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
ShowStopper
TobyMac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We came to play the game in your town
You came to ride the highs of this junk
Baby, we came to guarantee the big crunk
So if you or your people ever wanna doubt
This showstoppin' party rockin' tell 'em all about this
Truth from the village of the diverse citizens
One stop, one shot
So turn off the lights
They've been waitin' all night for the
The showstopper
The jaw dropper
The big papa
We gonna get it, get it right, we gonna get it done
The showstopper
The jaw dropper
The big papa
We gonna get it right, we gonna get it done
Hope just broke right through the door
So why you gotta ask what I came here for
Man, we 'bout to light the night with that flare
Job from the gun in the hand of the spare
With the kick so hard that you gotta be strong
It's so hotta'
You can barely hold on
So rock me, drop me, but you will never stop me
From takin' this show to a full room of monopoly
So turn off the lights, pass me the mic
Bring on the lights
You've been waitin' all night for the
The show stopper
The jaw dropper
The big papa
We gonna get it, get it right, we gonna get it done
The showstopper
The jaw dropper
The big papa
We gonna get it right, we gonna get it, we gonna get it done
It's automatic
Don't mind the static (hey)
We all fanatic (hey)
Jesus fanatic
It's automatic
Don't mind the static (hey)
Jesus fanatic (hey)
Jesus fanatic
Don't mind the static
It's automatic
The showstopper
We gonna get it right, we gonna get it good
The showstopper
The big papa
We gonna get it right, we gonna get it good
The show stopper
The jaw dropper
The big papa
We gonna get right, we gonna get it good
Showstopper
Jaw dropper
Big papa
We gonna get it right, we gonna get it get it good
The lyrics of the song ShowStopper by TobyMac convey messages of energy, liveliness, and joyfulness. The song opens with the notion of being in a new town and starting a party. The verse indicates that the intention of the party is to "guarantee the big crunk." At the same time, he emphasizes his identity as a diversified citizen who represents the black community. The chorus states that the party-goers are there to get things done perfectly, with lines like "we're gonna get it, get it right." The second verse emphasizes the enthusiasm and energy of the party and uses vivid imagery to convey the vivid emotions that fill the air. TobyMac states that nothing can stop the party from being held, regardless of the barriers the audience may face.
The central theme of the song is clearly about living in the moment and having fun. After thoroughly examining the lyrics, it is highly possible that the lyrics may also have religious connotations, especially lines like "Jesus fanatic," which denotes a potentially spiritual reference made in the lyrics. At the same time, the overall message of the song is that people need to put all their trivial differences aside and enjoy themselves in the company of like-minded individuals.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, this is the day we came to get down
Today is the day we came to have a good time.
We came to play the game in your town
We came to play music and have fun in your city.
You came to ride the highs of this junk
You came to experience the excitement of this music.
Baby, we came to guarantee the big crunk
We came to make sure this party is a big success.
So if you or your people ever wanna doubt
If you or anyone doubts our ability, tell them this:
This showstoppin' party rockin' tell 'em all about this
This party is going to be amazing, so spread the word.
Truth from the village of the diverse citizens
Our music comes from a variety of voices from different backgrounds.
One stop, one shot
We have one opportunity to make this party great.
Livin' like a kid again
We're having so much fun, it feels like we're kids again.
So turn off the lights
Turn off the lights for an even better party.
They've been waitin' all night for the
Everyone has been waiting all night for the...
The showstopper
...amazing performance.
The jaw dropper
...unbelievable experience.
The big papa
...unbeatable party.
We gonna get it, get it right, we gonna get it done
We're going to make sure this party is fantastic.
Hope just broke right through the door
We're bringing hope to this party.
So why you gotta ask what I came here for
You already know why we're here.
Man, we 'bout to light the night with that flare
We're going to make this night unforgettable.
Job from the gun in the hand of the spare
Our performance is as powerful as a gun.
With the kick so hard that you gotta be strong
Our music is so intense, you need to be strong to handle it.
It's so hotta'
It's so hot.
You can barely hold on
The energy is almost too much to handle.
So rock me, drop me, but you will never stop me
Nothing can stop us from putting on a great show.
From takin' this show to a full room of monopoly
We're going to put on an incredible performance for a packed audience.
So turn off the lights, pass me the mic
Turn off the lights and give me the microphone.
Bring on the lights
Then turn the lights back on for the best show.
You've been waitin' all night for the
Everyone has been waiting all night for the...
The show stopper
...incredible performance.
The jaw dropper
...unforgettable experience.
The big papa
...unbeatable party.
It's automatic
It's a given.
Don't mind the static (hey)
Don't worry about the noise.
We all fanatic (hey)
We're all passionate.
Jesus fanatic
We're passionate about Jesus.
Don't mind the static
Again, don't worry about the noise.
The showstopper
An incredible performance to close the show.
We gonna get it right, we gonna get it good
We're going to make this the best party ever.
Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: CHRIS STEVENS, TOBY MCKEEHAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
CsBanki
We need a karaoke verision of this!
JayJoJonny
This was the theme song for NFL Network for 2009 season of Thursday Night Football...perfect!
Fried Wings
I put a tobymac Playlist on my alarm to wake up and it played this and I've never heard it and I was wondering if it was tobymac, and I'm glad it was!
Derris E. Bynum
The theme song to WWE Fatal 4 way PPV in 2010 brought me here.
Armydillo 101
This song would fit pretty well in splatoon
TRICKER 5821
@the _elmeister personally i think the capital kings remix would be better especially if it was put in knockout city
the _elmeister
It gives vibes of Splatoon ye. The hype
Louie
Oh my goodness you’re right
Dominic Grilla
Someone give me guitar tabs
€herriOnTop
Sounds like Golden Wind.