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
Stories
TobyMac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When we hit rock bottom
If you been there put your hands in the air
So let the lost know that someone cares
'Cause we've been down to the bottom, stories we've got em
When we hit rock bottom
If you been there, put your hands in the air
And let somebody know that the Most High cares
I never knew that it would feel like this
When the two that raise you up and call it quits
Nobody told me bout the emptiness,
When the place you call home is closed for business
I push the pain down, I gotta get by
Always knowin in my heart that it ain't gonna fly
Rock bottom's never felt so near before
And if pain is God's megaphone, it's loud and clear
So hold me now Father, human love ain't enough
I've failed and been failed by the people I love
But Your faithful arms, they surround me
And any other soul who has to sail those seas
Of a broken family
We've been down to the bottom, stories we've got em
When we hit rock bottom
If you been there put your hands in the air
So let the lost know that someone cares
'Cause we've been down to the bottom, stories we've got em
When we hit rock bottom
If you been there, put your hands in the air
And let somebody know that the Most High cares
Been so many times that I been close to rock bottom
Try to look for answers but
Nobody's got em
Like the time my mother looked me in the eye, tryin not to cry
Tellin me that cancer might cause her to die
How could this be? I thought that God loved me
So why would He try to take my mother from me
As I cry myself to sleep at night
Holdin on my pillow tight
He spoke to me and said that everything was gonna be alright
So I try to fight all the pain that it caused
I try to move on and I try to stay strong
So put your hands up if you're feeling me
And put your hands up for everyone to see
So put your hands up, we all a family
So put your hands up in unity, its unity
We've been down to the bottom, stories we've got em
When we hit rock bottom
If you been there put your hands in the air
So let the lost know that someone cares
'Cause we've been down to the bottom, stories we've got em
When we hit rock bottom
If you been there, put your hands in the air
And let somebody know that the Most High cares
We've been down to the bottom
Stories we got em
If you been there put your hands in the air, put your hands in the air
I've been there too, when everything falls apart
And the best you can do is get through each day wondering will this never end?
Is it always gonna be this way
And the greatest lie you ever been told
Is you're the only one to walk on this road
And that you'll never see the light of dawn
So we came together to say... hold on
'cause we've been there and found our way home
We promise you that you're not on your own
One day this will pass
God will see us all through
God will see us all through
God will see us all pass through
We been down to the bottom
Stories we got em when we hit rock bottom
If you been there put your hands in the air
And let somebody know that the Most High cares
We've been down to the bottom
Stories we got em
If you been there put your hands in the air, put your hands in the air
In TobyMac’s “Stories,” the artist talks about the difficult times that he and his listeners have been through, including dealing with broken homes, sickness, and pain. He reflects on the impact of these tough situations that have brought him closer to God and helped him realize that human love isn't always enough. He tries to provide comfort to those who have been through similar experiences by letting them know that they are not alone and that God cares for them. The lyrics imply that when we hit rock bottom, instead of feeling defeated and surrendered, we should rise above the challenge, learn from the experience and help others stay afloat in their times of need.
TobyMac beautifully portrays the pain that people go through when their families fall apart or when they hear news of sickness and death in their families. Through the lyrics, he tries to provide some hope to listeners by encouraging them to share their stories as they will find others who can understand their pain. He also believes that God will bring us through any tough situation if we call on him to help us sail through.
The song is an emotional one, and TobyMac’s powerful lyrics and emotional delivery make it resonate deeply with listeners. “Stories” is a poignant call to action for listeners to put their hands in the air if they’ve hit rock bottom, so that those who are lost will know they are not alone. The message of the song is one of hope and unity, and it resonates with anyone who's been through challenging times.
Line by Line Meaning
We've been down to the bottom, stories we've got em
We have experienced hitting rock bottom and have stories to share about it
When we hit rock bottom
When we reached the lowest point in our lives
If you been there put your hands in the air
If you have also experienced hitting rock bottom, show it by raising your hands
So let the lost know that someone cares
By raising our hands, we show support to those who feel lost and alone
'Cause we've been down to the bottom, stories we've got em
We have the authority to comfort and encourage because we have gone through similar experiences
And let somebody know that the Most High cares
Show others that God is with us even in our darkest times
I never knew that it would feel like this
Going through a difficult situation can be overwhelming and unexpected
When the two that raise you up and call it quits
When the people who are supposed to support and uplift you, such as parents, fail to do so
Nobody told me bout the emptiness,
No one warned about the feeling of emptiness after losing an important support system
When the place you call home is closed for business
When your safe haven or comfort zone is no longer available or effective
I push the pain down, I gotta get by
We often try to suppress our pain and just survive
Always knowin in my heart that it ain't gonna fly
Deep down, we know that ignoring or avoiding our pain will not make it go away
Rock bottom's never felt so near before
We can sense when we are approaching our lowest point
And if pain is God's megaphone, it's loud and clear
God may use pain to get our attention and communicate with us
So hold me now Father, human love ain't enough
We need God's love and support to get us through tough times
I've failed and been failed by the people I love
Sometimes the people we love may not be able to support us, or we may not be able to support them. We are all human and make mistakes
But Your faithful arms, they surround me
God's love and faithfulness can be a source of comfort and strength
And any other soul who has to sail those seas
God's love can help anyone going through tough times
Of a broken family
Specifically, those who have experienced a family breakdown
Been so many times that I been close to rock bottom
The artist has experienced many difficult situations
Try to look for answers but
Nobody's got em
Sometimes we search for answers to our problems, but they may not be readily available
Like the time my mother looked me in the eye, tryin not to cry
Tellin me that cancer might cause her to die
The artist received devastating news about their mother's health
How could this be? I thought that God loved me
So why would He try to take my mother from me
The singer is struggling with their faith in God and questioning why bad things happen to good people
As I cry myself to sleep at night
Holdin on my pillow tight
He spoke to me and said that everything was gonna be alright
The artist received comfort from God during a difficult time
So I try to fight all the pain that it caused
I try to move on and I try to stay strong
The singer is trying to cope with difficult emotions and move forward
So put your hands up if you're feeling me
And put your hands up for everyone to see
So put your hands up, we all a family
So put your hands up in unity, its unity
We can find strength in unity and support each other through tough times
And the best you can do is get through each day wondering will this never end?
Is it always gonna be this way
We may feel like our problems will never go away and we will be stuck in our current situation forever
And the greatest lie you ever been told
Is you're the only one to walk on this road
And that you'll never see the light of dawn
Feeling isolated in our struggles can be a powerful lie
So we came together to say... hold on
'cause we've been there and found our way home
We promise you that you're not on your own
One day this will pass
God will see us all through
We can encourage each other to hold on and trust that our struggles will come to an end
We've been down to the bottom
Stories we got em
If you been there put your hands in the air, put your hands in the air
We can share our stories of hitting rock bottom to help others going through similar situations
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEPHEN CLARK, DICK LEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind