when assuming that this song is about God. It’s not inherent in the lyrics; However, you are correct: unbelievers singing this on Sunday would probably think it’s about God given that they are at church. Still, I can’t recommend any song for corporate worship that isn’t clear about who “You” is in the lyics. There’s ten’s of thousands of songs available to use, so we can afford to be picky!
I have another personal reason why I can’t recommend such songs. I’ve admitted in my interview with Michelle Nezat that I connect with God better if I actually say names like “Jesus”, “God”, “Father”. “Holy Spirit”, etc. For me, there’s just something about the name of Jesus that brings comfort and healing that personal pronouns like “You” or “He” can’t accomplish. Maybe that’s influencing my recommendations. I don’t know. But, it’s something worth considering when choosing songs on Sunday.
-Vince Wright
DON SHREFFLER
Thanks for your quick reply Vince! I understand why you don’t include that extra context in your review. It makes sense for the sake of simplicity and clarity to simply review the song purely based on its own merits. Of course, when I lead a song I am not just leading that song on its own in a vacuum but within a Sunday morning context that includes lots of other aforementioned variables. Thanks for being transparent by admitting your personal preference. I don’t think I feel as strongly about it as you do. I get pretty pumped up by specific descriptions of God and the blessings of grace he bestows. Sometimes those include his name. Sometimes they don’t. I will add one last fact to ponder. While I’m betting all of the psalms reference God by name, the book of Esther doesn’t and yet it glorifies God somehow. I know that’s the exception to the rule but it’s part of the canon of scripture nevertheless. Am I saying that should change your mind on the subject? Not really. I don’t necessarily think you need to. I just find it interesting. Thanks again for the dialogue! I really appreciate you taking the time. I really enjoy it and it means a lot to me.
Vince Wright
Don,
My pleasure!
I apologize for not adding this earlier in my original response. When it comes to songs that aren’t clear about who “You” is, I look for acts, attributes, or other descriptors that would point me in the direction of the Christian God. This is especially true of an unbeliever’s interpretation. For example, in my review of I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever (https://www.thebereantest.com/delirious-i-could-sing-of-your-love-forever), I gave credit because the song spoke of daily lifted hands, that “Your” love came down, and that the word “we” is present as (weak) pointers to Christianity. I didn’t see anything like that in this song; However, if you see any pointers that apply to God that wouldn’t work for, say, a boyfriend or another deity, I’d be happy to update this review.
-Vince Wright
DON SHREFFLER
That’s great Vince! I really enjoy the way you process the structure and the content of each song. It’s deliberate, thoughtful, and thorough. As far as God-specific acts, attributes, and descriptors, the only ones I could point to would be the biblical references in the bridge portion of the song… the furnace in Daniel… walking on water in Matthew… A Christian should recognize these references, but the outsider may not. So, to stay true to your criteria, I’m guessing that wouldn’t be strong enough. Not that I’m trying to convince you to change the score anyway. I’m just enjoying the interaction. It’s good for my heart, and my brain. Thanks for your time and thanks for this resource!
Vince Wright
Don,
Thanks again for your generous reply!
Yes, Bridge isn’t strong enough in my opinion for the lyric to inherently point to Daniel 3, especially when the rest of the lyrics don’t justify it. However, you may have noticed that I scored section 2 by assuming that “You” means God with a 2-point penalty, earning it 8/10 points. In other words, if Christians sing this on Sunday morning by interpreting “You” as God, my conclusion is that the song is Biblical. This keeps me consistent with my criteria, helps those who disagree with me on this stance, and keeps the song from earning a score deep within the red (1/2 point above 5.5 is magenta).
Considering that section 2 carries twice as much weight as any other section, this is the fairest way I can think of that balances evaluating lyrics on their merits with the Christian interpretation of “You” as God, based on other factors mentioned in this discussion and my Criteria page.
-Vince Wright