Thursday Inspiration #190 With Arms Wide Open

Respond to this challenge, by either by using the prompt word begin, or going with the above picture, or by means of the song ‘With Arms Wide Open’, or by going with another song by Creed, or anything else that you think fits.  This song came out on Creed’s second studio album Human Clay that was released in 1999.  It was the band’s last album to feature bassist and co-founder Brian Marshall, who left the band in August 2000, and he didn’t return till their fourth studio album Full Circle, which was released in 2009.  Creed was a quintet that began in 1994 in Tallahassee, Florida with vocalist Scott Stapp, guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall, drummer Scott Phillips, and rhythm guitarist Brian Brasher, but when Brasher left in 1995, they remained as a quartet.  They originally played under the name Naked Toddler, but people found that offensive and then when Marshall told them that he was in a band called Mattox Creed they dropped the Mattox part and went as Creed.  ‘With Arms Wide Open’ went to #13 in the UK and it got all the way to #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100.  This was Creed’s only #1 hit on the Pop charts, although they had several other #1s on the Mainstream Rock charts.  This song won the 2000 Grammy for Best Rock Song, and it was also nominated for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal.

Scott Stapp wrote the lyrics to this song after he found out that his then wife Hillaree Burns was pregnant with his first child, Jagger.  Stapp overheard guitarist Mark Tremonti playing a riff at a soundcheck and the song came together very quickly.  This song is about a kid being born and it has inspired many men and women to think hard about the responsibility of parenthood.  The guy is happy when he hears the news, but he questions whether he is ready to be a parent.  He knows that this will change his whole life forever, but he wants to become a father, so he can show his new offspring everything, and he hopes that they can lead a better life than he has.  Self-doubt leads to pertinent questions till he decides to be the man that his children need, regardless of if he is ready or not.  Arms wide open is an expression that denotes welcoming affection.  Scott Stapp revealed that people have made fun of his delivery and idiosyncrasies of how he enunciated his words when singing this song and he was glad that was pointed out so he could evolve and grow as a singer.
Well, I just heard the news today
It seems my life is going to change
I closed my eyes, begin to pray
Then tears of joy stream down my face