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
Feelin' So Fly
TobyMac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There ain't a day that goes by
A supernatural high
Oh my goodness - people I can't deny
You got me feeling so fly
Uh oh, here we go again
Talking about that thing that so genuine
So a freak like me get his cover blown
Can't help but glorify my Adonai
Gotta testify
Uh oh, here we go again
Talking bout His love so genuine
This ain't no fire drill
It hits like Holyfield
Break out your freak appeal
You think you know the deal
I'm gonna show you what's for real
There ain't a day that goes by
That I'm not singing Your praise
There ain't a day that goes by
That I'm not lifting your name
A supernatural high
Your love is simply insane
You got me feeling so fly
So fly when it's You and I
And the way we hanging in the morning time
And it's so dope I can barely cope
When you make my joy go and overflow
I can't help but glorify my Adonai
It's so fly that it's blowing minds
So fly that they can't deny
There ain't a day that goes by
That I'm not singing Your praise
There ain't a day that goes by
That I'm not completely amazed
A supernatural high
Your love is simply insane
You got me feeling so fly
Knock, knock
Who's there?
Well it's me, TMac
Feeling fly as a Kangol hat
Insecticides can't steal this shine 'cause
The fly I feel is straight divine
In TobyMac's song "Feelin' So Fly," he sings about the overwhelming feeling he gets from being in a close relationship with God. The song starts with him expressing how good he feels, almost like he's on a natural high, and he attributes this feeling to his relationship with God. He then goes on to explain how his relationship with God isn't just something he talks about; it's something so genuine that it can't be denied. The chorus repeats the opening lines, emphasizing the incredible feeling he has from being close to God.
In the second verse, TobyMac compares the feeling of being close to God to a physical hit, saying that it's not just a momentary feeling but something that stays with him always. TobyMac then makes another reference to his relationship with God being one of a kind and something that sets him apart from others. In the bridge, he talks about how this feeling of being "so fly" manifests itself in his everyday life, from the way he hangs out with God in the morning to the way he shines among others.
Overall, TobyMac paints a picture of what it feels like to be close to God and how this relationship can leave a lasting impact on a person's life.
Line by Line Meaning
You got me feeling so fly
The person speaking is filled with joy and happiness because of another person.
There ain't a day that goes by
Every single day, the person speaking expresses their gratitude for the other person.
A supernatural high
The person speaking feels something special and amazing, almost like a spiritual experience.
Oh my goodness - people I can't deny
The artist is saying that they can't keep this a secret because they are so happy.
Uh oh, here we go again
The artist is about to talk about something important.
Talking about that thing that so genuine
The singer is about to discuss the topic of genuine love and affection.
So a freak like me get his cover blown
Even someone who is socially awkward can be affected by the power of love.
Can't help but glorify my Adonai
The artist's praise goes to their God because they believe that the love they feel is a gift from Him.
Gotta testify
The artist is going to share their experience with others.
This ain't no fire drill
The artist is saying that this is real and not a temporary experience.
It hits like Holyfield
The singer is saying that they are powerfully affected by this experience, like a punch in the face from a professional boxer.
Break out your freak appeal
The artist is encouraging others to be true to themselves and not to conform to social norms.
You think you know the deal
Others may not understand what is happening or why the singer feels the way they do.
I'm gonna show you what's for real
The singer is going to demonstrate the extent of their happiness.
So fly when it's You and I
The singer feels the best when they are with the other person.
And the way we hanging in the morning time
The artist enjoys spending time with the other person, even in the morning.
And it's so dope I can barely cope
The happiness is so great that the artist feels like they can't handle it.
When you make my joy go and overflow
The other person's actions cause the singer's happiness to become more intense.
It's so fly that it's blowing minds
The singer's happiness is so unique and intense that others can't understand it.
Knock, knock
The artist is using a phrase to get someone's attention.
Who's there?
This phrase is the response to the previous phrase.
Well it's me, TMac
The artist introduces themselves as TMac.
Feeling fly as a Kangol hat
The singer is using a metaphor to say that they are feeling very happy.
Insecticides can't steal this shine 'cause
Nothing can take away the artist's happiness.
The fly I feel is straight divine
The singer is saying that their happiness is a gift from God.
Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: CHRISTOPHER E. STEVENS, RANDY CRAWFORD, TOBY MCKEEHAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jaswanth venkat
Feelin so fly. Lyrics
You got me feeling so fly
There ain't a day that goes by
A supernatural high
Oh my goodness - people I can't deny
You got me feeling so fly
Uh oh, hear we go again
Talking about that thing so genuine
Uh huh, gonna make it known
So a freak like me get his cover blown
Can't help but glorify my Adonai
Gotta testify
Uh oh, hear we go again
Talking bout His love so genuine
This ain't no fire drill
It hits like Holyfield
Break out your freak appeal
You think you know that deal
I'm gonna show you what's for real
There ain't a day that goes by
That I'm not singing Your praise
There ain't a day that goes by
That I'm not lifting Your name
A supernatural high
Your love is simply insane
You got me feeling so fly
So fly when it's you and I
And the way we hanging in the morning time
And it's so dope I can barely cope
When you make my joy go and overflow
I can't help but glorify my Adonai
It's so fly that it's blowing minds
So fly that they can't deny
There ain't a day that goes by
That I'm not singing Your praise
There ain't a day that goes by
That I'm not completely amazed
A supernatural high
Your love is simply insane
You got me feeling so fly
Knock, knock
Who is there?
Well it's me Tmac
Feeling fly as a kangol hat
Insecticides can't steal this shine cuz
The fly I feel is stright divine
Carol Hardin
I’m 68 years young and Toby MAC has been my favorite gospel artist since the first song I heard. I love everything about his music.
Faith Emerson
This music video absolutely says "a bunch of friends just having fun" and I freaking love it
gtkaren
I just heard TobyMac for the first time a couple of months ago. I love him! So cool that he gets to bring us God's message with such joyous uplifting and modern music. Praise the Lord!
Breath of Home
Thank You Lord for TobyMac, his family, Diverse City, and all the production folks that make Praise and Respect for God so fun!
slopadoodle
I'm 57 years old and L-O-V-E how Toby has captured Hip-hop and has turned lives toward the Glory of God!
Douglas Salinas
Soq
Gold Silver Platinum
FF5, TFK, & TobyMac shaped my appreciation of music and made up my first ever collection of cd's when I was 10!
Words can't describe how special they still are to me as an adult
World Wide Widow - Theatron of the Black Widow.
amen! I feel you... Glory to YAH, and his Salvation .. I was in mexico, 8yrs a fugative. only 2 English chanels, and one was christan music, playing dc talk and others. I definitely relate. how precisous is your kindness oh YAH! ..
Alex Zapf
I find it funny. I have some people listen to music like this. At first. They’re like. I love this. Then you tell them. This is Christian music. And their face just takes a turn. Like. No way. Uh. Yes. It is.
Whi Braen
HA HA LOL