The ascension of TobyMacโs 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 recordsโheโs been known to relentlessly tweak and massage every little thing in an inexorable effort to make it sound betterโToby is the first to admit that he has to work really hard to make great music. โThatโs what drives me,โ he says. โI feel like I have to work harder than other people to get there. Sometimes I feel like Iโm 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.โ
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 andโperhaps most relevant of allโthe power of music, which he insists is still what keeps him going.
โItโs the truth,โ he says. โI still believe that a song can penetrate a heart. I believe God can use a song to open someoneโs mind and heart. Other songs can just drop what I call, 'the joy bomb' on somebody. I fight really hard to remain unjaundicedโto keep believing that you can actually walk into a studio and write a song that breathes life. Thatโs the hardest fight for a guy whoโs been doing this for a while; itโs easy to fall into the trap of just making it your job. But I still believe that songs matter.โ
The songs on TONIGHT certainly matterโeverything from the prayerful first single โCity On Our Kneesโ to the testimonial โChanged Forever,โ from the worshipful โCapturedโ to the confessional โStart Somewhere,โ and even down to the put-on-your-party-hat grooves of โFunky Jesus Musicโ and โShowStopper.โ One theme that runs loud and clear throughout is the idea that we all need God, and we need him nowโthis morning, this afternoon, tonight.
โRight here, right now / Under the stars / I promise You my heart / โCause it starts tonight,โ Toby sings on the chorus of the title track. โIf you gotta start somewhere why not here? If you gotta start sometime why not now?โ he asks on โCity on Our Knees.โ And โI wanna straighten this before the sun goes down tonight,โ he proclaims on โStart Somewhere.โ
โThereโs definitely a sense of urgency on this record,โ says co-producer Chris Stephens, who has worked on TobyMacโs last three CDs. โAnd itโs an album that speaks of unity, of coming together and finding common ground to worship God.โ
Toby has long had a passion for racial reconciliation and unity, a recurrent theme in his music. TONIGHT includes songs of reconciliation of another kindโbetween 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 โHold On,โ he sings, โIf you move just a little bit closer / You can put your head on my shoulder . . . / Wipe away those tears / This oneโs for you.โ And on โStart Somewhere,โ heโs downright confessional: โI said some things that I regret / And if I could, Iโd take โem back / But here I am, and there you are / The space between us is not so far / Iโm reaching out my hand in love.โ
โโHold Onโ is very personal,โ Toby says. โMany lines are there to encourage my wife, but I know those lines could encourage anybody in a relationship. As for โStart Somewhere,โ any time youโre in love with somebody, youโre going to bang heads from time to time. I donโt know how many times Iโve 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. Thatโs one of my favorite songs on the record; itโs a personal perspective on confrontation and reconciliation.โ
And then thereโs โWonderinโ,โ in which Toby reminisces about the past with Kevin Max and Michael Tait in dcTalk, one of Christian musicโs biggest acts in the 1990s. โWe was ridinโ in style, clockinโ them miles / With the songs that He put down deep in our hearts . . . / Iโm wonderinโ โbout the way I spend my days / Wonderinโ if itโs even worth the chase / Wonderinโ if theyโre stealinโ me from you.โ
โItโs just a warm look back at dc Talk,โ says Toby, almost wistfully. โItโs 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? Iโve got these dreams Iโm 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.โ
Sonically, TONIGHT is typical TobyMac in many waysโan eclectic mix of rap, rock, pop and funk, all laden with catchy hooks and melodies just itching for airplay and audience singalongs. Thereโs even a healthy dose of reggae on the album closer โBreak Open the Sky,โ where Toby flexes his Jamaican family ties while Israel Houghton provides guest vocals. Other visiting vocalists include Skilletโs John Cooper on โTonightโ and Relient Kโs Matthew Thiessen on โWonderinโ.โ
Of course most of the vocals belong to the artist himself. Stephens says Toby โhas stretched himself as a vocalist, he writes about things he is passionate about and his vocals reflect that urgency''. Toby agrees: โI do more singing on this record than ever before. Iโm learning to use my vocal instrument in different ways, and Iโm getting more comfortable with it everyday''.
It all adds up to a project that reflects one manโs desire to push himself beyond โvery good,โ to dig deep in the quest for that other country where greatness resides. He certainly reached for it. Hard.
โIโve worked very hard not to fall into the trap of making this just a gig,โ he says. โIf it is a labor, itโs a labor of love. I know music canโt 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
Feel It
TobyMac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
C'mon
'Bout to do it like this
'Bout to do it like this
One, two
One,two,three,four
One,two
One,two,three,four
When I sit back and imagine
Life without You, I can't fathom
How I ever thought I'd make it on my own
And there's at least a million reasons
I'm still standing here believin'
You're my comfort, You're my healin'
This I know (this I know)
Well, you can't see the wind, but it moves the leaves
From the bottom to the top of the tallest trees
You are everything I will ever need
And they can't take that from me
Oh, I feel it in my heart
I feel it in my soul
That's how I know
You take our brokenness and make us beautiful
Yeah, that's how I know (can't take that from me)
Love came crashin' in
Never gonna be the same again
Yeah, you came crashing in
You wrecked me, you wrecked me
Love came crashin' in
Never gonna be the same again
Yeah, You came crashing in
You wrecked me, you wrecked me
Everybody talkin' like they need some proof
But what more do I need than to feel you
Everybody talkin' like they need some proof
But what more do I need than to feel you
When I sit back and imagine
Life without you, I can't fathom
How I ever thought I'd make it on my own (on my own)
And there's at least a million reasons
I'm still standing here believin'
You're my comfort, you're my healin'
This I know (this I know)
Well, you can't see the wind, but it moves the leaves
From the bottom to the top of the tallest trees
You are everything I will ever need
And they can't take that from me
Oh, I feel it in my heart
I feel it in my soul
That's how I know
You take our brokenness and make us beautiful
Yeah, that's how I know (can't take that from me)
Love came crashin' in
Never gonna be the same again
Yeah, you came crashing in
You wrecked me, you wrecked me
Love came crashin' in
Never gonna be the same again
Yeah, You came crashing in
You wrecked me
That's how I know
That's how I know
I feel, yes I do
That's how I know
That's how I know
Feeling,feeling,feeling,feeling
Feeling,feeling,feeling,feeling
Feeling,feeling,feeling,feeling
That's how I know
Oh, I feel it in my heart
I feel it in my soul
That's how I know
You take our brokenness and make us beautiful
Yeah, that's how I know (can't take that from me)
Oh, I feel it in my heart
I feel it in my soul
That's how I know(that's how I know)
You take our brokenness and make us beautiful
Yeah, that's how I know (can't take that from me)
Everybody talkin' like they need some proof
But what more do I need than to feel you
Everybody talkin' like they need some proof
But what more do I need than to feel you
Bring it back now
Do, do, do, do, do, do
Do, do, do, do, do, do
Do, do, do, do, do, do
If you don't feel it, you can't feel
Can you feel it
Can you feel it now?
Can you feel it now?
The song "Feel It" by tobyMac and Mr. Talkbox is an introspective song about the power of belief and faith in something higher than oneself. The lyrics talk about how life without faith is unimaginable and how faith gives the singer the strength to weather the storms of life. The song's core message is that faith gives one inner peace and the ability to navigate life's challenges.
The chorus of the song speaks of the feeling the singer experiences when they feel the presence of something greater than themselves. It says that this feeling is in their heart and soul and that it is the proof they need to know that they are not alone. The singer acknowledges that people will always be skeptical and look for proof of spirituality, but for them, feeling it is enough.
The bridge of the song talks about the transformative power of love. It speaks of how love came crashing in and changed everything. The singer was wrecked by this love but in a good way. It made them realize that they needed to have faith and accept things beyond their control. Finally, the song ends on an upbeat tone, encouraging the listener to feel it and to believe, leaving them with a question, "can you feel it now?"
Line by Line Meaning
When I sit back and imagine
When I take a moment to reflect
Life without You, I can't fathom
I can't even imagine life without You
How I ever thought I'd make it on my own
How could I have ever believed that I could do it alone?
And there's at least a million reasons
There are countless reasons
I'm still standing here believin'
I still believe
You're my comfort, You're my healin'
You bring me comfort and healing
This I know (this I know)
I am certain of this
Well, you can't see the wind, but it moves the leaves
Just like the wind, You are powerful and unseen
From the bottom to the top of the tallest trees
Your power extends from the lowest to highest places
You are everything I will ever need
You are my everything
And they can't take that from me
No one can take You away from me
Oh, I feel it in my heart
I feel You in my heart
I feel it in my soul
I feel You in my very being
That's how I know
That's how I am sure
You take our brokenness and make us beautiful
You transform our brokenness into something beautiful
Yeah, that's how I know (can't take that from me)
That's how I am certain (no one can change that)
Love came crashin' in
Your love broke through suddenly
Never gonna be the same again
My life has forever changed since then
Yeah, you came crashing in
You broke through powerfully
You wrecked me, you wrecked me
You completely transformed me
Everybody talkin' like they need some proof
People are always looking for evidence
But what more do I need than to feel you
But I only need to feel You to believe
Feeling,feeling,feeling,feeling
I am feeling You
That's how I know
That's how I am certain
If you don't feel it, you can't feel
If you don't feel it, you can't understand it
Can you feel it
Can you sense it?
Bring it back now
Let's return to the original point
Do, do, do, do, do, do
Continue the rhythm
Can you feel it now?
Do you sense it now?
Lyrics ยฉ CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Spirit Music Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CARY BARLOWE, DAVID GARCIA, TOBY MCKEEHAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@christianadventure
"Never gonna be the same again"! ย It is amazing how much talent God has put into this guy!
@brisepu7972
***** yeah!! he's 50 and he's still groovin' and people still love his music!! <3
@christianadventure
bri 226ย It is amazing! ย Wasn't it just yesterday that he was in DC Talk?! ย :)
@brisepu7972
*****ย seems like it :)
@isaacpubg2174
Can u say it's meaning please . I am Indian .I am just 16. I love tobymac songs so much
@varicecarl8193
@bri sepu pp
@trace802
Man, this song is amazing. It deserves 10 times more the attention that it already gets.
@chrisrazo7983
Awsome song
@uselesswagstar7872
played this in a worship band with 2 trumpets, 2 saxs and a trombone... that was great!
@nicwinsteadart5330
wagstar_t10 should've recorded it.