Week 5: To Move On Is To Grow

The music video. Epic.

The lyrics I decided to analyze are from the song "To Move On Is To Grow" by We Came As Romans. As they're a pretty "noisy" band, some might find it weird that their lyrics could have depth, but they definitely do. Melodically, this is one of my favorite songs ever (Plus the singer's voice is just sexy, let's be honest. Yes, it's a guy..), but the lyrics of it really are just amazing. The whole premise of the song, basically, is to stop the bad things you are doing right now, and change yourself before you get too far down the path of sin. Sound familiar? It's pretty "Sunday school" for a metal band, eh? The chorus is based off of the imagery of sleeping on stones so long that they form into your spine, becoming a part of you. I think that he uses the word sleeping to convey a kind of ignorant state which many who sin are in, and implies that the stones are sins or bad habits or a poor lifestyle that eventually just becomes a part of you. And, even though it hurts, and you feel trapped not being able to stop, or move on from them and "grow," we can and should "turn back the way [we] came." The second chorus contains a line which I think has a nifty double meaning--he speaks of "the beds in which we lie," which is literal, but also meaning being practically wrapped in our own lies or dishonesty.There are two vocalists who sing back and forth, and toward the end one of them says he will follow and encourage the other, that they'll be steadfast, and make it back to where their lives branched off. So I think it's not only a calling out of people who get down paths of sin, but also showing that you can help yourself and others get life back on track. One of the best things about the song is how great the aforementioned singer's voice is, and it has a very major-sounding and catchy tune throughout the song, which successfully captures my attention. Also, the music video for the song is GREAT. It is very well made and expensive looking, and pretty intense; it helps me as a listener/viewer to care more about their message and want to listen to it. Overall, this is one fantastic song, and I think it's interesting that it seems to align so well with our Gospel view on how sin ensnares.

"I've been sleeping on stones...

My mistakes are easier made a second time.
And I can't move on since I've closed my eyes.
Since I've closed my eyes.
I've cut off myself from everybody else.

To move on is to grow,
Yet I haven't been able to accomplish either.
I know the way to go,
Yet I can't bring myself to move forward.

I've been sleeping on stones and they've formed to my spine.
My once straight back, now a crooked line.
I've broken no bones and I appear to be just fine.
My life's been emptied from the inside.

Every decision is easier made a second time.
Every decision is easier made a second time.
But once you start down one line.
The distance becomes greater to change your mind.
To change the way you're living your life.

To move on is to grow,
Yet we can barely accomplish either on our own.
We know the way to go,
Yet we follow those with their eyes closed.

I've been sleeping on stones...

We've been sleeping on stones and they've formed to our spines.
Our once straight backs now just crooked lines.
When we all wake up inside the beds in which we lie.
We will wish we had stopped the first time.

When we wake up to the lives that we've created.
We'll see we built nothing, but destroyed it.
So turn around and head back the way you came.

I'll follow you, encourage you
I'll follow you, encourage you
we'll be steadfast in our way.
And as we make it back to where our lives branched off.
We will take the path we should have taken all along.
Once you start down one line.

The distance becomes greater to change your mind.
To change the way you're living your life.

To move on is to grow."