Went to the Music Builds tour last night with the boys.
Red
Jars of Clay
RR & TFB - Robert Randolph and the Family Band (WHO??)
Switchfoot
Third Day
In that order. They apparently had Red perform before the actual start time, so we missed it. They ended their set as we were walking in. So I have no comment on them.
Jars of Clay, as always, was fabulous. These guys are just amazing. They did some of my favorites, like Love Song For A Saviour, and also some new stuff from their upcoming new CD. They simply rocked.
Now wait a sec. They put a major band like Jars of Clay before an unknown group like RR & TFB?? What the heck are they thinking?
RR & TFB was interesting. It was kind of a jazzy-fusion sound. But the thing is, it all sounded the same. To me, it sounded like a single 30-minute song. The music was basically the same, and all they sang was "Good time, good time, we're having a good time" or something like that. Now, the music was definately catchy and quality for it's style, but it's not my style.
Then came Switchfoot. They have definately gotten better since I first saw them several years ago. They have a really top-notch performance. They did a bunch of the classics, like Meant to Live and Dare You To Move, as well as stuff off of their newer albums. It was really a great set.
Then came Third Day. They lead their set with Rich Mullins' Creed. Wow. I think even Rich would have been impressed. They sang Rockstar. I'm sure they sang other songs too, but at this point both the boys were complaining about wanting to go home and being tired, and I got tired of hearing it so we left. I'm sure it was a great concert. Probably more like a worship service with songs like God Of Wonders. I wonder.
Well, this band isn't in my iPod rotation. In fact, I don't own a single song of theirs. I came across this song while flipping radio stations. Of course, the DJ didn't say who the band was or what the song name was, so I Googled the first few words of the chorus and found out it was Somewhere I Belong by Linkin Park.
Wait a minute. I like something by Linkin Park? Me?
Yep. Did some iTunes research (song/video previews) and I found out that I like several of their songs.
Problem: Most of their songs are labeled 'Explicit' on iTunes. Ok, I'm not surprised. I've had a negative opinion of LP since they first came on the scene, mainly due to stereotyping. The kind of people I saw that had LP t-shirts and stickers on their cars, etc, told me that they were a band that I would not care for. So I never checked them out.
Till now.
I gotta say, this song and a couple of others that I sampled on iTunes are brilliant, musically. Now, the songs I checked out on iTunes were all marked Clean, FYI.
When I heard this song (and Numb) on the radio, I was like, Wow, who is that?? Not only did I think the music was brilliant, but I heard something in the vocals and the lyrics that really reached out to me. It was a yearning for meaning, purpose and acceptance.
I looked at the lyrics of several of their songs, and saw a common theme. These guys are desperate. How bout this, from the song Given Up:
I've given up... I'm sick of living Is there nothing you can say? Take this all away I'm suffocating! Tell me what the #$%^ is wrong with me?
Throughout their songs, they sing of anger, of pain, of desperation, of wanting/needing something more than what they have. From what they sing, you'd think they have awful lives not worth living. Kind of crazy looking in from the outside. These guys have what so many think they want. They have fame, fortune, stardom. Its not enough. Not fulfilling. But they're hanging on, hoping somehow, somewhere, someday, someONE will help them find themselves and their purpose for living. SomeONE that will accept them and love them unconditionally. I know the feeling. I think we all do.
What are these guys missing? To me, it's obvious. They are looking inside themselves for the answer when what they need is a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Without Him, all else is meaningless. I hope they find Him. Can you imagine the amazing music they could create if they did it to glorify God?
Somewhere I Belong - Linkin Park
When this began
I had nothing to say
And I'd get lost in the nothingness inside of me
I was confused
And I let it all out to find that I'm
Not the only person with these things in mind
Inside of me
But all the vacancy the words revealed
Is the only real thing that I've got left to feel
Nothing to lose
Just stuck / Hollow and alone
And the fault is my own
And the fault is my own
I want to heal
I want to feel
What I thought was never real
I want to let go of the pain I've held so long
[Erase all the pain 'til it's gone]
I want to heal
I want to feel
Like I'm close to something real
I want to find something I've wanted all along
Somewhere I belong
And I've got nothing to say
I can't believe I didn't fall right down on my face
I was confused looking everywhere only to find that it's
Not the way I had imagined it all in my mind
So what am I what do I have but negativity
'Cause I can't justify the
Way everyone is looking at me
Nothing to lose
Nothing to gain
Hollow and alone
And the fault is my own
The fault is my own
I will never know
Myself until I do this on my own
And I will never feel
Anything else until my wounds are healed
I will never be
Anything 'til I break away from me
And I will break away
I'll find myself today
I want to heal
I want to feel like
I'm somewhere I belong
Numb - Linkin Park
I'm tired of being what you want me to be
Feeling so faithless, lost under the surface
I don't know what you're expecting of me
Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes
Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow
Every step that I take is another mistake to you
Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow
I've become so numb, I can't feel you there
Become so tired, so much more aware
By becoming this all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you
Can't you see that you're smothering me?
Holding too tightly, afraid to lose control
'Cause everything that you thought I would be
Has fallen apart right in front of you
Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow
Every step that I take is another mistake to you
Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow
And every second I waste is more than I can take!
I've become so numb, I can't feel you there
Become so tired, so much more aware
By becoming this all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you
And I know I may end up failing too
But I know you were just like me with someone disappointed in you
I've become so numb, I can't feel you there
Become so tired, so much more aware
By becoming this all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you
I've become so numb, I can't feel you there
I'm tired of being what you want me to be
I've become so numb, I can't feel you there
I'm tired of being what you want me to be
