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
Starts With Me
TobyMac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This nation will rise up
Rise up
There's a million reasons to hesitate
With a history that's filled with hate
Have we ever been united states?
I wonder (oh, oh, oh)
Forgive me if I think out loud
But we're just as just won't come around
I wonder (oh, oh, oh)
I was born with two, dirty hands
Something my daddy didn't understand
Something his daddy didn't understand
So it starts with me
I was raised with distrust, in my heart
Momma told me we're in worlds apart
Her momma told her don't even bother
So it starts with me
'Cause we can be free, yeah I know that
Let's try to fix the things that's been broke down
'Cause we can be free, yeah I know that
And it starts with me
'Cause we can be free, yeah I know that
Let's try to fix the things that's been broke down
'Cause we can be free, yeah I know that
And it starts with me
With a heavy road in front of us
And a system that has lost our trust
Can we ever find the strength to rise from ashes?
And looking at the heart of it
The healing nearly can't begin
Without confession and forgiveness and compassion
I was born with two, dirty hands
Something my daddy didn't understand
Something his daddy didn't understand
So it starts with me
I was raised with distrust, in my heart
Momma told me we're in worlds apart
Her momma told her don't even bother
So it starts with me
'Cause we can be free, yeah I know that
Let's try to fix the things that's been broke down
'Cause we can be free, yeah I know that
And it starts with me
'Cause we can be free, yeah I know that
Let's try to fix the things that's been broke down
'Cause we can be free, yeah I know that
And it starts with me
One day (One day, one day, one day, one day)
This nation will rise up (Rise up, rise up, rise up, rise up)
Rise up (Rise up, rise up)
Can you feel it in your heart tonight?
Love is gonna move the needle
I can feel it in my heart tonight
Oh yeah
Can you feel it in your heart tonight?
Love is gonna move the needle
I can feel it in my heart tonight
Oh yeah
Can you feel it in your heart tonight?
Love is gonna move the needle
I can feel it in my heart tonight
(I can feel it in my heart tonight)
I need you, you need me
One more step, almost free (Almost free, almost free)
Say I need you and you need me
Father give us eyes to see
'Cause we can be free, yeah I know that
Let's try to fix the things that's been broke down
We can be free, yeah I know that
And it starts with me
'Cause we can be free, yeah I know that
Let's try to fix the things that's been broke down
We can be free, yeah I know that
And it starts with me
This language that I speak
This dream on you and me
But one choice from together
It starts with me
This language that I speak
This dream on you and me
But one choice from together
It starts with me
Now is the time
TobyMac's song "Starts With Me" is a call for unity and action to move towards a better future. It is a reflection on the current state of the nation and the need for change. The lyrics describe the hesitation to move forward because of a history that is filled with hate, but then question whether we have ever truly been united states. The singer wonders why it is so difficult for us to come together and find solutions to the problems facing our nation.
The song then shifts to a personal reflection, where the singer acknowledges that change starts with him. He recognizes that he was born with "dirty hands", inherited from generations before him, and raised with distrust in his heart. However, he knows that he can be part of the solution and it starts with him. The chorus repeats the idea that we can be free if we try to fix the things that have been broken down, and it all starts with each of us.
The final section of the song is an uplifting call for action. The singer sings about feeling love and hope in his heart, and how it is going to move the needle towards change. He urges everyone to take one more step towards being almost free, to say that we need each other, and to ask for God's help in seeing each other as equals. The song ends with the message that the language and dream of coming together and improving the nation begins with one choice - and that choice starts with each of us.
Line by Line Meaning
One day
At some point in the future
This nation will rise up
This country will improve
Rise up
Improve
There's a million reasons to hesitate
There are many reasons to feel uncertain
With a history that's filled with hate
Considering our past filled with animosity
Have we ever been united states?
Have we ever been truly unified?
I wonder (oh, oh, oh)
I am curious about it
So who can blame us for the doubt
It's understandable to question
Forgive me if I think out loud
Pardon me for stating my thoughts openly
But we're just as just won't come around
However, fairness doesn't seem to be widely accepted
I was born with two, dirty hands
I was born with faults
Something my daddy didn't understand
My father didn't comprehend this about me
Something his daddy didn't understand
My grandfather didn't comprehend this about my father either
So it starts with me
It begins with my effort
I was raised with distrust, in my heart
I grew up with skepticism towards others
Momma told me we're in worlds apart
My mother made me realize we are completely different
Her momma told her don't even bother
Her own mother told her not to try
'Cause we can be free, yeah I know that
We can achieve liberty
Let's try to fix the things that's been broke down
Let's repair what has been damaged
And it starts with me
It's my responsibility to initiate change
With a heavy road in front of us
We have a difficult path ahead
And a system that has lost our trust
The current system has lost our belief
Can we ever find the strength to rise from ashes?
Can we rebuild from our turmoil?
And looking at the heart of it
Examining the core of the problem
The healing nearly can't begin
The healing process can hardly begin
Without confession and forgiveness and compassion
The absence of declaration, pardoning, and empathy
Can you feel it in your heart tonight?
Do you sense it in your heart?
Love is gonna move the needle
Love will make a change
I need you, you need me
I require you as much as you require me
One more step, almost free (Almost free, almost free)
One more move, close to being unburdened
Father give us eyes to see
God, grant us sight to view correctly
This language that I speak
The words that I use
This dream on you and me
The vision that we share
But one choice from together
But one decision away from being united
It starts with me
It initiates with me
Now is the time
This moment is the ideal moment
Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dave Lubben, Cole Walowac, Toby McKeehan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@teamwilson3544
This song fits really well into what’s happening in the world right now. Tobymac is one of the most underrated artists.
@desaraechildres4682.
Yes it does
@mochategoddess
On point.
@MarcosSoni
Facts.
@chadschmidt5948
O
@HOURSFORHOURS
Exactly.
@zoeytaylor7959
He is always so inspirational to me and has always kept my head up when things aren’t going great. Whoever comes across this comment I hope you have a very blessed day and just know how loved you really are! ❤️😊🤗
@alphadogfitness6072
Thanks
@suzanscott1171
Thank you and I pray that you have a blessed day as well.
@josicagebremariam8333
Thanks zoey and I always wonder 💭 why they both aren’t going viral yet?!!??!!?