The Promise
Bill & Gloria Gaither Lyrics

In Bill & Gloria Gaither's song "The Promise", the lyrics seem to be dealing with the difficulty of keeping promises in the midst of emotional and mental turmoil. In the first verse, the singer asks the listener to hold onto their thoughts like they might hold onto the singer. However, the singer expresses the negative effect that certain kinds of thinking have on them, and how it makes it hard to distinguish between right and wrong. This leads to nothing lasting too long, which implies that promises are difficult to keep under these circumstances.

The chorus repeats the phrase "promises from our sleep", which seems to suggest that the singer is making promises that are unlikely to be kept because they have been made while in a state of sleepiness, confusion or turmoil. The second verse clarifies this idea, with the singer stating that they don't sleep because it's a habit they had to break - perhaps implying that they have trouble sleeping due to stress, depression, or anxiety. They then imply that telling the truth has left them with no one to hold, which could mean that they've lost relationships or connections with others due to being honest.

The bridge is more obscure, but seems to suggest that the singer has become jaded or disillusioned in some way. They say that they can't be surprised anymore and can't use their eyes like before, which could mean that they are no longer able to be optimistic or hopeful the way they once were. The final verse takes us back to the idea of misunderstanding each other due to mental or emotional confusion, with the singer saying they can't understand a single word in the dream, and that they don't like sitting in the dark, waiting for the other person to speak.

Overall, the song seems to be dealing with the difficulty of keeping promises and maintaining relationships when one's mental state is unstable or distressed. It also explores the idea of how confusion and miscommunication can lead to broken promises and failed connections.