When Jason inked a contract with Centricity Music in 2006 after a run of more than a decade as a hard-touring indie artist, he did so after a lot of soul-searching, wondering how his highly relational artistry would translate to a broader audience. Now with the release of his second studio album for Centricity, Everything Sad Is Coming Untrue, that tension can probably be laid to rest. What emerges on the new project is a thought-provoking collection of artful, emotional and radio-friendly tunes that achieve a high level of accessibility without sacrificing any of Grayās personality or creativity.
Produced by Jason Ingram & Rusty Varenkamp (Brandon Heath, Tenth Avenue North) Everything Sad Is Coming Untrue blends carefully chosen elements of folk, alternative rock and even r&b into a seamless pop framework that showcases Grayās strong and soothing vocals.
āPop music has gotten a bad reputation over the years as being fluffy and insubstantial,ā Jason acknowledges, āso I came into this project asking āWhat if I could aim for writing intelligent and weighty lyrics with a pop discipline?ā Admittedly, thatās the hardest kind of song for me to write--to take my passion for ideas and lyrics and pare it down to a 3 Ā½ minute pop song. Just about every song I wrote had three verses and Jason Ingram was always pushing me to drop one of them. But he was right and the songs are better for it.ā
Jason Grayās songwriting has consistently earned the respect of his artist peers, largely for his uncanny ability to absorb images, emotions and truths from a variety of sources: theology, literature, relationships, his own struggles, pop culture, poetry, etc., and to pull together those diverse strands into a unified whole. Over the years he has developed a razor sharp knack for saying deep things in a way that the rest of us can relate to. But that process doesnāt always come easily. In fact, it was only after a monumental, two-year struggle with writerās block that the songs on Everything Sad Is Coming Untrue finally began to pour from Jasonās guitar and pen.
āMy last record was called āAll The Lovely Losersā and it had a lot to do with brokenness,ā Jason explains. āI thought the logical place to go on the new project would be to explore what to do with your brokenness, which I think all begins with confession. But after fighting so long for songs, I finally released myself from my own agenda and just let the songs come as they saw fit, and while confession remained a part of it, a larger theme began to emerge unconsciously. It seems that the thread that ties these new songs together is renewal, and since it wasnāt a theme that was premeditated, I find myself listening to my own songs in a way that I havenāt before ā trying to discern what theyāre trying to tell me about myself, my longings, and fears at this time in my life.ā
One such standout song on Everything Sad Is Coming Untrue is the R&B textured (and highly autobiographical) "More Like Falling In Love"āa track which goes beyond a good groove and a strong hook, managing to connect head and heart with a lyric that has profound theological depth.
ā'More Like Falling In Love' explores the difference between religion and relationship,ā Jason says. āI think weāre often in danger of reducing Christianity to information ā a series of facts that you must know and believe in order to be saved. Itās important for us to rigorously pursue good theology, to be sure, but it seems clear that when the scriptures talk about believing itās talking about more than just facts and has more to do with trust, affection, and relationship. It seems so obvious, but even I need to be reminded that a relationship with Jesus Christ should look less like intellectual assent and more like falling in love.ā
That same desire for intimacy with the Creator is expressed with great honesty in the earnest lyric and soaring melody of "For The First Time, Again". The song was born out of Jasonās experience sitting in a chapel, watching kids respond to an altar call, and feeling an overwhelming urge to join them.
āMy faith suddenly felt old and tired,ā Jason remembers, āand I awoke to a deep longing to be new again, to return to my first love, to experience again what it was like to fall in love with Jesus for the first time, to be born again again. I realized I had taken back part of my heart from Him because my heart was wounded by disappointments and wearied by years of working with the church whose representation of Christ was often miserable. So I prayed in my hardened little heart, telling Jesus I wish I could come to him for the first time again, and He slowly began to answer that prayer as I discovered that His mercies might still be new every morning, if only my heart would open to them again.ā
Related images of renewal are woven through this new crop of Jasonās songs. His fixation with the notion of redemption probably has its roots in his own history as a kid with a chronic stutter growing up in an abusive homeāa kid who eventually made the radical discovery that his weaknesses were nothing to hide, because in them Godās grace and strength were most perfectly revealed. The title tracks of Grayās new project (yes, there are two title tracksā¦) reveal the lengths to which the artist believes that redemption will go, not only in his own life, but in all of creation.
āEverything Sad Is Coming Untrue was the most difficult song Iāve ever written,ā Jason admits, āall 5 times that I wrote it! Itās about renewal, both the longing for it and the promise of it. The inspiration came from a quote of Samwise Gamgee in āThe Lord Of The Ringsā and the beauty and truth of it captured my imagination and wouldnāt let me go. The trick was trying to express an idea that meant so much to me in a way that might mean something to others. My wife was the litmus test. I kept working on the songs for over a year until I arrived at two versions of it that when I played them for Taya she said, āI get it nowā¦ thatās it.ā My wifeās tears are the biggest stamp of approval on a song, because she knows me too well to be impressed by any of my parlor tricks.ā
Venturing into new territory, Jason also challenged himself to pen a worship song for this record, albeit one with a twist. "Does It Fade With Our Voices" isnāt so much aimed at eliciting a song of praise, as a life of worship and sacrifice lived unto the glory of God.
āAs Iāve gotten older my view of worship has less to do with the songs I might sing on Sunday morning and more to do with the kind of life I live,ā Jason explains. āIf we truly want to bring God the glory and honor we always sing about, I think we do so by the way we live our lives: the kind of spouse, parent, or friend that we are, the way we serve Jesus by serving the least of these. So Jason Ingram and I set out to write a song that on the surface might feel like other worship songs you might sing on a Sunday morning, but lyrically is saying something new that we hoped would broaden our understanding of what worship could be.ā
Heavily involved with World Vision, summer youth camps, and other ministry opportunities, Jason seeks to live a life that increasingly reflects the sort of worship and service he writes about. In fact, if the songs on Everything Sad Is Coming Untrue are any indication, Jason Gray seems to stake everything on the hope that our hearts, our lives, even our wounds and brokenness, will find complete renewal in that massive story of redemption of which each of our lives are a part.
āThe resurrection would be meaningless without the cross,ā Jason offers. āThe weight and essence of all that we hope for is given shape, in part at least, by all that seems hopeless around us. The beauty of everything sad coming untrue isnāt just that God wipes the slate clean, but that somehow he rearranges the slate. Things went wrong and sadness was overwhelming ā unbelievably so at times ā but slowly and surely the sadness became a part of our salvation and in that way became untrue, as the power of the sadness to define our lives gave way to something more overwhelming, more unbelievable, and truer still: Love.ā
Grace
Jason Gray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hello bird.
Hello my lady.
Hello breakfast.
May I buy you again tomorrow?
The opening lines of the song "Grace" by Jason Gray showcase his gratitude towards the simple joys of life. These elements, like the sun, bird, lady, and breakfast, are representations of life's blessings that the singer cherishes. The understated beauty of everyday life is sometimes lost in our busy and tumultuous lives, and that's why Gray chooses simple yet powerful words to embrace it. Those simple pleasures that the songwriter mentions in the lines, aid in bringing a balance in life, and inspire feelings of joy and happiness. The singer longs for these joys every day and shows willingness to endlessly pursue them.
The song "Grace" is about the immense power and beauty of grace, shown by God, in the singerās life. The song stresses on how grace brings happiness and lightness to our lives, and the realization that the singer is grateful for it. The lyrics resonate our realization of God's constant presence and grace in our lives. It is a compelling message of hope and assurance that even in the darkest moments, God's overwhelming grace and love are there to pull us through.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello sun.
Greetings to the shining ball of fire in the sky, your presence is welcomed.
Hello bird.
Salutations to the feathered creatures, chirping merrily in the air.
Hello my lady.
Hello to the one of whom the singer has affection and respect for.
Hello breakfast.
The most important meal of the day is being acknowledged with a greeting.
May I buy you again tomorrow?
The singer inquires if they are able to afford and indulge in this particular breakfast again in the future.
Contributed by Christian M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.