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
Overflow
TobyMac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everybody, just clap your hands
Clap your hands, everybody
Everybody, just clap your hands
Some things money can't buy but a man's gotta eat
Bread don't just fall out the sky and land at your feet
And my well ran dry 'til you came and made it rain on me
You fill my cup up 'till it overflows
And it's the sweetest love that I've ever known
So blow it on me, all that I need, deep down in my soul
Fill my cup up 'til it overflows
Oh, yeah
They say nothin' is perfect, that ain't true (No, sir)
'Cause You came and opened these eyes to the glory of You
You turned water to wine, you make a new man in me
And every time I'm runnin' empty
You fill my cup up 'til it overflows
And it's the sweetest love that I've ever known
So blow it on me, all that I need, deep down in my soul
Fill my cup up 'til it overflows
Overflows
Overflows
(One, two, three, four)
It ain't a glass half full or a glass half empty
It's runnin' over, it can't fit me
Down every side through the ground
Mo' than enough to go around
Come and get it, come and get it while it's hot
Come and get it, come and get it nonstop
'Cause the only thing sweeter than a love song
Is singin' a love that goes on and on and on and on
You fill my cup up 'til it overflows
You are the sweetest love, sweetest love that I've ever known
So blow it on me, all that I need, deep down in my soul
Fill my cup up 'til it overflows
That's what I'm talkin' about
Overflows
Overflows
Clap your hands, everybody
Everybody, just clap your hands
Clap your hands, everybody
Everybody, just clap your hands
The song “Overflow” by TobyMac is all about gratitude to God for His abundant love and blessings. The lyrics are heartfelt and uplifting, urging listeners to clap their hands and sing praises as they acknowledge the goodness of God. The song describes how life can bring challenges that no amount of money can fix but still encourages us to be grateful for what we have. It talks about running on empty and how God came through to refill the cup until it overflows. The metaphor of overflowing refers to God's abundant love, which is more than enough to go around.
The chorus of the song emphasizes how God's love fills up the cup until it overflows, bringing a deep sense of fulfillment and joy. The verses talk about how God turns things around, even when it seems like nothing is going your way. The metaphor of the cup being filled up until it overflows showcases how God's love is not just enough to meet our basic needs but to also satisfy us in the deepest parts of our souls. Overall, the song is a powerful reminder of the goodness of God, and the blessings we receive that we should never take for granted.
Line by Line Meaning
Clap your hands, everybody
Everyone should celebrate and express joy through clapping
Everybody, just clap your hands
Encouragement to keep clapping and participate in the celebration
Some things money can't buy but a man's gotta eat
There are necessities in life that cannot be bought by money, such as food
Bread don't just fall out the sky and land at your feet
One cannot expect things to just happen, some effort is required to achieve success
I was tryin' to fly high but I ran low like I'm sittin' on E
The artist was trying to achieve great things but fell short and was left feeling empty
And my well ran dry 'til you came and made it rain on me
The singer's motivation and inspiration became depleted until someone or something intervened and reignited their drive
You fill my cup up 'til it overflows
The love and support received from someone has surpassed the singer's capacity for emotion and gratitude
And it's the sweetest love that I've ever known
The love received is the most genuine and pure emotion the artist has ever experienced
So blow it on me, all that I need, deep down in my soul
The artist asks to be showered with love and support with every fiber of their being
Fill my cup up 'til it overflows
The artist wants their capacity for love and support to be so full that it cannot be contained
They say nothin' is perfect, that ain't true (No, sir)
Contrary to popular belief, perfection does exist in the form of the love and support that the singer has received
'Cause You came and opened these eyes to the glory of You
The artist gives credit to the person who has opened their eyes to a new way of life and has shown them genuine love and support
You turned water to wine, you make a new man in me
The singer compares the transformative powers of the person to the biblical story of turning water into wine
And every time I'm runnin' empty
Whenever the singer is feeling down or unmotivated
It ain't a glass half full or a glass half empty
The singer describes their state of being as neither half-full nor half-empty, but overflowing with positivity and love
It's runnin' over, it can't fit me
The artist's emotions and gratitude for the love and support received are so overwhelming that they cannot be contained, and are overflowing
Down every side through the ground
The artist's emotions have taken over every part of their being, and are grounded within them
Mo' than enough to go around
The love and support that the singer has received is bountiful and can be shared with others
Come and get it, come and get it while it's hot
The singer urges others to take advantage of the love and support that is being offered, while it is present and at its strongest
Come and get it, come and get it nonstop
The artist emphasizes that the love and support is not temporary, and is available to be received continuously
'Cause the only thing sweeter than a love song
The artist emphasizes the sweetness and genuineness of the love and support received
Is singin' a love that goes on and on and on and on
The artist highlights the importance of continually expressing and receiving love and support that lasts a lifetime
Overflows
A state of being where the singer's cup (emotions) is overflowing with positivity and love
Clap your hands, everybody
A repetition of the earlier encouragement to express joy through clapping and celebration
Everybody, just clap your hands
Reinforcing the idea of celebrating and expressing joy with others
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Capitol CMG Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Joshua Miller, Shy Carter, Toby Mc Keehan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Daniel Velázquez Carranza
Clap your hands everybody
Everybody just clap your hands
Some things money can’t buy
But a man’s gotta eat
Bread don’t just fall out the sky
And land at your feet
I was trying to fly high
But I ran low like I’m sitting on E
And my well ran dry
‘Til You came and made it rain on me
You fill my cup up
‘Til it overflows
And it’s the sweetest love
That I’ve ever known
So, pour it on me
All that I need deep down in my soul
Fill my cup up
‘Til it overflows
They say nothin’ is perfect
That ain’t true
‘Cause You came and opened these eyes to the glory of You
You turned water to wine
You make a new man of me
And every time I’m running empty
It ain’t a glass half-full
Or a glass half-empty
It’s running over
It can’t fit me
Down every side to the ground
More than enough to go around
So come and get it, come and get it while it’s hot
Come and get it, come and get it nonstop
‘Cause the only thing sweeter than a love song
Is singing of love that goes on, and on, and on, and on
Carolyn Cahill
Every age loves your music. 52 and 10 and 14 and 58 year olds. You are a gift and your light shines in the darkness. Don't believe the lies of the enemy you make such a difference.
Rose Phelps
this is one of my favorite songs, I go to bed with it stuck in my head almost every night.😄😄😄
Ashley Kelley
So true!
Coydon Yt
This song is so good that i watched it like 20 times now now I’ve watched it 21 times
Janeth Vallenilla
😅😅😮😅
Faith&Drawing
Same lol this just might be my favourite. Either this one or 21 years or Horizon :D
Chasity Sawyers
I went to a concert to hear him sing all his songs
zekadoodle
He is one of the best song artists out there if not the best
zekadoodle
I watched it more than 20 times
Ruth Roxas
Who’s says there’s no perfect? But this song is full of perfection! 🤗❤️🌷😍
New beats + fresh songs = Jesus Christ. I’m overflow to you Jesus!!! ☝🏻