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The title track opens with the lyrics--"You were walking on the moon, now you're feeling low, what they said wasn't true, you're beautiful, sticks and stones break your bones, I know what you're feeling, words like those won't steal your glow...you're worth more than gold." My daughters are more precious than anything in the world to me and to their Heavenly Father, and that song is a great anthem to celebrate the biblical Truth from Psalm 139, that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made."
"Ready Or Not" features premier Christian rapper Lecrae. The message is uplifting and mission-minded including the lyrics, "giving everything to see the lost get found" leading to the chorus--"Ready or not here I come, I'm about to show you where the Light comes from." That connects to the message of her hit song, "The Lost Get Found" which was my 46th "behind the song" devotional article. I'm thrilled to feature the story behind this song as my 500th "behind the song" devotional article. I had the chance to speak with Britt about the song.
Please tell me the personal story behind writing this song.
This song is all about being who you are, letting your light shine and taking the love of God to the world. I've had a lot of chances to do that this past year. Because of the success of the song "Gold," I was able to share about the love of God in a lot of different ways and it was amazing to see people respond to the love of God. To people who had never heard the Good News, people who had never heard the Gospel and who weren't Christians. I hope this song encourages people to do that. Take the love of God to people who haven't heard.
This song also speaks about how we can try to fit into a box or fit into a mold. I felt that a lot as a new artist—that I was trying to be who people wanted me to be instead of who I am. Be who you are. In being who you are people see the love of Jesus.
Since I've been making music, I wanted to feature another artist on my album. I never had the opportunity to do that until I made this album, and in thinking about it, I love rap music and hip-hop. Immediately the first person who came to my mind was Lecrae. Not only because I love his style of music, but also because I love who he is as an artist, and the stand that he takes. His music is amazing and he is so talented. I called Lecrae and he loved the song. I asked him to write whatever he felt would work with the song. I told him what the song meant to me. He sent something back and I loved it. We made no changes. I love his part of the song and I feel like it takes it to another level and makes it more powerful. I love his lyrics, "You're the source of all my hope and the reason why I stand." Every time I hear that, it ministers to me.
Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?
Matthew 5:14-16 (The Voice): And you, beloved, are the light of the world. A city built on a hilltop cannot be hidden. Similarly it would be silly to light a lamp and then hide it under a bowl. When someone lights a lamp, she puts it on a table or a desk or a chair, and the light illumines the entire house. You are like that illuminating light. Let your light shine everywhere you go, that you may illumine creation, so men and women everywhere may see your good actions, may see creation at its fullest, may see your devotion to Me, and may turn and praise your Father in heaven because of it.
What is the takeaway message?
I remember when I was working on this album, my husband brought me the track for this song and played it for me and God started giving me ideas for the lyrics of the song. At the time, I was on a Christian tour, and I was feeling like people wanted to put me inside a box, even at a Christian event. I've been blessed as an artist getting to play with so many artists and at festivals. To be honest, at some events I've been told to not say things from stage about what God has done in my life. I was getting very discouraged, because I want to share about what God has done in my life. I've got to tell people who God is. This wasn't at a pop music show, this was a Christian event. We should be able to talk about God, and not put in a box about what we think people want to hear and what might or might not offend people. I was praying for guidance. I was praying about how to be who I am with people by showing the love of God by praying for someone. God gave me the lyrics for this song, and that's where "fit it in your box" comes from. We're not going to be put in a box at a Christian event or a pop music event. That is what this song is about. This is who I am, I won't hide it. I'm going to share about the Love of Jesus. I'm not going to hide it under a bushel. Ready or not, I'm going to let it shine. I want people to be themselves. God made you different and unique. Let the light of God inside of you shine.
Lyrics:
I tried to cover my shine
I've tried staying in the lines
I, I, I don't wanna hide
No not tonight
You, you, you want me to take my light
Fit it in your box right
I want you to look me in the eye, eye, eye
Ready or not
Here, here, here I come
I'm about to show you where the light comes from
Oh, oh, oh ready or not here, here I come
This is who I am
I won't hide it
I'm a take it all over the world
To the young to the old every boy and girl
Ready or not here I come
I'm a show the world where the love is
I'm not ever selling out
A love out loud is what it's all about
Giving everything to see the lost get found
Yeah, it's going down
You, you, you want me to take my light
Fit it in your box right
I want you to look me in the eye, eye, eye
Ready or not here, here I come
I'm about to show you where the light comes from
Ready or not here here, here I come
This is who I am
I won't hide it
I'm a take it all over the world
To the young to the old every boy and girl
Ready or not here I come
I'm a show the world where the love is
I refuse to keep this buried deep inside of me
Yeah this little light of mine, it's time to let it shine a bit
'Cause there's no point in hiding it
It's everything I am
The source of all my hope
And it's the reason why I stand
And I pledge allegiance to be somebody real
There's no more holding it back
I'm showing them how I feel cause love is more than a word
It's a noun, and a verb, and hiding it is absurd
Ya heard
Ready or not here, here, here I come
I'm about to show you where the light comes from
Ready or not here here, here I come
This is who I am
I won't hide it
I'm a take it all over the world
To the young to the old every boy and girl
Ready or not here I come
I'm a show the world where the love is
Britt Nicole's songs "Walk on the Water" and "Set the world on Fire" have been featured in television shows and movies and with Gold she has had a "Breakthrough" as the premier female artist in all of Christian music. She has an infectious and upbeat musical style, layering her strong and distinguished vocals over the top of one hooky melody after another.
Britt has really emerged as one of the top female vocalists in any genre and she is a great role model for girls struggling with identity issues. Her album is loaded with positive grace-filled messages of hope. The upbeat and heavily produced musical arrangements on this album perfectly accentuate Britt's powerful and passionate songs. Britt's favorite Scripture passage is 1 Chronicles 28:20 which she says reminds her daily of God's calling on her life. Britt has the gift of encouragement and every single song lifts me up, especially "Ready or Not."
Appropriately in commemorating my 500th devotional article, I am writing about a song based on the passage that I've featured the most, Matthew 5:14-16. From my 4th devotional, Bethany Dillon's "Let Your Light Shine" to #187, "Shine (SMS)" by David Crowder*Band, and #451 "A City on a Hill" by The City Harmonic, that passage has been a consistent devotional reminder to demonstrate my commitment to God by letting my light shine the Light of the World, Jesus, who lives inside all of us as believers. As the song boldly proclaims, "I'm about to show you where the Light comes from...Ready or Not!" Amen to that!
(Watch the lyric video here.)
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