'Cinderella' Steven Curtis Chapman Acoustic Performance - Christian Music Videos

Steven Curtis Chapman sings a beautiful acoustic version of his song ‘Cinderella’. It’s such a lovely, emotional song with an even more emotional backstory.

Written in just about an hour, the song ‘Cinderella’ came to Steven Curtis Chapman after putting his two youngest daughters to bed one night. He wanted to use the song to remind himself to cherish the small moments with his family, because life goes by fast and children grow up before your eyes.

The song was about being in the present moment. But that changed when his 5-year-old daughter, Maria, died in a tragic accident in 2008, just months after he had written ‘Cinderella’.

At a concert after her death, Steven Curtis Chapman said this:

“This was never a song about eternity. It was about here and now, in the real world. But now, for me, this song is going to be a song that reminds me to show up in these moments because we have only a little bit of time in the here and now to show up in each other’s stories on this side of heaven…. there is a day coming when He will make everything new; He is going to wipe every tear from our eyes. The story isn’t over; the dance is not over.”

Chapman then goes on to explain why he can still sing this song, even after such a tragic loss.

“If our hope is for eternity, and this life is getting us ready for that, if we really believe it, then I can sing this song ‘Cinderella’ because I have an eternity to dance with my little girl.”

When he got to the end of singing ‘Cinderella’ at the concert, he shares why he made a last-minute change to the lyrics.

“I came to the end of the section where I had originally written, ‘Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight and I know she’ll be gone.’ I spontaneously changed the words to ‘the clock will strike midnight, but I know … the truth is … the dance will go on.’ And with that change the song took on even greater significance; I’ve sung it that way ever since.”

What a beautiful thing to see God’s redeeming love through Steven Curtis Chapman’s story. And how wonderful to know that one day, he will be reunited with his daughter again and can dance with her for the rest of eternity.