In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
I don't belong here
I never saw this on the path I walk
The blood-stained walls, the lines of chalk on the floor
It's getting so hard
I never saw the backlash when the tide began to rise
I can't remember
The way it was when everything felt right
My mouth held shut and eyes sealed tight with control
So I remember on the inside
I found a dark, infernal place I don't want to face anymore
Somehow, I won't stop feeding the pain
My heart's just the same as before
So now I'm stuck here
Between the guilty and the insincere
The words I spoke have left me here all alone
I should have known this
I never saw the backlash when the tide began to rise
I wish it all gone
I could've burned it when I had that choice
And now I'd die to kill this noise in my head
So I remember on the inside
I found a dark, infernal place I don't want to face anymore
Somehow, I won't stop feeding the pain
My heart's just the same as before
So I remember on the inside
If this is all the love my spirit can give
Just take it back tonight
There is not a reason more to live
I never saw this on the path I walk
The blood-stained walls, the lines of chalk on the floor
It's getting so hard
I never saw the backlash when the tide began to rise
I can't remember
The way it was when everything felt right
My mouth held shut and eyes sealed tight with control
So I remember on the inside
I found a dark, infernal place I don't want to face anymore
Somehow, I won't stop feeding the pain
My heart's just the same as before
So now I'm stuck here
Between the guilty and the insincere
The words I spoke have left me here all alone
I should have known this
I never saw the backlash when the tide began to rise
I wish it all gone
I could've burned it when I had that choice
And now I'd die to kill this noise in my head
So I remember on the inside
I found a dark, infernal place I don't want to face anymore
Somehow, I won't stop feeding the pain
My heart's just the same as before
So I remember on the inside
If this is all the love my spirit can give
Just take it back tonight
There is not a reason more to live
Lyrics submitted by WakeToLife
The Tide Began to Rise Lyrics as written by Ryan Clark Don Clark
Lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song is pretty easy to figure out. It is getting into sin and not realizing how hard it is to get out until the tide has risen too high. The only way out is to draw close to God, because there is nothing we can do as sinners to save ourselves.
The difficult line in this song is the conclusion, which at first seems depressing, but upon review is one of the most honest and awesome lyrics I've ever seen.
"If this is all the love my spirit can give, just take it back tonight. There is not a reason more to live."
This is the point I have reached in my life when I felt I couldn't get out of a certain sin. It is just being honest with God, telling him that if I can't use my life for good and show the kind of love for others that Christ did, then God should just take the life back. There is no other reason to live than to show the love of Christ. God may as well take us if we aren't doing that.
+1, nice comment but I'd like to add that it doesn't need to be sin. It could social, financial, emotional or educational problems etc. Pretty much anything.
+1, nice comment but I'd like to add that it doesn't need to be sin. It could social, financial, emotional or educational problems etc. Pretty much anything.
@Skillet7 I love what you say here: "at first seems depressing, but upon review is one of the most honest and awesome lyrics I've ever seen." <br /> <br /> I feel the same way. It's like, just take it all. Everything in this life is pointless if not for God's kingdom. <br /> <br /> Also, I've been there before too, stuck in a sin. Dark, dark times. Praise to the Lord, He got me out of it though. It was a time that lasted longer then I wished, but I got out of it.
from demonhunter.net “The Tide Began To Rise” is a song I wrote about the changes you make in life. Sometimes, in looking back, you realize that you’re not progressing and changing into the mature, spiritually mature person that you had hoped for. I talk about the times when things seemed more stable and looking back on those days in the hope that you may return to them.
At the end of the song, I wrote about how depressing it can be sometimes, knowing that we, as humans, are so limited in the love that we can give to God and our loved ones. God gives so abundantly to us, yet we are living for ourselves most of the time. The love that we do give is usually just in the time left over after we serve ourselves. The final desperate plea is that God would just take my spirit home with Him, because I’m tired of the futility of human love.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Rom 3:23
“The Tide Began To Rise” is a song I wrote about the changes you make in life. Sometimes, in looking back, you realize that you’re not progressing and changing into the mature, spiritually mature person that you had hoped for. I talk about the times when things seemed more stable and looking back on those days in the hope that you may return to them.
At the end of the song, I wrote about how depressing it can be sometimes, knowing that we, as humans, are so limited in the love that we can give to God and our loved ones. God gives so abundantly to us, yet we are living for ourselves most of the time. The love that we do give is usually just in the time left over after we serve ourselves. The final desparate plea is that God would just take my spirit home with Him, because I’m tired of the futility of human love.
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." - Romans 3:23
-This is not my own description. This is the definition of the song from a direct quote of DH's lead singer, Ryan Clark. Just figured I'd throw it out there. Amazing song! :)
Foreword: Long comment, but please take your time, it was very powerful for me.
I'm speechless. This song feels like it's written about my present situation.
Verse 1 tells about a normal person, whose life seems to be on track. All's well. But suddenly he figures out that he has messed up badly in every aspect of life. Now his path feels blood-stained, it's something he's never been into before (I don't belong here, I never saw this on the path). He didn't see it coming. He didn't see the backlash when the tide began to rise.
Chorus tells about a dark, infernal place. For me, it's something concerning secrets and regrets and stuff I feel I've failed in. Things I'd want to change. Maybe getting disappointed by other people. Also I had my first panic attack ever today (yes, I'm male, 18yrs). For someone else that infernal place could be anything, but something he somehow can't get over with (I won't stop feeding the pain etc).
Verse 2 is much like verse 1, he seems lost in his new situation (stuck between the guilty and the insincere), drowning in the tide. He feels so much guilt (I should have know this), he should've fixed it on the backlash (but he didn't see it). He's desperate to do anything to get out (I'd die to kill this noise in my head).
Part 3 made me cry. It escalates all my feelings. If this is all the love my spirit can give - Why cant I do any better, maybe show some love and forgiveness? Maybe get rid of the hatred, guilt, bitterness and self-pity. I HAVE failed. We all have. It just might take a long way to find out how lost you've been. Even I being a christian from my birth realized I've gone too far on my own. Now I bow down to God and give up everything. I can't do it on my own. If this is all the love my spirit can give... JUST TAKE IT BACK TONIGHT, THERE IS NOT A REASON MORE TO LIVE ... Can't do it on my own. God must take my spirit and guide it. And he will. If I ask for it.
P.S. I told this from my aspect. Everyone has their own problems (everyone has some), the meaning of this song may be different for you. But this did touch me. A lot.
it seems to me that, he is fighting with emotions and he doesn't know how to cope with it. When he "never saw the backlash when the tide begins to rise", he knew that he made the wrong choice but didn't know the outcome of it. Thats what Christians face everyday and alot of Christians continue to live in sin but they don't know that what they sow they will reap
Close. Ryan, on the Waging The Third War DVD, stated that this song is him reflecting on himself and the wrongs he's done. BUT also what also he can do it, just not complaining about like a whiny emo kid.
Also, I dunno which is better, the acoustic or the CD version.
"I never saw the backlash when the tide began to rise" is one powerful line. I take it as any human living in gradually escalating sin. You come to the age of reason where you know you live in your own filth... but it was never completely obvious how you got into the mess because it happened gradually over time. This song is a realization of that, and call to do something about it.
I found a dark, infernal place I don't want to face anymore Somehow, I won't stop feeding the pain My heart's just the same as before
So I remember on the inside
If this is all the love my spirit can give Just take it back tonight There is not a reason more to live
This is song is the one that is calm and gentle. This is one of their best songs.
this is definitely one of their best songs. it's soft but delivers a powerful message about how hard it is to let go of sin.
First off, one of the best songs on the album and probably the most powerful for me. Also, I agree that Skillet7 pretty much got it. The enitre song just impacts me because it really reminded me of myself.