Tag: Mark Bishop

AMY TURNER

Mark Bishop has released a new single through Sonlite Records, and it carries a message as timeless as the book it points to. Titled “You Better Go Read It,” the song follows his previous release “The Fishing Pole,” a quieter, country-flavoured reflection on life’s journey, and marks a clear shift in mood. This new track is upbeat and soulful, built on a syncopated rhythm and wrapped in a spirit of joyful urgency.

The idea behind the song came from an everyday moment most people know well. Bishop explained it this way: “How many times has a strange icon lit up on the dashboard of your car, and you have to fish out the owner’s manual in the glove compartment to figure out what’s going on? Wouldn’t it be great if we had a manual for when our lives needed some tune-up or repair? Guess what… we do!”

The answer, as Bishop sees it, has been there all along. “But it doesn’t do you any good if you don’t go read it,” he said.

“All of the answers are right there. It’s called the Bible, and it’s an owner’s manual for your life. Yours. Our newest song, ‘You Better Go Read It,’ is a playful, happy reminder that God has given us a gift… a roadmap… an instruction book… an insurance policy. But it does you no good if you don’t read it.”

That lighthearted but pointed tone comes through from the very first lines of the song, where Bishop sets the scene with a direct question to the listener: Can I have your attention? This’ll only take a minute. You’re runnin’ in the rat race. Now how ya’ gonna win it? Do you know where you’re going? When the journey’s through? Got any idea… who might be waitin’ for you?

The chorus opens things up further, with label mate Amber Lynn joining Bishop in alternating harmonies that give the song an energetic back-and-forth feel: You better go read it. It’s right there in the Word. You’re really gonna need it. Maybe you haven’t heard, There’s a hell and a heaven, there’s a right way and a wrong. By the end of the journey, who’s side will you be on? There’s a road map… you get to see it. But you better go read it.

The single also marks a milestone for someone close to Bishop. “I am especially excited for you to hear this new song,” he said, “because it also features my friend and live concert piano player, Tony Gross. If you’ve come to any of our concerts, you already know how talented this young man is on the keys. Well… now you can hear Tony play whenever you want to. Ladies and gentlemen… I present to you, recorded for the first time, the musical talents of Tony Gross on our newest song… ‘You Better Go Read It’!”

SPECIAL: CROSSROADS RECORDS

Arden, North Carolina (September 5, 2025) — As Mark Bishop’s “Now Lazarus Can Sing” makes its way up the airplay charts, the masterful Southern Gospel singer-songwriter is keeping fans happy by giving them new music for their streaming enjoyment. Following the soulful prescription of “There’s a Medicine for That,” Bishop takes a turn toward the majestic with an expansively orchestrated “I’m Gonna Do What I Said I’d Do.”“God gave us a wonderful gift, didn’t He,” muses Bishop, “When He said for us to bring our burdens to Him and He would give us rest. But prayer goes even one step further than that… not only are we encouraged to pray for our own problems, but we can also bring the problems of our friends and family to God as well.
“It must please God to hear us praying for one another. Is there any better expression of love than when we offer to pray for each other? Oftentimes, we see on the social media platforms where someone has suffered a loss or is going through a hard chapter in their life, lots of folks will leave a comment saying, ‘I’m praying for you,’ or, ‘You are in my prayers.’ But are they really, or is that just something to say when you don’t know what else to say?”
Written with Josh Rison, “I’m Gonna Do What I Said I’d Do” wraps its simple, direct message:
I’m gonna do what I said I’d do.
I’ll fall on my knees and I’ll pray for you.
I’ll never say it and not follow through.
But know in your heart it’s true…
I’m gonna pray for you.
in a mantle of strings and prominent, glistening harmonies from Victoria Bowlin (11th Hour) and Freddie Ratliff, while producer Jeff Collins contributes the rolling piano flourishes that keep the song anchored on the solid ground of Southern Gospel. 
“When we promise to pray for someone,” Bishop observes, “maybe we shouldn’t think of it as casually as we sometimes do. Yes… we get busy, and sometimes forgetful. But it’s a wonderful gift of love when we actually do pray for someone.
“‘I’m Gonna Do What I Said I’d Do’ is that thought put into song. And maybe it will serve as a reminder to us all to actually take the time to pray for those we love. Jesus took the time to even tell us how to pray. That tells us how important prayer really is!”

“I’m Gonna Do What I Said I’d Do” is streaming in Dolby Atmos spatial audio on Apple Music, Amazon Music and TIDAL. Listen to it HERE.Mark Bishop encourages praying
for each other on latest single