Brooks was a phenomenal musical force in the 1990s. He had his chart breakthrough in 1989, having come apparently from nowhere, and was an immediate commercial success. Lacking the tall and lanky physical appearance typical of some male country stars, he successfully integrated pop and rock elements into his recordings and live performances. He soon began to dominate the country singles and country albums charts and quickly crossed over into the mainstream pop arena, selling records like no one else in country music ever had and exposing country music to a larger audience than previously thought possible.
Brooks enjoyed one of the most successful careers in popular music history, with over 70 hit singles and 15 charted albums to his credit and over 115 million albums sold in the US alone, breaking records for both sales and concert attendance throughout the 1990s. Possibly dissatisfied and looking to expand his career boundaries, he then attempted an artistically ambitious (but uncompleted) multimedia project involving a fictitious alter ego.
Troubled by the conflicts between career and family, the year after the decade ended Garth Brooks announced his retirement from recording and performing, thereby disappearing from the music world as suddenly as he had come.
Recently he has announced his return to live performances by agreeing to a 5 year 15 show a year contract in Vegas. His plan is to finish this contract, write some new stuff, and wait for his youngest daughter to go off to school, and then he plans to return to touring with his wife.
Face To Face
Garth Brooks Lyrics
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Waited on you every day
Seemed like every time you turned around
Well he was standin' in your way
Well he broke your glasses
The girls all laughed
As he pushed you to the floor
You couldn't stand it anymore
And your gentle hand was finally clenched in rage
You were face to face
Face to face with the devil that you've been dreadin'
Eye to eye finally has arrived
But bad as it was, well now brother wasn't it better
Dealin' with him face to face
Your date showed up with flowers
And you thought your dreams had come
But with every passing hour
You felt it come undone
Then the night exploded and you begged him no
But he forever changed your life
And now he waits a judge and jury
Thinkin' you'll break down inside
And with a finger you can put his fists away
And you're face to face
Face to face with the devil that you've been dreadin'
Eye to eye finally has arrived
But bad as it was, well little sister wasn't it better
Dealin' with him face to face
'Cause it'll never go away
Until the fear that you are runnin' from is finally embraced
Drivin' by the grave yard
On a wicked winter's eve
And you're wonderin' why a man of faith
Is whistlin' nervously
Then you stop the car
And you hold your heart
'Cause you finally realize
Hell, the devil ain't in the darkness
He's a'rattlin' 'round inside
And with folded hands you truly start to pray
And you're face to face
Face to face with the devil that you've been dreadin'
Eye to eye finally has arrived
But bad as it was, well now brother wasn't it better
Dealin' with him face to face
'Cause it'll never go away
Until the fear that you are runnin' from is finally embraced
Face to face
The song "Face to Face" by Garth Brooks is a powerful message about facing one's fears and standing up to the the demons of one's past, whether they take the form of a schoolyard bully or the traumatic aftermath of a sexual assault. The first verse talks about a bad boy in the school yard who constantly tormented the singer, breaking her glasses and pushing her to the floor. The singer reaches a breaking point and finally stands up to the bully, facing him "eye to eye" and "clenching [her] gentle hand in rage." While it was a scary experience, she finds that "dealing with him face to face" was ultimately empowering and allowed her to move on.
The second and third verses deal with a different, more serious type of trauma: sexual assault. The singer's dreams of a happy date are quickly dashed when the night takes a traumatic turn. The attacker thinks that he has broken the singer's spirit and that she will never be able to face him, but she proves him wrong, facing him in court and putting an end to his power over her. The final verse takes a more spiritual turn, with the singer realizing that the "devil" she has been running from is not a tangible person or memory, but a deep-seated fear within herself. She faces this fear head-on and starts to pray, finding a sense of peace and resolution.
Overall, "Face to Face" is a powerful anthem about standing up to the demons of one's past and finding the strength to move on.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a bad boy in the school yard
There was a bully in your school's playground
Waited on you every day
He would wait for you every day to harass you
Seemed like every time you turned around
It appeared like he was always in your way
Well he was standin' in your way
He would obstruct you and stand in your way
Well he broke your glasses
He broke your glasses during the bullying
The girls all laughed
The other girls at the school found the bullying amusing
As he pushed you to the floor
As he pushed you to the floor during the bullying
But then you stood up one day knowin'
One day, you finally stood up to him, knowing enough was enough
You couldn't stand it anymore
You couldn't tolerate the bullying for any longer
And your gentle hand was finally clenched in rage
You, who had always been gentle, finally became angry
You were face to face
You faced off against him
Face to face with the devil that you've been dreadin'
You confronted the bully who had been tormenting you
Eye to eye finally has arrived
You stared him down, finally arriving eye to eye
But bad as it was, well now brother wasn't it better
As bad as it was, wasn't it more beneficial to finally confront him?
Dealin' with him face to face
You dealt with him directly instead of avoiding him
Your date showed up with flowers
Your romantic partner arrived at your home with flowers
And you thought your dreams had come
You believed that your dreams were coming true by being with them
But with every passing hour
As time passed, your relationship began to fall apart
You felt it come undone
You sensed that your relationship was unraveling
Then the night exploded and you begged him no
A violent incident occurred, and you pleaded with him to stop
But he forever changed your life
The incident permanently altered your life
And now he waits a judge and jury
He awaits trial and judgment
Thinkin' you'll break down inside
He believes that you will crumble emotionally
And with a finger you can put his fists away
You can stop him with just a gesture
And you're face to face
You confront him directly once again
Face to face with the devil that you've been dreadin'
You stand face to face with the source of your fear
Eye to eye finally has arrived
Once again, you arrive eye to eye
But bad as it was, well little sister wasn't it better
Although it was terrible, wasn't it better to confront him?
Dealin' with him face to face
It was better to handle him directly than run from him
'Cause it'll never go away
The fear will always remain
Until the fear that you are runnin' from is finally embraced
You must embrace the fear you've been avoiding to overcome it
Drivin' by the grave yard
You drive past a cemetery
On a wicked winter's eve
It's a cold and unpleasant winter evening
And you're wonderin' why a man of faith
You question how a person with religious convictions
Is whistlin' nervously
Can be so nervous as to whistle
Then you stop the car
You stop the car you're driving
And you hold your heart
You grip your chest with your hand
'Cause you finally realize
You finally comprehend something
Hell, the devil ain't in the darkness
The devil isn't always in the darkness, it can be inside oneself
He's a'rattlin' 'round inside
The devil may be lurking within, causing internal turmoil
And with folded hands you truly start to pray
You begin to earnestly pray with your hands folded
And you're face to face
Once again, you are confronting the source of your fear
Face to face with the devil that you've been dreadin'
You are directly facing the thing you have been dreading
Eye to eye finally has arrived
You finally meet eye to eye
But bad as it was, well now brother wasn't it better
Although it was hard, wasn't it better to confront him?
Dealin' with him face to face
Confronting him directly was the best choice
'Cause it'll never go away
The fear will never disappear on its own
Until the fear that you are runnin' from is finally embraced
You must accept and face the fear to overcome it
Face to face
Confronting something or someone directly
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TONY ARATA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Van's Old Skool Music
Suggested videos Van Lommel originals: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUR89YHLRGyD3yZRVOU77ppr9VoBDvxAR
Maureen Mallon
My favourite Garth song. Seen him live last September in Croke Park Dublin. Still not over it, best concert ever. Come back to ireland Garth 🙏🤞🙏
Teigen13
Was there too! Was amazing concert that I will never forget!
Tzvi Krasner
Once in a lifetime talent. One of a kind presence. There can never be another.
Olaf Elsberry
“Hell the devil ain’t in the darkness, he’s rattling ‘round inside “ always brings a tear to my eye.
Mermaid Draca
Holy $hit, ty so much for this!!! My favorite artist ever!!! Never saw this performance. Gave me the same chills he used to and still does! <3
mrboojay
This is an intense performance, so well done. Thanks for posting this!
Neutrality
Great song. Break the fear. Face to face!!!
Denise Hedden
🖤🥀WOW🔥What a powerful song lyrics, vocals and music was something I've never heard before but if it's true it's brilliant it happens everyday!🥀🖤☝️
Thanos69
One of Garth’s more underrated songs