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City Lights Lyrics
I took a walk down 4th avenue when I saw it
A red line in the concrete
Leading somewhere out of sight
Something compelled me to stop
So I jumped over the fence
Started following from what appeared to be
The trail of a leaking tin can
Leading into the alley away from the light
Now this is what needs to be done
Blacklight shining in the dark
Brings out the brightness more than in the sun
Do I dare to stay
Cause somehow I want to
Trade love for the city lights
You chose me to stay
Trade light for the city love
You chose me to stay
So now what if I continue this walk
The red line is taking me down trashcan lonely streets
Yes the streets have names but the people don’t
Or are they forgotten
And I’m starting to smell something beautiful
Though these streets are rotten
Trade love for the city lights
You chose me to stay
Trade light for the city love
You chose me to stay
A red line in the concrete
Leading somewhere out of sight
So I jumped over the fence
Started following from what appeared to be
The trail of a leaking tin can
Leading into the alley away from the light
Blacklight shining in the dark
Brings out the brightness more than in the sun
Do I dare to stay
Cause somehow I want to
You chose me to stay
Trade light for the city love
You chose me to stay
The red line is taking me down trashcan lonely streets
Yes the streets have names but the people don’t
Or are they forgotten
And I’m starting to smell something beautiful
Though these streets are rotten
You chose me to stay
Trade light for the city love
You chose me to stay
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This song is about how Christians can be lead away from God by the world. After walking down the world's road for a while, we become lonely and unfulfilled.
No, I think it's much more meaningful in that Christ chose him to stay in the darkness for awhile. It harks back to the themes of many Christian mystics and fits in with the theme of the album well. It's about questioning one's stability in faith, what it means to them, and going deeper in one's experience of God.
The red trail in the midst of all the darkness symbolizes, to me, the blood of Christ leading him through the valley of the shadow of death.
Of course, I could be wrong. But I think that's right.
i think i agree with you heartrocketblast, that Christian's faith is so solidified that he can stay in the dark and be a light to the "people without names" or unbelivers, and show them the way. The first part of the song kind of reminds me how God works in mysterious ways and leads him to a place where he might not really want to be but it is where God is using him. The part where he says trade love for the city lights i think is how he is trading being in the company of fellow christians and how fun and loving that is and could easily live like that but instead God calls him to the slums of the city to minister His word
He seems to be talking about his trip to Africa. This Time, and Yemkela are about some people he ministered to in Africa. In yemkela he talks about staying there being like gunpowder under his skin, like he could emotionally blow any time, and he always mentions something about it being more comfortable at home than there. I think this song further emphasizes how he felt when he was in Africa.