Photo by Amanda Phung
American Christian pop and rock artist Tauren Wells began his career in 2004. He is the former frontman for another pop-rock band, Royal Tailor. It was nominated for two Grammy’s and one Dove during his stay. Wells began his solo career in 2016. He released two albums and two EP’s, including:
- Undefeated (EP, 2016)
- Hills and Valleys (2017)
- Conocido (EP, 2019)
- Citizen of Heaven (2020)
Wells earned a GMA Dove Award for New Artist of the Year in 2017.
Also, check out my reviews of Hills and Valleys and Known.
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. I strongly encourage you to consider the potential blessings and dangers of this artist‘s theology by visiting Resources.
1. What message does the song communicate?
This song lists many things that God is famous for many things, including:
- Quenches dread and suspicion
- Defends His children against spiritual onslaught
- Offers hope and might
- Trustworthiness, as shown in Isaiah’s words of trial by water and fire, closing the lion’s mouth against Daniel, and restoring spiritually dead Israelites to revitalization
- Fills and refills His children with the Holy Spirit
- Abundant provider
- Unyielding force
- Nothing impossible for Him
In response, Wells believes God. He will keep all His promises.
Score: 10/10
2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?
This song agrees with God’s inspired Word.
Lyrics posted with permission.*
[Verse 1]
There is no fear ’cause I believe
There is no doubt ’cause I have seen
Your faithfulness, my fortress
Over and over
Wells experienced God’s faithfulness; His perfect love that casts out fear (1 John 1:18), removes doubt (1 John 1:3, Acts 5:32, and 2 Peter 1:16), and becomes His 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).
[Verse 2]
I have a hope found in Your name
God’s loyalty causes Wells to find hope in Him (Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 33:20, Psalm 39:7, Psalm 62:5, Isaiah 40:31, Isaiah 41:10, Matthew 11:28-30, Romans 5:1-8, Romans 8:24-39, Romans 15:13, 1 Corinthians 15:54-58, and 1 Peter 1:3-6).
I have a strength found in Your grace
God is the source of Well’s power (Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 22:19, Psalm 28:7-8, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 118:14, Isaiah 12:2, Isaiah 33:2, Isaiah 40:29-31, Habakkuk 3:19, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Ephesians 3:16, Ephesians 6:10, and Philippians 4:13).
Your faithfulness, my fortress
Over and over
Repeats Verse 1, lines 3 and 4.
[Chorus]
Make way through the waters
Walk me through the fire
References Isaiah 43:2, indicating that God is with Wells.
Do what You are famous for
What You are famous for
A catch-all statement for God’s lovingkindness shown through His faithfulness. While we are often faithless to God, He is faithful to Wells, because He cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13).
Shut the mouths of lions
References Daniel and the lions’ den in Daniel 6:16-28.
Bring dry bones to life and
References the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37:1-14.
Do what You are famous for
What You are famous for
Repeats lines 3 and 4.
I believe in You
God, I believe in You
Wells expresses his belief in God.
[Verse 3]
Release Your love inside of me
Unleash Your power for all to see
Spirit, come, and fall on us
Over and over, oh Lord
Peter and Paul were filled with the Holy Spirit more than once. For example, you’re probably familiar with Peter’s initial filling at Pentecost, in Acts 2:4. However, he was filled a second time in Acts 4:8! It happened a third time after he was released from the Sanhedrin, in Acts 4:31.
Paul was first filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts 9:17-19. However, it happened a second time in Acts 13:9.
Finally, it says in Acts 13:52 that the “disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit”.
This tells me that the filling of the Holy Spirit isn’t a one-time event. It happens continuously as we become more sensitive to His leading.
[Bridge]
God of exceedingly, God of abundantly
More than we ask or think, Lord, You will never fail
God is Well’s provider, whose blessings overflow (Genesis 2:15-16, Genesis 9:3, Genesis 22:8, Exodus 16:1-36, Psalm 18:2, Psalm 23:5, Psalm 34:10, Psalm 81:10, Psalm 84:11, Psalm 107:9, Proverbs 10:3, Malachi 3:10, Matthew 6:25-30, Matthew 7:7-8, Matthew 21:22, John 14:13-14, John 14:26, John 15:1-10, John 15:16, Romans 8:32, Ephesians 3:20, Philippians 4:19, 2 Corinthians 9:8, and 2 Corinthians 12:9). He also keeps all His promises (Numbers 23:19, Joshua 21:45, Joshua 23:14, 1 Kings 8:56, Romans 4:21, 2 Corinthians 1:20, 1 Thessalonians 5:24, Hebrews 10:23, and 2 Peter 3:9).
Your name is powerful, Your word’s unstoppable
There is power in the name of Jesus (Mark 16:17, Luke 10:17, Acts 3:6, Acts 3:12-16, Acts 4:30, Romans 10:13, and Philippians 2:9-11). His words will never pass away (Matthew 24:35 and Luke 21:33).
All things are possible in You
References Matthew 19:26.
God of exceedingly (Oh), God of abundantly (Oh)
More than we ask or think (Oh), Lord, You will never fail (Never fail, no)
Your name is powerful (Oh), Your word’s unstoppable (Unstoppable)
All things are possible in You
Essentially repeats lines 1-4, with a few sprinkles of Casper the friendly ghost sounds.
[Outro]
There is no fear ’cause I believe
There is no doubt ’cause I have seen
Your faithfulness, my fortress
Over and over
Repeats Verse 1.
Score: 10/10
3. How would an outsider interpret the song?
Wells opts for everyday language, sprinkled with Biblical references, to communicate his message. Unbelievers will know it’s either Christian or Judaism based on the name “God” used in this song and its reference to Daniel and the Lions’ den. They will conclude that God’s followers believe He is trustworthy enough to follow.
The only thing they may not understand is that the dry bones reference comes from Ezekiel and experiential knowledge of the Holy Spirit’s falling/filling. The first will likely be simple to comprehend: it is about spiritual resurrection. The second is not an interpretive issue.
Score: 8/10
4. What does this song glorify?
It glorifies God through examples of His faithfulness and attributes that make up who God is, including omnipotence, spiritual protector, and bulwark.
Score: 10/10
Closing Comments
Tauren Wells’ Famous For (I Believe) is a great song. It showcases God’s faithfulness with Biblical examples, exclaiming that we can trust Him through trials and tribulation. He is our provider, sustenance, and bulwark against spiritual onslaught, bringing Him glory, Aside from differentiating between Christianity and Judaism, unbelievers will easily interpret similarly.
I highly recommend this song for corporate worship.
Final Score: 9.5/10
Artist Info
Track: Famous For (I Believe) (listen to the song)
Artist: Tauren Wells (Feat. Jenn Johnson)
Album: Citizen of Heaven
Genre: Rock
Release Year: 2020
Duration: 4:03
Agree? Disagree? Don’t be shy or have a cow! Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.
*Copyright © 2020 Nordinary Music (SESAC) Songs By JSapp (BMI) Capitol CMG Paragon (BMI) Integrity’s Alleluia! Music (SESAC) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com), Jord A Lil Music (BMI) Crucial Music Entertainment (BMI) Be Essential Songs (BMI) Buddybabe Music (ASCAP) All Essential Music (ASCAP) (admin at EssentialMusicPublishing.com). All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Updates:
10/21/2021 – Per Artist Theology announcement, I expanded the red text to encourage others to study Tauren Wells’ theology via Lakewood Church.
Comments
Katherine
I agree with what you’ve said – God is faithful, He keeps his promises, and He can do great things. However, one thing that bugs me about this song is the fact that God isn’t “famous” for doing miracles, as the chorus seems to heavily imply. Every miracle in the Bible was to point forward to Christ and bring glory to God. I feel like saying God’s miracles are what we know him for is very misleading (one could argue that salvation was a miracle, but I’m fairly certain the person singing the chorus is doing so as a Christian, not praying for salvation).
Additionally, I think this song fits what you call the “Word of Faith” songs, basically saying that if you believe hard enough, and “have enough faith”, God will do what you prayed for, and do miracles. Not that Faith is a bad thing by any means, but I believe one should recognize that sometimes God chooses to answer prayer with “no”, and that is not because you didn’t believe for it enough.
So essentially, in my opinion, it sounds like the person is saying, “God, you’ve done good things in the past, I know you are powerful and everything is possible through you, so please please do miracles for me, and I believe in you, God, and because I have faith, you will do these things”. I feel like the song could greatly be improved by changing “do what you are famous for” to “do what you have done before”, and adding a bit of the message from MercyMe’s ‘Even If’.
Anyway, apologies for the lengthy comment – just a few thoughts I have about this song. I would be curious to know if you had different opinions when you wrote this review.
Neal Cruco
Katherine,
I’m not seeing whatever you’re seeing in that song. There is no hint of “You will give me whatever I want if I just believe hard enough that You will.” And there is no hint of God being famous for doing miracles (although, to be frank, the miracle accounts are probably the best-known parts of the Bible). Rather, Wells says that God is famous for being faithful to and providing for His children, and he trusts God to continue doing so. That’s really it. As Vince stated, the first two lines of the chorus reference Isaiah 43:2, which has nothing to do with miracles or Word of Faith and everything to do with God promising to be faithful. The rest of the song supports this thesis.
General Disclaimer: Those who read and comment on a website like this usually do so because they like to rigorously evaluate Christian music. Sometimes, we have different opinions on a song, and we see those differences of opinion as a personal attack. In Romans 14, Paul focuses on how we should respond when we disagree with other Christians on secondary matters. He exhorts us to follow our convictions and respect other Christians for doing the same. If your convictions on this song differ from mine, please follow yours and do not take mine personally.
“But if you have doubts about whether or not you should [do] something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.”
Romans 14:23 (NLT)
Katherine
I do see where you are coming from, and how the first lines of the chorus referencing Isaiah 43:2 would imply God’s being famous for His watching over and providing for us. I had assumed the references in the chorus were referring to miracles (such as parting the Red Sea, the Fiery Furnace, the Lion’s Den, and the Dry Bones). The rest of the song would be supporting that, saying there was “no fear, because I believe”, i.e., I have faith that God can do these things again that He has done before.
However, I can definitely see the point you make about the lines in the chorus referencing the verses that says God is with us (although I’m still unsure how the “dry bones” reference fits with that). I appreciate your clarification on how you view the song and your taking the time to comment on this! Thank you!
Jonathan
Look, these miracles matter. They are the first test of your faith. Those who exalt themselves as educated, highly intelligent elites will either reject or dismiss all of these supernatural miracles as ancient myths, it takes faith to believe in all of those miracles as historic facts performed by the almighty God.
Also, may I add, that the line “shut the mouth of Lion” is not only referring to the lion’s den, but it has also a specific meaning of shutting up all the lies from Satan. Remember, Satan is described as “roaring lion” roaming on the Earth, seeking to devour. Also, the Beast as Satan’s incarnate is given “a mouth of lion” to deceive the entire world. The symbol of “lion” has a prophetic significance.
Katherine
I agree that the miracles God has done are definitely significant, and I have no issue with that. What I do find issue with is a song that practically begs God to keep doing miracles for them, without allowing that His answer may be “No”. If that is not what the song is referring to with the references in the chorus, fine. I think that if this is actually referring to God’s previous faithfulness and His promise to continue to be faithful, it is a good message (although I wouldn’t quite use the words ‘famous for’, still). I like your point about Satan, although I’m not suite sure if that’s what’s meant by that line in this particular context.
Overall, I think that if the references are to miracles, the song is emphasizing God’s ability to do miraculous things today (which is not wrong) but not remembering that God can say “No”. If the chorus is talking about God’s faithfulness (Isaiah 43:2), I fully support that, but I think the choice of words could have been a little bit better (and I still don’t know what the dry bones reference would refer to, in that case).
Neal Cruco
Katherine,
I believe that the line “bring dry bones to life” refers to salvation- the resurrection of someone who was spiritually dead to new life in Christ.
Katherine
That is an interesting thought – I had not considered that! Thank you!
John A everett
In simple terms Christians should be God-centric and not believe in God because he seems to be us centric manipulating circumstances all around us. Jesus said a wicked and perverse generation only believes if they have a sign. To often we egocentricaly look for that sign to believe.
I believe a lot of Christian music sets us up for bad theology, this song being a prime example Jesus and his disciples all heroically met with open mouthed lion tragedies, why not dispel the notion that God frivolously flits between stopping horrors produced by free will and disease and allowing it, and say God is working His plan, miraculously restoring us to Himself This song is like the classic wild west story of the widow begging the famous gunslinger to put his guns on one last time to save her family from the bad guys