The ascension of TobyMac’s solo career has been nothing short of spectacular. In an era of declining music sales he has consistently defied the odds and has seen his sales increase with each new album release. This is no small feat. With his fourth studio album TONIGHT released on Feb. 9, he is poised to take things higher yet again.
Having climbed the mountain once with the group dcTalk (4 Grammys, more than 8 million albums sold), TobyMac knows how difficult the journey can be and how much work the process actually takes. Rarely does an artist get to soar to great heights for a second time, but soar he has. He took home his first Grammy as a solo artist last year after receiving Grammy nominations for each of his first four solo projects (Momentum, Welcome To Diverse City, Portable Sounds, Tonight). And last year TobyMac topped 2 million in total albums sold during his solo career. TobyMac has also remixed the Welcome to Diverse City album and Momentum, calling the new albums Renovating Diverse City and Re:Mix Momentum, respectively. He has done it with a combination of talent, hard work and humility which has produced songs that resonate with people from all walks of life .
Upon embarking on his solo career, Toby sought to surround himself with a talented and diverse cast of characters, aptly named the Diverse City Band. The result has been a musical fusion that radiates with an unquenchable energy and a penetrating message.
A self-professed perfectionist when making records—he’s been known to relentlessly tweak and massage every little thing in an inexorable effort to make it sound better—Toby is the first to admit that he has to work really hard to make great music. “That’s what drives me,” he says. “I feel like I have to work harder than other people to get there. Sometimes I feel like I’m slightly under-gifted; I usually don't sit down and write a great song in just a few minutes like others can. But I think my work ethic makes up for that.”
Starting with dcTalk, and then going solo when the group disbanded in 2000, Toby still clings to such rootsy notions as hard work, persistence, patience and—perhaps most relevant of all—the power of music, which he insists is still what keeps him going.
“It’s the truth,” he says. “I still believe that a song can penetrate a heart. I believe God can use a song to open someone’s mind and heart. Other songs can just drop what I call, 'the joy bomb' on somebody. I fight really hard to remain unjaundiced—to keep believing that you can actually walk into a studio and write a song that breathes life. That’s the hardest fight for a guy who’s been doing this for a while; it’s easy to fall into the trap of just making it your job. But I still believe that songs matter.”
The songs on TONIGHT certainly matter—everything from the prayerful first single “City On Our Knees” to the testimonial “Changed Forever,” from the worshipful “Captured” to the confessional “Start Somewhere,” and even down to the put-on-your-party-hat grooves of “Funky Jesus Music” and “ShowStopper.” One theme that runs loud and clear throughout is the idea that we all need God, and we need him now—this morning, this afternoon, tonight.
“Right here, right now / Under the stars / I promise You my heart / ’Cause it starts tonight,” Toby sings on the chorus of the title track. “If you gotta start somewhere why not here? If you gotta start sometime why not now?” he asks on “City on Our Knees.” And “I wanna straighten this before the sun goes down tonight,” he proclaims on “Start Somewhere.”
“There’s definitely a sense of urgency on this record,” says co-producer Chris Stephens, who has worked on TobyMac’s last three CDs. “And it’s an album that speaks of unity, of coming together and finding common ground to worship God.”
Toby has long had a passion for racial reconciliation and unity, a recurrent theme in his music. TONIGHT includes songs of reconciliation of another kind—between husband and wife. Toby and Amanda have been happily married for 15 years, but like all couples, it can be hard work sometimes. For Toby, who best expresses his emotions through music, it was a natural step to write about it. In “Hold On,” he sings, “If you move just a little bit closer / You can put your head on my shoulder . . . / Wipe away those tears / This one’s for you.” And on “Start Somewhere,” he’s downright confessional: “I said some things that I regret / And if I could, I’d take ’em back / But here I am, and there you are / The space between us is not so far / I’m reaching out my hand in love.”
“‘Hold On’ is very personal,” Toby says. “Many lines are there to encourage my wife, but I know those lines could encourage anybody in a relationship. As for ‘Start Somewhere,’ any time you’re in love with somebody, you’re going to bang heads from time to time. I don’t know how many times I’ve been lying in bed, sweating it out and thinking, How am I going to make this right? But then you reach that moment of apology and forgiveness. That’s one of my favorite songs on the record; it’s a personal perspective on confrontation and reconciliation.”
And then there’s “Wonderin’,” in which Toby reminisces about the past with Kevin Max and Michael Tait in dcTalk, one of Christian music’s biggest acts in the 1990s. “We was ridin’ in style, clockin’ them miles / With the songs that He put down deep in our hearts . . . / I’m wonderin’ ’bout the way I spend my days / Wonderin’ if it’s even worth the chase / Wonderin’ if they’re stealin’ me from you.”
“It’s just a warm look back at dc Talk,” says Toby, almost wistfully. “It’s reminiscing about Michael and Kevin and what we did together, and recognizing their influence on me. I love what I do today, but there are times when I wonder,What if we stayed together? I’ve got these dreams I’m pursuing now, but are they stealing me from you? I think about Kevin and Michael on every song I write. That's the truth man, we climbed a mountain together.”
Sonically, TONIGHT is typical TobyMac in many ways—an eclectic mix of rap, rock, pop and funk, all laden with catchy hooks and melodies just itching for airplay and audience singalongs. There’s even a healthy dose of reggae on the album closer “Break Open the Sky,” where Toby flexes his Jamaican family ties while Israel Houghton provides guest vocals. Other visiting vocalists include Skillet’s John Cooper on “Tonight” and Relient K’s Matthew Thiessen on “Wonderin’.”
Of course most of the vocals belong to the artist himself. Stephens says Toby “has stretched himself as a vocalist, he writes about things he is passionate about and his vocals reflect that urgency''. Toby agrees: “I do more singing on this record than ever before. I’m learning to use my vocal instrument in different ways, and I’m getting more comfortable with it everyday''.
It all adds up to a project that reflects one man’s desire to push himself beyond “very good,” to dig deep in the quest for that other country where greatness resides. He certainly reached for it. Hard.
“I’ve worked very hard not to fall into the trap of making this just a gig,” he says. “If it is a labor, it’s a labor of love. I know music can’t change the world, but who says God can't speak through a song."
Right here, right now. TONIGHT.
TobyMac is usually styled tobyMac or TOBYMAC
Extreme Days
TobyMac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're livin'
We're livin' in extreme days
Comin' at ya like a whirlwind
A hundred miles an hour's where we'll begin
I spy the eye of apprehension
Show me risk and you'll get my attention
Come on, can ya take it
Bang to the bip I make ya wanna flip
Take my trip and you can bust your lip
I never fear 'cause I live fearless
Don't even think for a second you can get with this
Come on, I never fake it, come on
These are extreme, extreme, extreme days
We're livin', we're livin', we're livin' in extreme days
These are extreme, extreme days
We're livin', we're livin', we're livin' in extreme days
I'm a freak from the burbs of the chocolate city
Luther Jackson was my middle
Pine Ridge, my elementary
School of hip hop, 1979
And Sugar Hill had the skills that taught me to rhyme
Got hip to Kiss and I tripped on Zeppelin
So Mr. Therapist, "Why did I go this direction?"
God had a plan to end all my schemes
I had a dream He said to be extreme
Come on, can you take it
These are extreme, extreme, extreme days
We're livin', we're livin', we're livin' in extreme days
These are extreme, extreme, extreme days
We're livin', we're livin', we're livin' in extreme days
(Extreme days)
(Can't nobody stop me)
(Can't nobody stop me)
(Can't nobody stop me)
(And that's the bottom, bottom, bottom line)
Just the other day I saw a kid
Who flipped his hat to the back and he called it a lid
You know what else he did?
He stacked books from the floor to the ceiling
Said somethin' bout trying to get to heaven
He was only eleven
But he climbed to the top with outstretched arms
And he screamed at the top of his lungs
Move out my way
Give up the mic
"X" to me is extremely Christ
Livin' up in me
Like it or not
Put an "X" on my chest
'Cause X marks the spot
'Cause we're livin', we're livin', we're livin' in extreme days
These are extreme, extreme, extreme days
These are extreme, extreme days
'Cause we're livin', we're livin', we're livin' in extreme days
These are extreme, extreme, extreme days
'Cause we're livin', we're livin', we're livin' in extreme days
We're livin', we're livin', we're livin' in extreme days
We're livin', we're livin', we're livin' in extreme days
'Cause we're livin', we're livin', we're livin' in extreme days
We're livin', we're livin', we're livin' in extreme days
'Cause we're livin', we're livin', we're livin' in extreme days
The song Extreme Days by TobyMac is a powerful anthem about living fearlessly and embracing life to the fullest. The lyrics celebrate the fast-paced and unpredictable nature of life, encouraging listeners to take risks and pursue their dreams. The song opens with the repeated mantra, "We're livin', we're livin', we're livin' in extreme days," which sets the tone for the rest of the song.
TobyMac reflects on his upbringing in the suburbs of Chocolate City and how his exposure to music, including the skills taught to him by Sugar Hill, helped shape his perspective on life. He credits God with guiding him to pursue a life of extremes, one where he is unafraid to take risks and stand up for his beliefs. This theme is carried throughout the song, with TobyMac encouraging listeners to embrace their faith and their passions despite any obstacles that may come their way.
Overall, the song is a powerful reminder of the importance of living fearlessly and embracing the unexpected. TobyMac rallies listeners to take control of their lives and to make the most of each day, no matter how extreme it may be.
Line by Line Meaning
We're livin'
We are alive and experiencing life
Comin' at ya like a whirlwind
Life is moving fast
A hundred miles an hour's where we'll begin
The pace is just getting started and it is fast
I spy the eye of apprehension
There are things to be cautious of
Show me risk and you'll get my attention
Taking risks is exciting
Come on, can ya take it
Are you ready for what's coming?
Bang to the bip I make ya wanna flip
The excitement is intense and may even flip you over
Take my trip and you can bust your lip
If you're not careful, you may get hurt
I never fear 'cause I live fearless
I don't live with fear because I am fearless
Don't even think for a second you can get with this
No one can stop me
These are extreme, extreme, extreme days
These are exciting times
I'm a freak from the burbs of the chocolate city
I am unique and different
Luther Jackson was my middle
My middle name is after Luther Jackson
Pine Ridge, my elementary
I went to Pine Ridge Elementary school
School of hip hop, 1979
I started listening to hip hop in 1979
And Sugar Hill had the skills that taught me to rhyme
I learned to rhyme from Sugar Hill
Got hip to Kiss and I tripped on Zeppelin
I started listening to Kiss and Zeppelin and it blew my mind
So Mr. Therapist, "Why did I go this direction?"
Why did I end up where I am today?
God had a plan to end all my schemes
God's plan is greater than my own
I had a dream He said to be extreme
God wants me to be bold and adventurous
Just the other day I saw a kid
I saw a child recently
Who flipped his hat to the back and he called it a lid
The child wore his hat backwards and called it a lid
You know what else he did?
He did something else interesting
He stacked books from the floor to the ceiling
He stacked books very high
Said somethin' bout trying to get to heaven
He mentioned trying to get to heaven
He was only eleven
He was just 11 years old
But he climbed to the top with outstretched arms
He climbed to the top with open arms
And he screamed at the top of his lungs
He yelled as loud as he could
Move out my way
Get out of my way
Give up the mic
Give me the microphone
"X" to me is extremely Christ
To me, the letter "X" represents Christ
Livin' up in me
Christ lives in me
Like it or not
Whether you like it or not
Put an "X" on my chest
I will wear the letter "X" on my chest
'Cause X marks the spot
"X" is important to me
We're livin', we're livin', we're livin' in extreme days
We are living in exciting times
Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Toby McKeehan, David Bach, Jamie Rowe, Michael Anthony Taylor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@vincentwarnke6612
I realize I am late to the game here, but I have to agree with you here.
Bang to the bip I make ya want to flip
Take my trip and you can bust your lip
I never fear 'cause I live fearless
Don't even think for a second you can get with this
Really touched me.
P.S. I agree with you completely, but this is just an absolutely cornball song.
@damianedwards8827
Let’s see how many people vibin to this Christ jam in 2023.
Thanks Toby. Bless
@gbitm
Toby has changed style with each and every one of his albums. Yet he remains completely amazing and relevant with each release. It's absolutely amazing. He's been in the game since 1989. Wow!
@marchuknvg
I noticed that too
@kilometersnoblue4311
Hands down his best style though.
@elizabethsnyder9678
He went from rap to pop. But he still rap in some of his song.
@followerofchrist9359
This song was my jam growing up!! Thanks Toby for some hardcore music to listen to. I loved it so much. This was my favorite song for years.
@SchardtCinematic
Prayers for Toby Mac and his family. He lost his oldest yesterday or today. Him and his family are in my prayers.
@ac-jy3ku
you can cram all the silent letters you want in there but we can all tell that your name is Shart
@SchardtCinematic
@@ac-jy3ku I'm assuming you are an atheist here to only be a bully and bash Christian's and try to cause pain yo others. I will pray for you.
@ac-jy3ku
@@SchardtCinematic you should be praying for the pants you pooped in