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
Made for Me
TobyMac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
1, 2, 3
She was 17 when she came on the scene
I saw her down the hall and felt that I was in a dream
See she was from the islands
Which had this brother smiling
Little did I know that I'd be on this, my contestifying
I love sunsets but she likes sunrise
I'm always running late and she's always on time
But I like U2 and she like Coldplay
But something tells me we're gonna be OK
'Cause she was made for me
You gave 'er to me
I said I'd hold on loose but I so wanna squeeze you
Just right for me and for the life of me
I can't believe I get to call her mine
And she was made for me
Made for me
And she was made for me
Made for me
Next chapter - we got hitched
And thought we'd have some kids
Looked up and now we got five little Jamaricans
I thank God every day
I'm blessed in a crazy way
My daughter said 2 to 8
This thing we got is cool like shake
I love sunsets but she likes sunrise
I'm always running late and she's always on time
Well I like hip-hop and she likes reggae
So we meet in the middle with some Sade
'Cause she was made for me
You gave 'er to me
I said I'd hold on loose but I so wanna squeeze you
Just right for me and for the life of me
I can't believe I get to call her mine
And she was made for me
Made for me
And she was made for me
Made for me
She is a flower, You are the rain
She gets more beautiful with every passing day
She is my flower and You are the sun
She gets more beautiful because of how You love
How You love
I get to call her mine
I get to call her mine, oh my
See she like slow dates and I like fast dates
She into books, I'm into movies
She made straight As
Well I got white skin and she got brown skin
But milk and coffee's always been a beautiful blend
She was made for me
When You gave 'er to me
I said I'd hold on loose but I so wanna squeeze you
Just right for me and for the life of me
I can't believe I get to call her mine
She was made for me
When You gave 'er to me
I said I'd hold on loose but I so wanna squeeze you
Just right for me and for the life of me
I can't believe I get to call her mine
And she was made for me
She was made, she was made
Made for me
And she was made for me
She was made, she was made
Made for me
She was made, she was made for me (I get to call her mine)
She was made, she was made for me (I get to call her mine, oh my)
TobyMac's song "Made for Me" is a beautiful ode to his wife, Amanda. The song describes the story of their love, from the first time they met to building a family together. The lyrics start by describing how TobyMac met Amanda when she was 17 and he immediately felt a connection with her. TobyMac talks about the differences between the two, like how he likes sunsets and she likes sunrises, and how they have different tastes in music, but there is something that makes them perfectly compatible.
The second verse talks about how they got married and had five children together, and how TobyMac feels blessed to have her in his life. He expresses his gratitude to God for bringing them together and giving him such a wonderful partner in life. The final verse is a beautiful metaphor, describing Amanda as a flower that gets more beautiful with every passing day, and how she is made even more beautiful by God's love.
Overall, "Made for Me" is a heartwarming and touching song that celebrates the power of love and the beauty of finding a soulmate. It shows that even though two people may have their differences, they can still be perfectly matched and made for each other.
Line by Line Meaning
Yea, here we go
Let's get started
1, 2, 3
She was 17 when she came on the scene
When I met her, she was young
I saw her down the hall and felt that I was in a dream
I was immediately attracted to her
See she was from the islands
She came from a different place than me
Which had this brother smiling
I was happy about it
Little did I know that I'd be on this, my contestifying
I didn't know what was going to happen
I love sunsets but she likes sunrise
We have different preferences
I'm always running late and she's always on time
We have different habits
But I like U2 and she like Coldplay
We have different tastes in music
But something tells me we're gonna be OK
I have a feeling that we'll be alright
'Cause she was made for me
She's perfect for me
You gave 'er to me
God gave her to me
I said I'd hold on loose but I so wanna squeeze you
I promised to give her space but I can't help wanting to be close to her
Just right for me and for the life of me
She's perfect for me, I can't imagine being with anyone else
I can't believe I get to call her mine
I feel lucky to have her as my partner
Next chapter - we got hitched
We got married
And thought we'd have some kids
We wanted to have children
Looked up and now we got five little Jamaricans
We have five kids now
I thank God every day
I'm grateful for what I have
I'm blessed in a crazy way
I'm really lucky
My daughter said 2 to 8
My daughter said something that was cute or funny
This thing we got is cool like shake
Our relationship is great
Well I like hip-hop and she likes reggae
We have different tastes in music
So we meet in the middle with some Sade
We compromise
She is a flower, You are the rain
She is a beautiful person, and God's love makes her even more beautiful
She gets more beautiful with every passing day
I love her more and more over time
She is my flower and You are the sun
She is my love, and God is the source of our happiness
She gets more beautiful because of how You love
God's love makes her even more beautiful
I get to call her mine
I'm lucky to be with her
See she like slow dates and I like fast dates
We have different preferences
She into books, I'm into movies
We have different interests
She made straight As
She's a good student
Well I got white skin and she got brown skin
We look different
But milk and coffee's always been a beautiful blend
Our differences make us a great match
She was made, she was made for me (I get to call her mine)
She's perfect for me
She was made, she was made for me (I get to call her mine, oh my)
I'm lucky to be with her
Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: CHRIS STEVENS, TOBY MCKEEHAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tina Howe
My boyfriend sent me this song and told me to listen to it and I’m about to cry it’s so sweet
Lily Wiersema
My boyfriend told me to listen to this song for him. I can see why he loves it! ❤️
ccreasman
This is one of my favorites from this CD; just a personal look into your life, and a fun song to boot. God does that for us, if we let him…make special things for us.
🐻 down!!!
This song is so good I can’t stop singing it L-🤣-L I’m in love 🥰 TobyMac is made for me 😜
tiffany bittman
Great song
Edith Jin
Love it 😀 😍 ❤️
Augusto José da Silva
This music is amazing
Jennifer Saladin
This song is so freaking cute ❤️
Alex Wisecup
No way he just reuploaded this album 10 years later.
BrinksukiVHS
I'M NOT COMPLAINING