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.”
Oh Carolina
NEEDTOBREATHE Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I get back home to you we're gonna start a fire
Oh you know I miss you
And when we get back home to you I got a story to give you
I been all mixed up been gathering dust
Down and down for days thinking bout us
I know we both can't deny it
We were living fast and I won't back in
Truth is baby I've been surviving
Cuz I'm on my way
Oh Carolina
Yeah, when I get back home to you we're gonna start a fire
Oh you know I miss you
And when we get back home to you I got a story to give you
I got it pushed to the floor and it's almost light
Quarter past an hour and a matter of time
Body's been gone for miles but heart still driving
Cuz I'm on my way
Yeah I'm on my way
Oh Carolina
Yeah, when I get back home to you we're gonna start a fire
Oh you know I miss you
And when we get back home to you I got a story to give you
Oh Carolina
Yeah, when I get back home to you we're gonna start a fire
Oh you know I miss you
And when we get back home to you I got a story to give you
Yeah when I get back home to you
When I get back home to you
When I get back home to you
We're gonna start a fire
The lyrics of NEEDTOBREATHE's song "Oh Carolina" speak about a longing to return home to the one you love. The opening line "When I get back home to you we're gonna start a fire" symbolizes the passion and warmth that the singer wants to ignite upon his return. He expresses his deep longing for his loved one and the anticipation of sharing a story with them.
The verse "I been all mixed-up been gathering dust" suggests the singer went through a tough time and became lost, detached from his beloved. But he now realizes how truly important she is to him, and he wants to reconnect. "There was a wrinkle in time way back when we were living fast and I won't back in," indicates that there was a time when they lived recklessly, but he wants to recapture that wild spirit with her again. The chorus plainly states the singer's desire to start a fire, which could be interpreted as the passion and emotion that he craves to feel and share with his significant other.
Overall, "Oh Carolina" is a song about the desire to come home to the person you love, to reignite the passion and love that may have dwindled over time.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh Carolina
Addressing Carolina as the person to whom the song is directed.
When I get back home to you we're gonna start a fire
Expressing anticipation for returning home to Carolina and of starting a new phase of things with her.
Oh you know I miss you
Admitting to feeling longing for Carolina and indicating that she is aware of this.
And when we get back home to you I got a story to give you
Implying that he has a tale to share with Carolina upon coming home, which could be good or bad news.
I been all mixed up been gathering dust
Describing a state of confusion and stagnation he's been experiencing for a while.
Down and down for days thinking bout us
Indicating that he has been depressed and been pondering over their relationship.
I know we both can't deny it
Hinting that whatever they've been going through is common knowledge between them.
There was a wrinkle in time way back when
Referring to some past issue or conflict that occurred between them no matter how long ago.
We were living fast and I won't back in
Remembering the time when things were good, and he's willing to relive that feeling.
Truth is baby I've been surviving
Revealing he has been doing as much as possible to stay strong during trying times.
Cuz I'm on my way
The reaffirmation of his strong will to get over everything he's been through and move forward in his life.
Yeah when I get back home to you
Stating again the desire to return to Carolina.
I got it pushed to the floor and it's almost light
Referring to a car and driving very fast to get back home.
Quarter past an hour and a matter of time
Because he's driving so fast, making it seem like the distance between them and Carolina is getting smaller by the minute.
Body's been gone for miles but heart still driving
Despite physically being gone, the heart and the feeling of being with Carolina are still present.
Yeah I'm on my way
Confirming once more that he's moving forward toward Carolina and their relationship.
We're gonna start a fire
Implying that their relationship is about to have a huge moment, and things will be different from there on out.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Nathaniel Rinehart, William Rinehart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind