Trent Monk in the Here and Now...
Revitalized Singer Flying Solo and Lov… Read Full Bio ↴Trent Monk in the Here and Now...
Revitalized Singer Flying Solo and Loving It

At some point among the crashing plates and angry customers, Trent Monk realized he was missing his calling.

“I was going to culinary school to be a chef. I was working in a restaurant and went, wait, what am I doing?” he said. “The learning curve was years ahead of me to become a great chef. Did I want to leave behind all 10 years that I had put into music? That’s when I began to realize why I started doing music in the first place. God starting doing things with my heart.”

Monk’s musical sabbatical ended there. He picked up his guitar and hasn’t looked back.
“It feels good, feels right. I have more passion and excitement than I’ve ever had.”

Monk had survived and thrived through the music industry grind for more than a decade. Success came through a pair of Nashville record label deals and Top 5 hits. He recorded Dancing with the Angels in 2005 and The Twenty-First Time in 2008 as half of the Monk and Neagle duo.

The records drew industry acclaim.

"I've worked on a lot of great records," said Ed Cash, Gospel Music's 5 time Producer of the Year, "and the special ones you can usually identify. From the beginning, the songs to me on this record are simply at another level... It's been amazing, watching these guys bring them to life."
But a few years later, Monk says he was dried up and burned out. He walked away.
“I’ve always said that I would give it up and go in a different direction if God wanted me to. I guess I had to get to that place and really prove it before I could be used by God.”

A re-energized Monk is enjoying life touring as a solo artist. He released a studio album, "Dreamer," in August 2011 and a live record "Trent Monk Live," in February 2012. His new single, "Beautiful You," was release to radio on April 13, 2012 and continues to climb the charts. He describes the music as “soulful acoustic pop with a message.”

And what is the message?

“My writing lately seems to have a theme throughout it,” he said. “Not that every song sounds the same but I think it’s about allowing God to steer you in the right direction from an unpleasant place to a place of peace where you are supposed to be.”

All words spoken by an artist whose music has a mission larger than entrees and appetizers. “I would love for people’s lives to change in some way and to be encouraged,” he said. “What I’ve walked through in my life and the way that God has used those things, I feel like people can relate with their own stories and let God do something in their lives.”

Say Goodbye
Trent Monk Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Empty bottles all over the ground
You're lying on the floor as the room spins around
You swear this time is gonna be your last
You say you've been on you feet a time or two
You just can't forget the things you used to do
Well I'm telling you it's time to leave your past

(Chorus)

Let your old ways die
And let your burdens fly
'Cause Jesus has a plan for you life
And now it's time to say goodbye
It's time to say goodbye
It's time to say goodbye to yesterday

Tears fill your eyes 'cause your walking the line
You feel live you've failed for the hundredth time
You feel helpless and you don't know what to do
You keep going back through the same on grind
You keep telling yourself just one more time
I'm telling you that it all falls through

(Chorus)

(Come on baby, what's happening?)

(Chorus)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Trent Monk's "Say Goodbye" are a call to a person who is struggling with an addiction or bad habit to let go of their past and embrace a new life. The opening lines of the song paint a picture of a person who is in the midst of their addiction, with empty bottles littered around them and the room spinning. They are at a point where they feel like this time might be their last, acknowledging that they have been through this before but are unable to forget the things they used to do. However, the singer encourages the person to leave their past behind and move on to a better life.

The chorus of the song serves as a reminder that Jesus has a plan for their life and it is time for them to say goodbye to their old ways and burdens, and embrace a new way of life. The person is urged to let go of yesterday and start anew. The lyrics also acknowledge that it is not an easy journey, with tears filling their eyes as they try to walk the line and feeling like they've failed a hundred times. However, it is emphasized that going back to the same old grind will not change things, and the only way is to let go of the past and embrace the future.

Overall, the message of the song is one of hope and redemption. It acknowledges that change is difficult, but it is possible when one is willing to let go of the past and embrace a new way of life.

Line by Line Meaning

Empty bottles all over the ground
The scene is desperate and chaotic, resembling a drunkard's den with bottles strewn around.

You're lying on the floor as the room spins around
The person in question is too inebriated to stand and is too dizzy to even stay awake.

You swear this time is gonna be your last
After every binge, the person promises that they won't succumb to the temptation next time. But the pattern repeats again and again.

You say you've been on your feet a time or two
The person in question has been through a lot of hardships and struggles, but addiction still proves to be their toughest enemy.

You just can't forget the things you used to do
The allure of past pleasures and vices is too strong to be ignored.

Well I'm telling you it's time to leave your past
The singer urges the person to move on from their destructive habits and urges them to start anew.

Let your old ways die
The singer advises the person to let go of their negative habits and tendencies, and embrace a new, better lifestyle.

And let your burdens fly
The person should carry no more grief and heaviness in their heart and should let go of anything that hinders their progress.

'Cause Jesus has a plan for your life
The singer reminds the person that God has a plan for them and it's time for them to embrace it and follow it to the fullest.

And now it's time to say goodbye
The person should say goodbye to their old self and start afresh.

Tears fill your eyes 'cause your walking the line
The person is struggling hard to stay on the right path and making the difficult choice of changing themselves.

You feel like you've failed for the hundredth time
It's not easy to break away from deeply-ingrained habits, and the person has tried and failed multiple times before.

You feel helpless and you don't know what to do
The singer acknowledges the overwhelming sense of frustration and helplessness the person is feeling right now.

You keep going back through the same old grind
The person keeps repeating their mistakes and regrets the lost opportunities to make things right.

You keep telling yourself just one more time
The person keeps procrastinating their change and keeps relying on the promise that they will change in the future.

I'm telling you that it all falls through
The singer assures the person that their procrastinations will never lead to any concrete changes, and true transformation will only come through committed, sustained effort.

It's time to say goodbye to yesterday
The singer reiterates the need to bury the past and look towards a brighter future.

(Come on baby, what's happening?)
This is an interjection, with the singer offering a friendly, empathetic hand to the person and checking in on their progress.

Contributed by Colton I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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