<![CDATA[ANDREA EMMES

<![CDATA[ANDREA EMMES - Blog]]>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 00:37:19 -0700Weebly<![CDATA["Beautifully Broken" Lyrics]]>Thu, 17 Jan 2019 05:01:21 GMThttps://www.andreaemmes.com/blog/beautifully-broken-lyricsWritten by: Andrea Emmes - Music & Background Vocals by: Chris Mendez Copyright 2008

About the song

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This song took me a couple of weeks to write. I came across the expression, “Beautifully Broken” and thought is was exactly how I felt. My parents had always taught me that God made me perfect just as I am, flaws and all. Since I came down with CRPS and wasn’t able to walk, move, or function like I’m used to…I was a dancer/singer/performer. I was stripped of all of my “talents” as well as any “normal, everyday abilities”. I felt who I was had died and I didn't know what to do. But I still had God and who He made me to be. This song is about me. How I grew up, all of my little flaws and insecurities and how my parents taught me. It isn’t until the last chorus where instead of mom or dad telling me that I was beautifully broken, is where I took ownership of that fact. I began to embrace who I was, the good and the bad, the broken and whole parts of who God made me to be and I knew that I still had a purpose. God still had a use for me even though I couldn’t walk. It was at this time as well that I was starting to feel depression set in and felt like I wasn’t doing anything for the Kingdom because I was stuck in my apartment all alone away from everyone. Well, I was online a lot and started to meet a lot of people online all over the world from all kinds of different chat sites, as well as an online video game called World of Warcraft. I realized that I was talking to all of these people about Christ and was witnessing to them. Many of them would tell me how, because of me, they were able to find truth in the Lord’s words, or faith, encouragement. My collaborator, Chris, even said that by watching how I was dealing with my disease and how continued to persevere, that he was inspired and found strength. Because of ME!!! All alone in my little apartment, all by myself, I was reaching God’s children all over the world. I wasn’t broken at all. Life is hard and we all have burdens to bear whether it be physical, mental, emotional, etc. but we do not have to let our challenges define us. We can still love ourselves and find our purpose, our worth, find hope.

Lyrics

Verse
There she was this little girl, born to this world
With wonder in her eyes
Dreaming of moonbeams and pearls
Gazing to the sky
She’s taking it all in
Trying to find her way
Looking for a place to begin
And her momma says…

Chorus
You’re beautifully broken
Perfectly made
With all that you’re given
How can you complain?
For I know His purpose
Is given to you
With words from His Spirit
Who resides in you?
You’re beautifully broken, beautifully broken, you're beautifully broken...
Perfectly made

Verse
Looks like her mother
Laughs like her dad
With Jesus in her heart
You know she’s safe where she stands
Growing up and making friends
How the time does fly
Going through her awkward stage
Questions in her eyes
And her daddy says…

Chorus
You’re beautifully broken
Perfectly made
With all that you’re given
How can you complain?
For I know His purpose
Is given to you
With words from His Spirit
Who resides in you?
You’re beautifully broken, beautifully broken, you're beautifully broken...
Perfectly made

Bridge
By now she’s got a job
This girl is all grown
Trying hard to find herself
And make it on her own
It’s time to face her fears
And Embrace herself
Trust in the Lord
And give faith a chance
And then she says…

Chorus
’m beautifully broken
Perfectly made
With all that I’m given
How can I complain?
For I know His purpose
Is given to me
With words from His Spirit Who resides in me
I’m beautifully broken I’m beautifully broken I’m beautifully broken

]]><![CDATA["Father" - Featuring Diane Kelly Lyrics]]>Thu, 17 Jan 2019 04:54:35 GMThttps://www.andreaemmes.com/blog/father-featuring-diane-kelly-lyricsCopyright ©2006 Written by: Andrea Emmes & Richard Smith - Additional Vocals: Richard Smith, Diane Kelly

About the song

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In college, I had a friend who was being abused by her mother who professed to be a strong Christian and it tore me up inside to see my friend suffer. This song is actually me writing this to her mother as if to say this is how you should view your child and how you should seek God in how to raise your child. A child is a gift and a big responsibility from God not to be taken lightly or taken for granted. It started out as a poem called, “Lord, Hear My Prayer” which was published in 1994. After I left college and moved to Orlando, I met up with my now good friend and writing partner, Richard Smith and we wanted to write together and I had this poem and he had this music and we just combined the two together and it turned into the song “Father”. We finished “Father” in 1995 and I’ve had it shelved for 11 years, and now it’s the first track of my debut album. It's one of my favorite songs on the album.

Lyrics

Verse
Lonely eyes of a child
They see with naïve sight
They fantasize, exaggerate, dream with great delight
You've granted me the chance to teach the child
What is right from wrong
Pray mistakes won't be made
Guide him where he belongs

Pre Chorus
Memories we'll make together
Will last a lifetime now
Forever in my heart
I know (I know)
We'll make it through some how

Chorus
Father, help me guide my child
Let Your light shine
Erase all my fears
Descend Your gift of wisdom (yeah)
And teach my child to be righteous
Right from the start

Verse
My child is older now
We're seeing troubled times
Unsure what tomorrow holds
His faith we cannot find
I'm trying hard to teach the child (what is wrong from right)
I pray to You oh God my Lord That he'll see the light

Pre Chorus
Memories we'll make together
Will last a lifetime now
Forever in my heart
I know (I know)
We'll make it through some how

Chorus
Father, help me guide my child (As he grows in years)
Let Your light shine
Erase all my fears (erase all his fears)
Descend Your gift of wisdom (yeah)
And teach my child to be righteous
Right from the start

Choir
Shine down Your light
Make it alright
Descend Your gift of wisdom
Teach this child, oh teach this child
To be righteous from the start
Shine down Your light
Make it alright
Descend Your gift of wisdom
Teach this child, oh teach this child
To be righteous from the start
Shine down Your light
Make it alright Oo--Ah ah ah

Choir & Prayer (spoken)
(Father) Heavenly Father
Descend Your great gift of wisdom
To fall upon my heart (As he grows in years)
So I may teach my son
To be righteous From the very start
And when my (Erase all my fears) time on this earth Has come to its conclusion
Please continue to guide my child
Out of the world's confusion
Amen
(and teach my child oo Father As he grows in years Erase all his fears And teach my child oo)

About the song

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Lyrics

This is a very special song that took about 3 months to write and was originally titled, “Don’t Tear My Heart Out”. I also write non-Christian songs, and this was gonna possibly be one of my “mainstream” songs. Well, I had everything but the second verse and the bridge written. I was stuck. So, I shelved it for awhile. Then, again, at 2am, God woke me up and gave me another inspiration for this song. I broke out my notes and started to re-arrange verses and choruses and finding new lyrics and finally came up with this song. It’s a song that has a couple of meanings/references. First, I had been praying for a friend of mine who had been going through a lot of problems in her marriage and struggling with many personal things. That’s when God woke me up and I started writing it for her. Once it was finished, I realized that it wasn’t just for her pain, but it was for my pain too. My anguish, pain, sorrow, loneliness, helplessness in my situation with CRPS and saw that it was extremely poignant on speaking for me. I really think this is a song that so many people can relate to. Christians of any age, whether they are new Christians or have been a Christian their whole life. So many times, we can dive deep into our own problems and forget that we have God to help us out of our valleys. We are human and will never be infallible. We are always going to need God and I’m asking God, crying to God, begging God to help me, show me, fill me, be patient with me as I limp my way through this life. Maia wrote the music and I cried the first time I heard it. I listened to it for 2 hours straight, just crying because that small woman in my heart was just aching for God to hold me. I really want to give encouragement others with this song, same as I do with “Don’t Cry”. No matter what you’re going through, whatever place you are in your life or your walk with the Lord, there will be times when tragedies or hard times will come into our lives that we just can’t explain—9/11, Katrina, Suicide, Death of a child, Diseases, etc,. and we need to know that God is there with us, through the pain and the hurt. This reminds me of the famous “Footprints” story of how we question where God is when we only see one set of footprints in the sand and the truth is that He’s carrying us. It’s ok to hurt and be scared. But God is there.

Verse
Been crying for days
And the rain won’t stop
My eyes are a blur
As I glance at the clock
Then a soft voice is humming
From deep within
Saying, where are you going?
Look where you’ve been.
Is this really how you hoped it would be?
Then I look to the Heavens, praying,
Lord can you hear me?

Chorus
This is my journey to you
Within this mess I call my life
I’m on my way to seek Your Truth
To find Your Peace and Your Light
Is it true of Your Grace?
How you died so I’d be saved?
I’m on my way, Lord
I’m on my way, to you.

Verse
Lord, I’m looking to you now
As I cry myself to sleep
It’s late in the evening
Will I ever break free?
Of this pain that I’m feeling
Then I hear you calling to me
With a loving tug
You remind me You’re here with me
It’s not where I’ve been
Or who I was
But it’s who I am in you
And where we go from here,
because

Chorus
This is my journey to you
Within this mess I call my life
I’m on my way to seek Your Truth
To find Your Peace and Your Light
Is it true of Your Grace?
How you died so I’d be saved?
I’m on my way, Lord
I’m on my way, to you.

Bridge
Will you help me through this valley?
Hold my hand along the way
Be the one that I can lean on
So I can see another day
Will you show me what to do?
Cause I’m barely hanging on

Chorus x2

End chorus
This is my journey to you
Within this mess I call my life
Now I want Your Truth
And I need Your Light
Now is it true that You died so I’d be saved?
I’m on my way, Lord
I’m on my way, to you

About the song

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I love this song. It’s geared more toward tweeners and it has a small tribute to one of my favorite ‘80s singers, Pat Benatar. I am extremely close to my cousin, she’s kinda like the little sister I never had. She calls me a lot for advice or just to be a sounding board. I love her, unconditionally. I’ve witnessed to her more than I’m sure she would like and she’s been so polite in humoring me. Well, I started to put myself in her shoes and this song just kinda poured out. Again, another 3 o’clock in the morning wake up from the Lord. I take it as if the character, ‘me’, is questioning what Christians keep trying to tell me, try to witness to me, and I’m searching for the answer. I’m “lost”, confused, hurt, alone and in need of something to “fix” me. Well, I’m kinda putting God, Jesus to the test, and telling Him to show Himself to me. Help me believe. Kinda goes along with the ideas of “Meet Me Here”. We can only do so much on our own. We really must rely and put all of our strength, trust, etc, in the Lord. He’s the only one who can help fix us, change us, love us like no one else can.

Lyrics

Verse
Bottled emotions of my,
my torn heart
Jesus, I’m much too weak—
I need a brand new start
You said in Your Word that you—
have a plan
I need to find You, Lord
Cuz I don’t understand

Pre-Chorus
I don’t wanna hurt no more
Can’t wanna feel this way
But what else can I do?
What else can I say?

Chorus
I am so lost
Help me believe
I gotta let go
I need to be free
I am so lost
Why can’t I see?

What you have done—
you have done for me
I am so lost
Gotta be
Need to be free

Verse
I know the world says they,
just don’t know
Running in circles—
don’t know where to go
It seems we push too hard
good turns to hate
Come release me, Lord--
before it gets too late

Pre-Chorus
I don’t wanna hurt no more
Can’t wanna feel this way
But what else can I do?
What else can I say?

Chorus
I am so lost
Help me believe
I gotta let go
I need to be free
I am so lost
Why can’t I see?

What you have done—
you have done for me
I am so lost
Gotta be
Need to be free

Bridge
I am so lost
Don’t wanna cry
I am so lost
Can’t wanna try
Why am I lost?
Jesus You came
Now set me free

Chorus
I am so lost
Why can’t I see?
What you have done—
you have done for me
I am so lost
Gotta be free
I am so lost
Why can’t I see?
What you have done—
you have done for me
I am so lost Gotta be
Need to be free

About the song

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I’ve had a million conversations with non-believers about why I believe what I do about God and why I gave my life over to Christ. This song is my message, even though it may seem a little frustrated or impatient, but my message or my side of the conversation to a non-believer. It also has a small private joke between my mother and me. Growing up, my mom would always say to me, “I don’t wanna, I don’t gotta, you can’t make me”. Well, I decided to use that idea and exact words to express how I don’t wanna live my life any other way but for God. I don’t gotta give up my stance for God, you can’t make me change my mind about my choice to follow God. We all have our own beliefs and experiences that are personal to us and no one should shame another for how they believe and what brings them joy, hope and strength. Since I wrote this song, I've matured in my beliefs and have tried to live my life as best as I can. As an imperfect person who strives to be better. No one but my mother will get the reference, but that’s ok. This, along with “Don’t Cry” is kind of like my “witnessing” song. Again, Maia did an amazing job on the music.

Lyrics

Verse
You can say
Hey whatever
I can do anything I want
Consequences
They don’t touch me
Who is God?
To tell me that I’m lost

Don’t you see?
It’s not that easy
To pay the price
Decisions gone all wrong
To tell the truth
I see you tremble
When I ask What happens when your gone?

Chorus
I don’t wanna
I don’t gotta
You can’t make me Face this life alone
I don’t get it
Don’t regret it
For my life is not my own

Verse
When your worth
Amounts to nothing
And you’ve lost that Pep in your stride
Cuz the world seems to blow you over
And there’s no where left to hide

You really think
The world can fill you?
Quell that emptiness inside
Don’t mock the one
Who is eternal
Just to hold on to your pride

Chorus
I don’t wanna
I don’t gotta
You can’t make me Face this life alone
I don’t get it
Don’t regret it
For my life is not my own

Bridge
Don’t you know
He is Christ Jesus
He died for you
Accept, Believe Commit my good friend
And you can be Born Again

Chorus x3

About the song

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In 2005, in Orlando, in the car on my way to a rehearsal for a show I was doing, I started humming this melody and I recorded it on my phone. Once I got back to the hotel, I started singing and writing the melody for this praise and worship song. It just kinda came to me with out even thinking about it. It’s just a pure and simple praise song to the Lord of how amazing he is and how humble I am for all that He has provided for me. Musically, it went through quite a metamorphosis and went through numerous drafts and went through 3 different composers. Richard Smith, Steve Erdeman and the late, great Jeff Linder. I knew what I wanted and once I heard the end result I knew that it was anointed.

Lyrics

Verse
I wanna say
With all my heart
That I worship You my Lord
Please hear my voice
With all I am
For I worship You my God

I yearn for your presence
Your grace abundantly
Show me Your mercy
Please set me free

Chorus
Cuz You are Holy
You are wonderful
You are Father
King of Kings

Cuz You are Jesus
You are my true God
You are Mighty
God, You’re everything

Verse
Pieces of me
Fallen apart
How I call upon Your name
Can’t find my way
Out of this mess
How I call upon Your Grace
I need to feel You near me
To call upon Your name
Release me, oh, Father
From this pain

Chorus
Cuz You are Holy
You are wonderful
You are Father
King of Kings

Cuz You are Jesus
You are my true God
You are Mighty
God, You’re everything

Bridge
And now I can’t remember J
ust how I used to be
I am Yours forever For eternity
And I’ll never leave You
I praise Your Holy name
I worship You so freely
My life’s not the same

Chorus----->
I need to feel you near me
To call upon Your name
You are mighty
God You’re everything
Cuz You are Jesus Y
ou are my true God
I am Yours forever

]]><![CDATA["Meet Me Here (I'll Never Make It Halfway)" Lyrics]]>Thu, 17 Jan 2019 04:15:49 GMThttps://www.andreaemmes.com/blog/meet-me-here-ill-never-make-it-halfway-lyricsCopyright 2008 Lyrics by: Andrea Emmes - Music by: Maia Rodriguez, Background vocals: Maia Rodriguez, Matthew Merchant

Lyrics

Verse
They say the road to heaven
Is a narrow path
Seek ye first His kingdom
And His riches we'll amass
He died for our freedom
Up there on the cross
He is the Lord Christ Jesus
Who suffered for the lost

Chorus
Meet Me
Here I'm not half of who I need to be
Meet Me Here
I'll never make it halfway
I know the road is long Lord,
I'm just not that strong
Meet Me Here
Meet Me Here

Verse
Of all the time I've worshipped
I've not gotten on my knees
To seek Your truth more clearly
To see the You in me
I've wandered on this path, Lord
The time it has no end
I need you to find me
To make me whole again

Chorus
Meet Me
Here I'm not half of who I need to be
Meet Me Here
I'll never make it halfway
I know the road is long Lord,
I'm just not that strong
Meet Me Here
Meet Me Here

Bridge
Your word is talking to me
A fool that I have been
This distance I have kept you
We'll build that bridge again
But Lord I pray you take me
Take me as I am
And fill me with Your Spirit
So that I can live again!

Chorus
Meet Me Here
I need you, Father desperately
Meet Me Here
I'll never make it halfway
I know the road is long
Lord, you know I'm not strong…
Meet Me Here… Oh-oh Meet Me Here

About the song

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My boyfriend (at the time) and I were talking about song ideas one day and said why don’t you write a song about meeting God where you are. He even came up with the title, “Meet Me Here (I’ll Never Make It Halfway”). I thought it was a brilliant idea. But it took me a few days to really come up with the storyline and the journey for my “character” or myself…most of my songs are me speaking about my own experiences. In the middle of the night about 2am or 3am, I just woke up and began writing the song and finished it in about 30 minutes. God does that a lot to me. I have written half of my songs like that. God will just wake me out of a sound sleep, between 2am-4am and I’ll just write an entire song. Sometimes, I will have completed the entire song in that one sitting, but most of the time I finish the major first draft and then will revisit the song later. Again, I had a completely different vision for this song melody and musically, and it was to be a harder rock song, very similar to one of Heart’s songs from the 80’s. Well, I was struggling to find a musician to help me with composing the music and then finally, this unbelievable gifted musician/composer friend of mine, Maia Rodriguez said that she would write with me but she asked if she could have free reign creatively with the melody and musical structure and composition. I said, “absolutely”, and I fell in love with what she came up with. Ever since then, any song that Maia and I write together, I let her write the melody and the music. I may give her guidelines of the style or feel that I’m looking for, but then I just let her go. Each time, it’s been magic. This song speaks about how no matter how hard I try to be a “good Christian”, I always seem to fail and that though my heart is willing, I need God to pick me up and help me the rest of the way.

About the song

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Lyrics

It took me a year to write this song. I don’t know why it takes me so long sometimes. Sometimes I’ll write whatever idea’s I have and then I’ll bounce from different ideas from time to time, shelve some and then come back others that spoke to me. I wanted to literally Thank God for all that He’s done in my life. Especially while I’ve been out on disability and in dealing with my disease, He’s never left me, He’s always encouraged me and gave me strength and showed me that there is more work for me to do for His kingdom but that will also fulfill my own hearts desire. This song is my “Thank You Card” to God for allowing things to happen the way they did so that I could write this album. Maia wrote the music and I love how jazz-y it feels.

Verse
Praise the Lord, I've been blessed
From the one and only God
Who has given me a life so rich and free
Well, Once, I was lost
But now, oh Lord I'm found
Because of what You did at Calvary

Chorus
I wanna thank You
Thank you
Holy Father
I wanna thank you
For what You've done for me
I wanna praise You For Your mercy and Your glory
I wanna praise You
For all Your majesty

Verse
Christ Jesus, You're the One
Who washed my sins away
For Your love and forgiveness Has done something to me
I wanna praise you for your mercy
And Your grace abundantly
For You have saved my soul
And made me see

Chorus x3

About the song

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Most of my songs start out as small ideas or just words or phrases and this song started out as a fast paced, hard, rock tune but then I got together with a talented guitarist, Kyle Rice in the Pirates Dinner Adventure boys greenroom/bathroom in between shows (we both worked there) and I started to tell him what my ideas were and he just stared playing and then the song and melody just kinda re-wrote itself. It took us only 1 hour to write the entire song. My message with this song is that I’m speaking to someone who may not know the Lord and I’m telling them about the power of God’s peace and that no matter what they are going through, that they can just call upon the Lord and He will be your refuge. Psalm 62. Instead of making it this intricate rock song, it’s a simple acoustic song, because the message is so simple. The answer is so simple. God will dry your tears.

Lyrics

Verse
What if I told you?
The gifts He showed you?
The way, the truth
And the life

What if I told you?
He who loved you first?
He paid the sacrifice

Pre-Chorus
How many times must I tell you?
How many ways can you fall?
It seems we’ve going ‘round for hours now
And now you see you’ve hit a wall

Chorus
Don’t cry
He’ll hold you
He loves you, so you know
Don’t cry
He’ll show you
He gave you His life
so you can live forever

Verse
So now you know
To be free from darkness
You must repent from sin
So now you know
Of Christ Lord Jesus
You must be born again

Pre-Chorus
How many times must I tell you?
How many ways can you fall?
It seems we’ve going ‘round for hours now
And now you see you’ve hit a wall

Chorus
Don’t cry
He’ll hold you
He loves you, so you know
Don’t cry
He’ll show you
He gave you His life
so you can live forever

Bridge
I know you’re scared now,
I know you’re lost no where to run to, love…
It’ll be alright,
Just trust the Lord and praise His holy name

Repeat Chorus x2

]]><![CDATA["Although You're Gone" Lyrics]]>Thu, 17 Jan 2019 03:55:37 GMThttps://www.andreaemmes.com/blog/although-youre-gone-lyrics6598186Lyrics, Melody: ANDREA EMMES, Music, Additional Lyrics: Richard Smith © 2008

About the song

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This song took me 6 years to write. It's written about a loved one who passed away. We were very close and it still devastates me when I think about him. May his soul rest in peace.

Lyrics

The 11th Hour Prayer

Verse
There was a boy
So alone he felt
Swept away from the pain, that haunted him that night
How long did you know
It was your time to go?
I wish I could save you and bring you back home

Chorus
Although you're gone
My love will never leave you
Although you're gone

Verse
Can this be real?
Tell me it's not true
You've gone away
It tore my heart in two
Your memories remain and this pulls me through
All I have is the love I have for you

Chorus
Although you're gone
My love will never leave you
Although you're gone

Bridge
Find your rest in the Lord
Seek your peace in His sweet light
Don't be afraid anymore, no
It hurts so deep inside
Like a part of me has died
I will always love you,
Although you're gone
Ooo, Although you're gone, gone, gone

Tag
Promise me
When the moon is bright
You'll smile down on me
Help me through the night, oh yeah
Touch my heart, touch my soul, please fill the voice, just take control
Show me
You're there, there
Although you're gone
My love has never left you
Oh, Although you're gone

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