Take a moment, if you can, and drown out the world for awhile. Drown out the noise, the troubles, the worries, and anything weighing you down. Now slip on your headset and turn the volume up. Let Zach Williams and Dolly Parton serenade you for a near four minutes.
Titled, “There was Jesus“. This song was written by Williams together with Casey Beathard and Jonathan Smith. It’s basically Zach sharing his thoughts of when he went through hard times in life and realized that God was there with him.
Zach finished writing the song and immediately reached out to Dolly Parton’s manager. She loved it. They met a few weeks later and recorded the song. Dolly is 74 and she sounds great!
It’s her first Christian number one.
As for Zach, people know him to be a true Christian artist. His southern style of rock blends well with his spiritually charged music. But this wasn’t always the case. The man went through some dark times.
The young Zach grew up attending church with his parents. Dad was a worship leader, mom was on the praise team. He left basketball after an injury and stirred himself towards music. Zach began to live the rock and roll lifestyle.
Drugs and alcohol took over.
It was a bandmate that got Zach back on the right track. He slowly began to change his ways and renewed his faith in Christ. It even says so in this song,
“Every time I tried to make it on my own. Every time I tried to stand and start to fall. All those lonely roads that I have traveled on. There was Jesus. When the life I built came crashing to the ground. When the friends I had were nowhere to be found. I couldn’t see it then but I can see it now. There was Jesus.”
He was like the prodigal son.
He struggled with his old ways while nurturing his faith but he soon quit the band, went back home and promised to be a better man for his wife and kids. Zach started a whole new life. His newfound faith a perfect match for his no nonsense hard work.
It’s a really catchy song too.
Southern rock but pleasant to the ears with a relaxed tempo that allows the listener to soak in the lyrics. Dolly’s singing adds another layer to Zach’s. It adds energy to the song, those emotions playing out as the transformed country singer sings his story. Hands up and be blessed!
“In the waiting, in the searching. In the healing and the hurting. Like a blessing buried in the broken pieces. Every minute, every moment of where I been and where I’m going. Even when I didn’t know it or couldn’t see it. There was Jesus.”
Nothing complicated about the music video. It’s Zach and Dolly singing together in a barn. A couple drives down, at times fighting, but eventually making up. It’s about second and third chances, hope, and faith.
Dolly herself is glad that this song touched the lives of so many people. She adds that while having the number one spot is always great, a faith-based song at number one is even better. Especially during these times.
Listen and be moved by this wonderful duet below!
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