Jekalyn Carr - Stay With Me Lyrics

Album: One Nation Under God
Released: 23 Feb 2018

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Lyrics

[Verse 1]

How can I live? How can I move?

How can I be, without You?

How can I stand, in the midst of pain?

I can't go on, without You

[Pre-Chorus]

You are the company that doesn't have to go

So, stay with me

[Chorus 1]

I'm broken before YOU

Please don't leave 'cause I need YOU

I'm empty if I don't have YOU

So, stay with me

I lift my heart to THEE

YOU are my high victory

I can't imagine life without YOU

So, stay with me, Stay with me

Stay with me, Stay with me

[Verse 1]

How can I live? How can I move?

How can I be, without You?

How can I stand, in the midst of pain?

I can't go on, without You

You are the company that doesn't have to go

So, stay with me

[Chorus 2]

I'm broken before You

Please don't leave 'cause I need You

I'm empty if I don't have You

So, stay with me

I lift my heart to You

You are my high victory

Can't imagine life without You

So, stay with me

I'm broken before You

Please don't leave 'cause I need You

I'm empty if I don't have You

So, stay with me

I lift my heart to You

You are my high victory

Can't imagine life without You

Stay with me

[Interlude]

Can you lift your hands and say: Stay? (stay with me)

Lord, I need You to stay with me (stay with me)

Somebody tell Him, stay with me (stay with me)

Oh, 'cause we need You, Lord (stay with me)

Say, stay with me (stay with me)

You have to [3:58?] (stay with me)

Oh, stay with me (stay with me)

Yeah, yeah...

[Verse 2]

I'll do whatever it takes, to keep YOU here with me

It don't matter how much it costs, 'cause I need YOU here with me

I'll lay down my will for YOU 'cause I need YOU here with me, oh LORD

I'll give whatever YOU require of me, I need YOU here with me, LORD

So...

[Refrain]

Stay with me

[Interlude]

Now right here, you ought to open up your mouth

And tell Him how much you need Him

Tell Him how much you need Him tonight, oh

[Bridge]

I can't imagine my life without YOU

I can't imagine my life without You

I can't imagine my life without You, Lord

I can't imagine my life without You

[Refrain]

Stay with me

[Interlude]

I don't know about nobody else up in here

But, I need God to stay with me (stay with me)

You oughta, you oughta, you oughta lift your hands

Lift your hands towards heaven

And if it's your prayer tonight

Open your mouth and tell Him

[Refrain]

Stay with me

[Interlude]

Lift up your voice, lift up your voice

And let HIM know how much you need HIM

Let HIM know how much you need HIM

YOU don't have to leave, YOU don't have to leave

Stay with me, Jesus, stay with me, Jesus

'Cause I need YOU I need YOU

I need YOU LORD

[Outro]

I'm just wondering if there's somebody out there

Who don't mind breaking yourself loose

And crying out to your master, "Here I am, Lord"

Whatever You need me to do

Whatever You want me to do

My answer is yes

Open up your mouth

Lift up your voice and cry out to Him

Video

Stay With Me by Jekalyn Carr ft Ashley Charisse Mackey

Meaning & Inspiration

Jekalyn Carr captures a specific, desperate posture in "Stay With Me," one that feels less like a polished theological statement and more like the unfiltered cry of someone standing at the edge of their own capacity.

As someone who maps out the flow of a service, I’m always looking for that tension between what we sing and where we actually live. This song is essentially a liturgical loop. It isn’t trying to teach a systematic doctrine of the Holy Spirit’s presence; instead, it anchors the congregation in a single, recurring plea: "Stay with me."

When we sing, "You are the company that doesn't have to go," we are confronting a reality that many in the pews struggle with—the fear of abandonment. We often treat God as a visitor, someone we invite for the weekend service before we go back to the isolation of our weekdays. Carr flips that. By asking Him to stay, she’s acknowledging that the only way to "stand, in the midst of pain" isn't through grit or better moral choices, but through the proximity of the Creator.

Yet, as a leader, I find the lyric, "I'll do whatever it takes, to keep YOU here with me," a bit tricky. It’s a bold human declaration. It echoes the kind of covenantal language we see in the Psalms, like David’s desire to dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 27:4), but it carries a human weight—the idea that our behavior dictates His presence. Of course, theologically, the Spirit doesn't leave His own. He is the seal. But feeling that truth and knowing it are two different things. This song isn’t for the person who has everything figured out; it’s for the one who feels the creeping silence of God in their kitchen or their workplace.

The "Landing" here is interesting. It doesn't end on a high, victorious declaration of self-assurance. Instead, it concludes with a surrender: "My answer is yes." That’s a shift from the initial anxiety of the song. It moves from "Don't leave me, I'm scared" to "Whatever You require, I'm Yours." It forces the listener to stop focusing on their lack and start focusing on the sovereignty of the One they’re calling to.

Is it singable? Yes, but it requires a room that is willing to move past the melody and into the messy honesty of the lyrics. It’s not a song for a congregation that wants to keep things light. If you play this, you have to be ready to sit in that uncomfortable space where the music drops out and the only thing left is a room full of people admitting they can’t make it on their own steam. It leaves us holding the truth that while we are fragile, we are never actually alone, even when the feelings suggest otherwise.