One thing that made the Supertones stand out in CCM was their embrace of secular music styles, even to the point of having the introductions of some songs by Metallica be put in their own songs. Examples included Metallica's cover of "Am I Evil?" in "Adonai", "Creeping Death" and "One" in their song "Supertones Strike Back", and "Damage, Inc" as the intro to "Fade Away".
Another aspect that made them stick out was their open attention to problems facing the church both culturally and doctrinally. Their songs encourage doctrinal (including Biblical) literacy and holding firmly to one's faith.
The band has gone through a number of lineup changes, and in 2004 it was announced that the Supertones would be breaking up. Their last show was at Biola University in La Mirada, California on October 7, 2005; fellow Christian rockers Bleach (in a reunion show) and John Davis also played.
In 2010 the Supertones reunited and are currently on tour, mostly playing festivals.
Official Supertones website: http://ocsupertones.com/
Official Myspace Page: http://www.myspace.com/ocsupertones
Official Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/TheO.C.Supertones?v=info
in between
The O.C. Supertones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Half of me slave, the other half free.
Righteous and sinful,
Both at the same time.
Iniquity and purity
Fill up the same mind.
And out of the same mouth,
The holy and profane.
Then I bless Christ's name.
I hang in the balance,
But still I'm secure.
I'm leaning towards evil,
But striving to be pure
I stand between the saint and the
Sinner, chasing after holiness, close
Enough to grasp, but still it's just
Beyond my reach.
Who I am is in between,
What I want to be and what I am.
Pulling from both sides,
Humility and pride.
One seeks to five,
The other to be gratified.
In any case, however,
I know I'm in need.
Two appetites in me,
Which on do I feed?
Running fast as I can
After elusive perfection.
No I'm not there yet,
But sure I'm in the right direction.
'cause I see me at the end
And I look glorified.
Justified safe inside,
So I seek to be sanctified.
The lyrics to The O.C. Supertones’s “In Between” describe the internal struggle of human nature between good and evil, and the in-between phase of trying to achieve sanctification. The song revolves around the dichotomy between sin and holiness that exist inside every person, and the battle in between. The lyrics begin with the singer introducing themselves and confessing their internal strife: half slave, half free, righteous and sinful all at once. The same mind that holds iniquity and impurity also holds purity and holiness, and the same mouth that curses others can also bless Christ's name.
The singer acknowledges their position, hanging in the balance between being secure and striving towards purity, while leaning towards evil. He speaks of standing between saint and sinner and chasing after holiness, but it always seems just beyond his reach. The next stanza highlights his internal conflict between humility and pride, and how he must constantly choose which to feed. While running as fast as he can towards perfection, the singer realizes he has not reached the end but is sure he is in the right direction, seeking to be sanctified. One day, he aspires to be glorified, justified and safe inside.
The song is a powerful expression of the inner turmoil and uncertainty experienced by people striving towards spiritual perfection. It reminds us that no matter how hard we try, we will always be stuck in-between our sin and our salvation. We must keep on striving towards holiness and righteousness, that one day we may reach the ultimate goal of sanctification.
Line by Line Meaning
Please allow me to introduce me.
I am introducing myself to you.
Half of me slave, the other half free.
I am torn between good and evil. Half of me is a slave to sin, the other half is free in Christ.
Righteous and sinful, Both at the same time.
I am both righteous and sinful at the same time.
Iniquity and purity Fill up the same mind.
My mind is filled with both sin and purity.
And out of the same mouth, The holy and profane.
I use my mouth to speak both holy and unholy things.
I curse all my brothers, Then I bless Christ's name.
I curse others, but then I turn around and praise Christ.
I hang in the balance, But still I'm secure.
I am in a state of uncertainty, but I am secure in my faith.
I'm leaning towards evil, But striving to be pure
I am tempted by sin, but I am striving to be pure.
I stand between the saint and the Sinner, chasing after holiness, close Enough to grasp, but still it's just Beyond my reach.
I am in between being a saint and a sinner, pursuing holiness but it always seems just out of reach.
Who I am is in between, What I want to be and what I am. Pulling from both sides, Humility and pride.
I am stuck in the middle of who I am and who I want to be, while battling pride and humility.
One seeks to five, The other to be gratified.
One side of me seeks to give, while the other side seeks gratification.
In any case, however, I know I'm in need. Two appetites in me, Which on do I feed?
I acknowledge that I am in need, but I struggle with which side to feed.
Running fast as I can After elusive perfection. No I'm not there yet, But sure I'm in the right direction.
I am striving for perfection, although I am not there yet. I am confident that I am headed in the right direction.
'cause I see me at the end And I look glorified. Justified safe inside, So I seek to be sanctified.
I have a vision of myself at the end of this journey, glorified and justified. Therefore, I seek to be sanctified.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAMIE WALTERS, STEVE TYRELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind