The ascension of TobyMacβs 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 recordsβheβs been known to relentlessly tweak and massage every little thing in an inexorable effort to make it sound betterβToby is the first to admit that he has to work really hard to make great music. βThatβs what drives me,β he says. βI feel like I have to work harder than other people to get there. Sometimes I feel like Iβm 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.β
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 andβperhaps most relevant of allβthe power of music, which he insists is still what keeps him going.
βItβs the truth,β he says. βI still believe that a song can penetrate a heart. I believe God can use a song to open someoneβs mind and heart. Other songs can just drop what I call, 'the joy bomb' on somebody. I fight really hard to remain unjaundicedβto keep believing that you can actually walk into a studio and write a song that breathes life. Thatβs the hardest fight for a guy whoβs been doing this for a while; itβs easy to fall into the trap of just making it your job. But I still believe that songs matter.β
The songs on TONIGHT certainly matterβeverything from the prayerful first single βCity On Our Kneesβ to the testimonial βChanged Forever,β from the worshipful βCapturedβ to the confessional βStart Somewhere,β and even down to the put-on-your-party-hat grooves of βFunky Jesus Musicβ and βShowStopper.β One theme that runs loud and clear throughout is the idea that we all need God, and we need him nowβthis morning, this afternoon, tonight.
βRight here, right now / Under the stars / I promise You my heart / βCause it starts tonight,β Toby sings on the chorus of the title track. βIf you gotta start somewhere why not here? If you gotta start sometime why not now?β he asks on βCity on Our Knees.β And βI wanna straighten this before the sun goes down tonight,β he proclaims on βStart Somewhere.β
βThereβs definitely a sense of urgency on this record,β says co-producer Chris Stephens, who has worked on TobyMacβs last three CDs. βAnd itβs an album that speaks of unity, of coming together and finding common ground to worship God.β
Toby has long had a passion for racial reconciliation and unity, a recurrent theme in his music. TONIGHT includes songs of reconciliation of another kindβbetween 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 βHold On,β he sings, βIf you move just a little bit closer / You can put your head on my shoulder . . . / Wipe away those tears / This oneβs for you.β And on βStart Somewhere,β heβs downright confessional: βI said some things that I regret / And if I could, Iβd take βem back / But here I am, and there you are / The space between us is not so far / Iβm reaching out my hand in love.β
ββHold Onβ is very personal,β Toby says. βMany lines are there to encourage my wife, but I know those lines could encourage anybody in a relationship. As for βStart Somewhere,β any time youβre in love with somebody, youβre going to bang heads from time to time. I donβt know how many times Iβve 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. Thatβs one of my favorite songs on the record; itβs a personal perspective on confrontation and reconciliation.β
And then thereβs βWonderinβ,β in which Toby reminisces about the past with Kevin Max and Michael Tait in dcTalk, one of Christian musicβs biggest acts in the 1990s. βWe was ridinβ in style, clockinβ them miles / With the songs that He put down deep in our hearts . . . / Iβm wonderinβ βbout the way I spend my days / Wonderinβ if itβs even worth the chase / Wonderinβ if theyβre stealinβ me from you.β
βItβs just a warm look back at dc Talk,β says Toby, almost wistfully. βItβs 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? Iβve got these dreams Iβm 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.β
Sonically, TONIGHT is typical TobyMac in many waysβan eclectic mix of rap, rock, pop and funk, all laden with catchy hooks and melodies just itching for airplay and audience singalongs. Thereβs even a healthy dose of reggae on the album closer βBreak Open the Sky,β where Toby flexes his Jamaican family ties while Israel Houghton provides guest vocals. Other visiting vocalists include Skilletβs John Cooper on βTonightβ and Relient Kβs Matthew Thiessen on βWonderinβ.β
Of course most of the vocals belong to the artist himself. Stephens says Toby βhas stretched himself as a vocalist, he writes about things he is passionate about and his vocals reflect that urgency''. Toby agrees: βI do more singing on this record than ever before. Iβm learning to use my vocal instrument in different ways, and Iβm getting more comfortable with it everyday''.
It all adds up to a project that reflects one manβs desire to push himself beyond βvery good,β to dig deep in the quest for that other country where greatness resides. He certainly reached for it. Hard.
βIβve worked very hard not to fall into the trap of making this just a gig,β he says. βIf it is a labor, itβs a labor of love. I know music canβt 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
Mac Daddy
TobyMac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You got the cash?
I'm, I'm close
That's what I thought
I want a Mac, I want a Mac, daddy, I need a Mac
I want a Mac, I want a Mac, daddy, I need a Mac
Them Apples don't grow on trees
I want a Macintosh laptop, packaging so posh
Fits like a glove in that tiny little white box
Pretty as a picture but it ain't all show
At 8 Ram deep I be running logic pro
To make my own beats dad
Keep me off the streets dad
An Xbox, would even take a backseat
So please give me a job so I can stack that paper
'Cause this is major
I want a Mac, I want a Mac, daddy, I need a Mac
So I can make my own beats
I want a Mac, I want a Mac, daddy, I need a Mac
Them Apples don't grow on trees
Yo, I'm saving for a laptop and looking for some work
Five bucks an hour and I'm willing to serve
Ain't no job too U-G, L to the Y
I'd do almost anything to make that Macbook fly
Yo I'll teach Judah to cross it over
Then play chess all day with Moses
I'll take Leo to the Franklin Fair
Dad, I'd even braid Marlee's hair
I want a Mac, I want a Mac, daddy, I need a Mac
So I can make my own beats
I want a Mac, I want a Mac, daddy, I need a Mac
Them Apples don't grow on trees
I want a Mac, I want a Mac, daddy, I need a Mac
So I can make my own beats
I want a Mac, I want a Mac, daddy, I need a Mac
Servin' up them Jesus Freaks
I want a Mac, I want a Mac, daddy, I need a Mac
So I can make my own beats
I want a Mac, I want a Mac, daddy, I need a Mac
Them Apples don't grow on trees
I want a Mac, I want a Mac, daddy, I need a Mac
So I can make my own beats
I want a Mac, I want a Mac, daddy, I need a Mac
Servin' up them Jesus Freaks
So you really wanna earn a Mac this summer?
Yes, sir
Music for the people
Yeah, man, we got that soul sauce
Soul sauce?
In "Mac Daddy," TobyMac raps about his desire for a Macintosh laptop, which he needs to create his own beats. The song starts with TobyMac asking his father for a Mac laptop, which he needs to make his music while staying off the streets. TobyMac praises Mac laptops for their RAM capacity and notes how they are popular for music production. He acknowledges the cost of the laptop and says he is willing to work to save up for one. TobyMac states his willingness to do almost anything to buy a Mac laptop - even teaching others to play basketball or braiding hair. Throughout the lyrics, TobyMac pays homage to the unique features of a Mac laptop, comparing it to other products that may be taken for granted.
The song's chorus emphasizes TobyMac's desire to possess a Mac and how Apple's product is not easily accessible. By sayingβ them apples donβt grow on trees,β TobyMac states that Mac laptops don't come cheap and that he will have to earn one. In the second verse, TobyMac expresses confidence in his ability to save up for the much-needed laptop and make music that will reach his audience. The final chorus reflects TobyMac's belief that his love for Jesus Christ and desire to make music through the Mac laptop will uplift souls.
Line by Line Meaning
I want a Mac, I want a Mac, daddy, I need a Mac
The singer desires a Macintosh laptop and asks for his father's help in acquiring it.
Them Apples donβt grow on trees
A playful saying that means obtaining a Mac isn't easy.
Fits like a glove in that tiny little white box
The Macintosh laptop arrives in the packaging that is perfect for it, which inspires admiration from the singer.
Pretty as a picture but it ainβt all show
The Mac is both aesthetically pleasing and functional.
At 8 Ram deep I be running logic pro
The artist has enough memory on his Mac to run the Logic Pro program, which is essential to their desired goal.
To make my own beats dad
The reason the singer wants a Mac is to produce their own music beats.
Keep me off the streets dad
The singer wants to be occupied with making music beats so that they don't waste time on the streets.
An Xbox, would even take a backseat
The artist is so focused on obtaining a Mac that even a coveted item like the Xbox would not distract him from that goal.
So please give me a job so I can stack that paper
The artist would like a job to earn money so that they can purchase a Mac.
βCause this is major
Purchasing a Mac is a significant event for the artist's music production career.
Yo Iβm saving for a laptop and looking for some work
The singer is looking for employment to help them save money to buy a laptop.
Ainβt no job too UG, L to the Y
The artist is willing to do any job, even if it's undesirable, to save money for their desired laptop.
Iβd do almost anything to make that Macbook fly
The singer is highly motivated to obtain a Mac and is willing to work extremely hard to purchase one.
Yo Iβll teach you to cross it over
The singer offers to teach others a basketball move as a way of working and earning money.
Then play chess all day with roses
The singer suggests that after working, he would like to pass the time by playing chess with friends or loved ones.
Iβll take ? to the Franklin Fair
The artist offers to take someone to the Franklin Fair event as a way to earn money.
Dad, Iβd even braid Marleyβs hair
The artist offers to style someone's hair, going as far as to name-drop Bob Marley, in order to earn extra income.
Servin' up them Jesus Freaks
The singer's beats will feature Christian content and are intended for those who are devoted to Jesus Christ.
So you really want a Mac son?
The father confirms with the singer that he indeed wants a Macintosh laptop.
Music for the people
The artist wants to create music for everyone to enjoy.
Yeah man we got that soul sauce
The artist has a creative style that they describe as 'soul sauce' which refers to their unique approach to producing music.
Lyrics Β© CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Jesse Frasure, Toby Mckeehan, Truett Mckeehan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kai
Bro this song takes me back to my childhood
Nathan Rojas-Fonseca
fr
giasaviator! π΄
SAME
Man Jr. Productions
Literally saaame
Benjamin H. Morgan
bro and I shared a birthday, six years apart. iβd been keeping up with TobyMac since Momentum, and I always loved seeing and hearing how TruDog grew from one album to the next. Absolutely heartbreaking when he passed.
Night Fox - 777
This is my favorite Tobymac song :)
Klouse
Thatβs sad for so many reasons
β΄³
bruh listen to weiland
LukaDeceanDrums
@Jimmie Foxall Mine four
Jimmie Foxall
Mine three