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.”
We Could Run Away
NEEDTOBREATHE Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It feels like we're moving backwards
It's easy to find potential in before
But we look the same in the afters
Could we wait long enough to bide my time
Could we stay and say enough to change my mind
Maybe we could change
Get back on our feet and then
Maybe make it home again
We could run away
Be on our own again
Maybe in the twilight
We can break out
Buy ourselves a Cadillac
Never turn around
We could run away
Be on our own again
We could stay here where things became unclear
Fighting what's left of the right way
But everyone hates the chances that we waste
Under the light of the new day
Could we wait long enough to bide my time
Could we stay and say enough to change my mind
We could run away
Maybe we could change
Get back on our feet and then
Maybe make it home again
We could run away
Be on our own again
Maybe in the twilight
We can break out
Buy ourselves a Cadillac
Never turn around
We could run away
Be on our own again
"We Could Run Away" by NEEDTOBREATHE is a song about two people who are stuck in a situation and are contemplating leaving everything behind and starting afresh. The lyrics in the first verse "Everything stops as we look towards the clock, it feels like we're moving backwards" indicate that time is moving slowly or not at all, and the pair feels like they are stuck in a rut. They are both looking for something more and questioning their life decisions. The line "easy to find potential in before, but we look the same in the afters" is pointing out how the future is unpredictable, and there are no guarantees, whereas the past is idealized, and they are looking for something that will majorly change their lives.
The chorus talks about the possibility of running away and starting anew. The line "could we wait long enough to bide my time" suggests that they are carefully thinking about their choices, but they could just leave everything behind and never look back. The idea of the "twilight" could be interpreted as a symbolic reference to finding hope or freedom. The lyrics "Buy ourselves a Cadillac, never turn around" could be referring to them getting up and buying themselves a new life that they will never want or regret leaving behind.
Overall, "We Could Run Away" is a song about feeling stuck and wanting to escape. It is about thinking outside the box and taking chances in hopes of finding something new and better.
Line by Line Meaning
Everything stops as we look towards the clock
Time seems to stand still as we contemplate our situation
It feels like we're moving backwards
Despite our efforts, we feel stuck and unable to make progress
It's easy to find potential in before
It's tempting to idealize the past and overlook its flaws
But we look the same in the afters
No matter how much we change or try to escape, our problems still follow us
Could we wait long enough to bide my time
Is it possible to be patient and wait for things to improve?
Could we stay and say enough to change my mind
Can we talk through our issues and come to a new understanding?
We could run away
Escaping our problems seems like a tempting option
Maybe we could change
Leaving our current situation might give us the opportunity to start fresh and make positive changes
Get back on our feet and then
After leaving, we could work towards stability and success
Maybe make it home again
If we're lucky, we could return to a place where we feel comfortable and safe
Be on our own again
Being independent and free from the influence of others could be liberating
Maybe in the twilight
Perhaps this change could happen during a time of transition or uncertainty
We can break out
We have the power to escape our current circumstances and forge a new path
Buy ourselves a Cadillac
We could indulge in material possessions as a symbol of success and freedom
Never turn around
Once we leave, we should avoid looking back and dwelling on the past
We could stay here where things became unclear
Remaining in this uncertain, confusing environment is another option
Fighting what's left of the right way
Struggling to adhere to what we consider to be the correct path
But everyone hates the chances that we waste
Others disapprove of our choices and criticize us for not taking risks
Under the light of the new day
Considering our options in a fresh light or with a new perspective
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Nathaniel Rinehart, William Rinehart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind