Falls on Me

To the points made by "Mark Grunger" and "marxsux," I agree that a lot of this song can be taken as a religious experience. However, I don't think it is necessarily religious. And for these two to assume that it is "obviously Christian" strikes me as [unintentionally] arrogant because I can't find anything that implicates Christ specifically. At best to this end, the lyrics alone point to some generic god or savior, even if the band members are Christian.

That said, I'm not convinced the song is meant to be religious in the first place. The chorus certainly works well with the theme, but several lines in the verse starkly contrast it. Take the last lines of the second verse:

"This darkness in my veins, I never could explain, And I wonder if you ever see, Would you still believe?"

Why would the singer wonder if his god can see his darker side? Aren’t most dieties omni-present and all-seeing? And why would there be any question whether this god would still believe in the singer?

The bridge also conflicts:

“I might change your life. I might save our world. Could you save me?”

How could the singer change a god’s or Christ’s life? And exactly what world is “our[s]” if the dialog involves a diety? I suppose “our world” can refer to the relationship, but it makes much more sense [to me] if the dialog is with another person.

Finally, the first verse:

“And silently within, With hands touching skin, Your shock breaks my disease…”

To say the effect occurs “silently within” could certainly point to religion, but it could also point to any change going on within the singer’s mind. I suppose “[w]ith hands touching skin” could be religious, but it seems like a very physical image and seems to fit much better in the context of a traditional relationship (in which both members are mortal).

Believe it or not, I don’t mean to attack those who walk away from this song with a religious message. Take from it whatever appeals to you. What struck a nerve with me was that those implied and directly stated that it was an “obviously Christian” song “all about Christian love and a Godly [sic] commitment.” They then proceeded to issue blanket rejections over all other viewpoints, which, sadly, is exactly how religiosos are stereotyped to behave. The whole thing bothered me because I know first-, second-, and third-hand that this is not how most religious people express their ideas.

To contradict myself as I conclude, I will genuinely say thank you to the two people I just condascended, because you two introduced an entire second meaning of the song to me and I’m fascinated by how the two popular interpretations seem to meld together whenever I listen to it.