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.”
Tyrant Kings
NEEDTOBREATHE Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We wore the colors of our favorite little let down
The lies we told were never much, but who could keep track
Enough that we all left the fire and never looked back
The tyrant kings
We had everything
I'm like an awkward conversation
All of this work and I ain't seein' any wages
I ain't gonna stop until I do
Whoa
Whoa
More times than not, the ones you love are who you let down
We're chasing something big our parents never tracked down
The hardest part is looking back and making sense of
The humble tries and troubled times of where we came from
The tyrant kings
We had everything
Still I'm feeling like a vagrant in my own town
I'm like an awkward conversation
All of this work and I ain't seein' any wages
I ain't gonna stop until I do
Whoa
Still I'm feeling like a vagrant
Lost in a world where no one thinks that we can make it
Don't you know time is like a fortune when we take it
Baby, let me spend my time with you
Whoa
The tyrant kings
We had everything
Still we run to you
We were like tyrant kings
We had everything
Still we run to you
Still I'm feeling like a vagrant in my own town
I'm like an awkward conversation
All of this work and I ain't seein' any wages
I ain't gonna stop until I do
Whoa
Whoa
Whoa
Whoa
Shadows of greatness, yeah, it's the story of a small town
We wore the colors of our favorite little let down
The lyrics to NEEDTOBREATHE's song Tyrant Kings tell the story of a small town and the people who grew up there. They begin by talking about the "shadows of greatness" that loom over the town, suggesting that there is potential for greatness but it hasn't yet been achieved. The "colors of our favorite little let down" refers to how the people in the town are attached to things that have let them down, indicating some level of complacency or lack of ambition. The lines "The tyrant kings, We had everything" suggest that despite this, the people in the town had everything they needed to succeed.
However, the singer of the song still feels like a "vagrant" in his own town. He feels like an "awkward conversation" and can't seem to make any progress in his life. He's putting in a lot of work but not seeing any results, but he won't give up until he does. The song then reflects on how the people we love are often the ones we let down, and how the town is chasing something big that their parents never achieved. The hardest part is coming to terms with where we came from and the struggles we faced along the way.
The song ends with the lines "We were like tyrant kings, We had everything, Still we run to you," suggesting that despite the setbacks and disappointments, the people of the town keep running towards something - perhaps towards their dreams or their potential for greatness.
Line by Line Meaning
Shadows of greatness, yeah, it's the story of a small town
This song tells a story about a small town that aspires for greatness but is shadowed by its own limitations.
We wore the colors of our favorite little let down
Despite feeling let down, the people of the small town still harbored hope and pride.
The lies we told were never much, but who could keep track
The people told small lies, but their frequency made it hard to differentiate the truth.
Enough that we all left the fire and never looked back
The people eventually lost hope and left the fire of the town's ambitions behind.
The tyrant kings
The people of the small town believed themselves to be kings, but they were controlled by a greater force.
We had everything
Despite being controlled, the people had everything they believed they needed.
Still I'm feeling like a vagrant in my own town
Even with everything they had, the people still felt like they were lost within their own town.
I'm like an awkward conversation
The people's situation felt uncomfortable, like an awkward conversation.
All of this work and I ain't seein' any wages
Even with hard work, there were no rewards or payoffs.
I ain't gonna stop until I do
Despite the lack of rewards, the people were determined to keep working towards their goals.
More times than not, the ones you love are who you let down
The people did not intentionally let themselves down; rather, they often let down the ones they cared about the most.
We're chasing something big our parents never tracked down
The people of the small town were chasing something greater than what their parents had accomplished.
The hardest part is looking back and making sense of
Retrospectively, the people found it difficult to comprehend and interpret their past.
The humble tries and troubled times of where we came from
The people's past experiences humbled them and taught them valuable lessons.
Lost in a world where no one thinks that we can make it
Despite their struggles, the people of the small town were in a world where hope and success seemed like unlikely possibilities.
Don't you know time is like a fortune when we take it
The people recognized the value of time and did not want to waste it.
Baby, let me spend my time with you
The people were willing to spend their time with their loved ones.
Still we run to you
Despite feeling let down, the people of the small town ran to someone or something for support when they needed it most.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Nathaniel Rinehart, William Rinehart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind