You asked the questions. Bebo Norman has the answers…
MyGodIsEnough: If music wasn't your career, what could you picture yourself doing?
Bebo Norman: First of all, I have a degree in biology and chemistry. My original plan was that I was going to be a doctor. I took a year off before I went to medical school to try out music. And now, 13 years later, I'm a musician. I don't think I'd be a doctor now because Dr. Bebo sounds kinda scary. I would probably be, as lame as this sounds... I'd probably do something with real estate. I could be my own boss and set my own hours.
MyGodIsEnough: What is your favorite song that you have written, and why is it your favorite?
Bebo Norman: My favorite song that I've written isn't on the radio. It's called "All That I Have Sown." I love it because it's about my grandfather. He lived to be 97. Family is a really big deal to me.
HEdefinesMe: Hi Bebo! Thanks so much for taking time to answer our questions! I remember hearing "Great Light of the World" on the radio for the first time and was so inspired by it. It continues to be one of my all-time favorite songs! I just wanted to know what your inspiration was for this song when you wrote it.
Bebo Norman: I wrote that song at my apartment about a half a mile from downtown Nashville. It was the year after September 11, 2001, and my father had a heart attack shortly after 9/11. Everything from a global level all the way down to a personal level—it felt very much in the air. There was a lot of turmoil. It was late fall, and I was sitting with my windows open. It was a beautiful day. A really big thunderstorm came through. It was the end of the day, and this storm blew through. It was beautiful, scary and windy. It was a strong storm. Immediately after the storm, there was this really beautiful calm. Everything cleared up and got still and quiet. The sun began to set. It was a reminder of the fact that the God that I believe in runs the gamut. In the storm and in the silence, there was a real subtle reminder of the consistency of God. It was a real reminder.
Sammy_S: Hey Bebo! Your song "I Will Lift My Eyes" is amazing! What inspired you to write the song?
Bebo Norman: The inspiration is ironically similar to "Great Light of the World." I've had friends in the last couple of years who've been in some really dark places. That song is written to them. It's a prayer, but it's written for them—that we would be reminded to lift up our eyes. Sometimes we get our heads down and focus on the storm we're in the middle of. It's a reminder to lift our eyes up and look at the big and beautiful story being told. Sometimes we're in the middle of the dark moments of those stories, and it's hard to remember that there's a final chapter.
Ccmusicman: Hi, Bebo. I understand that you just had a new project release this fall. What can you tell us about it?