Lead Me On

Album: Lead Me On (1988)
Charted: 96
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Songfacts®:

  • Amy Grant said of this song: "Michael W. Smith wrote the music for 'Lead Me On' and I was captivated by it the first time he played it to me. I wrote the lyric with Wayne Kirkpatrick. I have always loved singing this song because of its powerful reminder of the capacity of man's inhumanity to man unless we allow God's compassion and mercy to lead us all." (From liner notes for Wow #1 Hits)
  • According to Grant, the lyrics deal in an abstruse way with the Holocaust and slavery. It was unusual for Grant, who is best known as a CCM/pop singer, to deal with such a serious subject.
  • A heavily pregnant Grant went into labor on the night she was recording this. The next day, she had her first child, Matthew Garrison Chapman.
  • Amy Grant explained to Billboard magazine what was going on in her life which reflected the more serious, hard-hitting material on the Lead Me On album. Said Amy: "I was pregnant with [my first child] Matt and my grandmother had just died. I was wrestling with facing some more adult issues. [Ex-husband] Gary [Chapman] and I had been married five years, which is long enough to have gone through some rough patches. I had just realized that life can't be tied up in a neat bow and I wanted to reflect on that. I think I had done a lot of pompom waving up until that point because of my real love for Jesus and my love of hearing songs that would build people's faith up. I remember back then just going, 'You know, life is really messy and there's a lot of heartache.' I was more interested in exploring the harder things in life."
  • The Lead Me On album was named the #1 Christian album of all time by CCM magazine, in the 2001 book CCM Magazine Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music.

Comments: 3

  • Lori from TxThere is something truly special about this Grant song. Not at all a huge fan of hers but this one song really makes me ponder.
  • Danielle from Birmingham Alabama Amy Grant & Michael W. Smith are 2 of my all time favorites. As child when I’d sing a song I’d always choose Amy. Our ranges are similar and my aunt always loved her. So did I. After over 25 yrs of going back and forth to the Lord, I’ve found my way gone. I’ve been working hard with voice lessons to regain my ability to sing. The Lord has given my voice strength like never before. I’ve been praying for him to take me bake to when I 1st met Jesus. When I found my 1st love. Not surprisingly he has brought up this beautiful Grant/Smith songs in my heart. I haven’t listened to some in over 20 yrs. it’s like I never missed a day. I praise God for Amy and Michael. I praise him I’m alive today!
  • Jane from Austin, TxLove this song. One of my favorites from her. I always like to hear this when i'm feeling down.
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