10 Songs You Didn’t Know Matthew West Wrote for Other Artists

Throughout the years, Matthew West has written some of the best songs in Christian music. His first single “More” came out in 2003 and since then he’s been pumping out hits!

My personal favorite Matthew West song is “You Are Everything.” 18 year old me would blast it on repeat in my little Toyota Camry on the windy back roads of Ohio singing off key at the top of my lungs.

Seriously, this song is just about perfect and it still holds up all these years later. Name a better lyric than:

“And every time you look at me, I’m spinning like an autumn leaf, bound to hit the bottom some time.”

Matthew West is a brilliant song writer. He writes anything from crazy parody songs to songs that make you feel deeply within your soul. I’ve known this for a long time, but what I recently discovered is the incredible number of songs he’s helped write for other artists I love.

It makes a lot of sense. If I was trying to write a hit song, I would definitely want Matthew West’s golden touch.

Here are 10 songs Matthew West wrote for other artists.

1) “My Jesus” – Anne Wilson

Anne Wilsons’ first single has taken the world by storm, and the story behind her song is powerful.

She shared, “A few years ago, I went through a season of tragedy. My older brother, Jacob, who was my best friend and someone I looked up to in every way, lost his life in a car accident at the age of 23.

“That night I heard God’s voice so clear and He spoke to me for the first time. He said, “Anne, are you going to trust me or not?” I answered, “Jesus, I trust you.” In an instant, Jesus lifted the heavy weight off and told me that He would give me everything I need to get through this.”

“Jesus began to show me that He was a personal God. When people hear to this song, I want them to feel that Jesus is personal; and while our stories may look different, the same Jesus that I call “My Jesus” can be your Jesus too.”

2) “Tell Your Heart to Beat Again” – Danny Gokey

Here’s a fun fact… Matthew West co-wrote “Tell Your Heart to Beat Again” for Phillips Craig and Dean back in 2012. You can listen to their version below.

Danny Gokey recorded the song for his second album in 2014.

3) “Thrive” – Casting Crowns

Mark Hall shared, “The concept was underscored during a family vacation in Gatlinburg, Tennessee when Hall looked at the trees near the river.”

“Their roots are exposed and you can feel them just doing everything they can to get to where the water is,” he explained. “When I talk to families about how they are doing, they always say ‘just surviving.’ That is not the life that God designed for us to live.”

4) “Love Love Love” – Sidewalk Prophets

I LOVE this song by Sidewalk Prophets. See what I did there? Ok, enough corny jokes for one blog.

So take it out to the weak and lonely. Take it out to the outcasts too. Give it away to the tired weary. When you give it away, it comes back to you

5) “Love Has No Walls” – Billy Ray Cyrus

When Matthew West spoke to Songfacts he said, “He (Billy Ray Cyrus) was getting ready to make a gospel record, and I had written this song on an independent record of mine called Love Has No Walls.”

“And he liked it and decided to record it, and that was pretty cool. Sometimes I’ve written a song for myself and somebody hears it and wants to record it. So whether it’s country music or pop or Christian, I’m still who I am as a songwriter and as a person.”

“I’ve had songs recorded by Rascal Flatts and Billy Ray and Montgomery Gentry and Jo Dee Messina, so it’s fun to see where your songs land. I write songs about everything, about my life, about my faith, about my family, and if those songs strike a chord and be a part of some other artist’s career, then I think that’s a pretty cool thing, and something I really love to do.”

6) “Look What You’ve Done” – Tasha Layton

On The Matthew West Podcast, he sits down with Tasha Layton to discuss her new song “Look What You’ve Done.” He says, “When they (the audience) hear the three minute song on the radio, they’re really hearing the end result of powerful conversations about what God is doing in our lives.”

7) “We Need Christmas” – Maddie & Tae

Believe it or not, this song was written over Zoom. Matthew says, “My friendship with Maddie and Tae began in the most 2020 way imaginable – by writing a song together via Zoom…I’ll always remember this song…A Christmas song on zoom.

We were able to connect long enough to write something special… We need what God offers us, hope…”

Hear more behind this song with on The Matthew West Podcast.

8) “Something Beautiful” – Natalie Grant

Matthew West and Natalie Grant have collaborated on several songs together, but my favorite one is “Something Beautiful” and all its 2005 nostalgia.

9) “Keep Me in The Moment” – Jeremy Camp

On his podcast, Matthew said “Keep Me in The Moment” is one of his favorite songs he has gotten to be a part of.

While on tour, Jeremy Camp grabbed Matthew and they began to write about what God was teaching Jeremy. “We sat in a room and I really feel like God is laying on my heart to stay in the moment…”

“God literally just downloaded that song in a very short amount of time and it was just beautiful.”

10) “Scars in Heaven” – Casting Crowns

As we’ve already learned, good things happen when Mark Hall and Matthew West team up. “Scars in Heaven” is their most recent collaboration but I’m sure it won’t be their last.