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.”
Feet
NEEDTOBREATHE Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Right here on my back
They're aiming where I was
Not where I'm at
They ain't stopped me
Since I was eighteen
I'm moving faster
Than my enemies
I can't slow down
I can't get stuck
I'd rather die than have to hang it up
Don't wanna look up
And it be over
Don't want to wish that
I had longer
It's my time
Yeah it's my town
I pray my feet won't ever slow me down
Don't fail me now
I saw my last dream
Roll out around me
I'm trying to chase me
Down a fantasy
I felt this moonlight
Reach down and touch me
I need another night
Before you leave
Don't wanna look up
And it be over
Don't want to wish that
I had longer
It's my time
Yeah it's my town
Whoa it's my town
It's my town
I pray my feet won't ever slow me down
Don't fail me now
Don't fail me now
I pray my feet won't ever slow me down
Don't fail me now
Don't fail me now
I pray my feet won't ever slow me down
Don't fail me now
Don't fail me now
I pray my feet won't ever slow me down
It's my town
It's my town
It's my town
It's my town
I pray my feet won't ever slow me down
Feet don't ever slow me down
Feet don't ever slow me down
Don't fail me now
Don't fail me now
I pray my feet won't ever slow me down
The lyrics of NEEDTOBREATHE's “Feet Don't Fail Me Now” describe the inescapable pressure of being a target for criticism and envy, as well as the desire to chase one's dreams and to live life to the fullest. The song first acknowledges the weight of being noticed by people who aim to bring ambition down. The lyrics demonstrate that the songwriter won't let himself be slowed down or quit, despite the antagonism surrounding him.
In the second verse, the songwriter describes the fleeting nature of dreams and the longing for more time to achieve them. The use of the moon as a metaphor also implies a sense of magic and enchantment that comes with following one's dreams. The song ends on a hopeful note, with the singer asserting that he will keep moving forward and chasing his dreams. The repeated phrase ‘Don’t fail me now’ can also be interpreted as a plea to the songwriter's own self, as though he is persuading himself to be strong and not give up on his goals no matter how arduous the journey may become.
Line by Line Meaning
I got this target
I have a goal in mind
Right here on my back
It's something I carry with me all the time
They're aiming where I was
My opponents are targeting where I used to be
Not where I'm at
But I've already moved on and am ahead of them
They ain't stopped me
They haven't been able to slow me down
Since I was eighteen
I've been moving fast for a long time
I'm moving faster
I'm constantly accelerating
Than my enemies
And I'm outpacing those who would try to stop me
I can't slow down
I cannot afford to lose momentum
I can't get stuck
I cannot allow myself to become stagnant
I'd rather die than have to hang it up
I would rather die than quit pursuing my dream
Don't wanna look up
I do not want to lift my head
And it be over
Only to discover that it's all come to an end
Don't want to wish that
I don't want to regret not giving it my all
I had longer
And wishing I had more time to pursue my dream
It's my time
This is my moment to succeed
Yeah it's my town
This is where I belong
I pray my feet won't ever slow me down
I fear that my momentum will be lost and I will not achieve my goal
I saw my last dream
I previously saw my dream come to an end
Roll out around me
And it slipped out of my grasp
I'm trying to chase me
I'm trying to catch up to my own potential
Down a fantasy
I'm pursuing something that may not be attainable
I felt this moonlight
I had a brief moment of clarity
Reach down and touch me
I felt inspired once again
I need another night
I need more time to achieve my goal
Before you leave
Before my opportunity is gone
Whoa it's my town
This is where I'm meant to be
Feet don't ever slow me down
I must keep moving forward
Don't fail me now
I cannot afford to fail or lose momentum
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Nathaniel Rinehart, William Rinehart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind