Early years
Third Day began in 1991, when singer Mac Powell and guitarist Mark Lee finished studying at McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia. They had already played together in a garage band called Nuclear Hoedown, but now wanted to form a band where they could express their faith in God. Powell and Lee added a keyboard player named Billy Wilkins, and dedicated their time to write songs and perform around the state of Georgia.[1]
In 1992, they were playing at Lee's church the same night that drummer David Carr and bassist Tai Anderson were playing with a band called Bullard Family Singers. Their youth director asked the band to perform at their church. The group took along quickly and were invited to join the band.[2] The album that Carr produced would be released the next year under the title Long Time Forgotten.
In 1993, while dealing with their studies, the band started playing more aggressively around Atlanta and saved $3,000 to record a full-length album. Also, during this time, original member, Billy Wilkins, who was working as a school teacher, ended up leaving the band.[3] Still, Third Day continued to work on their first full-length album, recording at Furies Studios in Atlanta. The album was finally released in 1994 with 2,000 copies available.[4] In 1995, the band started looking for a second guitarist. They had heard Brad Avery play with singer Chris Carder and asked him to play with the band. After playing "Consuming Fire" during their first rehearsal, Avery officially joined the band.
As the band completed its line-up, they also started playing steadily around the South-east area. They also started playing at an Atlanta venue called the Strand Theatre. The management of the local decided to sign the band to a new independent record label called Gray Dot Records. That same year, the band released the album Third Day, which ended up selling 20,000 copies. Shortly after, Reunion Records signed the band to a multi-album deal.[5]
International Success
In 1998, the band started working on their next project titled Time under the production of Monroe James. They had compiled around 30 songs to choose from during the last year, and ended up choosing only ten. The album was also nominated for a Grammy and won another Dove Award for the band. Some of the other songs the band recorded, but were left out can be found in the EP Southern Tracks.[8] Also, during the band's live shows, the worship part was becoming more "powerful", which prompted them to release an album exclusively of worship songs, titled Offerings: A Worship Album. The album was recorded in about a week, and they followed it with a tour alongside Jennifer Knapp. They also collaborated in the project called City on a Hill: Songs of Worship and Praise.[9]
In 2001, the band played in Australia and New Zealand on the heels of the success of the Offerings album. They continued to tour in the States, and recorded one of their concerts in Atlanta to be released as their first DVD, The Offerings Experience. The concert was held at the Hi-Fi Buys Ampitheatre with an attendance of close to 15,000 people. That same year, the band won a total of five Dove Awards as well as their first Grammy. They followed that year with the release of Come Together which ended up winning two Dove Awards and one more Grammy. The album was certified gold the next year, along with Time.[10][11] In 2003, they also released a follow-up to their hit Offerings titled Offerings II: All I Have to Give.
The band appeared in the 2002 film "Joshua", the movie version of the Joseph Girzone novel of the same name. The Third Day song "My Hope is You" was included in the Joshua soundtrack album.
Recent Years
In 2004, the band released their next album, Wire, and toured the States with tobyMac and Warren Barfield. In June of the same year, the band traveled to Europe for a two-week tour. Upon returning, the band recorded a concert at Louisville which ended up as their next project, Live Wire, released later that year. During that year, they also collaborated on the soundtrack for Mel Gibson's film, The Passion of the Christ, they played at the Republican National Convention, and were featured in the show 60 Minutes.[12] In January 2007, the band played one night each in Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney, Australia.[13]
Their next album, Wherever You Are, debuted on the Billboard 200 at #8.[14] It also won the band their third Grammy. They have followed it with the holiday album, Christmas Offerings in 2006, and with a compilation of their hits titled Chronology in 2007. On February 28th, 2008, Third Day released a statement announcing Brad Avery's departure from the band after 13 years and over 1000 concerts.
Their best album to date entitled Revelation was released July 29, 2008.
Third Day released Miracle on November 6, 2012. The band toured Miracle on the Miracle Tour with artists Colton Dixon and Josh Wilson as their opening acts, commencing on February 21, 2013 in Fairfax, Virginia and concluding on May 19, 2014 in Orlando, Florida.
Third Day released the worship album Lead Us Back: Songs of Worship on March 3, 2015. The album, produced by the duo The Sound Kids, composed of Jonny Macintosh and JT Daly, peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard 200, No. 1 on the Christian Albums chart, No. 5 on the Top Rock Albums chart[27] and No. 13 on the Digital Albums chart. The album has had one single, "Soul on Fire", that spent 19 weeks on the Billboard charts, peaking at No. 2 on Hot Christian Songs and No. 3 on Christian Digital Songs.
Alien
Third Day Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No need to search any more
I'm in need of Your saving
You, You can give me hope
Rescue my wretched soul
You are the one I am praying
The fatherless and the widow
I am just like the alien
The fatherless and the widow
Keep Your watch over me
Sustain the life in me
Frustrate the ways of every wicked man
Let me inside Your home
Father defend my cause
Plead for my case and my innocence
I am just like the alien
The fatherless and the widow
I am just like the alien
The fatherless and the widow
Just like the alien
I'm a stranger in a strange land
Just like the fatherless, I am in need
Of someone to take my hand
Just like the widow
I need You right now
To understand and save me
Won't You save me?
Won't You save me?
Won't You save me?
Save me, save me
I am just like the alien
Fatherless and the widow
I am just like the alien
The fatherless and the widow
In "Alien," Third Day sings about feeling like an outsider in the world and in need of saving. The chorus repeats the phrase "I am just like the alien, the fatherless and the widow," drawing on biblical imagery of marginalized groups. The lyrics express the need for God's guidance and protection, asking Him to keep watch over the singer and frustrate the plans of wicked people. The singer pleads with God to hear their case and save them, emphasizing their desperation with the repeated phrase "save me."
The song taps into an important theme in Christianity of feeling like a stranger in the world. Christians believe that they are citizens of heaven and that this world is not their ultimate home, which can create a sense of disconnection and longing for something more. The lyrics of "Alien" express this feeling of not quite belonging and the need for God's care and protection.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm what You're looking for
I am ready to be saved and am the one that You are searching for
No need to search any more
You have found me and I am ready to be saved
I'm in need of Your saving
I require Your salvation to be rescued from my current state
You, You can give me hope
You have the ability to provide me with hope in my life
Rescue my wretched soul
Save me from the miserable and unhappy state that I am currently in
You are the one I am praying
You are the subject of my prayers and the one I am seeking for salvation
I am just like the alien
I am a stranger and outsider, like someone from another world
The fatherless and the widow
Like those without a parental figure or a spouse, I am alone and in need of assistance
Keep Your watch over me
Please keep a constant eye on me and protect me from any harm
Sustain the life in me
Help me continue living and provide me with vitality and energy
Frustrate the ways of every wicked man
Disrupt the plans of all those who have ill intentions for me
Let me inside Your home
Invite me into Your house and provide me with a sense of belonging
Father defend my cause
Father, please take up my defense and speak on my behalf
Plead for my case and my innocence
Argue in favor of my innocence and reasons why I deserve to be saved
Just like the alien
Similar to the outsider or stranger, I am lost and trying to find my way
I'm a stranger in a strange land
I feel like I do not belong and am struggling to fit in
Just like the fatherless, I am in need
Like those without a parent or guardian, I am searching for guidance
Of someone to take my hand
I need someone to guide me through my struggles and aid me in my journey
Just like the widow
Similar to those who have lost a spouse, I am grieving and in pain
I need You right now
I require Your help and guidance immediately
To understand and save me
To comprehend my struggles and to provide salvation and aid to me
Won't You save me?
I am pleading with You to rescue me from my current state
Save me, save me
Please save me from my pain and suffering
I am just like the alien
I am still like the outsider or stranger, searching for salvation and help
Fatherless and the widow
Like those without parents or spouses, I am in need of aid and guidance
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MARK D. LEE, JOHNNY MAC POWELL, SAMUEL TAI ANDERSON, BRADLEY B. C. AVERY, DAVID CARR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind