Torn Between Two Worlds (1992)

Joel Caballero
1 day ago
2 min read

Torn Between Two Worlds is the fourth studio album by Christian singer - songwriter Billy Sprague. It was released in the spring of 1992 and it is the first of two albums Sprague recorded on Benson Records.

Sprague returns with his first album of new material in four years. Sprague was on a three-year break following the tragic death of his fiancé Rosalyn Olivares, in a car accident in 1989. The album serves as a tribute to her memory and explores themes of grief, loss, and spiritual hope. Much of the project was shaped by his collaborator and producer Wayne Kirkpatrick. Torn Between Two Worlds was preceded by its lead single "Heaven Is a Long Hello." Sprague says that it is his favorite track on the album because it represents hope breaking through the "shadowland" of grief. The songs about Olivares are present throughout the project: "Dear Rosalyn" is Sprague's tribute to his late fiancé; "For the One Who Sleeps" was written for Olivares' funeral service and was dedicated to her and a beloved professor; "Waiting For the Day" is a song which focuses on the second coming of Christ and that one day Sprague will reunite with Olivares.

The track "Lukeen Ote Mah Weendo" is a phonetic play on the phrase "looking out my window." The lyrics contrast a world full of conflict, legalism, and division with a longing for spiritual restoration and the Lord's Prayer. The back of the CD of Torn Between Two Worlds is a silhouette photo of Olivares with a rose displayed in front. Sprague wrote all the songs on the album, including two songs co-written with producer Kirkpatrick.

Track listing

All songs written by Billy Sprague, except where noted.

1. Heaven Is a Long Hello -4:54

2. Two-Way Street (Billy Sprague, Wayne Kirkpatrick) -3:55

3. Waiting For the Day -5:39

4. A Hazardous World -4:38

5. Where Is Your Heart? (Billy Sprague, Wayne Kirkpatrick) -4:16

6. Lukeen Ote Mah Weendo -5:32

7. Dear Rosalyn -4:08

8. El Viaje (The Journey) (instrumental) -1:58

9. For the One Who Sleeps -5:24

10. You Can't Keep a Good Man Down -6:15