By Your Side

Album: Over and Underneath (2008)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Tenth Avenue North lead singer Mike Donehey wrote this song with two of the group's producers: Jason Ingram and Phillip LaRue. In our interview with Mike Donehey, he explained: "That's a song that I wish I was writing for other people, but it really was my own inability to believe I'm forgiven. Right where I fall. And it's been crazy how that song has ministered to different people in different ways - in ways I never would have imagined. But the truth of it is when I screw up, I run away from God. And behind his words, it seems like when I fall it's exactly when I should turn back to him and run to him, not away from him.

    In Corinthians Paul said that Christ pleads through us. And so it's sort of like writing a song allowing Christ to plead with me. Zephaniah, an old Hebrew scripture, says that God actually sings over us and stuff. I took that license."
  • This won the 2010 Dove Award for Song of the Year. Mike Donehey told us: "I'm looking at this little trophy and saying, you know, what's the purpose of this little trophy? And we walked backstage and this girl was volunteering, and she's in college, and she grabbed me by the arm and she said, 'Hey, I want you to know that that song that you won that award for, that song changed my life when I heard it January 3rd last year, and I became a Christian that night from hearing your song.' So that was pretty ridiculous."

Comments: 1

  • Cindy KaneHeard this song in my sleep recently but heard Mom I love you in the refrain. Lost my son a couple years ago. Thought he was reaching out.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Dan Reed

Dan ReedSongwriter Interviews

Dan cracked the Top 40 with "Ritual," then went to India and spent 2 hours with the Dalai Lama.

Sam Hollander

Sam HollanderSongwriter Interviews

The hitmaking songwriter/producer Sam Hollander with stories about songs for Weezer, Panic! At The Disco, Train, Pentatonix, and Fitz And The Tantrums.

Mac Powell of Third Day

Mac Powell of Third DaySongwriter Interviews

The Third Day frontman talks about some of the classic songs he wrote with the band, and what changed for his solo country album.

How "A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss" Became Rock's Top Proverb

How "A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss" Became Rock's Top ProverbSong Writing

How a country weeper and a blues number made "rolling stone" the most popular phrase in rock.

Harry Wayne Casey of KC and The Sunshine Band

Harry Wayne Casey of KC and The Sunshine BandSongwriter Interviews

Harry Wayne Casey tells the stories behind KC and The Sunshine Band hits like "Get Down Tonight," "That's The Way (I Like It)," and "Give It Up."

Chris Tomlin

Chris TomlinSongwriter Interviews

The king of Christian worship music explains talks about writing songs for troubled times.