Do you wish you'd had the chance to perform at the recent crusade and meet the man?West Oh, absolutely! But, they called in the big dogs. Matthew West is filed under "up and comer." Unless he has a reunion crusade, I didn't get the call (laughing).The chorus of "History" talks about forgetting the past and looking ahead, as in Philippians 3:13. What did you have to leave behind?West I think we all have history we're not proud of. For me, being raised in a Christian home was a blessing and a challenge. Having my faith become the number one priority in my life was a challenge, because it was so second nature to me. In high school, my priorities started to slip. I moved on to college, and no longer had to carry the preacher's kid title. I found myself with a whole new crew that had a whole new set of rules. I felt I didn't have to be ruled by the goody two-shoes title that I had growing up.What does leaving your past behind really mean and look like?West The second verse of "Next Thing You Know" says, "I wish I could say I always stayed right there, and I did until my freshman year." It's talking about my first year of college. My conscience was pricked every time I was doing something I knew I shouldn't be, whether hanging out with the wrong crew or going to the wrong party. All these friends around me were searching for what they could fill the emptiness with, and here I was right there with them. I wasn't searching, because I knew the answer. Yet, I knew there was something more.We all have a history, and for some of us, we are ashamed of years of our history. For others, it's just days. But the Bible says that we fall short every single day. Even if it's not major things like drug addiction, we make mistakes each day that need forgiveness. For me, I just needed to get to where I wanted to know God on a personal level. Do you really forget the past, or do we remember and learn from it, especially if it's something painful?West The second verse of "History" talks about not just accepting the fact that God can forgive us, but learning to forgive ourselves. I don't think I am able to forget the mistakes I've made, but it's enough for me to know that God has forgotten them. That's bigger than naming to God one by one the mistakes I've made. It's more important to not be ruled by the mistakes of our past. The song "History" clearly states, "Leave it all behind you, but let it always remind you of the day that love made history." I look at my imperfections and the history that I'm ashamed of, not to feel bad all over again, but to see how God forgave me in spite of who I was or what I did. That's how we keep history from repeating itself—when we know that God has set us free from the past. "Get Away" sounds like it's about getting away from Satan. Is it? What specifically are you trying to get away from?West The song was inspired by a conversation I had with two friends. They were both going through difficulty in their marriages and saw the devil attacking the security of their marriages and families. I'd get angry at how the presence of evil can creep in. The devil can whisper so many lies to us. That song was written in response to that. The Bible is very clear that we should keep away from every kind of evil. It gives us instructions on how to handle evil—get away, run, turn away. Whether that voice is whispering, "Try this drug" or "Just one affair isn't a big deal," we can't let evil take over our lives. The song is a desperate cry from myself to the world to not let evil completely destroy our world. Tell us the story of Taylor from "The Last Ones."West I was traveling around the country as an independent artist and singing my songs for anyone who would listen. In Kansas City, a girl named Taylor's dad was the sound engineer for my concert, and she ran into the auditorium and sat down in the front row during my sound check. During my sound checks, it's not uncommon for me to make up silly little songs about some random inspiration of the moment. And so I began to make up a song about Taylor.Taylor has Down syndrome, and the moment I met her I remember feeling sorry for her. But the more time I spent with her, I could see so clearly that God has a special purpose for this little girl, and in the last few years she has had a profound impact on my life. As I've been working on this concept of History, it overwhelms my heart that history makers come in all shapes and sizes. And the last shall be the first.What would you like this CD to impress on people's hearts?West If you think for a second that your life is insignificant, you're thinking is all wrong. God has put you on this earth for a very important purpose. No matter what you do, as long as you are where God wants you to be, your life is history in the making.Learn more about Matthew West by visiting our site's artist page for him. Also check out our review of his latest, History. Visit Christianbook.com to listen to sound clips and purchase his music.© Maryann B. Hunsberger, subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.