TobyMac
The Eye On It Songfacts reports that Eye On It, TobyMac's fifth full-length… Read Full Bio ↴The Eye On It Songfacts reports that Eye On It, TobyMac's fifth full-length studio album was released on August 28, 2012. Said TobyMac regarding the album title: "I want my music to depict what I'm going through. I want to write about the things that upset me, move me, hurt me and haunt me. The things that are real. With Tonight, I was determined to live more passionately with God. I was laying down the gauntlet. Eye On It is a continuation of that. It's saying, 'This is the person I want to be and I'm going to keep my eye on it, God willing!'"POOP"
The ascension of TobyMac’s solo career has been nothing short of spectacular. In an era of declining music sales he has consistently defied the odds and has seen his sales increase with each new album release. This is no small feat. With his fourth studio album TONIGHT released on Feb. 9, he is poised to take things higher yet again.
Having climbed the mountain once with the group dcTalk (4 Grammys, more than 8 million albums sold), TobyMac knows how difficult the journey can be and how much work the process actually takes. Rarely does an artist get to soar to great heights for a second time, but soar he has. He took home his first Grammy as a solo artist last year after receiving Grammy nominations for each of his first four solo projects (Momentum, Welcome To Diverse City, Portable Sounds, Tonight). And last year TobyMac topped 2 million in total albums sold during his solo career. TobyMac has also remixed the Welcome to Diverse City album and Momentum, calling the new albums Renovating Diverse City and Re:Mix Momentum, respectively. He has done it with a combination of talent, hard work and humility which has produced songs that resonate with people from all walks of life .
Upon embarking on his solo career, Toby sought to surround himself with a talented and diverse cast of characters, aptly named the Diverse City Band. The result has been a musical fusion that radiates with an unquenchable energy and a penetrating message.
A self-professed perfectionist when making records—he’s been known to relentlessly tweak and massage every little thing in an inexorable effort to make it sound better—Toby is the first to admit that he has to work really hard to make great music. “That’s what drives me,” he says. “I feel like I have to work harder than other people to get there. Sometimes I feel like I’m slightly under-gifted; I usually don't sit down and write a great song in just a few minutes like others can. But I think my work ethic makes up for that.”
Starting with dcTalk, and then going solo when the group disbanded in 2000, Toby still clings to such rootsy notions as hard work, persistence, patience and—perhaps most relevant of all—the power of music, which he insists is still what keeps him going.
“It’s the truth,” he says. “I still believe that a song can penetrate a heart. I believe God can use a song to open someone’s mind and heart. Other songs can just drop what I call, 'the joy bomb' on somebody. I fight really hard to remain unjaundiced—to keep believing that you can actually walk into a studio and write a song that breathes life. That’s the hardest fight for a guy who’s been doing this for a while; it’s easy to fall into the trap of just making it your job. But I still believe that songs matter.”
The songs on TONIGHT certainly matter—everything from the prayerful first single “City On Our Knees” to the testimonial “Changed Forever,” from the worshipful “Captured” to the confessional “Start Somewhere,” and even down to the put-on-your-party-hat grooves of “Funky Jesus Music” and “ShowStopper.” One theme that runs loud and clear throughout is the idea that we all need God, and we need him now—this morning, this afternoon, tonight.
“Right here, right now / Under the stars / I promise You my heart / ’Cause it starts tonight,” Toby sings on the chorus of the title track. “If you gotta start somewhere why not here? If you gotta start sometime why not now?” he asks on “City on Our Knees.” And “I wanna straighten this before the sun goes down tonight,” he proclaims on “Start Somewhere.”
“There’s definitely a sense of urgency on this record,” says co-producer Chris Stephens, who has worked on TobyMac’s last three CDs. “And it’s an album that speaks of unity, of coming together and finding common ground to worship God.”
Toby has long had a passion for racial reconciliation and unity, a recurrent theme in his music. TONIGHT includes songs of reconciliation of another kind—between husband and wife. Toby and Amanda have been happily married for 15 years, but like all couples, it can be hard work sometimes. For Toby, who best expresses his emotions through music, it was a natural step to write about it. In “Hold On,” he sings, “If you move just a little bit closer / You can put your head on my shoulder . . . / Wipe away those tears / This one’s for you.” And on “Start Somewhere,” he’s downright confessional: “I said some things that I regret / And if I could, I’d take ’em back / But here I am, and there you are / The space between us is not so far / I’m reaching out my hand in love.”
“‘Hold On’ is very personal,” Toby says. “Many lines are there to encourage my wife, but I know those lines could encourage anybody in a relationship. As for ‘Start Somewhere,’ any time you’re in love with somebody, you’re going to bang heads from time to time. I don’t know how many times I’ve been lying in bed, sweating it out and thinking, How am I going to make this right? But then you reach that moment of apology and forgiveness. That’s one of my favorite songs on the record; it’s a personal perspective on confrontation and reconciliation.”
And then there’s “Wonderin’,” in which Toby reminisces about the past with Kevin Max and Michael Tait in dcTalk, one of Christian music’s biggest acts in the 1990s. “We was ridin’ in style, clockin’ them miles / With the songs that He put down deep in our hearts . . . / I’m wonderin’ ’bout the way I spend my days / Wonderin’ if it’s even worth the chase / Wonderin’ if they’re stealin’ me from you.”
“It’s just a warm look back at dc Talk,” says Toby, almost wistfully. “It’s reminiscing about Michael and Kevin and what we did together, and recognizing their influence on me. I love what I do today, but there are times when I wonder,What if we stayed together? I’ve got these dreams I’m pursuing now, but are they stealing me from you? I think about Kevin and Michael on every song I write. That's the truth man, we climbed a mountain together.”
Sonically, TONIGHT is typical TobyMac in many ways—an eclectic mix of rap, rock, pop and funk, all laden with catchy hooks and melodies just itching for airplay and audience singalongs. There’s even a healthy dose of reggae on the album closer “Break Open the Sky,” where Toby flexes his Jamaican family ties while Israel Houghton provides guest vocals. Other visiting vocalists include Skillet’s John Cooper on “Tonight” and Relient K’s Matthew Thiessen on “Wonderin’.”
Of course most of the vocals belong to the artist himself. Stephens says Toby “has stretched himself as a vocalist, he writes about things he is passionate about and his vocals reflect that urgency''. Toby agrees: “I do more singing on this record than ever before. I’m learning to use my vocal instrument in different ways, and I’m getting more comfortable with it everyday''.
It all adds up to a project that reflects one man’s desire to push himself beyond “very good,” to dig deep in the quest for that other country where greatness resides. He certainly reached for it. Hard.
“I’ve worked very hard not to fall into the trap of making this just a gig,” he says. “If it is a labor, it’s a labor of love. I know music can’t change the world, but who says God can't speak through a song."
Right here, right now. TONIGHT.
TobyMac is usually styled tobyMac or TOBYMAC
The ascension of TobyMac’s solo career has been nothing short of spectacular. In an era of declining music sales he has consistently defied the odds and has seen his sales increase with each new album release. This is no small feat. With his fourth studio album TONIGHT released on Feb. 9, he is poised to take things higher yet again.
Having climbed the mountain once with the group dcTalk (4 Grammys, more than 8 million albums sold), TobyMac knows how difficult the journey can be and how much work the process actually takes. Rarely does an artist get to soar to great heights for a second time, but soar he has. He took home his first Grammy as a solo artist last year after receiving Grammy nominations for each of his first four solo projects (Momentum, Welcome To Diverse City, Portable Sounds, Tonight). And last year TobyMac topped 2 million in total albums sold during his solo career. TobyMac has also remixed the Welcome to Diverse City album and Momentum, calling the new albums Renovating Diverse City and Re:Mix Momentum, respectively. He has done it with a combination of talent, hard work and humility which has produced songs that resonate with people from all walks of life .
Upon embarking on his solo career, Toby sought to surround himself with a talented and diverse cast of characters, aptly named the Diverse City Band. The result has been a musical fusion that radiates with an unquenchable energy and a penetrating message.
A self-professed perfectionist when making records—he’s been known to relentlessly tweak and massage every little thing in an inexorable effort to make it sound better—Toby is the first to admit that he has to work really hard to make great music. “That’s what drives me,” he says. “I feel like I have to work harder than other people to get there. Sometimes I feel like I’m slightly under-gifted; I usually don't sit down and write a great song in just a few minutes like others can. But I think my work ethic makes up for that.”
Starting with dcTalk, and then going solo when the group disbanded in 2000, Toby still clings to such rootsy notions as hard work, persistence, patience and—perhaps most relevant of all—the power of music, which he insists is still what keeps him going.
“It’s the truth,” he says. “I still believe that a song can penetrate a heart. I believe God can use a song to open someone’s mind and heart. Other songs can just drop what I call, 'the joy bomb' on somebody. I fight really hard to remain unjaundiced—to keep believing that you can actually walk into a studio and write a song that breathes life. That’s the hardest fight for a guy who’s been doing this for a while; it’s easy to fall into the trap of just making it your job. But I still believe that songs matter.”
The songs on TONIGHT certainly matter—everything from the prayerful first single “City On Our Knees” to the testimonial “Changed Forever,” from the worshipful “Captured” to the confessional “Start Somewhere,” and even down to the put-on-your-party-hat grooves of “Funky Jesus Music” and “ShowStopper.” One theme that runs loud and clear throughout is the idea that we all need God, and we need him now—this morning, this afternoon, tonight.
“Right here, right now / Under the stars / I promise You my heart / ’Cause it starts tonight,” Toby sings on the chorus of the title track. “If you gotta start somewhere why not here? If you gotta start sometime why not now?” he asks on “City on Our Knees.” And “I wanna straighten this before the sun goes down tonight,” he proclaims on “Start Somewhere.”
“There’s definitely a sense of urgency on this record,” says co-producer Chris Stephens, who has worked on TobyMac’s last three CDs. “And it’s an album that speaks of unity, of coming together and finding common ground to worship God.”
Toby has long had a passion for racial reconciliation and unity, a recurrent theme in his music. TONIGHT includes songs of reconciliation of another kind—between husband and wife. Toby and Amanda have been happily married for 15 years, but like all couples, it can be hard work sometimes. For Toby, who best expresses his emotions through music, it was a natural step to write about it. In “Hold On,” he sings, “If you move just a little bit closer / You can put your head on my shoulder . . . / Wipe away those tears / This one’s for you.” And on “Start Somewhere,” he’s downright confessional: “I said some things that I regret / And if I could, I’d take ’em back / But here I am, and there you are / The space between us is not so far / I’m reaching out my hand in love.”
“‘Hold On’ is very personal,” Toby says. “Many lines are there to encourage my wife, but I know those lines could encourage anybody in a relationship. As for ‘Start Somewhere,’ any time you’re in love with somebody, you’re going to bang heads from time to time. I don’t know how many times I’ve been lying in bed, sweating it out and thinking, How am I going to make this right? But then you reach that moment of apology and forgiveness. That’s one of my favorite songs on the record; it’s a personal perspective on confrontation and reconciliation.”
And then there’s “Wonderin’,” in which Toby reminisces about the past with Kevin Max and Michael Tait in dcTalk, one of Christian music’s biggest acts in the 1990s. “We was ridin’ in style, clockin’ them miles / With the songs that He put down deep in our hearts . . . / I’m wonderin’ ’bout the way I spend my days / Wonderin’ if it’s even worth the chase / Wonderin’ if they’re stealin’ me from you.”
“It’s just a warm look back at dc Talk,” says Toby, almost wistfully. “It’s reminiscing about Michael and Kevin and what we did together, and recognizing their influence on me. I love what I do today, but there are times when I wonder,What if we stayed together? I’ve got these dreams I’m pursuing now, but are they stealing me from you? I think about Kevin and Michael on every song I write. That's the truth man, we climbed a mountain together.”
Sonically, TONIGHT is typical TobyMac in many ways—an eclectic mix of rap, rock, pop and funk, all laden with catchy hooks and melodies just itching for airplay and audience singalongs. There’s even a healthy dose of reggae on the album closer “Break Open the Sky,” where Toby flexes his Jamaican family ties while Israel Houghton provides guest vocals. Other visiting vocalists include Skillet’s John Cooper on “Tonight” and Relient K’s Matthew Thiessen on “Wonderin’.”
Of course most of the vocals belong to the artist himself. Stephens says Toby “has stretched himself as a vocalist, he writes about things he is passionate about and his vocals reflect that urgency''. Toby agrees: “I do more singing on this record than ever before. I’m learning to use my vocal instrument in different ways, and I’m getting more comfortable with it everyday''.
It all adds up to a project that reflects one man’s desire to push himself beyond “very good,” to dig deep in the quest for that other country where greatness resides. He certainly reached for it. Hard.
“I’ve worked very hard not to fall into the trap of making this just a gig,” he says. “If it is a labor, it’s a labor of love. I know music can’t change the world, but who says God can't speak through a song."
Right here, right now. TONIGHT.
TobyMac is usually styled tobyMac or TOBYMAC
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TobyMac Lyrics
06 Love Is In The House I clear my throat before I grab the mic I need…
07. Steal My Show Another cold night Another late flight It's almost show time…
21 Years Woke up 'cause the light poured in Day two let the…
Afterword Just emphasize His lead- The lover of your soul. Do you li…
All In I'm letting go I'm letting go I'm letting go I'm letting go …
All In / Mr. Talkbox Interlude I'am letting go I'am letting go I'am letting go Why's it …
Angels We Have Heard On High Angels we have heard on high Sweetly singing over the plains…
Atmosphere I know you keep a journal and every page is…
Backseat Driver Silly me, silly me, aye Revertin' back to my old ways Them…
Beyond Me Call it a reason to retreat I got some dreams…
Birth of Love Happy birthday Jesus Let’s celebrate the birth of Love She …
Boomin' I've been around the way I've been around the block I got…
Break Open The Sky From the lips of desperation Different nations, every man's …
Burn For You I'm a brand new man, I'm a conscious man I'm a…
Can't Wait For Christmas I don't know about you But I love this time of…
Captured All I wanna do All I wanna do I'm Your prisoner by…
Carol of the Kings La historia nos ha dado una declaración que sobre vive…
Catchafire Slackin' off like a bum, I'm feelin' ho hum I'm feelin'…
Changed Forever I'd heard your name, but never seen your face Been touched…
Christmas This Year As fall rides off in the sunset I sweep the snow…
Christmas Time Wait a second Is it Christmas? It’s Christmas! Wake up every…
Chuck @ Artist Development Its been a long time coming Since I saw your face Since…
City On Our Knees If you gotta start somewhere, why not here? If you gotta…
Cornerstone Ahem You ready, man? Okay, yeah Lookin' out my window, feel…
Deeper I need to get below the surface (surface) People up there,…
Diverse City They call us Diverse City, we're colorful good It's like a…
Do You Know Do you know where you're going to? Do you like the…
Do You Know: McAnany Remix (Maestro) This goes out to my man his name is True…
Don't Bring Me Down Do you remember The southern breakfast treat Referred to as …
Edge Of My Seat Well, I thought that I had seen most everything And if…
Eggshells I'm tired of the eggshells we've been walking on We've been…
Everything I'm captivated, I'll say it I'm on a whole new intrigue My…
Everything About You When the whole room's starin' at you You can't run from…
Extreme Days We're livin' We're livin' We're livin' in extreme days Comi…
Eye On It Eye on it, eye on it Eye on it, eye on…
Face of the Earth Its been a long time coming Since I saw your face Since…
Faithfully It's been a long year, it almost took me down,…
Fall One thing leads to another It was a Garden of Eden,…
Family Arrows flying into silence Broken pieces lying around where …
Favorite Song Are we good? Cool My whole life I've wondered how Just wond…
Feel It Funktify C'mon 'Bout to do it like this 'Bout to do it like…
Feelin' So Fly You got me feeling so fly There ain't a day…
Fire's Burnin' Strike it up, set a blaze Everything I've been chasin', all…
Forgiveness 'Cause we all make mistakes sometimes And we all step across…
Found All I am is because of You All I'll be is…
Fresher Than A Night At The W Hey yo, it's me TobyMac and I don't mean to…
Funky Jesus Music Rock, rock Give me that rock That hip, that rock Give me tha…
Get Back Up You turned away when I looked you in the eye, And…
Get This Party Started Party over here, party over there Party everywhere, party e…
Getaway Car I'm staring unaware cause I'm in the zone It moves in…
Go Yeah, hello Yo Tob, what's up? A whole lot What you doing? H…
Gone I told the girl that you should treat her like…
Gotta Go Yeah, hello Yo Tob, what's up? A whole lot What you doing? H…
Hello Future Hello sunshine, goodbye rain Hello promise, I hope you're he…
Help Is On The Way Maybe midnight or mid-day Never early, never late He gonna s…
Hey Devil She dialed him about six pm She checked her hair in…
Hey Now Hey now, I feel a new one comin' on so…
Hold On I love, I love, I love, I love the way…
Horizon I feel the blood rushin' through my veins I'm ready for…
Hype Man Tru Dog's back Playa from another laya. [tobyMac] Alright, …
HypeMan Tru Dog's back Playa from another laya. [tobyMac] Alrig…
I Just Need U Last night put the heavy on me Woke up and I'm…
I Just Need You Last night put the heavy on me Woke up and I'm…
I'm For You Tell me where its hurting Are you burning? Running just to c…
Ignition Start it up Turn it on We can ride this storm A grip…
Ill-M-I Ill-M-I, Ill-M-I, Ill-M-I, Ill-M-I and you Illuminati comin'…
In The Air Doo, doo, doo-doo doo, doo-doo doo, doo-doo doo There in th…
Irene [Chorus] Hush little baby baby don't you cry Daddy's gonna s…
It Snowed I fell asleep around 2 am it’s almost noon And now…
It's You Lookin' for a way out, for a way out I was…
I`m For You I'm a brand new man, I'm a conscious man I'm a…
I’m Sorry (No, no, no) (No, no) We started out strong but somewhere a…
J Train I got a ticket, I got a ticket I got a…
Life On It Everybody needs somebody Don't try and fake the folly Anytim…
Lift You Up Down, down, down, down, down, down, down I've always been a…
Light Of Christmas Build a snowman with the wind at his back Got the…
Lights Shine Bright Lights shine bright everywhere we go Music for the people,…
Like A Match I keep hearin' people say, I need a getaway We got…
Little Drummer Boy Come they told me Pa rum pum pum pum A new born…
Lord I Need You Last night put the heavy on me Woke up and I'm…
Lose My Soul Man, I wanna tell you all something, man Man I'm not…
Lose Myself Take all of the good and all of the bad 'Cause…
LoudNClear To all you playa haters Hate at the playa, not the…
Love broke throu I was feelin’ that, feelin’ that breeze Singin’ like a…
Love Broke Through I was feelin' that, feelin' that breeze Singin' like a…
Love Feels Like I am tired, I am drained But the fight in me…
Love Is In The House I clear my throat before I grab the mic I need…
Love Is in the House: Nw Remix Hey now, I feel a new one comin' on so…
Mac Daddy Dad, uh, when we gonna order this Mac? You got the…
Made for Me Yea, here we go 1, 2, 3 She was 17 when she…
Made to Love The dream is fading, now I'm staring at the door I…
Mary's Boy Child Mary's boy child Jesus Christ, was born on Christmas Day. An…
Me Without You Raindrops rolling off my brim Street lights got the pavement…
Momentum Somebody said you better let go 'Cause they said so But I…
Move Another heartbreak day Feels like you're miles away Don't …
Move Keep Walking Another heartbreak day Feels like you’re miles away Don’…
Mr. Talkbox I'm letting go I'm letting go I'm letting go I'm letting go …
New World No one believed her No one imagined it was true No one…
No Ordinary Love Momma never said it would be like this I never knew…
No Signal I'm on Flight 92, stuck on this runway, Waiting for a…
O Come All Ye Faithful O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant O come ye,…
One World One time One world Two times One love Three times Rewind 'Ca…
Overflow Clap your hands, everybody Everybody, just clap your hands C…
Phenomenon One Phenomenon, One phenomenon And it just can't be stopped…
Poetically Correct Fresh air, (sigh), Is what I needed I ventured through my …
Promised Land Head down as I punch this clock The hours roll, they…
Quiet Storm And we're back...it's me, Your around-the-way girl Rollin'…
Rest I woke up to this "God's a safe house for the…
Scars No, no Yeah I'm Just beepin' right now I gotta go Hey Had y…
See The Light I know this road is gettin' hard I heard you say…
Show Up Choose Love Yeah yeah, shoo What you got, Mister Reddick? We've come a …
ShowStopper Yeah, this is the day we came to get down We…
Slam God's in the Spot, you can like it or not So…
Somebody Who's watching? Tell me who's watching. Who's watching me? …
Space I've replayed it like a thousand times, I rewind it…
Speak Life Some days life feels perfect Other days, it just ain't worki…
Start Somewhere Last night, everything was movin' so fast I could barely kee…
Starts With Me One day This nation will rise up Rise up There's…
Steal My Show Another cold night Another late flight It's almost show time…
Stories We've been down to the bottom, stories we've got em When…
Suddenly She blew everything to pieces He's there hanging on to Jesus…
Thankful for You Well it started out in the spare bedroom Two turned tables…
The Elements I lace the boots up, it's straight to the door 'Cause…
The First Noel The first Noel the angels did say Was to certain poor…
The Goodness You made the rain, so when it falls on me,…
The Quiet Storm And we're back...it's me, Your around-the-way girl Rollin'…
The Slam God's in the Spot, you can like it or not So…
This Christmas As fall rides off in the sunset I sweep the snow…
This Is Not A Test Fell out of the sky Hit the ground runnin' The…
Til The Day I Die I'll keep swingin' for the fences It's like this heart is…
Toby Mac This is my skizzle. For Izzle. Uh-uh Do what? What-what? Wh…
Toby's Mac This is my skizzle. For Izzle. Uh-uh Do what? What-wh…
Tonight Hey! Every time I try to go in alone I get…
Triple Skinny (Anyways I told the guy, 'Nice coat! Who shot the…
Tru Dog Think think dad your pity pityful Think think dad your pity…
Tru-Dog Think think dad your pity pityful Think think dad your pity…
Tru-Dog The Return Yeah, we bout to do this, [clears throat] Drop the…
Tru-Dog: Savage Remix Tru Dog. A little older, a little wiser. Lemme flip this. T…
TruDog: The Return Yeah we bout to do dis drop the beat sivo Haven't…
Truth [Chorus] Truth gonna set you free If you don't stand for…
Undeniable There are moments that I doubt You Blind to the…
Unstoppable We are, we are We are, we are We are, we are We…
West Coast Kid Yo I'm a west coast kid livin' in Nashville And I'm…
What Everybody everybody in the place to be Open up your mind…
What Child is this What Child is this, who laid to rest, On Mary's lap…
What Child Is This? What Child is this, who laid to rest, On Mary's lap…
what we gonna do You ain′t got nothing Left to prove today Unlikely heroes fr…
What's Goin' Down Everybody everybody in the place to be Open up your mind…
Wonderin Why I've played in LA, and D.C., Manhattan, and Sydney And Kings…
Wonderin' Well I'm wonderin' bout the road ahead of me Wonderin' 'bout…
Wonderin' Why I've played in L.A. and D.C., Manhattan and Sydney And King…
You Found Me You found me, You found me Once I was lost but…
Yours Every time I turn my back I get the feeling…