Here with Me (MercyMe song)
"Here with Me" is a song by Christian rock band, MercyMe. Written and composed by the band, as well as Peter Kipely, Dan Muckala and Brad Russell, "Here with Me" is a ballad with a musical vibe influenced by worship, pop and rock music; the overall sound has been compared to that of alternative rock band, Coldplay. "Here with Me" lyrically discusses the omnipotence of God.
"Here with Me" | ||||
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Single by MercyMe | ||||
from the album Undone | ||||
Released | April 2004 | |||
Recorded | 2004 at various locations | |||
Genre | Contemporary Christian, pop, rock | |||
Length | 4:09 (album version) 3:58 (Hot mix/light mix/radio mix) 3:49 (Vocal intro mix) | |||
Label | INO/Curb | |||
Songwriter(s) | James Bryson, Nathan Cochran, Barry Graul, Pete Kipley, Dan Muckala, Bradley Russell, Michael John Scheuchzer, Bart Millard, Robin Shaffer | |||
Producer(s) | Kipley | |||
MercyMe singles chronology | ||||
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Released as the lead single from MercyMe's 2004 album, Undone, "Here with Me" attained positive critical reception and peaked at No. 1 on multiple Christian radio chart formats; it also peaked inside the top 40 on several mainstream radio formats. It ranked at No. 16 on the 2000s decade-end Hot Christian Songs and Hot Christian AC charts.
Background and production
"Here with Me" was written and composed by MercyMe, Dan Muckala, Brad Russell, and Peter Kipley.[1] It was recorded at several locations: Blueberry Hill, Sound Stage, Abbey Road Studios, The Indigo Room, Maximedia, Luminous Sound, and The Schwoodio.[1] Recording was handled by F. Reid Shippen, Mike O'Connor, and Steve Bishir; the strings on the song were arranged by Rob Mathes and recorded by Simon Rhodes at Abbey Road Studios.[1] "Here with Me" was mixed by Shippen and produced by Kipley, while the mastering for the song was handled by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound.[1]
Composition
"Here with Me" is a ballad[2] with a length of four minutes and nine seconds.[3] It is set in common time in the key of B major, with a moderate tempo of eighty-four beats per minute and a vocal range spanning from B3-F♯5.[4] Musically, "Here with Me" has been compared to the musical vibe of Coldplay[5][6] and Robbie Williams.[3] The song is piano-driven,[2] with influences from pop,[3] rock,[6] and worship.[5][6] It features a musical crescendo that has been described as similar to "I Can Only Imagine".[2] The lyrical content of the song has been described as having a devotional bent,[3] and conveys a theme of God's omnipotence and holiness.[2] "Here with Me" also attempts to comprehend the mystery of God's love.[7]
Reception
Critical reception
"Here with Me" received generally positive reviews from critics. Johnny Joftus of Allmusic commented that "the lush "Here With Me" might be a Robbie Williams pop gem were it not for its devotional bent".[3] David McCreary of CCM Magazine opined on his review of Undone that "One surefire hit is “Here With Me,” the album’s first single ... A captivating piano-driven ballad, the song vividly conveys the wonder of God’s omnipresence and holiness and features a rousing crescendo rivaling that of “Imagine".[2] Russ Breimeier of Christianity Today International commented that the song was "worshipful",[7] also opining that it "struggle[s] with comprehending the mystery and enormity of God's love".[7]
Chart performance
"Here with Me" debuted at No. 40 on the Hot Christian Songs chart for the week of April 3, 2004.[8][9] The song advanced to No. 10 in its sixth chart week,[9][10] and to No. 5 in its eight chart week, holding that spot for three consecutive weeks.[9][11] In its sixteenth chart week, "Here with Me" advanced to its peak of No. 1,[9][12] holding that spot for eleven consecutive weeks.[9] It dropped to No. 2 in its twenty-seventh chart week,[9][13] holding that spot for two weeks before returning to No. 1 for two more weeks.[9] "Here with Me" dropped to No. 3 in its thirty-first chart week,[9][14] and spent a further eight weeks on the chart before dropping out.[9] In all, "Here with Me" spent thirty-nine weeks on the Hot Christian Songs chart, thirteen of them at No. 1.[9] On the Adult Contemporary chart, "Here with Me" debuted at No. 24 for the chart week of May 15, 2004.[9][15] "Here with Me" advanced to No. 19 in its sixth chart week, holding that spot for three consecutive weeks.[9] In its nineteenth chart week, it advanced to its peak of No. 12, and spent a further seven weeks on the chart before dropping out.[9] In all, "Here with Me" spent twenty-six weeks on the Adult Contemporary chart.[9]
On the Adult Top 40 chart, "Here with Me" debuted at No. 38 for the chart week of August 28, 2004.[9] It spent an additional week on the chart before dropping out, after having spent two weeks on the chart.[9] "Here with Me" also peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Christian AC chart (spending ten weeks at No. 1),[16] the Radio & Records Christian AC chart (spending seven weeks at No. 1),[16] and the Radio & Records Inspo chart (spending five weeks at No. 1),[16] as well as peaking at No. 2 on the Radio & Records Christian CHR chart.[16] "Here with Me" ranked at No. 4 on the 2004 year-end Hot Christian Singles and Tracks Titles[17] and Hot Christian Adult Contemporary Titles charts,[18] as well as at No. 19 on the year-end Adult Contemporary Singles and Tracks chart.[19] Additionally, it ranked at No. 16 on both the 2000s decade-end Hot Christian Songs[20] and Hot Christian AC charts.[21]
Formats and track listing
US promotional single (INO)[22]
US promotional single (INO/Curb)[23]
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Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
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References
- Undone (Media notes). MercyMe. INO Records. 2004. p. 7.CS1 maint: others (link)
- McCreary, David (23 June 2004). ""Little Band That Could" Has Come into Its Own on "Undone"". CCM Magazine. Crosswalk.com. Archived from the original on 3 April 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- Loftus, Johnny. "Undone – MercyMe". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
- "Here With Me Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. Simpleville Music. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
- Jenison, David. "A Severe Mercy". Today's Christian Music. CCM Magazine. Archived from the original on 31 October 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- Nentwig, Wendy Lee (20 May 2004). "Meet & Greet: MercyMe". Crosswalk.com. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- Breimeier, Russ. "Undone, Christian Music Reviews". Christianity Today International. The Fish. Archived from the original on 3 May 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- "Christian Songs Archive (3 April 2004)". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- "Here With Me – MercyMe (Billboard)". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- "Christian Songs Archive (8 May 2004)". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- "Christian Songs Archive (22 May 2004)". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- "Christian Songs Archive (17 July 2004)". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- "Christian Songs Archive (2 October 2004)". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- "Christian Songs Archive (30 October 2004)". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- "Adult Contemporary Archive (15 May 2004)". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- "Billboard Charted Singles" (PDF). Mikecurb.com. Curb Records. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 October 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
- "Hot Christian Singles and Tracks Titles Year-end (2004)". Billboard.biz. Billboard. 25 December 2004. Archived from the original on 24 August 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- "Hot Christian Adult Contemporary Titles Year-end (2004)". Billboard.biz. Billboard. 25 December 2004. Archived from the original on 24 August 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- "Hot Adult Contemporary Year-end (2004)". Billboard.biz. Billboard. 25 December 2004. Archived from the original on 9 October 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- "Hot Christian Songs (Decade-end)". Billboard.biz. Billboard. Archived from the original on 24 August 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- "Hot Christian AC (Decade-end)". Billboard.biz. Billboard. Archived from the original on 17 August 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- Here with Me (Media notes). MercyMe. INO. 2004. p. 2.CS1 maint: others (link)
- Here with Me (Media notes). MercyMe. INO/Curb. 2004. p. Back. curbd1852.CS1 maint: others (link)
- "Here With Me – MercyMe". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
- "AC Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records (1, 576): 68. October 8, 2004. Retrieved May 19, 2019.