Bennett's music is very much a expression of his life experiences from the point of view of his faith. From his difficulties to forget past hurts to his divorce to the discovery of 'small graces' that keep him rooted in the love of his Lord. Bennett has a wonderfully smooth voice and plays a simple but effective guitar.
Lord of the Past
Bob Bennett Lyrics
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Every promise ever broken to me
Total recall of data in the memory
Every tear that has washed my face
Every moment of disgrace that I have known
Every time I've ever felt alone
Lord of the here and now
I want to believe somehow
That you can heal these wounds of yesterday
(You can redeem these things so far away)
So now I'm asking you
To do what you want to do
Be the Lord of the Past
(Be the Lord of my Past)
Oh how I want you to
Be the Lord of the Past
All the chances I let slip by
All the dreams that I let die in vain
Afraid of failure and afraid of pain
Every tear that has washed my face
Every moment of disgrace that I have known
Every time I've ever felt alone
Well I picked up all these pieces
And I built a strong deception
And I locked myself inside of it
For my own protection
And I sit alone inside myself
And curse my company
For this thing that has kept me alive for so long
Is now killing me.
And as sure as the sin rose this morning,
The man in the moon hides his face tonight.
And I lay myself down on my bed
And I pray this prayer inside my head
Lord of the here and now
Lord of the come what may
I want to believe somehow
That you can heal these wounds of yesterday
So now I'm asking you
To do what you want to do
Be the Lord of my Past
You can do anything
Be the Lord of the Past
I know that you can find a way
To heal every yesterday of my life
Be the Lord of the Past
The song "Lord of the Past" by Bob Bennett is a heartfelt plea for redemption and healing from the pains of the past. The lyrics describe the memories and experiences that have caused the singer pain and regret, including harsh words, broken promises, missed opportunities, and self-imposed isolation. The singer acknowledges the need for the divine to intervene and transform these difficult experiences, asking God to be the "Lord of the Past" and to bring healing and redemption to all that has been lost.
The chorus expresses the singer's desire for God's help and belief that divine intervention is possible, even when it seems impossible. The lines "Lord of the here and now, Lord of the come what may" acknowledge that God is powerful and present in all aspects of life, even in the face of uncertainty and doubt. The repeated request for God to "be the Lord of my Past" conveys the singer's need for God to take control of their past experiences and turn them into something positive, healing, and life-giving.
Ultimately, "Lord of the Past" is a poignant reflection on the human experience of pain, regret, and longing for healing. The singer's plea for divine intervention resonates with anyone who has struggled with difficult memories or experiences, and the song's message of hope and redemption is a powerful reminder that the past does not have to define us.
Line by Line Meaning
Every harsh word spoken
I remember every word spoken to me harshly
Every promise ever broken to me
I remember every promise that has been broken in my life
Total recall of data in the memory
I remember everything that has ever happened in my life
Every tear that has washed my face
I remember every time I have cried
Every moment of disgrace that I have known
I remember every time I felt ashamed
Every time I've ever felt alone
I remember every moment I felt lonely
Lord of the here and now
I believe that God is present in my current situation
Lord of the come what may
I believe that God is in control of my future
I want to believe somehow
I have hope that God can heal my wounds
That you can heal these wounds of yesterday
I believe that God can heal the pains of my past
So now I'm asking you
I am praying to God
To do what you want to do
I trust that God will do what is best for me
Be the Lord of the Past
I want God to be in control of my past and heal my wounds
Oh how I want you to
I desire for God to be the Lord of my past
All the chances I let slip by
I regret missing opportunities in my life
All the dreams that I let die in vain
I regret giving up on my dreams
Afraid of failure and afraid of pain
I have been scared to fail or get hurt
Well I picked up all these pieces
I have tried to put the broken pieces of my life together
And I built a strong deception
I created a facade to hide my pain
And I locked myself inside of it
I have isolated myself from others
For my own protection
I have done this to protect myself from further hurt
And I sit alone inside myself
I am alone with my thoughts and feelings
And curse my company
I blame myself for my situation
For this thing that has kept me alive for so long
The thing that has helped me survive has become my burden
Is now killing me.
It is time for healing and change
And as sure as the sin rose this morning,
Just as the sun has risen today
The man in the moon hides his face tonight.
I feel like things are changing and uncertain
And I lay myself down on my bed
I pray before going to sleep
And I pray this prayer inside my head
I silently pray to God
You can do anything
I have faith that God is capable of anything
I know that you can find a way
I believe that God can fix my past
To heal every yesterday of my life
I trust that God can heal every painful moment of my past
Contributed by Jasmine T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
NK
I remember when this song first came out, Bob. I carried around so much pain inside, going back to my earliest childhood memories. I remember crying out to God to heal me as I listened to your song, again and again. The lyrics so poignantly captured my struggle to somehow apply God's love and truth to my brokenness so that I could hopefully stop hurting and become a whole human being. The words in the bridge... I could so relate. Over time -- years -- God did heal me. Now I am a counselor, and have the privilege of walking with other people down a similar path. I've shared your song with some of them. Thank you Bob for being transparent. Love your voice, love the guitar and melodies. Love that they go deep.
Judy B
Me too!! My heart was so broken at the time that I came to know Christ and this song had just been released on Christian radio. I hope Bob Bennett knows how this blesses us still today!
Patty Davis
I remember when I first heard this and broke down in tears. It's so poignant - and still so relevant. Thank you Bob Bennett
Judy B
*meaning
Judy B
Absolutely! The song has such a personal meeting for me coming to know Christ out of a very painful situation and time in my life in 1991.
claystairs
this is my favorite Bob Bennett song ever. :) It still speaks volumes to me today.
Yvette Valdez
Mine, too!
Annette Supira
Back then poignant and poignant now!!!
yoregano
Some thirty years on, this remains one of the most hauntingly beautiful and profound songs I know.
C M
I have lived a long time. The raw emotion of this song still gives voice to conflict in my soul. Over the years I have come to realize that the arrangement also reflects so much more depth, from the flighty interjections of the piano to the overlaid voices in the epilogue. God gave my turmoil a voice through this arrangement. When nothing else makes sense... Jesus is. The perfect book end to this song is “My Redeemer Lives”.