Sara received her Bachelor of Science degree in History and English in 1994 from Evangel University, a private Christian university in Springfield, Missouri. Sara spent four years teaching high school in Rosemount, Minnesota before recording her first album, Past the Wishing, in 1998. Since then, she has released five more albums and appeared on several others (see below). Sara has been nominated for 3 Dove Awards including "New Artist of the Year" in 2002 and "Special Event Album of the Year 2003" by the Gospel Music Association. She was named one of the best Christian music artists of 2005 and the album, Add to the Beauty, was named "Album of the Year" for 2005 by CCM Magazine. In 2009 Fireflies & Songs earned enough votes from a panel of ten music critics to be named Christianity Today's Album of the Year. The magazine explained their choice: "Already known for her transparent songwriting, Sara Groves gets even more piercingly honest on this, her ninth album. Whether her relationship with God, marital tension, or a private battle with anxiety, it's poetically spilled forth in Groves' call for the church to 'live confessionally.' And paired with less poppy, stripped-down arrangements, her achingly clear vocal remains front and center. This is vintage Groves—yet more herself than ever."
Undone
Sara Groves Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The party is over and their hearts were won
There's a zipper in the back
But I can't reach it on my own
And I am dying to get out of this so
[Chorus]
Baby will you help me get undone
I started out pretending
Now I don't recognize myself
And I could use a little help
You have no pretenses
All your walls are fences I can see right through
You have no two faces
You know where our place is and that's why I need you
Oh baby
[Chorus]
Cause I started out pretending
Now I don't recognize myself
And I could use a little help
Oh baby, oh baby, oh baby
Will you help me get undone
Sara Groves's "Undone" is a song about reaching a breaking point after trying to fit into a persona that is not authentically her. She starts the song asking for help to get undone, stating that the party is over and people's hearts were won, but she cannot get out of her outfit by herself. The song is not just about physical disrobing but also emotional and psychological liberation. Throughout the song, the lyrics refer to her need for a partner who can see through her facades ("You have no pretenses, all your walls are fences I can see right through, you have no two faces."), and help her emerge from the role she has been playing.
The chorus highlights the desperation that comes with feeling lost and trapped in a space that is not of your own making, "I started out pretending, now I don't recognize myself, and I could use a little help." The song ends with the repeated plea for help, "Baby, will you help me get undone?"
Line by Line Meaning
Baby can you help me get undone
The singer is seeking help from someone they trust and rely on to undo what they have become.
The party is over and their hearts were won
The singer is reflecting on the past where they pretended to be someone they are not to win the hearts of others, but it has left them feeling lost and in need of help.
There's a zipper in the back
The singer likens their situation to a dress with a zipper at the back, which is difficult for them to reach on their own.
But I can't reach it on my own
The artist is admitting their inability to fix their situation alone.
And I am dying to get out of this so
The artist feels trapped and desperate to break free from the person they pretended to be.
[Chorus] Baby will you help me get undone
The singer pleads with their trusted partner to help them undo the facade they have been living and return to their true self.
I don't even remember how I got this on
The singer has lost touch with their true self and is not sure how they ended up being someone they are not.
I started out pretending
The artist acknowledges that they started pretending to be someone they are not at the beginning of their journey.
Now I don't recognize myself
The artist no longer feels like themselves and does not know how to return to their true self.
And I could use a little help
The artist is seeking help from someone they trust to guide them back to their true self.
You have no pretenses
The singer is describing their partner as someone who is authentic and true to themselves.
All your walls are fences I can see right through
The artist trusts their partner completely and knows that they do not hide anything from them.
You have no two faces
The singer is describing their partner as someone who is genuine and does not pretend to be someone they are not depending on the situation.
You know where our place is and that's why I need you
The singer needs their partner's help because they feel lost and their partner knows where they belong and can guide them back.
Oh baby
The singer addresses their partner affectionately.
[Chorus] Cause I started out pretending
The artist reiterates that they started pretending to be someone they are not in the past.
Now I don't recognize myself
The artist admits that they have lost touch with their true self because of their pretense.
And I could use a little help
The singer pleads with their partner to guide them back to their true self.
Oh baby, oh baby, oh baby
The singer addresses their partner affectionately and repeatedly.
Will you help me get undone
The artist pleads once again for their partner's help to remove the facade they have been living and return to their true self.
Lyrics © MUSIC SERVICES, INC.
Written by: SARA GROVES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Matt Leitner
on Conversations
Thanks for the commentary, I think the line by line suffers a little - clearly Sara is a believer in Jesus Christ and that is what means so much to her, whereas the line by line interpretation "dumbs it down" to "my faith and religious beliefs". The line by line even mentions "my truth" which is moral relativism (see a Tim Keller sermon or talk on idolatry). Just because a believer in Christ expresses uncertainty or vulnerability does not mean that they are abandoning their faith!!!!!! In this the line by line commentary does a disservice to the song. Nevertheless I appreciated the overall meaning comments.