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.”
Something Beautiful
NEEDTOBREATHE Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I feel the waves crashin' on my feet
It's like I know where I need to be
But I can't figure out, yeah I can't figure out
Just how much air I will need to breathe
When your tide rushes over me
There's only one way to figure out
Hey now, this is my desire
Consume me like a fire, 'cause I just want something beautiful
To touch me, I know that I'm in reach
'Cause I am down on my knees, I'm waiting for something beautiful
Oh, oh, ohh something beautiful
And the water is risin' quick
And for years I was scared of it
We can't be sure when it will subside
So I won't leave your side, no I can't leave your side
Hey now, this is my desire
Consume me like a fire, 'cause I just want something beautiful
To touch me, I know that I'm in reach
'Cause I am down on my knees, I'm waiting for something beautiful
Oh, oh, ohh something beautiful
Oh, oh, ohh something beautiful
In a daydream, I couldn't live like this
I wouldn't stop until I found something beautiful
When I wake up, and all I want I have
You know I still won't have what I need
Something beautiful
Hey now, this is my desire
Consume me like a fire, 'cause I just want something beautiful
To touch me, I know that I'm in reach
'Cause I am down on my knees, I'm waiting for something beautiful
Oh, oh, ohh something beautiful
Oh, oh, ohh something beautiful
The opening lines of “Something Beautiful” by NEEDTOBREATHE illustrate an individual who is constantly on the edge of the life they desire. The persona is standing by the ocean, caught in the middle of waves crashing against their feet. Metaphorically, the waves represent life’s uncertainties, and while the persona knows what they want (to be in the ocean and feel the waves crash), they are unsure of how to go about getting it. They are confused and engulfed by the situation, but they remain determined to find a way to embrace the uncertainty. In the second verse, the persona admits that they have been scared for years, but they will never give up, and they will not leave the side of the person they are addressing. The persona makes it clear that the fear of unknown is what’s keeping them from seeing what is beautiful in front of them.
In the chorus, the persona expresses their desire for “something beautiful” to consume them like a fire. The idea of desiring “something beautiful” suggests an individual who is not willing to settle for anything less than what they deem perfect. They are willing to go to great lengths to find it, even if it means being consumed in the process. This reflects well on the persona who knows that they are worthy of beauty.
Line by Line Meaning
In your ocean, I'm ankle deep
Even though I am not fully immersed in your world, I am beginning to experience it.
I feel the waves crashin' on my feet
I can feel your power and energy, but it is still not overwhelming me yet.
It's like I know where I need to be
I feel drawn to you, like this is where I am meant to be.
But I can't figure out, yeah I can't figure out
I am still struggling to fully understand and comprehend your world.
Just how much air I will need to breathe
I know that I will need to be fully committed to you, but I am unsure of what I will need to sacrifice to be with you.
When your tide rushes over me
When I am fully immersed in your world and experience your full power and energy.
There's only one way to figure out
The only way to truly understand your world is to dive in completely.
Will ya let me drown, will ya let me drown
I am testing you to see if you will help me or let me struggle on my own.
Hey now, this is my desire
I have a strong longing and passion for something beautiful and I am willing to do whatever it takes to achieve it.
Consume me like a fire, 'cause I just want something beautiful
I want to completely lose myself in this beautiful experience and be transformed by it.
To touch me, I know that I'm in reach
I know that what I desire is possible and attainable for me.
'Cause I am down on my knees, I'm waiting for something beautiful
I am humbling myself and waiting patiently for this beautiful experience to come to me.
And the water is risin' quick
Things are happening quickly and I feel like I am being swept away.
And for years I was scared of it
I have been afraid of diving into something beautiful for a long time.
We can't be sure when it will subside
I don't know how long this beautiful experience will last or if it will ever end.
So I won't leave your side, no I can't leave your side
I am committed to staying with you, even in the midst of uncertainty and chaos.
In a daydream, I couldn't live like this
Before experiencing something beautiful, I couldn't have imagined living in a world like this.
I wouldn't stop until I found something beautiful
I was relentless in my pursuit of something beautiful, and now that I have found it, I will not give up on it.
When I wake up, and all I want I have
Even when I have everything I want, I still crave something beautiful.
You know I still won't have what I need
Nothing else can compare to the beauty that I desire and need.
Oh, oh, ohh something beautiful
This beautiful experience is all I want and need.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Nathaniel Rinehart, William Rinehart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Fajar Wahyudi
In your ocean, I'm ankle deep
I feel the waves crashin' on my feet
It's like I know where I need to be
But I can't figure out, yeah I can't figure out
Just how much air I will need to breathe
When your tide rushes over me
There's only one way to figure out
Will ya let me drown, will ya let me drown
Hey now, this is my desire
Consume me like a fire, 'cause I just want something beautiful
To touch me, I know that I'm in reach
'Cause I am down on my knees, I'm waiting for something beautiful
Oh, something beautiful
And the water is risin' quick
And for years I was scared of it
We can't be sure when it will subside
So I won't leave your side, no I can't leave your side
Hey now, this is my desire
Consume me like a fire, 'cause I just want something beautiful
To touch me, I know that I'm in reach
'Cause I am down on my knees, I'm waiting for something beautiful
Oh, something beautiful
In a daydream, I couldn't live like this
I wouldn't stop until I found something beautiful
When I wake up, I know I will have
No, I still won't have what I need
Hey now, this is my desire
Consume me like a fire, 'cause I just want something beautiful
To touch me, I know that I'm in reach
'Cause I am down on my knees, I'm waiting for something beautiful
Oh, something beautiful
Michele Moore
Great song, I just survived cancer surgery and the first thought I have every morning is how beautiful it is and the birds singing, etc. God really has blessed us, Michele.
Danilo Guda
God Bless you Amazing you with God and Son Jesus Christ.
Sarah R
I hope you are thriving and doing amazing! Love and light♥️💜
Me
Congrats. Enjoy each day. 😊
Purple Royalty!!
Amen. God bless you @Michele Moore.
Theressa Murphy
Aren't we blessed to have survived cancer!! 😄❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Sister Emeritus
you can feel that Bear Rinehart sings with such passion, the lyrics he sings are more than just lyrics to him and to us who listen.
christianrockmom02
My daughter and I dance and sing to this song all the time. She knows all the words and it melts my heart when I hear her singing it. This is one of those songs that can make you smile even on the worst of days! Praise God for bands like Need to Breathe!
Charlotte McMillan
Just saw them live, why are they not more famous? I am in love
Danilo Guda
God Bless.