After two albums for Tooth and Nail where the band explored more anthemic avenues, the quintet found itself re-examining its hard rock and metal roots on its third record for the label. The resulting album is an 11-song sonic attack that knows when to slow down the pace and when to pounce back like a slap to the face. "We didn't intentionally go for a heavier sound," guitarist Jef Cunnigham said. "We just wrote what came to mind and I think it turned into some of our best material."
Late last year the band's hectic touring schedule slowed enough for them to start working on the record, though they had a few geographical obstacles to overcome before starting. With members spread across four states, each created a secret Myspace for a non-existent band where they would post song ideas for the others to listen to.
Singer Matt Baird would download these parts to his iPod, where he began to craft the lyrics for the record. His finished work centers on topics like redemption and restoration, and reaches its pinnacle on the album's tenth track, "When Hope is All You Have," which began as a phrase he used during his father's funeral just before recording began.
"There are songs about healing and hope and about moving on after we've made mistakes," Baird said. "I felt some pressure in writing, hoping my parts would turn out as good as the music. But I think it all came out better than I could've imagined." After their internet-aided pre-production, the band decided to set up shop in a one-room cabin in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee for over a month to mold those song ideas into the core of the album. After three weeks of work, Baird joined the band for the final two weeks to add his lyrics to the fray.
With songs in hand the band then headed to Lakeside Studios in Knoxville for a month-long session with producer Travis Wyrick (P.O.D., Disciple), who also produced 2005's "Last Chance to Breathe," a record that helped the band expand its fanbase as it ventured into poppier leanings.
"I'm blown away by the finished record," Cunnigham said. "We wrote these songs to please ourselves, to write songs that we wanted to play live and we ended up with a few that were heavier and harder than anything on the last two records." Wyrick and the band have created a sound less reliant on overdubs and layering and more focused on bringing the band's live show to mind with a more sparse sound that still rocks as hard as ever. Maybe more so. "We wanted to experiment with heavier songs and think further ahead in the lifespan of the band," Baird said. "And with these heavier songs it really feels like a step toward the future and a reflection of the past."
Promise
Spoken Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You don't feel you're any closer to the prize
A dead end job where there's no future
Praying that tomorrow things won't be this way
Things will get better this I promise you
And I know that you won't feel this way forever
Things will get better this I promise you
Yet another day, another tired morning
You're catching up to your intentions
You're thinking life has to be easier than this
Maybe tomorrow things won't be this way
Loneliness won't last forever
I promise with all that's in me to leave this emptiness behind
The lyrics of "Promise" by Spoken convey a sense of hope and encouragement to those who feel stuck in a dead-end situation. The song talks about the struggles of feeling unfulfilled in life, possibly due to being stuck in a job that seems to lead nowhere. The lyrics speak to the feeling of despair, of waking up every morning feeling tired and unfulfilled, and hoping that things would be different somehow.
The chorus of the song is where the message of hope is most strongly conveyed. The singer promises that things will get better, that the feelings of loneliness and emptiness won't last forever. The lyrics are meant to be uplifting and reassuring to those who are struggling, reminding them that there is always hope for a better tomorrow.
Overall, the song "Promise" is about persevering through tough times, holding on to hope, and believing that things will eventually get better. It's a message that is both comforting and empowering, reminding listeners that they have the strength to endure even when things seem bleak.
Line by Line Meaning
Yet another day seems like it's wasted
Another day goes by without a sense of accomplishment
You don't feel you're any closer to the prize
You feel like you're not making progress towards your goals
A dead end job where there's no future
Your job feels like a dead end with no opportunity for advancement
Praying that tomorrow things won't be this way
You hope that things will improve in the future
Things will get better this I promise you
You offer reassurance that things will improve
And I know that you won't feel this way forever
You acknowledge that their current struggles are temporary
Things will get better this I promise you
You repeat that things will improve to reassure them
And I know loneliness won't last forever
You express certainty that their feelings of loneliness will subside
Yet another day, another tired morning
Another day begins with exhaustion
You're catching up to your intentions
You're slowly making progress towards your goals
You're thinking life has to be easier than this
You're questioning why life is so difficult
Maybe tomorrow things won't be this way
You hold onto hope for a better future
Loneliness won't last forever
You reassure them that their current feelings of loneliness won't persist
I promise with all that's in me to leave this emptiness behind
You vow to help them move beyond their feelings of emptiness
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Capitol CMG Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JARROD DOUGLAS MONTAGUE, MICHAEL FREDERICK DE WOLF, PHILIP M. LIPSCOMB, STEPHEN RICHARDS, WILLIAM PATRICK CORGAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
One Outta One
Probably the most underrated band in Christian rock.
Austin H
Cried myself to sleep to this song as a tween, countless nights. Depression, Anxiety, never feeling like I belonged -- it did get better. I still struggle with all of those things, but I've been lucky enough to find people worth spending this life with and they make it all worth it ♥️. Would recommend this song to any teenager struggling to find themselves and where they belong.
Kiki
Me too and I’m 31 and still on the same position. Pretty depressing.
Rob Kaufman
Yo! Y’all are not alone. Take this song and use it to help you what ever shape or form. It’s been so long since I heard this and it hits hard! Love everyone you meet and it will change.
Things will get better, this I promise you.
No No
Same I remember crying to this song lol...
Austen Reno
This song still saves me in 2020.
Unlucky Fish
Thank you for making things better Lord
Rob Kaufman
I fucking love this song! Some of us need this push to get through this life. Thank you Spoken. ❤️👊🏼
Scott.M.Karkosky The family man
God is leveling out the mountains for me, I bury my old self of doubt, fear... If you believe say amen.
John Smith
In Jesus I believe