Merry Christmas everyone! For the next 12 weeks you will be receiving 12 very special Christmas gifts! Every week you will receive a devotional based on the Album Sunlight. Every one you will read insights into the songs, lyrics and music that you have never known before.
What most people don’t realize about the album, Sunlight, is that I intentionally deal with one theme for the entire record. This record is about Death. Death in one form or another. God’s answer to death is Sunlight. Hope in Death. All 12 songs speak to this theme in some capacity. You will find every song references Death and Sunlight in some way. What better time than Christmas for us to remember this hope we have in Christ?
Amidst the rock, country and blues fun, I wanted there to be a deeper purpose behind every song. I wanted a sense that when you are listening to the record, not only are you listening to a complete musical work, but that the single thread of this theme would bring you to a deeper understanding of God, your faith, and the way you view the world around you. In the next posts, I’m going to dive deeper into the stories and scriptures that are the inspiration behind the songs of the album.
Each week you’ll be prompted to listen to a song from the album. Afterwards, you can read the insights and corresponding scriptures. Please note, I often just use phrases of song lyrics through out the posts in order to emphasize a point, but you can always find the lyrics to the songs in full at the end of each post.
-All the Best,
Robert
Drive
Theme: Dying to Self
The first song on the record, Drive, is a pretty straightforward analogy for the Jesus’ Parable typically referred to as The Prodigal Son. I wanted to begin the record with an Americana music style feel. In the past as an artist, I was always associated with heavy Christian rock music. I wanted to shatter that expectation right off the bat. I came up with the main riff at Crash in 2011. This was the young adult service at NPHX I helped lead sometime ago. This is a main filter for many of the themes of the album. A good majority of my Kickstarter backers came out of this service too.
When I began compiling all the songs for the album, I had about 17 songs that we’re all possibilities, and three additional in the “maybe pile.” Producer Rocky Searan and I were so entrenched in the in the writing process, that we needed a third person to help give us a new perspective on this song. We decided to bring in Rocky’s brother, Adam Searan to help with some of the rewrites. This was one of two songs on the album we collaborated on.
The parable of the prodigal son is a poignant story Jesus told about the lengths God will go to be reconciled with a man that chose to leave Him. This story I think is one of the greatest pictures of God’s love and something I feel people who’s been out of faith or have had no faith whatsoever, can be introduced/reintroduced to God. Writing a song about this was very intentional.
I love the picture of this parable as it mirrors my own journey to faith.
The Parable of the Prodigal Son
11And he said, “There was a man who had two sons.12And the younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.” And he divided his property between them. 13Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out toone of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. 17“But when he came to himself, he said, “How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned againstheaven and before you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”20And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21And the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”22But the father said to his servants, “Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, andshoes on his feet. 23And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.” And they began to celebrate. 25“Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27And he said to him, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.” 28But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29but he answered his father, “Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!” 31And he said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.”
Drive Lyrics
I’ve spent a long time driving in all directions
Chasin’ after dreams that never came true
I was just spinning my wheels,
and now I’m stuck , in the middle of nowhere covered in dust,
Wishing I had the strength to come home to you,
If I could drive all night just to get back home,
Would you be waiting there for me on that ol’ dirt road,
I can see you now,
Oh I can see you now,
I would run to meet you and kiss your face,
and we could relive all our glory days,
I know it’s time, to fire it up and drive
I was promised the world and all my hearts desires,
At the time it seemed like I didn’t have much to lose,
It was pedal to the metal then I broke down,
in the middle of nowhere in some strange town,
It was then I realized all I needed was you!
If I could drive all night just to get back home,
Would you be waiting there for me on that ol’ dirt road,
I can see you now,
Oh I can see you now,
I would run to meet you and kiss your face,
and we could relive all our glory days,
I know it’s time, I know it’s time
I’m leaving lonely truck stops and worn out dives behind,
I’m burning up the road,
Oh Lord I’m coming home
Alive !
If I could drive all night just to get back home,
Would you be waiting there for me on that ol’ dirt road,
I can see you now,
Oh I can see you now,
I would run to meet you and kiss your face,
and we could relive all our glory days,
I know it’s time, to fire it up and drive
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