“Music is from God and for God. And I believe God is raising up a new generation of young musicians who want to see music being used for its original purpose—to glorify God.”
Lush, moving, and wildly infectious, you can sense that there is something beyond the ordinary surrounding Watson and his songs. Though admittedly he is a relative newcomer to the industry, his sound echoes with a seasoned quality that is rare. It takes only a thirty-second visit to the band’s Myspace page to experience it … accessible pop melodies with layers of instrumentation, driven by acoustic guitar but lifted by drums and various keys and programming. But don’t let the singer/songwriter tag lead you astray. These are not self-indulgent dirges, or art for art’s sake. The songs on Above the Golden State’s debut are as uplifting as they are accessible, as worshipful as they are radio-friendly.
Watson explains, “One of my favorite quotes is from renowned pastor and author A.W.Tozer: ‘The esteem of the world isn’t worth the effort.’ That sentiment describes my focus with this music. I know the only thing that carries on to eternity is God being glorified in and through us by the grace of Jesus, so we’ll put all our energy toward that.”
Watson’s journey began with unlikely circumstances. He was studying at Calvary Chapel South Maui when a good friend in another popular music act slipped his demos to an A&R representative with industry powerhouse Sparrow Records. Soon after, Michael received a random phone call from Sparrow. That was all it took.
The song demo that landed him a record deal— “Sound of Your Name”—has become the first single on his self-titled debut. And it’s more than just an obvious single; it is evidence of anointing. Watson proclaims, Towers fall and Kingdoms crumble. Mountains bow and the earth will tremble at the sound of Your name. The strong man falls to Him who humbles. The plans he made were bound to stumble, and only You remain.
From a lyrical standpoint, Watson balances the vulnerable and the personal with the scriptural. His musical formula combines heartfelt verses with down-to-earth choruses driven home by solid, universal Biblical concepts. On “Loud and Clear” he deals with the idea that worship is not just about singing, but about living: Life is an offering inside of this heart beat. Today is a new song,. Every verse is a new thought. Every breath is a chorus. My life is ascending. And on “Gaze Into Your Eyes,” he reflects again on Tozer and his work The Pursuit of God: In front of me is the figure I long for. I will turn to see no one else. I’m consumed by Your grace and wonder. I’m finding You as I loose myself. Every word is deeply spiritual and will not just provide the backdrop for a memorable sing-along but will also leave you reflecting on the state of your soul.
Watson is backed by Brook Mosser (drums) along with Tim Aylward (keys), and all three are familiar to the music scene. Each of the guys has partnered at one time or another with everyone from Telecast to Falling Up to Kutless to Shawn MacDonald to Paul Wright. This is a seasoned crew, to say the least, and one that complements each other through shared sonic experience.
When asked about goals, Watson simply states that he wants to go as far as heaven will take Him. With such a unique live show, though, it is not hard to imagine that Above the Golden State’s sphere of influence will expand quickly. One part worship, one part pop show, and one part spoken interaction, Watson and company plan to give audiences plenty to take home with them, beginning this fall as part of Starfield’s “I Will Go” tour .
“Above The Golden State has no desire to bring glory to itself but to join in with you and everyone else to glorify God together. We know not to find our worth in anything other than Jesus Christ. We are in this together. We are the church, the body of Christ; this music is to fix the ‘gaze of our soul’ on Jesus, our Hope of Glory! These songs are meant to be sung in the heart and mind of the listener, like a soundtrack to our lives.”
Sound Of Your Name
Above The Golden State Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A thousand times I tried to get to you
But I could never move
I had to lie
I fall behind and blame it all on you
Cause I still hate to lose
Towers fall and kingdoms crumble
Mountains bow and the earth will tremble
At the sound of your name
(At the sound of your name)
Strong men falls to him who humbles
The plans we made were bound to stumble
Only you remain
(Only you remain)
I cried and cried
A thousand tears I cried because of you
I lost my one excuse
And I had to die along with everything inside of me removed
Now I live with you (you)
Oh Oh Oh
[Chorus]
Only you remain
(Only you remain)
(Some men can reach the sky)
Some men can reach the sky
If he builds his own demise
But still he's far away from you
(He's underneath your eyes)
He's underneath your eyes
As he plans his own demise
What's new to him is old to you
His kingdom fell and his heart was troubled
I feel the same
I feel the same
Strong men falls to him who humbles
And man to man
We'll stumble
And that's why He came
That's why He came
[Chorus]
Only you remain
(Only you remain)
Only you remain
Only you remain
The song Sound Of Your Name by Above The Golden State is a reflection on human weakness and the power of God. The first verse talks about the human struggle to reach God or connect with Him, despite trying a thousand times. The failure is highlighted by the line "I could never move", implying that the singer is stuck in his current state of disconnectedness. The second half of the verse reveals a common human tendency to blame others or God for our own shortcomings, rather than taking responsibility for them. This is seen in the line "I fall behind and blame it all on you, cause I still hate to lose".
The chorus speaks to the all-encompassing power of God, describing how even towering structures and mighty kingdoms crumble in comparison to the sound of His name. The lyrics also emphasize humility, stating that "strong men fall to him who humbles" and that the plans we make are bound to stumble, but that only God remains constant. The second verse talks about the internal struggle of the singer, who cried a thousand tears because of God and lost his excuses for staying disconnected from Him. The line "everything inside of me removed" suggests a rebirth or spiritual awakening, which is confirmed by the following line "now I live with you".
Overall, the song Sound Of Your Name is a reminder of the power of God and our human frailty without Him. It encourages humility and acknowledges that despite our efforts, only God remains constant and ultimately powerful.
Line by Line Meaning
I tried and tried
I put in a lot of effort and tried multiple times
A thousand times I tried to get to you
I attempted many times to reach you
But I could never move
I was unable to progress or move forward
I had to lie
I had no other option but to deceive or mislead
I fall behind and blame it all on you
I lagged or was left behind, and so I put the blame on you
Cause I still hate to lose
Because I feel strongly negative about losing
Towers fall and kingdoms crumble
Great and powerful structures or entities can come crashing down
Mountains bow and the earth will tremble
Even the most unmovable or steadfast things can be shaken or moved
At the sound of your name
Your name has a significant impact or effect
Strong men falls to him who humbles
The powerful or mighty can be brought down by those who are humble or meek
The plans we made were bound to stumble
The strategies or arrangements we came up with were doomed to fail
Only you remain
You are the sole survivor or constant
I cried and cried
I shed many tears
A thousand tears I cried because of you
You were the cause of much emotional pain
I lost my one excuse
I no longer had any justifications or reasons
And I had to die along with everything inside of me removed
I had to go through a metaphorical death where everything inside of me was stripped away
Now I live with you (you)
Now I exist or coexist with you
Oh Oh Oh
Repetitive vocalizations without significant meaning
Some men can reach the sky
Certain individuals can achieve great heights or accomplishments
If he builds his own demise
If this person is the cause of their own downfall
But still he's far away from you
This person is still distant from you
(He's underneath your eyes)
(This person is in close proximity to you)
As he plans his own demise
While this person is preparing or planning for their own failure or downfall
What's new to him is old to you
What seems innovative or original to him is already familiar or commonplace for you
His kingdom fell and his heart was troubled
This person's powerful domain or sphere of influence crumbled, and he was distressed
I feel the same
I share similar emotions or experiences
And man to man
Between people, without regard to social status or rank
We'll stumble
We will make mistakes or face challenges
And that's why He came
This is the reason why He (possibly referring to God or Jesus) arrived or appeared
Only you remain
You are the sole survivor or constant
Only you remain
You are the sole survivor or constant
Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lane Youngblood
I'm not a particularly religious person, but this is one of the few Christian songs that I enjoy listening to. It's fantastic!
Katy m
Underrated band- love them
Miss Alexana
you guys changed my life at hume lake... because of your music and the words that touched my heart. you set a flaming arrow through my heart that finally woke me up
ahhelga
I was so obsessed with this song a couple years ago. And by chance, I found them again. Love it. (:
Kevin
I was going through old CDs lately and finding this on the Wow Hits 2009 album was a blast from the past. I forgot about this gem.
Calvary Dominique
This song still has such a good vibe!!!
LatteCcCandy
this song puts me in such a good mood, praise God <3
LIT AMVS
I remember blasting this when I was 9 years old...now I'm 21. Time flies lol
K Arvind
I still miss their songs.. really nice
erinfeltusify
Love the song its so awesome