"Between You and Me"
Single by DC Talk
from the album Jesus Freak
Released1996
GenreContemporary Christian music
Length3:47 (radio edit)
LabelForeFront/Virgin
Songwriter(s)Toby McKeehan, Mark Heimermann[1]
DC Talk singles chronology
"Jesus Freak"
(1995)		 "Between You and Me"
(1996)		 "What If I Stumble?"
(1996)
Alternative cover
Alternative UK Commercial Single

"Between You and Me"[nb 1] is a song by the American contemporary Christian music group DC Talk. Released in 1996, it was the second radio and commercial single released from the group's fourth album, Jesus Freak. After the unexpected success of the grunge rock single "Jesus Freak", "Between You and Me" helped to bring DC Talk to a new level of success and solidify them as mainstream artists. The song later earned DC Talk a GMA Dove Award and is the only DC Talk single to have charted on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was also a Christian radio success and peaked at No. 1 on both the Christian adult contemporary and Christian Contemporary Hit Radio CCM Magazine charts.

Meaning and composition

Lyrically, the song stresses the importance of forgiveness.[4] In addition, the bridge of the song addresses the need for confessing one's sins to God.[5] DC Talk member Toby McKeehan, co-writer of the song, said that the lyrics simply describe the way relationships work.[6] McKeehan later elaborated in an interview that the song came from his relationship with fellow band members Michael Tait and Kevin Max.[7]

In contrast to many of the DC Talk's other singles, the Christian message – the importance of forgiveness and confession – is heavily implied, although it is not blatantly stated in terms of any specific religion. The only mention of God is featured during the breakdown of the song, which is absent in the radio edit.[8] This removal of God from the song caused some fans of the band to wonder if the group's record label made a "conscious effort to remove any overt Christian content from the song."[9]

The song is built around acoustic strumming and synthesized drums, courtesy of Scott Williamson.[10][11] The song begins with acoustic strumming in the key of G major.[8][11] The song then moves into the key of E major during the verses. It features a chorus that is in the key of G major; in addition, the chorus is composed of "boyish lead vocals", "sweet harmonies", and "whirling organs".[8][11] During the verses, Michael Tait, Kevin Max, and Toby McKeehan take turns singing lead. The second chorus is followed by a melodic breakdown featuring minimalistic guitar and whispered vocals. The song then repeats the line "It's my way to freedom" and "I've got something to say" until the end.[12]

Music video

The members of DC Talk prepare to open the box near the end of the video.

The music video for the song features Michael Tait, Kevin Max, and Toby McKeehan performing the song in a laundromat. Interspersed is footage of a man carrying a package while running from two other men. Near the end, he runs into the laundromat where DC Talk are singing and deposits the box in a trash can before leaving. Tait, Max, and McKeehan then reach into the trash can to investigate the contents of the box. Just as the box is opened, the video ends.[13]

The song's video received regular airtime on MTV and VH1.[14] While the video was popular, however, the band found it more and more difficult to get airplay on MTV for what they perceived as a bias against the Christian music scene. McKeehan explained that with "Between You and Me", the group was able to "sneak one past the goalie", but afterwards the DJs realized that "this group's from the Christian market".[15]

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Billboard(Positive)[11]

The song was released as the second single for Jesus Freak in 1996. Due to its wide appeal, however, the song was extensively played on many non-Christian stations, leading the single to become a major crossover hit. The song's surprising rise on the Billboard's charts was a result of the partnership with Virgin Records. Phil Quartararo, then-CEO of Virgin Records said the song was "identified early in the game as a very radio-friendly cut."[6] In addition to "Jesus Freak" and "Colored People", this song was considered instrumental in breaking DC Talk into the mainstream.[16]

Commercially, the song was a top 40 hit. The song remains DC Talk's highest-charting single on mainstream radio, peaking at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 single chart.[17] The single was also a Christian radio success. It peaked at No. 1 on both the Christian Adult Contemporary and Christian Contemporary Hit Radio CCM Magazine charts.[18][19] The fact that the band was able to achieve success impressed many fans and individuals in the music industry. Jay R. Howard and John M. Streck, in their book Apostles of Rock: The Splintered World of Contemporary Christian Music, called it "a significant validation of the music".[20]

Critically, the song was also a success. Billboard magazine gave the single an extremely positive review and noted that the song and band were helping to shatter the myth that "Christian pop has to be heavy-handed or steeping power-ballad syrup".[11] The magazine also praised the song for "lyrics [that] remain subtle but forthright in the song's positive message".[11] Michael Mehle of the Rocky Mountain News positively noted that the song possessed "Seal-like R&B" qualities.[21] AllMusic awarded the single two-and-a-half stars out of five.[1] The song was successful when it came to the GMA Dove Awards. In 1997, the song won an award for the best Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year.[22]

Other releases

Various versions have appeared on several DC Talk official releases, including the band's greatest hits album Intermission.[23] A live version is not included on the 1997 live release Welcome to the Freak Show[24] as it was not played until the last dates of the tour, after the recording had already taken place. The music video, however, was included on the DVD release of the album.[25] "Between You and Me" also appears on the compilation album WOW 1997[26] and was covered by both Relient K and the team-up of Paul Wright and Ayiesha Woods for the tribute album Freaked![27]

Track listing

US Commercial Single[2]

  1. "Between You and Me" (Radio Edit) – 3:47
  2. "So Help Me God" – 4:39

European Commercial Single[3]

  1. "Between You and Me" (radio edit) – 3:47
  2. "So Help Me God" – 4:39
  3. "The Hardway" – 5:18
  4. "Between You and Me" (album version) – 4:59

Chart positions

Album credits

Notes

  1. ↑ Some official releases, such as the single cover, label the song "Just Between You and Me".[2][3]

References

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Just Between You and Me". AllMusic. Rovi. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  2. 1 2 'Between You and Me' US CD single (liner notes). DC Talk. London, England: Forefront Records/Virgin Records. 1996.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. 1 2 'Between You and Me' European CD single (liner notes). DC Talk. London, England: Forefront Records/Virgin Records. 1996. Archived from the original on May 6, 2013.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. ↑ Schultz, Paul (December 26, 2006). "Music Review: dc Talk, 'Jesus Freak' (10th Anniversary Special Edition)". The Trades. Archived from the original on April 24, 2008. Retrieved October 13, 2009.
  5. ↑ Gibson, Jeremy; DiBiase, John; Taylor, Josh (February 6, 2003). "DC Talk, 'Jesus Freak' Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
  6. 1 2 Price, Deborah (November 23, 1996). "Virgin to Take DC Talk Mainstream". Billboard. p. 105. Retrieved July 21, 2010.
  7. ↑ McKeehan, Toby. "Tobymac Talks About 'Between You And Me'" (Interview). Archived from the original on 2021-11-16. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
  8. 1 2 3 DC Talk (2001), p. 29.
  9. ↑ Howard and Streck (2004), p. 193
  10. 1 2 3 Jesus Freak (liner). DC Talk. California: ForeFront Records/Virgin Records. 1995.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Flick, Larry (September 28, 1996). "Reviews and Previews". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 39. p. 108.
  12. ↑ DC Talk (2001), p. 37.
  13. ↑ DC Talk. Between You and Me (Music Video). Forefront Records.
  14. ↑ McNeil (2005), pg. 99
  15. ↑ Alfonso (2002), p. 70
  16. ↑ "Jars and Butterflies: The Joys of Mainstreaming". Billboard. April 25, 1998. pp. 38–40. Retrieved July 21, 2010.
  17. ↑ "Between You and Me – DC Talk". Billboard.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  18. 1 2 Brothers (2003), p. 72
  19. 1 2 Brothers (2003), p. 249
  20. ↑ Howard and Streck (2004), p. 200
  21. ↑ Mehle, Michael (May 3, 1996). "Christian Band Between Rock and a Hard Place". Rocky Mountain News. E. W. Scripps Company. Archived from the original on June 29, 2014. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
  22. ↑ "Dove Awards History Artist: DC Talk". GMA Dover Awards. Archived from the original on March 23, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  23. ↑ Losey, Steven. "Intermission: The Greatest Hits". Allmusic. Rovi. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  24. ↑ Batdorf, Rodney. "Welcome to the Freak Show". Allmusic. Rovi. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  25. ↑ Welcome to the Freak Show (liner notes). DC Talk. California, USA: ForeFront Records/Virgin Records. 2003.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  26. ↑ "Wow 1997: The Year's 30 Top Christian Artists & Songs [ECD]". Amazon. 1996. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
  27. ↑ John DiBiase (July 20, 2010). "Freaked! A Gotee Tribute to DC Talk's 'Jesus Freak'". Jesus Freak Hideout.
  28. ↑ "RPM 100: Hit tracks & where to find them". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. January 20, 1997. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  29. 1 2 "dc Talk - Just Between You and Me". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
  30. 1 2 3 4 "Between You and Me – DC Talk". Billboard.com. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  31. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1997". RPM. Archived from the original on 2017-08-05. Retrieved November 26, 2017.

Bibliography

  • Alfonso, Barry (2002). The Billboard Guide to Contemporary Christian Music. Random House. ISBN 9780823077182.
  • Brothers, Jeffery Lee (2003). Hot Hits: Adult Contemporary Charts (1 ed.). p. 72. ISBN 1410732940.
  • DC Talk; et al. (2001), Intermission: The Greatest Hits (Piano/Vocal/Guitar Artist Songbook), Hal Leonard Corporation, ISBN 0634030434
  • Howard, Jay; Streck, John (2004). Apostles of Rock: The Splintered World of Contemporary Christian Music. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 9780813190860.
  • McNeil, W. K. (2005). Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music. Routledge. ISBN 0415941792.
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