Help Us To Love

Album: Hiding Place (2018)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Tori Kelly has often stated that gospel music had been an influence on her since childhood. She grew up singing it and it has always been a huge influence in my own music. Kelly's second album, Hiding Place, finds her returning to her roots as she combines contemporary R&B with a traditional gospel sound.
  • This is one of the several tracks on the record which was co-written by gospel star Kirk Franklin. It was inspired by Jesus' example of a perfect love, as per the scripture in 1 John 4:19 "We love because he first loved us."

    There'll never be peace between you and me
    God, your love is the cure
    For the rich and the poor
    God, please will you open our eyes?


    Kelly explained to NewReleaseToday:
    "Considering the state of our world, if there's anything we can all agree on it's that we simply need more love. This is said so much nowadays that it makes loving people sound easy to do. Not mistaking love for being kind to strangers, however, when we really commit to love anyone we all know it can be hard and involves great self-sacrifice. Personally, I have hurt the people I've said I love most, have had the sharpest words with the people closest to me, and have taken for granted the very people that made my life what it is today. We all want to be loving, but which one of us has ever loved perfectly let alone consistently?

    The truth is we need help! Scripture reveals that we are able to love because he first loved us. We are just like cups that need to be filled before we can ever pour out. Inclined to look out for ourselves first, selfless love is not something that is natural."
  • "Help Us To Love You" was released as the lead single from Hiding Place. The album title was inspired by verse seven of Psalm 32: "You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with songs of deliverance."

    Kelly explained to ABC Radio: "That always stuck with me: this idea of God being a place of safety, a place where you can hide from all the crazy things that this world can throw at us. I want people to feel uplifted and encouraged when they listen."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Desmond Child

Desmond ChildSongwriter Interviews

One of the most successful songwriters in the business, Desmond co-wrote "Livin' La Vida Loca," "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)" and "Livin' On A Prayer."

Lita Ford

Lita FordSongwriter Interviews

Lita talks about how they wrote songs in The Runaways, and how she feels about her biggest hit being written by somebody else.

Randy Newman

Randy NewmanSongwriting Legends

Newman makes it look easy these days, but in this 1974 interview, he reveals the paranoia and pressures that made him yearn for his old 9-5 job.

Dennis DeYoung

Dennis DeYoungSongwriter Interviews

Dennis DeYoung explains why "Mr. Roboto" is the defining Styx song, and what the "gathering of angels" represents in "Come Sail Away."

Christmas Songs

Christmas SongsFact or Fiction

Rudolf, Bob Dylan and the Singing Dogs all show up in this Fact or Fiction for seasonal favorites.

Petula Clark

Petula ClarkSongwriter Interviews

Petula talks about her hits "Downtown" and "Don't Sleep In The Subway," and explains her Michael Jackson connection.