The following albums saw large shifts in style. Much Afraid saw them releasing gorgeous - sometimes brittle - music, which the Band intended to have a "timeless" sound, while If I Left the Zoo is a quirkier but musically brilliant album, featuring considerably more keys and experimentation. The Eleventh Hour is their first true "rock" album. They returned to acoustic guitars for the "Furthermore" project, which featured two EPs - a live disc and an acoustic disc. The band's 5th album, Who We Are Instead continued some of the band's earlier sonic experiments and showcased some new gospel, bluegrass, and hymnsong influences. The hymnsong approach was continued on an album of new arrangements of classic hymns - Redemption Songs.
Good Monsters was released on Sept. 05, 2006. The album was hailed by CCM Magazine as "Album of the Year" - a controversial move considering that this announcement was made in August. "Good Monsters" further showcases the diverse style of the venerable quartet and is considered by the band to be their first true "rock" record. It is a rock driven record with electric guitars having prevalence on more of the songs than any previous albums. The album also has other stylistic influences and even includes a choir of African school children, while lyrically, it hits the darker side of their self-shaped genre.
In 2007, Jars of Clay announced that they were leaving Essential Records and were creating their own record label, Gray Matters. Jars of Clay released Christmas Songs through Gray Matters in 2007, and the Closer EP was released in the Summer of 2008.
April 21, 2009 marked the release of The Long Fall Back to Earth, containing two tracks from the Closer EP and 12 additional tracks. Two Hands is the first single from that release.
Redemption
Jars of Clay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Going down the wrong road
Like any story retold
Couldn't find a common ending
We're way gone, be gone,
Looking for our own way
We needed a distraction
We knew it as a wrong turn
We couldn't know the thing we'd gain
When we reach the other border
We look out way down past the road
We come from
We're looking at redemption
It was hidden in the landscape
Of loss and love and fire and rain
Never would have come this way
Looking for redemption
We were looking out past the road we came from
Looking at redemption
It was hidden in the landscape
Of loss and love and fire and rain
Never would have come this way
Looking for redemption
In the eyes of sorry, eyes of rage
What a sordid histories they played
The drama of redemption
Redemption
Jars of Clay's "Redemption" is a song that depicts the journey of two individuals who find themselves in the midst of an unfamiliar town and going down the wrong path after taking a wrong turn. The song speaks to the human experience of losing direction and searching for a way to alleviate the chaos and emptiness that ensues. The lyrics describe the personal struggles of the singers as they try to navigate their way through life's difficulties while searching for a sense of redemption.
The song's chorus details the personal journeys of the two protagonists, as they strive to find their own way towards a sense of redemption that will help them overcome their current predicament. The next verse of the song speaks to the idea that redemption is not always obvious, and it may be hidden within the tumultuous landscape of human experience, which includes both love and loss, fire and rain. The song ends with the notion that redemption is always possible, even in the midst of great distress and sorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
We made it to a strange town
We arrived at an unfamiliar place
Going down the wrong road
We were on the incorrect path
Like any story retold
Similar to any story that has been told before
Couldn't find a common ending
We were unable to come to a mutual conclusion
We're way gone, be gone,
We were far away and distant
Looking for our own way
We were searching for our own path
We needed a distraction
We required a diversion
You said you were redemption
You claimed to be our salvation
We knew it as a wrong turn
We recognized it as a mistake
We couldn't know the thing we'd gain
We were unaware of what we would acquire
When we reach the other border
Once we reach the other side
We look out way down past the road
We gazed beyond the path
We come from
We originated from there
We're looking at redemption
We were seeking salvation
It was hidden in the landscape
It was concealed in the scenery
Of loss and love and fire and rain
Comprised of grief, affection, passion, and precipitation
Never would have come this way
We would have never travelled this path
Looking for redemption
In search of salvation
In the eyes of sorry, eyes of rage
In the expressions of remorse and anger
What a sordid histories they played
How sullied their past experiences were
The drama of redemption
The act of seeking and obtaining redemption
Redemption
The concept of finding salvation and forgiveness
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: CHARLIE LOWELL, DAN HASELTINE, MATT ODMARK, STEPHEN DANIEL MASON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind