The three met while they were young men at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. They formed the band dc Talk (a reference to Washington D.C., but later marketed as 'decent Christian talk' by their label) and, as of the year 2000, spent twelve solid years together, performing all over the world, recording 6 albums, and earning many awards, including 4 Grammy awards.
Their music, aimed at a younger audience, combined hip-hop, rap, and R&B sensibilities and filled a gap in 1980s Christian Music and gave them a unique niche. Their first three albums, DC Talk, Nu Thang, and Free at Last started from their rap/hip-hop roots but increasingly included melodic vocal rock influences. Their 1995 studio album, Jesus Freak, continued this musical evolution by eshewing almost all rap elements and adopting a harder modern rock/grunge sound on many songs, especially the title track. Their most recent studio album, Supernatural, draws on their previous efforts while moving towards mainstream pop stylings.
Their signature sound in all albums is their use of the three members' different vocal skills separately and together. They are often lauded for their lyrical sophistication, addressing many themes in Christian theology, faith, and practice.
After more than ten years together as a group, they are taking a break in recording together to pursue their own activities outside of the band, and launch solo careers in recording music. Michael Tait formed his own band, Tait, and has most recently served as the frontman for Newsboys. Toby McKeehan has released music under the name Tobymac, and has been the most sucessful of the three. Kevin Max has released two solo albums of his own.
My Friend
DC Talk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was my cousin, Joan
She picked it up from the top 40 rack and then
I read your interview in Rolling Stone
You threw the boys a bone
And so I genuinely felt obliged to call
We're just a baby band
You found a quicker way
To scale the wall of fame
The situation's awfully dim
Should we up and go with him?
No way [no way, 1, 2, 3, 4]
[Chorus]
We know exactly where you are, and you're gone [my friend]
Don't know exactly where you're coming from
You've gone away my friend
We know exactly where you are, and you're gone [my friend]
Don't know exactly where you're coming from
Have you gone astray [gone]
I saw your video on VH-1
Looks like they spent a ton
How does it feel to be the flavor for a spell
And I remember when you used to say
"Jesus is the way"
I never thought I'd see your light begin to fade
The situation's awfully dim
Should we up and go with him?
No way (no way, 1, 2, 3, 4)
[Chorus]
Don't think we don't miss you
[We think about you every day]
We still love you anyway
(Love don't go away)
There's still this burning question
(I got to know) Why?
(What will people think when they
Hear that I'm a Jesus freak?)
Ah, ah, ah (hey)
(While this is something of fantasy)
(The moral of the story is)
(To stick with your friends)
Ah, ah, ah, ah (hey)
Ah, ah, ah, (hey)
Ah, ah, ah (hey, hey, 1, 2, 3, 4)
[Chorus]
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, and you're gone [my friend]
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, so long
You've gone away, my friend
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, and you're gone [my friend]
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, so long
We'll see you someday
Wish you well
Na, na, na, na, na, my friend
The lyrics to DC Talk’s “My Friend” have a powerful message about losing touch with a friend who has become successful in the music industry. The singer hears his friend’s record and sees his interview in Rolling Stone, leading him to call his friend to catch up. However, he knows that his friend has found a “quicker way to scale the wall of fame” and is no longer the same person he used to be. The singer remembers his friend’s past statements about Jesus being the way, and is hurt to see his friend’s light begin to fade. Ultimately, the chorus communicates the fact that the singer knows where his friend is, but he is gone, and they don’t know where he’s coming from.
The song is an emotional reflection on how fame can change people and relationships, and how success can lead to a loss of faith and values. The lyrics show a desire to reconnect with the friend, but also a sense of resignation that their friendship has ended. The chorus is a poignant reminder that despite knowing where his friend is, he is still gone.
Overall, “My Friend” is a powerful and introspective song that deals with the often-difficult subject of fame and its effects on relationships. It serves as a reminder to cherish the friends we have, and to always stay true to our values and beliefs, even as we navigate the ups and downs of life.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard your record on the telephone
I listened to your music on the phone, my cousin Joan picked it up from the top 40 rack and played it over the phone.
I read your interview in Rolling Stone
I read your Conversation published in Rolling Stone Magazine.
You threw the boys a bone
You gave attention to the boys and gave them favor.
And so I genuinely felt obliged to call
Because of your generous attitude, I felt compelled to contact you
I know You never meant to hurt us, man
I realize you never intended to hurt us, dude.
We're just a baby band
We are newly formed starting musicians and our music career has just started.
You found a quicker way
You discovered a faster way to gain popularity or fame.
To scale the wall of fame
To quickly reach the height of popularity or success in music industry.
The situation's awfully dim
The scenario seems to be very unpleasant or adverse.
Should we up and go with him?
Should we immediately leave this place and move ahead in life with him?
No way [no way, 1, 2, 3, 4]
Absolutely not, this is impossible.
[Chorus]
Main theme of the song.
Don't know exactly where you're coming from
Don't know your present whereabouts or your perspective of the matter.
Have you gone astray [gone]
Are you lost from the intended path and drifted somewhere else?
Looks like they spent a ton
The video appears to be very expensive and cost them a significant amount.
How does it feel to be the flavor for a spell
What's it like to be the popular talk for short periods of time?
And I remember when you used to say
I recall when you used to mention, 'Jesus is the way.'
I never thought I'd see your light begin to fade
I never anticipated one day your light of faith would start to die.
Don't think we don't miss you
Just because we don't say it every day, does not mean we don't yearn for you.
[We think about you every day]
We think about you every single day.
We still love you anyway
Nonetheless, we still love you.
(Love don't go away)
Love is permanent and does not fade away.
There's still this burning question
There is still an important question that makes us restless or uncomfortable.
(I got to know) Why?
I need to know why this happened.
(What will people think when they
hear that I'm a Jesus freak?)
What will be the perception of people when they listen to my religious song?
(While this is something of fantasy)
This is like a fairy tale or a dream.
(The moral of the story is)
The message communicated by the story is that.
(To stick with your friends)
To not leave your friends behind, to have loyalty towards them,
We'll see you someday
We will meet someday in the future.
Wish you well
Hope you achieve great success and well-being in life.
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, and you're gone [my friend]
Reiteration of the fact that you have gone away from our lives, my friend.
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, so long
Bye, Farewell.
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: DOMINIC JAMES MILLER, KEVIN MAX, MARK HUDSON, MICHAEL DE WAYNE TAIT, TOBY MCKEEHAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
World languages
I heard your record on the telephone
It was my cousin, Joan
She picked it up from the top 40 rack and then
I read your interview in Rolling Stone
You threw the boys a bone
And so I genuinely felt obliged to call
I know You never meant to hurt us, man
We're just a baby band
You found a quicker way
To scale the wall of fame
The situation's awfully dim
Should we up and go with him?
No way [no way, 1, 2, 3, 4]
We know exactly where you are, and you're gone [my friend]
Don't know exactly where you're coming from
You've gone away my friend
We know exactly where you are, and you're gone [my friend]
Don't know exactly where you're coming from
Have you gone astray [gone]
I saw your video on VH-1
Looks like they spent a ton
How does it feel to be the flavor for a spell
And I remember when you used to say
"Jesus is the way"
I never thought I'd see your light begin to fade
The situation's awfully dim
Should we up and go with him?
No way (no way, 1, 2, 3, 4)
We know exactly where you are, and you're gone [my friend]
Don't know exactly where you're coming from
You've gone away my friend
We know exactly where you are, and you're gone [my friend]
Don't know exactly where you're coming from
Have you gone astray [gone]
Don't think we don't miss you
[We think about you every day]
We still love you anyway
(Love don't go away)
There's still this burning question
(I got to know) Why?
(What will people think when they
Hear that I'm a Jesus freak?)
Ah, ah, ah (hey)
(While this is something of fantasy)
(The moral of the story is)
(To stick with your friends)
Ah, ah, ah, ah (hey)
Ah, ah, ah, (hey)
Ah, ah, ah (hey, hey, 1, 2, 3, 4)
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, and you're gone [my friend]
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, so long
You've gone away, my friend
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, and you're gone [my friend]
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, so long
We'll see you someday
Wish you well
Na, na, na, na, na, my friend
Albion Rising
Lyrics:
I heard your record on the telephone
It was my cousin, Joan
She picked it up from the top 40 rack and then
I read your interview in Rolling Stone
You threw the boys a bone
And so I genuinely felt obliged to call
I know You never meant to hurt us, man
We're just a baby band
You found a quicker way
To scale the wall of fame
The situation's awfully dim
Should we up and go with him?
No way [no way, 1, 2, 3, 4]
We know exactly where you are, and you're gone [my friend]
Don't know exactly where you're coming from
You've gone away my friend
We know exactly where you are, and you're gone [my friend]
Don't know exactly where you're coming from
Have you gone astray [gone]
I saw your video on VH-1
Looks like they spent a ton
How does it feel to be the flavor for a spell
And I remember when you used to say
"Jesus is the way"
I never thought I'd see your light begin to fade
The situation's awfully dim
Should we up and go with him?
No way (no way, 1, 2, 3, 4)
We know exactly where you are, and you're gone [my friend]
Don't know exactly where you're coming from
You've gone away my friend
We know exactly where you are, and you're gone [my friend]
Don't know exactly where you're coming from
Have you gone astray [gone]
Don't think we don't miss you
[We think about you every day]
We still love you anyway
(Love don't go away)
There's still this burning question
(I got to know) Why?
(What will people think when they
Hear that I'm a Jesus freak?)
Ah, ah, ah (hey)
(While this is something of fantasy)
(The moral of the story is)
(To stick with your friends)
Ah, ah, ah, ah (hey)
Ah, ah, ah, (hey)
Ah, ah, ah (hey, hey, 1, 2, 3, 4)
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, and you're gone [my friend]
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, so long
You've gone away, my friend
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, and you're gone [my friend]
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, so long
We'll see you someday
Wish you well
Na, na, na, na, na, my friend
#Phonepunk#
I recently came back to the faith after a long absence, and this is one of the few parts of Christian pop culture I remember ever seeing when I was a teenager in the 90s. This song is so good and it has stayed in my mind for almost 30 years until this day! Wow, it's still so good. The vocals almost remind me of Blink 182 meets Queen! Jesus saves. <3
Brendon george
I love song 🎵
Adrien Broner
What do you mean you came back to the faith? Are you living in obedience to the Word of God?
Christopher Quan
Love the meaning of this song. Falling away from God where once their faith was so strong. Don’t lose that faith. God is always there by your side.
Pancho Baldridge
that isn't what this song's about. This is a response to the Christian Mainstream fans that felt DC talk sold out.
Brendon george
I love song 🎵
Christopher Quan
@Pancho Baldridge DC Talk doesn’t exist anymore and no they never sold out. I love their music from the late 80’s.
Allison Johnson
The part in the operating room trying to revive Tait is, literally, dizzyingly phenomenal. That is the part I replay over and over.
Dave Ross
I replay the ending dance montage over and over. It is glorious and stout.
zdsearcy
I cannot get over how much I like this music video.