Perhaps we should have listened to the Men at Work back when they first sang “Land Down Under” back in ’81. Australia has in many ways taken over the world. From rugged action stars like Paul Hogan, Hugh Jackman, and Chris Hemsworth, to ethereal beauties like Cate Blanchette and Nicole Kidman that dominate the box office, to music legends like Olivia Newton John and the BeeGees, to the beloved children’s show Bluey, it feels like the Land Down Under has made an indelible mark on pop-culture. The influence of Australia can even be felt in the realm of CCM with such cutting-edge groups as the Newsboys in the 90s, to Joel and Luke Smallbone of FOR KING&COUNTRY, and Joel and Luke’s older sister, Rebecca St. James.
Heralded as “the next Amy Grant” she infused CCM music with an “edge” that was perfect for the late 90s and early 2000s. With solid percussion, energetic guitars, and a haunting ethereal voice she was like something never heard in CCM at the time. I would argue that while her debut albums were good, it was her albums “Christmas “and “Worship God” where she truly demonstrated her range not only as a songwriter, but shared with the world her beautiful soulful vocals. I’d even argue that her original Christmas Hymn “A Cradle Prayer “perfectly captures not only a childlike wonder at the Nativity story but a deep, mature, understanding of the significance of the event itself as she quietly contemplates he mystery, wonder and awe of the birth of our Savior, while her song “You Make Everything beautiful” is a wonderful musical setting not only for the Serenity prayer, but one that rests on the promise from the book of Ecclesiastes that God will make everything beautiful in it’s time.
A friend of mine once observed that while listening to Rebecca’s recording of the worship song “God of Wonders” that unlike the other homogenized pop stars of the day, Rebecca’s voice sounded “real” and “authentic.” It was a quality that not only permeated her music, but her life as she presented herself to audiences as someone who was real, and authentic in her faith and encouraged young people, especially girls to worry more about inner beauty then physical appearance. In an age where the latest pop star could be caught in some other scandal on supermarket tabloid covers, Rebecca was, and is, a wholesome alternative. I dare say that years later, there’s a certain radiance to her that is otherwise lacking so some of her contemporaries in the secular market, as she has found, and maintained, her sense of identity, meaning and purpose, not in her career or a relationship, but in her relationship with God.
It was not her first contribution to a movie soundtrack, as her song “Come Quickly Lord” was featured on both People Get Ready: Music Inspired by The Left Behind Series and the soundtrack for the first Left Behind film from 2000, and “Lamb of God” on the Contemporary Christian album for Left Behind II: Tribulation Force, while her recording of God of Wonders was included in God is With Us: The Left Behind Worship Album. However, “Come Quickly Lord”, “Lamb of God”, and “God of Wonders” had been released on other studio albums prior to their inclusion on the respective compilation albums.
What made “Lion” unique was that it was an original song for the Inspired By album for The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Co-authored by Rebecca St. James, she potions herself as Lucy singing this song to Aslan in the same way Rebecca would sing a song to Jesus. Because of her own genuine and sincere faith, Rebecca was able to do what few female artists could for Aslan and Narnia. She admits Lucy’s fear in approaching Aslan, but rests in the promise that He’s good, and reaffirms her continual love and trust in the Great Lion and all she’s learned and received from Him. In fact, it’s hard not picturing this song in my head when Lucy steps out on the bridge in the Walden Media Prince Caspian and draws her dagger before the Telmarines, knowing full well Aslan is with her.
With the electric guitar building the crescendos to the chorus, the driving percussion and the eerie opening piano chords, “Lion” would feel right at home on an album for any of the superhero movies and TV shows that were released at that time like the Burton/Schumacher Batman series, Superman Returns, Smallville, Daredevil, or the Sam Riami Spider-Man, and in many ways it’s a fitting tone. CS Lewis had been convinced to accept the claims of Jesus when Tolkien put it to him that the story of the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus was the true myth that actually happened. So too is it with Jesus and superheroes. His Birth, Death, and Resurrection is the superhero story that actually happened, and a song for a soundtrack in a movie either about Him, or in the case of the Lion who reflects him should be designed to reflect him should feel like that. Jesus is the greatest Hero the world will ever know, and as Lion reminds us it may be scary to put our trust in Him, but He is Good, and in Him we can find our strength, meaning, and purpose to face all obstacles that come our way.
This would not be the last Narnia inspired song that St. James would record as her song “Shadowlands” from her 2006 album “If I Ever Had One Chance To Tell You Something” in serves as a sequel to “Lion” as it captures Lucy’s enduring faith in Aslan, even after she is told she can never again return to Narnia, a faith that later becomes sight for Lucy when she beholds The Lion in all his glory in Aslan’s Kingdom. In fact if we lived in a parallel timeline in the multiverse, where the Walden Media franchise continued, I could easily imagine a brand new remix of “Shadowlands” featuring her brothers from FOR KING & COUNTRY being played over the end credits of The Last Battle in the same way that Switchfoot’s “This is Home “was featured in Prince Caspian. Truthfully, I don’t think any other artists in the CCM industry could have better captured the genuine, authentic, and sincere childlike faith, wonder, and awe of Lucy and tell her story of maturing in her faith then Rebecca St. James. The fact that “Lion” and “Shadowlands” are included on her greatest hits albums is further evidence to just who good this song really is as they’ve gone on to be more then just songs about Narnia, but faith affirming anthems for young people everywhere.
Retro Narnia Rocks! Playlist Tracks:
SIDE A: “Lion”
“Shadowlands
SIDE B: “A Cradle Prayer”
“You Make Everything Beautiful” (Feat. FOR KING & COUNTRY)
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