Two songs were the basis for controversy. The first was Wedding Dress in which Webb compares Christians who seek fulfillment in things outside of Christ to a person committing adultery. An introspective tune, Webb writes that "I am a whore I do confess / I put you on just like a wedding dress". The second song that generated controversy was Saint and Sinner where Webb wrote" "I used to be a damned mess but now I look just fine, 'Cause you dressed me up and we drank the finest wine". The word damned was removed from the final version of the album, at the request of two major Christian retailers.
His second solo studio record, I See Things Upside Down, generated mixed reviews. All marketing to the typical Christian music stations used by his first solo album and his albums with Caedmon's Call was stopped, though the album still has explicitly Christian lyrics. In comparison to Webb's previous work, this album has what's been referred to as an "experimental" style to it, and has been compared to the music of Wilco in that respect. His third studio album, titled Mockingbird, was released on December 26, 2005. On September 1, 2006 he decided to offer the Mockingbird album, for free to download, at http://www.freederekwebb.com/. "|He| want|s| people to have a chance to listen to mockingbird and engage in the conversation (many sensitive issues including poverty, war, and the basic ethics by which we live and deal with others). So this is why, on september 1st, |he| launch|ed| freederekwebb.com, a place where anyone can go online and not just hear but actually download, keep, and share 'mockingbird' completely free. In addition, freederekwebb.com will give you an opportunity to invite your friends to download 'mockingbird' in order to get them in on the conversation as well." This website is no longer running, but Derek Webb has expanded on this idea at www.noisetrade.com, where you can download both his and other artists albums for free or a donation.
Webb's fourth proper studio album The Ringing Bell was released May 1st, 2007. In what many have noted to be Webb's penchant for shifting radically in terms of style from album to album, The Ringing Bell recalls very clearly Beatles-esque pop in a concise, 30 minute, package. It was received with wide praise, with Paste Magazine's Deputy Editor Jason Killingsworth giving the album five out of five stars (The Ringing Bell would prove to be the only album of 2007 to officially receive a perfect score), and receiving placement on their best of list.
In April 2008, Webb released The Ampersand EP. Webb recorded the six-song EP with Sandra McCracken, his wife. The songs focus on the couple's relationship, and Webb and McCracken duet on many of the songs, including a cover of Bob Dylan's "If Not For You." It marks the first time the couple has produced an album together, because even though their styles are similar, "[W]e approach songwriting from completely opposite directions. I'm very conceptual and abstract," McCracken said. "And Derek is very meticulous and intentional. Down to each and every conjunction."
Free album dowmloads: www.noisetrade.com
Website: http://derekwebb.musiccitynetworks.com/
MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/derekwebb
I Don't Want to Fight
Derek Webb Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't want to be good
I don't want to change your mind
To feel it like I do
I don't wanna sell graves
Peddle them door to door
A little something to ease your mind
I don't want to fight
Brother I'm not joking about peace
We can have it here tonight
It all comes down to you and me
You never asked me to save anyone
Not in whole or in part
Like I was some kind of Holy Ghost
Come to change their hearts
I don't want to fight
Brother I'm not joking about peace
We can have it here tonight
It all comes down to you and me
You know the tree by the fruit
But just between me and you
I never do what I want
I do what I'm taught
And I've been learning a lot
About the violence I'm capable of
So I'm walking away from this
Before I hurt someone
'Cause I'm facing enemies
On both sides of the gun
The song "I Don't Want to Fight" by Derek Webb is a plea for peace and a rejection of the desire to be right or good at the cost of harming others. The opening lines highlight how the singer does not want to continue to maintain the facade or illusion of being right or good, which often leads to arguments and conflicts. He affirms that he is no longer interested in convincing others to change their minds to see things from his perspective, but instead wants them to feel what he feels.
Webb then takes on the role of a salesman who peddles graves door to door, a metaphor for religious leaders who use fear and intimidation to sell their message. Instead, he states that he wants to provide little drops of peace and calmness to ease people's minds and prepare them for what may be ahead. He emphasizes that he does not want to fight or joke about peace, as it is something that can be achieved if both parties are willing to let go of their ego and focus on reconciliation.
The lines "you never asked me to save anyone, not in whole or in part, like I was some kind of Holy Ghost come to change their hearts" allude to the idea that Christians or religious leaders often assume responsibility for saving others, sometimes at the cost of damaging relationships or being judgmental. The singer realizes that he does not want to be someone who continues the cycle of violence, and values peace and non-judgment instead. The final lines reveal that he is walking away from potential conflict to avoid hurting anyone, acknowledging that there are enemies on both sides of the gun.
Overall, "I Don't Want to Fight" is a reflective and introspective song that emphasizes the importance of humility and putting others first in order to achieve peace.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't want to be right anymore
I am tired of being right and looking for answers.
I don't want to be good
I want to embrace my flaws and be human.
I don't want to change your mind
I am not interested in changing your thoughts.
To feel it like I do
To understand what I feel.
I don't wanna sell graves
I don't want to scare people into buying things they don't need.
Peddle them door to door
Going door to door to sell things is not my way.
A little something to ease your mind
Something to calm you down in difficult times.
And prepare you for what's in store
To get ready for what is coming.
Brother I'm not joking about peace
I am serious about wanting peace.
We can have it here tonight
Peace can start right here, right now.
It all comes down to you and me
It is up to you and me to make peace happen.
You never asked me to save anyone
You never put that responsibility on me.
Not in whole or in part
Not even a small part was requested of me.
Like I was some kind of Holy Ghost
As if I was sent from a higher power.
Come to change their hearts
With the intention of changing their beliefs.
You know the tree by the fruit
A person's actions and behaviors say a lot about them.
But just between me and you
This is just between us.
I never do what I want
I don't always act on my desires.
I do what I'm taught
I do what I am told to do.
And I've been learning a lot
I'm constantly growing and gaining knowledge.
About the violence I'm capable of
Understanding the destructive power within myself.
So I'm walking away from this
Leaving this behind.
Before I hurt someone
To avoid harming others.
'Cause I'm facing enemies
Because there are opposing forces against me.
On both sides of the gun
From those who fight and those who don't.
Lyrics © MUSIC SERVICES, INC.
Written by: DEREK W. WEBB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Josue Merari Lizarraga Teran
No entiendo como una a canción como esta tiene tan pocas reproducciones :o Excelente canción!