I have always loved history. Can’t put my finger on exactly why, but I always have. My brother did as well. Maybe it was my grandfathers, especially my mom’s dad, who inspired and stoked the interest. When I read the Bible, I am intrigued by the history of it. My guess is that this song was spurred by a sermon or study of Philippians, particularly with the mention of running the race to be who God made me to be. I immediately turned to the history behind the sermon and the letter.
The Apostle Paul was a real person. He lived in a certain time and place, and his letters, along with Luke’s historical documentation in the book of Acts, have preserved a good chunk of the story. The New Testament contains the names of real cities and regions that we know existed and that Paul actually visited. The other part of Paul’s story that I was always really interested in was the question of whether or not he ever made it to Spain. Most scholars agree that he did not make it all the way to Spain and that he did not have the chance to after his appeal to Ceasar and his imprisonment in Rome. I conjectured that in my line in the first verse. I pictured an old Paul, looking out a window from his house imprisonment in Rome. He likely wouldn’t have had a window to look out, but I liked the image of the aged apostle, looking out into the distance as he remembered all of the journeys, the trials, the beatings and the struggle along with all of the miracles, conversions, and moments of joy and worship he had experienced. And still, in that moment, having a heart that longed to know Jesus, to know God, in an even deeper way.
As a Christian who struggles to get the basics right, I marvel at Paul’s desire to know the Lord more fully and deeply. How could anyone other than Jesus know and experience God any more than Paul had in his life?! The sentiment in “Take Me As I Am” and “Here And Now” continues in this song. I remember the second verse came as I was driving home for Thanksgiving break. It was the same time period that would produce “Mary On My Mind” and “Tell Carolina I Said Hello” that will come later in the record. Driving alone down the highway, I no doubt was struck by the scenery around me and the contrast with the darkness in my own heart. Through that darkness, I longed to know the Lord. I wanted the power that could raise Jesus from the dead to be alive in me. It says something for the grace to even have a heart that would want that.
This song definitely carries the Andrew Peterson influence very strongly. I was introduced to Andrew my freshman year when we ventured to Hollins University in Roanoke to hear Andrew and the band Silers Bald perform. I became a huge fan of his music and his writing. The Clear To Venus record released in 2001 was spinning all of the time for me. “I Want To Know You” was my attempt to emulate “Steady As She Goes” and “Song And Dance”.
This is another song that just ends up being too long. The 6/8 tempo doesn’t help it. If I were to try to write it over, that would be something I would attempt to change. I was pleasantly surprised listening back through the song by the lyric, the melody and our attempt at dynamics in the recording. You can sense how that would feel with more instrumentation. Zack also plays a killer bass riff over the final chorus. I feel I really nailed the vocal part on this one, too. Lastly, Sean had a great idea to finish with the march beat on the snare, the notion that the race isn’t finished nor has the prayer of “I want to know You” been fully answered or realized. It’s a musical nod to the already but not yet. Here is the second song that I’ll leave you with the album track. Let me know what you think about the story and the original album version of “I Want To Know You”!
