I first heard about MercyMe when my church youth group went to see them perform at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in 2011. They were accompanied by four other fantastic bands, but they finished up the show and stuck in my head far longer than the rest.
I remember being so moved by their lyrics and messages, and the concert experience just intensified that. I looked around and everyone was enjoying the performance just as much as I was, and it brought a feeling of closeness with it that made me very emotional.
I went home that night and immediately bought their newest album, “The Generous Mr. Lovewell,” on iTunes and it was all I listened to for a few days. And even three years later, it’s still one of my favorite albums, and MercyMe is still one of my favorite bands.
MercyMe is a Christian rock band, made up of vocalist Bart Millard, keyboardist James Bryson, percussionist Robby Shaffer, bassist Nathan Cochran and guitarists Michael Scheuchzer and Barry Graul.
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They performed together as early as 1994, and released six independent albums before they eventually signed with INO Records, and have since released six studio albums and a greatest hits album.
One of the things I love best about MercyMe is how diverse their style is. They have some songs, like “All of Creation,” which are perfect as classic church worship songs. Certain songs also have more of a dance sound, such as “Move.”
But one thing that’s always consistent with their music is the inspiring messages. One of my favorite songs is “Beautiful,” which was inspired by the band’s daughters and all the materialistic pressures they are under. But it also has a message everyone can relate to. We have all felt unlovable or maybe even worthless at some point, but we’re beautiful in God’s eyes.
Another message I love is in “Crazy Enough.” It puts forward the idea of universal, unconditional love. What if we could see everyone the same and actually followed the golden rule on a daily basis? As the lyrics say, “it may just be crazy enough” to work.
The theme of universal love is a recurring element in MercyMe’s songs. “The Generous Mr. Lovewell,” the song that their 2010 album was named after, is about a character called Mr. Lovewell who essentially represents generosity and caring, and realizes that the smallest gestures can make the biggest differences.
MercyMe’s combination of memorable melodies and great messages is hard to beat, and I’d recommend them to anyone who is looking for uplifting, motivational and quality worship songs.
The band is currently on tour and will be performing June 7 in Blaine, Minn., at the National Sports Center. More information about the tour and the band itself can be found at their website, mercyme.org.
Band: MercyMe
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Members: Bart Millard, James Bryson, Robby Shaffer, Nathan Cochran, Michael Scheuchzer and Barry Graul
Website: mercyme.org
Favorite Album: “The Generous Mr. Lovewell”
Favorite Song: “Crazy Enough”
“Melanie on Music” is a weekly column about McGinniss’s favorite bands and her thoughts on them. It will be running every Friday. McGinniss is a senior at Red River High School. She can be reached at melaniemcginniss2448@gmail.com .
