When NEEDTOBREATHE’s Bear and Bo Rinehart set out to write the songs that appear on the band’s new album, The Reckoning, they felt something bigger awaited them. It wasn’t just commercial success either. The band’s last album The Outsiders hit No. 9 on Billboard’s Rock Albums chart, went Top 20 on the Top 200, saw the band sell out venues such as Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and Chicago’s House of Blues, and score an impressive number of placements in blockbuster films and numerous prime time television-shows.
With their reputation as a must-see live act built from non-stop touring, the Rinehart brothers, pastor’s sons who hail from the rural South Carolina town of Possum Kingdom, along with drummer Joe Stillwell and bass player Seth Bolt, were determined to create a statement-making album that truly captured the magic behind this genuinely appealing rock band.
Lyrically, all roads lead from the album’s title, which Bear says has several different meanings, one of them being the justification of accounts. “I like the idea that you put in all this work and at some point it comes to a peak -- that’s the reckoning time.”
What the band emerged with is a timeless-sounding album rooted in classic American rock and roll, unafraid to veer off into unexpected directions. Songs such as “Maybe They’re On To Us” address the paranoia of wondering whether people know too much about the band. “It also asks, ‘Are we still driven in the same way?’ We’re always questioning ourselves,” Bear says. Even the songs that may sound light-hearted on the surface, like “White Fences,” “Slumber,” and “Drive All Night,” explore serious themes. “’White Fences’ is about the American dream of growing up in a big house with a white picket fence, but when the dream is broken and things don’t pan out the way you planned, asking who’s going to fix it,” Bo says. “’Slumber’ is meant to be about how beauty is all around you but you just can’t see it because of the funk you’re in,” Bear says. “It speaks to something that we really care about which is giving yourself a chance.” And there’s “Drive All Night,” a galloping barnstormer that Bear sees as a statement on the false idea that one can run away from one’s problems.
With their intriguing melodies and bright choruses, the songs on The Reckoning are certain to translate in the live setting, something that is crucial to the band. “The worst thing that could happen is you get done playing and people don’t think about you again. We’ll do whatever it takes to force people to make a decision about our band, whether they love us or not. It makes for more passionate fans.”
Able
NEEDTOBREATHE Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
None of which alike
From the air inside the birthing room
To the darkness where we die
Though I feel I'm just as strong as any man I know
I'm not able
I'm not able
I'm not able
Carry around the secrets
Only heaven knows
Crawl into our darkened rooms where only victims go
Though I feel I'm strong enough to carry all this load
I'm not able
I'm not able
I'm not able
On my own
I'm not able
I'm not able
I'm not able
On my own
I'm not able
I'm not able
I'm not able
On my own
All my actions, false or true
Selfish motives I will use
We were born with knives in hand
Trained to kill our fellow man
If we're not better than the rest
How will children do their best
Find your patience, find your truth
Love is all we have to lose
Have to lose
'Cause I'm not able
I'm not able
I'm not able
On my own
The song Able by NEEDTOBREATHE is a reflection on the fact that no one is able to handle everything on their own, no matter how strong they feel. The lyrics speak of the hurts we encounter throughout life, from birth to death, and the burdens we carry alone. The metaphorical language used in the song conveys the idea that we are all wounded in different ways, and it is impossible for us to bear the weight of our secrets, pain and failures without external help.
The opening lines of the song, “There's a host of hurts we come across, None of which alike” sets the tone for the lyrics to follow. The next line, “From the air inside the birthing room, To the darkness where we die” expresses the trajectory of a human life and the combination of highs and lows that are encountered in it. However, despite the challenges faced, the singer of the song feels just as strong as any other person they know, but they know they are not able to face everything on their own.
The final lines of the song are a call for unity and understanding, “Find your patience, find your truth, Love is all we have to lose”. It is a reminder that we all need each other, and that love is the only way that we can truly understand and overcome our differences.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a host of hurts we come across
As humans, we experience various types of pain throughout our lives.
None of which alike
No two hurts are exactly the same.
From the air inside the birthing room
The pain we experience begins from the moment we are born.
To the darkness where we die
And continues through to the moment we die.
Though I feel I'm just as strong as any man I know
Despite feeling like I am just as capable as others,
I'm not able
I am not actually able to handle everything on my own.
Carry around the secrets
We hide our darkest secrets within ourselves,
Only heaven knows
And we may never reveal them to anyone else except for God.
Crawl into our darkened rooms where only victims go
We often isolate ourselves in our own pain and feel like we are helpless victims.
Though I feel I'm strong enough to carry all this load
Despite feeling like I can handle everything,
I'm not able
I am not actually able to carry the weight of all my troubles alone.
I'm not able
I am not able to go through life on my own.
On my own
Without help, I will not be able to overcome my struggles.
All my actions, false or true
Everything I do, whether good or bad,
Selfish motives I will use
May come from a place of selfishness and personal gain.
We were born with knives in hand
As humans, we are naturally violent and capable of causing harm.
Trained to kill our fellow man
We are taught to view others as enemies and to compete and fight for survival.
If we're not better than the rest
If we do not strive to be better than others,
How will children do their best
How can we expect future generations to thrive and succeed?
Find your patience, find your truth
We must learn to be patient and seek out our personal truths,
Love is all we have to lose
And not be afraid of losing it all, because love is what truly matters.
'Cause I'm not able
The chorus repeats to emphasize that we cannot go through life alone.
I'm not able
We need a helping hand to overcome our struggles and pain.
I'm not able
And we must not be afraid to ask for help when we need it.
On my own
Because we are not meant to face life's challenges alone.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Nathaniel Rinehart, William Rinehart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind