"By Your Side" is a song by
contemporary Christian
Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...
band
Tenth Avenue North
Tenth Avenue North was an American contemporary Christian music (CCM) band from West Palm Beach, Florida that was active from 2000 to 2021.
The group was formed while its founding members attended Palm Beach Atlantic University took its name ...
from their debut album ''
Over and Underneath
''Over and Underneath'' is the first major label studio album from Christian pop rock band Tenth Avenue North. It was released on May 20, 2008, and peaked at No. 130 on the ''Billboard'' 200 in April 2009. The album features two No. 1 singles: "L ...
''. It was released as the album's lead single in August 2008, and reached number 1 on
''R&R'''s Christian
contemporary hit radio chart in January 2009.
In 2010, "By Your Side" won the 41st Annual
GMA Dove Award
A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards are presented annually. Formerly held in Nashville, Tennessee, the Dove Awards ...
for Song of the Year. In addition, the song also appeared on compilation albums ''
WOW Hits 2010'' and ''
WOW #1s''.
The song peaked at No. 2 on the
Hot Christian Songs
Hot Christian Songs is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It ranks the popularity of Christian songs using the same methodology developed for the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, the magazine's flagship songs ...
chart. It lasted 58 weeks on the overall chart, their longest charting single. The song is played in a
G major
G major (or the key of G) is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative minor is E minor and its parallel minor is G minor.
The G major scale is:
Notable composi ...
key at 130
beats per minute
Beat, beats or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area
** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols
** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men
* Battery ...
.
Composition
The song is written from the perspective of
Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
.
Tenth Avenue North lead singer Mike Donehey's vocals have been compared to
Jon Foreman
Jonathan Mark Foreman (born October 22, 1976) is an American musician, the lead singer, guitarist, main songwriter and co-founder of the alternative rock band Switchfoot. He started Switchfoot in 1996 with drummer Chad Butler and his brother Tim ...
.
The
lyrics
Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a " libretto" and their writer, ...
talk of how Jesus promises to be with us through all the circumstances that we face in life. This song musically consists of a 3-note repetitive guitar pattern, simple piano, and gentle drums.
Awards
In 2010, the song won a
Dove Award for Song of the Year at the
41st GMA Dove Awards
The 41st Annual GMA Dove Awards presentation was held on April 21, 2010 recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 2009. The show was held at The Opry Entertainment Complex in Nashville, Tennessee, and was hosted by Bart Millard.
Nomi ...
.
41st Annual GMA Dove Awards nominees announced
on The Tennessean
''The Tennessean'' (known until 1972 as ''The Nashville Tennessean'') is a daily newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee. Its circulation area covers 39 counties in Middle Tennessee and eight counties in southern Kentucky. It is owned by Gannett, ...
(February 18, 2010)
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
Certifications
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:By Your Side (Tenth Avenue North Song)
2008 singles
Songs written by Jason Ingram
Tenth Avenue North songs
Songs written by Phillip LaRue
2008 songs