Relient K is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio by Matt T… Read Full Bio ↴Relient K is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio by Matt Thiessen (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Brian Pittman (bass), and Matthew Hoopes (guitar, backing vocals), during the band's junior year in high school and their time at Malone College. The band is named after guitarist Hoopes' automobile, a Plymouth Reliant K car, with the spelling intentionally altered to avoid trademark infringement over the Reliant name.

In 2000, Dave Douglas replaced Stephen Cushman on drums. In 2004, John Warne, formerly of Ace Troubleshooter replaced Brian on bass guitar. In 2005,Jon Schneck joined on with additional guitars, as well as banjo, bells, and backing vocals. In 2008, Ethan Luck, formerly of The O.C. Supertones and Demon Hunter replaced Dave on drums.

The band has released 9 albums, including 2 Christmas albums, as well as 6 EPs, and some other miscellaneous projects. Starting in 2000 with their second album, Relient K was signed to Gotee Records, a Christian record label. In 2004, their album Mmhmm shot them into mainstream popularity when it released at #15 on Billboard 200, and was released on Gotee, Mono Vs. Stereo (both Christian record labels), as well as Capitol, a secular label. They stayed with Gotee/Capitol until 2007, and their album Five Score and Seven Years Ago released at #6. Their latest album, Forget and Not Slow Down was released in 2009 with Mono Vs. Stereo. The band has done very well in both the Christian and mainstream music industries. The band has received numerous awards including a Grammy Award nomination in 2003 for Best Rock Gospel Album and two Dove Awards. The band has sold over 2 million records, with three albums being given gold certification by the RIAA.

The band's musical style has changed over the years, starting off as very pop-punk, and maturing into a unique sort of pop-alternative-rock, with many songs varying in style, and some including acoustic guitars, piano, banjo, synths, bells, etc. Through the years, their lyrics and songwriting have matured, but they have not lost their silly side and sense of humor. They still often reference their Christian faith throughout their songs.

Matt Thiessen, the band's main songwriter, also has a solo side project, Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes. He has also collaborated with Owl City. Dave Douglas also had a solo side project, Agnes.

I'm Taking You With Me
Relient K Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I made a habit of never making promises
That aren't easy to keep
And there you have it but now I'm making one
That is to keep you here with me

'Cause every second that goes by
I feel it's just a waste of time if I'm not with you

If home is where the heart is
Then my home is where you are
But it's getting, oh, so hard
To spend these days without my heart

So I'm taking you with me
Anywhere that I could ever want to be
For the rest of my life
I want you there with me

And if there ever comes a time
When I should have to leave
I hope you know
That I, I'm taking you with me

And so I'm trying to hold it all together
And make it through the day
When I'm just dying to drop it all and take your hand
So we can run away

From all the miles and the hours
That seem to endlessly devour
The time that I could be with you

If home is where the heart is
Then my home is where you are
But it's getting, oh, so hard
To spend these days without my heart

So I'm taking you with me
Anywhere that I could ever want to be
For the rest of my life
I want you there with me

And if there ever comes a time
When I should have to leave
I hope you know
That I, I'm taking you with me

Every second that goes by
Is one more second off my life
And it couldn't be more clear
I'm literally dying without you here

And every second that goes by
Is one more second off my life
And it couldn't be more clear
I'm dying without you here

Yeah, every second that goes by
Yeah, every second that goes by

So I'm taking you with me
Anywhere that I could ever want to be
For the rest of my life
I want you there with me

And if there ever comes a time
When I should have to leave

I hope you know
That I, I'm taking you with me

Overall Meaning

The first stanza of Relient K's "I'm Taking You With Me" raises the theme of the song, which is centered on the realization of the importance of a loved one. Prior to this time, the singer never made promises that are difficult to keep, but he is currently making one that is to ensure that the person he loves stays with him. He feels that every second he spends without this person is a waste of time. The second stanza accentuates home as the location of the heart, which means wherever the singer's love interest is, is where his home is. He wishes to have the person forever with him and starts to fear the possibility of moments without his heart.

In the final stanza, the singer tries to hold it together and manages to endure until the end of the day. However, he wishes to run away with the person he loves and get away from the miles and hours that separate them. The song's theme is wrapped up by reminding us that each second spent without the person the singer loves is one second less off his life. He hopes that in the event he needs to leave, the person he loves will understand he's taking them with him. "I'm Taking You with Me" is a love song hinging on the fact that the singer wishes to be with his love interest always.

Line by Line Meaning

I made a habit of never making promises That aren't easy to keep And there you have it but now I'm making one That is to keep you here with me
The singer has a habit of avoiding promises he cannot keep, but now he is making one to keep his loved one with him.

'Cause every second that goes by I feel it's just a waste of time if I'm not with you
The singer believes that every second he spends away from his loved one is a waste of time.

If home is where the heart is Then my home is where you are But it's getting, oh, so hard To spend these days without my heart
The singer considers his loved one to be his home and feels lost without them.

So I'm taking you with me Anywhere that I could ever want to be For the rest of my life I want you there with me
The artist wants to take his loved one wherever he goes and spend the rest of his life with them.

And if there ever comes a time When I should have to leave I hope you know That I, I'm taking you with me
The artist promises to take his loved one with him if he ever has to leave.

And so I'm trying to hold it all together And make it through the day When I'm just dying to drop it all and take your hand So we can run away
The singer is struggling to get through each day without his loved one and longs to run away with them.

From all the miles and the hours That seem to endlessly devour The time that I could be with you
The singer feels that time spent away from his loved one is being consumed and wishes to be with them instead.

Every second that goes by Is one more second off my life And it couldn't be more clear I'm literally dying without you here
The artist believes that every moment spent apart from his loved one is shortening his life and he feels like he is dying without them.

So I'm taking you with me Anywhere that I could ever want to be For the rest of my life I want you there with me
The artist reiterates his desire to take his loved one with him everywhere and spend his life with them.

And if there ever comes a time When I should have to leave I hope you know That I, I'm taking you with me
The artist reminds his loved one that he will take them with him if he ever has to leave.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: MATTHEW THIESSEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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