Will Wadsworth formed The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers in the winter of 2010 following a failed relationship, a band dissolution, and a scary airplane ride. In order to re-spark his interest in music, he and his roommate, Jeremy Horton, gathered friends together to sing old gospel songs.
Inspired by their love of Washington Phillips, The Staples Singers, Mahalia Jackson, Sister Rosetta Tharpe —the real classics— they held house parties just so they could perform. Soon enough, a large, shifting group of people came each week to join in on the weekly jams. There could be anything from eight to eighteen participants, depending upon the night.
Wadsworth and Horton, realizing this might work in a club setting, pared down the group to core members, and they began performing around Los Angeles.
In 2014, they recorded their first album with Matt Wignall (Cold War Kids, J. Roddy Walston and the Business). Heavenly Fire (released 2015) is an explosive barn-burner, taut with electricity and highlighting Kim Garcia’s remarkable singing. It’s an articulation of their sound, honed over those many group parties, into a band that has become a rousing celebration of traditional gospel sounds with rock foundations.
Thunder and Lightning
The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've got a broken light and now I wear it on my shoulder
I gave up on my love and I'm feeling so alone now
I'll see the sky fall down, I'll feel the air getting colder
I can feel it rising up over me
Something too awful for words
I can feel it rising up over me
I've got the lightning and thunder
I live in the wind and the rain
I've got the lightning and thunder
It's all by the power of your name
He saw a cruel old cross that He knew He had to carry
And with the Father's will He let them lead Him to a sad end
Falling down near by were the tears of weeping Mary
Yet as He died up there all our wrongs would be forgotten
The lyrics of The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers's song Thunder and Lightning depict a person on a journey down a long dark road with a broken light, feeling lost and alone. The singer realizes that they have given up on love and fear an impending doom as the air gets colder and the sky falls down. The rising feeling of impending doom is too overwhelming for words and may lead to the end of the world.
In contrast, the chorus suggests a powerful sense of agency and a source of strength for the singer. They declare that they have "the lightning and thunder" and live "in the wind and the rain," all by "the power of your name." This could be a reference to faith or an external power that guides and empowers the singer.
The song also contains a reference to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, who carried a cruel cross, was led to a sad end by the will of the Father, and died up there with the promise that all of our wrongs would be forgiven.
Overall, the song seems to be about the struggle between feeling lost and hopeless and finding strength and empowerment through faith or an external source of power. The powerful imagery of thunder and lightning underscores the emotive weight of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
I see a long dark road and I know I've got to go down
I see a difficult path ahead of me that I know I must travel.
I've got a broken light and now I wear it on my shoulder
I've experienced pain and hardship, and now I carry it with me wherever I go.
I gave up on my love and I'm feeling so alone now
I lost faith in love and now feel isolated and lonely.
I'll see the sky fall down, I'll feel the air getting colder
I will experience a great catastrophe, and everything around me will seem ominous and bleak.
I can feel it rising up over me
I sense something terrible looming on the horizon.
Something too awful for words
The thing that's coming is so terrible that words cannot describe it.
May be the end of the world
Perhaps this will be the apocalypse; the ultimate disaster.
I've got the lightning and thunder
I possess great power and strength.
I live in the wind and the rain
I thrive in the midst of storms and chaos.
It's all by the power of your name
All of my abilities and strengths come through faith in a higher power.
He saw a cruel old cross that He knew He had to carry
He recognized that He must bear a great burden, even if it's unfair and unjust.
And with the Father's will He let them lead Him to a sad end
He accepted the will of a higher power, even if it meant a tragic end.
Falling down near by were the tears of weeping Mary
The loved ones of those who suffer often feel great sorrow and anguish.
Yet as He died up there all our wrongs would be forgotten
Even in the midst of great pain and suffering, there can be hope for redemption and forgiveness.
Contributed by Lily O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.