Click Here To Read More Interviews

Known for his simple acoustic sound and profound lyrical style, Bebo Norman has opened his heart to his listeners through songs filled with hope and doubt, joy and sadness, light and dark. His new album, Big Blue Sky, is born out of the lessons he has learned about grace, the nature of God and his place in the world. Featuring the poetic lyrics his fans enjoy, the album also takes subtle departures from Bebo's signature rootsy guitar sound, a step that may bring his music to wider audience.

FamilyChristian.com: When Ten Thousand Days came out you said most of your inspiration came from "moments of clarity in everyday life." I sense the same inspiration on Big Blue Sky. Do you still draw your inspiration from those moments?

Bebo Norman: Absolutely. I don't really know how to write a song outside of everyday life because I don't write songs for writing's sake. I write them for clarity. I write them to express something that is very real to me. There are a couple songs on [Big Blue Sky] that I co-wrote with my producer and one of my best friends, Ed Cash. The one that's a real pop song [is "You Surround Me."] The focus of that song was that he was thinking about his wife and being away from her. [As a single person] I was writing about what I hope it will be like.

Either I'm writing about something that's happening at the moment or something that has happened to me in the past or something that I hope will happen to me. All of those things involve some sort of longing. I really wouldn't know what to do if I wasn't writing out of real life.

FamilyChristian.com: Are you comfortable sharing those thoughts and making yourself so open?

Bebo: If people listen to the record, they're going to know that I'm single and that I struggle with that sometimes. They're going to know that I battle doubt sometimes. They're also going to know that I'm fascinated by how big God is. It doesn't scare me because if I were having a conversation with somebody, we'd talk about those things.

My family has always been that way. My family doesn't have a whole lot to hide; good or bad, everything's on the table. The beauty of that in my family—and why it scares me sometimes—is that it's a very safe environment. My family's love is incredibly unconditional and it's a huge gift to live in that. Because of that, we've always been honest and open with each other. We know nothing's going to attack us because of what we think or what we feel. My parents gave us a real liberty to be ourselves in a really cool way but they also raised us in a home where they, without fail, showed us what their faith was. All of us have gone our little wild ways and all came back to what really was foundational.

FamilyChristian.com: Is there anything that scares you about being that vulnerable?

Big Blue Sky by Bebo Norman

Bebo: The scary part is that the world isn't always that graceful and the world isn't always safe to talk to. If I was to write a song about lust, for example, [which is] a very real reality, it would probably get blasted by [some in] the Christian community because why would we talk about that? At the same time, it's a really fine line. There's no question that it's an issue for probably every male that exists and at the same time, it's one that nobody's really willing to talk about. There can be a little bit of fear because you realize that you're open to the judgment of whoever's going to do that. Even writing a pop song about a girl that has no reference whatsoever to God in it will probably cause some flack for some people.

I much more prefer the idea of being a musician who's a Christian than [being] a "Christian musician." It's a very deep-rooted thing but it has so much more to do with the fact that my life is based on my relationship with Christ, period. Whatever facet I happen to be talking about, even if I don't mention God, there's no question it's there because it's foundational to what I'm talking about. If I'm talking about lust, God is a part of that because my relationship with God is directly affected by that.

CONTINUE TO PART 4: "The Inspiration I Have"

Kevin McNeese , a writer in Grand Rapids, Mich., conducted this interview for FamilyChristian.com.

Back To Top

Click Here To Read More Interviews

Corporate Informations:
About Family Christian Stores® |  Jobs
Information / Official Logos For Business Partners / Suppliers

© 2008 Family Christian Stores®, Inc.