Tidal Wave
Clear Lyrics


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Grand ocean reaching
Boundlessly into the skyline
Where the waters end, the shores run free
A perfect design made for me to tend

Sad You needed Your own Son to send
When my footprints are always left behind
And the path forever meets the day
I think I'm needing a tidal wave

An old intriguing wooden pier
Running into the sea
A stretch of shoreline smooth and clear
Separating the pier and me

Step forward slightly careful
So my marks won't taint the sand
But from the pier, I turn to see
A broken path that leads to where I stand
Dark impressions and You weep
Takes a heavy heel to sink so deep

When my footprints are always left behind
And the path forever meets the day
I think I'm needing a tidal wave
What could ever clean the path I left behind
If the water sweeps my prints away?
I think I'm needing a tidal wave

A garden made for me to tend
I fail so You had to send
Your one and only gracious Son
Coming like a tidal wave
Rinsing all I have done

When my footprints are always left behind
And the path forever meets the day
I think I'm needing a tidal wave
What could ever clean the path I left behind




If the water sweeps my prints away?
I think I'm needing a tidal wave

Overall Meaning

The song "Tidal Wave" by Clear is a powerful reflection on the idea that no human effort can ever fully cleanse and renew a person's past mistakes and flaws. The opening lines of the song describe the vastness of the ocean, reaching boundlessly into the skyline, emphasizing the enormity of the task of erasing a lifetime of wrongdoings. The singer acknowledges their inadequacy: "Sad You needed Your own Son to send/When my footprints are always left behind." The image of footprints left behind is repeated several times in the song, highlighting the idea that no matter how hard we try, we can never fully escape our past mistakes and misdeeds.


The singer realizes that they need a tidal wave to cleanse the path they have left behind. The tidal wave represents a powerful force that can wipe away the evidence of the singer's past sins, allowing them to start afresh. However, the singer also recognizes that this force can only come from a higher power: "What could ever clean the path I left behind/If the water sweeps my prints away?/I think I'm needing a tidal wave." The song ends on a hopeful note, suggesting that the singer has found the cleansing force they were seeking: "A garden made for me to tend/I fail so You had to send/Your one and only gracious Son/Coming like a tidal wave/Rinsing all I have done."


Line by Line Meaning

Grand ocean reaching
The vast and limitless ocean extends towards the sky


Boundlessly into the skyline
It has no bounds as it reaches the horizon


Where the waters end, the shores run free
The meeting point of the ocean and land is a natural boundary where land is not restricted by the sea


A perfect design made for me to tend
The environment around me is beautifully made and worth taking care of


Sad You needed Your own Son to send
It's unfortunate that God had to send His own son as a sacrifice because of people's sins


When my footprints are always left behind
Even when I try to be careful, my actions leave a mark on the world


And the path forever meets the day
The consequences of my actions are eternal and can't be undone


I think I'm needing a tidal wave
I feel like I need something extreme to cleanse the world of my negative impact


An old intriguing wooden pier
There's a pier that's interesting and mysterious


Running into the sea
It extends deep into the ocean


A stretch of shoreline smooth and clear
The beach is smooth and unmarked


Separating the pier and me
There's a physical barrier between me and the pier


Step forward slightly careful
I need to be cautious with my steps


So my marks won't taint the sand
I don't want to leave any negative impact on the environment


But from the pier, I turn to see
As I reach the pier, I turn around and see something unexpected


A broken path that leads to where I stand
The path behind me is broken and reflects my negative impact on the environment


Dark impressions and You weep
The marks I left behind are dark and sad, which makes God lament


Takes a heavy heel to sink so deep
The negative impact I leave behind is significant and hard to undo


What could ever clean the path I left behind
I wonder if anything can undo the damage I have caused


If the water sweeps my prints away?
Even if the water washes away my footprints, will it really remove the negative impact?


A garden made for me to tend
The world around me is like a garden that needs my attention and care


I fail so You had to send
I failed in my duty to take care of the environment and God had to send his son to make things right


Your one and only gracious Son
God's son was sent to forgive and cleanse us


Coming like a tidal wave
Jesus came to the world and transformed everything, like a tidal wave


Rinsing all I have done
He washed away all of our sins and negative impacts




Contributed by Brody C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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