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- Healing Begins
- Strong Enough to Save
- You Are More
- The Truth is Who You Are
- All the Pretty Things
- Any Other Way
- On and On
- Hearts Safe (A Better Way)
- House Of Mirrors
- Empty My Hands
- Oh My Dear
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The Light Meets The Dark
Release Date: May 11, 2010
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This is a call to let your walls fall down, let your masks fall down, let your pretense fall down, because guess what? Your walls are glass anyway. We can see through them. You are fighting a losing battle and this is where the healing begins, when you let the light expose the darkness. -Mike
Healing Begins
Mike Donehey/Jason Ingram/Jeff Owen
So you thought you had to keep this up
All the work that you do so we think that you're good
And you can't believe it’s not enough
All the walls you built up are just glass on the outside
So let them fall down
There’s freedom waiting in the sound
When you let your walls fall to the ground
We’re here now
This is where the healing begins
This is where the healing starts
When you come to where you're broken within
The light meets the dark
The light meets the dark
Afraid to let your secrets out
Everything that you hide could come crashing through the door now
But too scared to face all your fear
So you hide but you find that the shame won't disappear
Sparks will fly as grace collides
With the dark inside of us
So please don't fight this coming light
Let this blood come cover us
His blood can cover us
© 2010 Sony/ATV Timber Publishing / West Main Music / Formerly Music / Windsor Hill Music (SESAC) / Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing / Mt. Roskill Music / Robots Rule the World (ASCAP)
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This song is really fun live. It isn’t quite as heavy lyrically speaking, but it’s still very powerful. It’s upbeat, exciting and really catchy. -Jeff
Strong Enough To Save
Mike Donehey/Jason Ingram/Phillip LaRue
You fought but you were just too weak
So you lost all the things you tried to keep
Now you're on your knees
You’re on your knees
But wait everything can change
In a moments' time
You don't have to be afraid
‘Cause fear is just a lie
Open up your eyes
And He'll break open the skies to save
Those who cry out His name
The one the wind and waves obey
Is strong enough to save you
Look now is not too late
Lift up your head
Let the rain fall on your face
You’re not far from grace
You’re not too far from grace
I know the weight of this world can take you down like gravity
I know the current of yourself can take you out, out to sea
But hold on
Hold on
© 2010 Sony/ATV Timber Publishing / West Main Music / Formerly Music / Windsor Hill Music (SESAC) / Songs of Razor and Tie / Maxx Music Publishing (admin. by Songs of Razor and Tie) (ASCAP)
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In a world where our validation and our acceptance is based upon what we do, how well we perform, what we feel, I feel like this song is just a really special statement to sort of negate all those false ideas that are going around. It’s not about what we do, or what we feel, it’s about what He did and what He felt. It’s about what Christ has done for us. -Mike
You Are More
Mike Donehey/Jason Ingram
There's a girl in the corner with tear stains on her eyes
From the places she's wandered and the shame she can't hide
She says, "How did I get here? I'm not who I once was,
and I'm crippled by the fear that I've fallen too far to love."
But don't you know who you are
What has been done for you
Don't you know who you are
You are more than the choices that you've made
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes
You are more than the problems you create
You've been remade
Well she tries to believe it that she's been given new life
But she can't shake the feeling that it’s not true tonight
She knows all the answers and she's rehearsed all the lines
So she'll try to do better but then she's too weak to try
‘Cause this is not about what you've done
But what's been done for you
This is not about where you've been
But where your brokenness brings you to
This is not about what you feel but He felt to forgive you
And what He felt to make you new
© 2010 Sony/ATV Timber Publishing / West Main Music / Formerly Music / Windsor Hill Music (SESAC)
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It’s just the idea that Jesus is really what sustains us. Jesus is the truth we’re searching for. So unless we run to Him first, all our knowledge and all the stuff we learn about Him is just sort of puffing ourselves up. I think it’s such a freeing thing when people can realize that Jesus isn’t something that you read about in a book, but He’s actually a person and He wants to have a relationship with you and walk with you through these dark times. -Jason
The Truth Is Who You Are
Mike Donehey/Jason Ingram
It would be easier if you were just a thought in my head
Simply something that I once read
A belief needing my defense
And it would be easier if you were something I once knew
A hope just to hold on to
But you're holding out your hands
You came to take us back to the start
You came to touch the hardness of our hearts
You gave us truth that truth is who You are
It's who You are
And it’s not enough to just say, "I believe."
‘Cause truth is that talk is cheap
So grace give me eyes to see
Flesh and blood You offer us
Oh, to eat the bread and drink the cup
Oh, to taste, to see, to feel, to touch
Emmanuel, God with us
Emmanuel, God with us
‘Cause You came to break the chains apart
To wake the dead and the sleeping of our hearts
You gave us truth that truth is who You are
It's who You are
© 2010 Sony/ATV Timber Publishing / West Main Music / Formerly Music / Windsor Hill Music (SESAC)
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This song is exciting to play live. It’s upbeat and has a lot of crowd participation moments that are made available just by the way we recorded it. -Jeff
All The Pretty Things
Mike Donehey/Jason Ingram/Jeff Owen
We are, we are, we're caught in the in between
Of who we already are and who we are yet to be
And we're looking for love but finding we're still in need
It's only what we have lost will we be allowed to keep
And we're waiting but our eyes are wandering
To all this earth holds dear
Look at all the pretty things
That steal my heart away
I can feel I'm fading
‘Cause Lord I love so many things
That keep me from Your face
Come and save me
We run, we run to finally be set free
But we're fighting for what we already have received
© 2010 Sony/ATV Timber Publishing / West Main Music / Formerly Music / Windsor Hill Music (SESAC) / Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing / Mt. Roskill Music / Robots Rule the World (ASCAP)
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Even in relationships with each other, if you don’t understand the hurt and pain that someone is going through, it’s really not a love relationship. This is a call of God saying to us "I need your pain and I need your hurt" and allowing us to express that to God and not just to mask it. We’re allowed to question and we’re allowed to get mad and say, "I’m really hurt right now and this is what I’m going through." When someone can then love in return, then that’s when it’s true love. -Jason
Any Other Way
Mike Donehey/Jason Ingram
Don't say goodbye, don't say hello
We're just standing on the surface
Don't say alright, don't say I know
I promise it's not worth it
I want to know who you are
Even if you're falling apart
Reach in and touch your scars
And all the shame you've kept in your heart
‘Cause it's not enough
It's not enough just to say that we're ok
I need your hurt, I need your pain
It's not love any other way
Let's not pretend, stop your parade
Trying to convince me
That you're alright and everything's ok
Do you even know me?
‘Cause I already know who you are
And all the things that kept us apart
So reach in and touch my scars
And know the price I paid for your heart
A broken and contrite heart I will not despise
Come as you are and I won't close my eyes
I won't close my eyes
I won't close my eyes
I won't close my eyes
'Cause it's not enough
It's not enough just to say that you're ok
Well, you needed my hurt
You needed my pain
It's not love any other way
© 2010 Sony/ATV Timber Publishing / West Main Music / Formerly Music / Windsor Hill Music (SESAC)
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That one was funny because it started out as an upbeat worship song and then all of a sudden it took this twist and turned into this love ballad of Christ and the church, which is closest to our song ‘Beloved’ from our first record. And musically it’s kind of cool. -Jeff
On And On
Mike Donehey/Jason Ingram/Jeff Owen
Love, I have waited for you
And love, I was wounded for you
Won't you look into my eyes
Through the pain and through your pride
And find I am true
You're the one I can't deny
And I'll never leave your side
I gave my life for you
So what are you waiting for?
On and on we go
Come love take my hand
On and on we go
Time and time again
On and on we go
Back to where this all began
Come love take my hand
Life is waiting for you
And life I have given to you
Tell me what else can I do
What more have I left to prove?
That I am what you need
Still I will hold on to your heart
Through the chaos and the dark
When your eyes fail to see
So what are you waiting for?
On and on we go
Come love take my hand
On and on we go
As you run away again
On and on we go
Back to where this all began
Broken I was for you
Broken I'm still for you
My broken heart breaks for you
Broken I'm over you
© 2010 Sony/ATV Timber Publishing / West Main Music / Formerly Music / Windsor Hill Music (SESAC) / Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing / Mt. Roskill Music / Robots Rule the World (ASCAP)
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Jeff came to me and said "Man, I had this conversation with this friend of mine that I grew up with and he just doesn’t have any desire to follow God at all anymore." He said "It’s weird, I don’t get it." I had a similar experience. A good friend who I thought loved the Lord just fell away. So we sat down and started writing. It was very healing for me just to write that song. -Mike
Hearts Safe (A Better Way)
Mike Donehey/Jeff Owen
I feel it in your eyes
There's pain that covers up these lies
Now you may look like me
But it seems you're really different on the inside
We used to keep our hearts safe
We kept them safe and locked away
But then we grew up learning
That life could serve us in a better way
And why?
I'm asking you why?
So what happened to your eyes
I saw them wander just like mine
So how did we come to see so differently
After all this time
If the sheep know his voice then tell me what is the choice
For the ones who haven't heard and have no need to rejoice
Father, help me understand
‘Cause I am just like him and Lord he's just like me
We came from the same town and the same families
But now he, he just won't understand
Please Lord open up his eyes
Can you open these eyes?
© 2010 Sony/ATV Timber Publishing / West Main Music / Formerly Music (SESAC) / Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing / Mt. Roskill Music / Robots Rule the World (ASCAP)
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The call of the gospel is not for me to think highly or lowly of myself. The call of the gospel is to stop thinking about myself all together and that’s something that I feel like I’m just now really getting. -Mike
House Of Mirrors
Mike Donehey/Jason Jamison/Scott Sanders/Jeff Owen
You can't seem to see past your own reflection
Caught up in the halls of your introspection
And you're staring at your mirror on the wall
Asking, "Who is the fairest of them all?"
‘Cause, Lord, I know it's not me
If only you could see
That you've already been set free
Come on, come on
Let's throw our mirrors down
Come on, come on
Let's shatter the glass on the ground
But you say, "Hold on, if I could just try this one thing.
Well, I know I can change and that would change everything."
But a house made of mirrors never helps you see any clearer
It's yourself you can't see past
And Lord isn't that just like me?
If only we could see
That He's already set us free
Come on, come on
Let's throw our mirrors down
Come on, come on
Let's shatter the glass on the ground
Freedom's waiting for you now
So come on, come on
Throw your mirrors down
Come on if you're tired take a step outside
You might find you can forget about yourself tonight
Come on if you're tired of failed attempts to try
Freedom's waiting when you look outside
© 2010 Sony/ATV Timber Publishing / West Main Music / Formerly Music (SESAC) / Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing / Mt. Roskill Music / Robots Rule the World (ASCAP)
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This song is just a confessional prayer of mine. I have thoughts in my head that scare me. I think we all do. It’s my own selfishness and my own entitlement issues. The things you are most likely to idolize aren’t necessarily bad things, they are usually blessings that you cannot let go of and what we all need help realizing is true freedom. –Mike
Empty My Hands
Mike Donehey
I've got voices in my head and they are so strong
And I'm getting sick of this oh Lord, how long
Will I be haunted by the fear that I believe
My hands like locks on cages
Of these dreams I can't set free
But if I let these dreams die
If I lay down all my wounded pride
If I let these dreams die
Will I find that letting go lets me come alive
So empty my hands
Fill up my heart
Capture my mind with you
These voices speak instead and what's right is wrong
And I'm giving into them, please Lord, how long
Will I be held captive by the lies that I believe
My heart's in constant chaos and it keeps me so deceived
But if I let these dreams die
If I could just lay down my dark desire
If I let these dreams die
Will I find you brought me back to life
My mind is like a building burning down
I need your grace to keep me, keep me from the ground
And my heart is just a prisoner of war
A slave to what it wants and to what I'm fighting for
© 2010 Sony/ATV Timber Publishing / West Main Music / Formerly Music (SESAC)
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It’s actually a story about something that happened between my wife and me; some secrets that she was so afraid to tell anybody. So it’s kind of the practical application of the first song [“Healing Begins”] and what’s incredible is this thing that she was so scared to tell me, when she finally just told me, I was like, ‘That’s it?’ And the weight that she carried for so long just fell off her. -Mike
Oh My Dear
Mike Donehey/Garrett Green
I called you up, you were in bed
Could barely make out the words that you said
But you wanted to see me instead so I got dressed
Then I stepped out into the snow
And walked for a mile or so
Felt the rush of blood come from the cold in my chest
You finally came to the door
And we talked for an hour or more
Until I asked if you would stay up till four
You said, "That's fine."
But you said, "There's something I have to say,
And I can't because I'm just so afraid."
And so I held you as you started to shake that night
Oh, my dear I'll wait for you
Grace tonight will pull us through
Until the tears have left your eyes
Until the fears can sleep at night
Until the demons that you're scared of disappear inside
Until this guilt begins to crack and the weight falls from your back
Oh, my dear I'll keep you in my arms tonight
You slowly lifted your head from your hands
You said, "I just don't think that you'll understand,
You'll never look at me that way again if you knew what I did."
And so your tears fell and melted the snow
You told me secrets nobody had known
But I never loved you more even though now I knew what you did
© 2010 Sony/ATV Timber Publishing / West Main Music / Formerly Music (SESAC) / Garrett Green (BMI)
About The Light Meets The Dark
Rarely has a new band delivered an album with more emotional punch than Tenth Avenue North’s 2008 debut Over and Underneath. Musically inventive and lyrically compelling, the collection helped earn the band the New Artist of the Year accolade at the 2009 Dove Awards and placed them in headliner status on its fall tour. Needless to say its 2010 follow up album is one of the most highly anticipated albums of the year.
With one listen to The Light Meets The Dark it is obvious Mike Donehey, Jeff Owen and Jason Jamison are
taking a bold step forward on their musical journey. Once again the songs are poignant and powerful, and in recording the new tunes, the band brings a more seasoned level of musicianship and intensity, honed from relentless touring.
“It’s been kind of crazy I guess when you think about it,” Donehey says with a smile. “In a lot of ways, we don’t feel like anything has changed. When we get up on a stage, more people are there to see us play and more people are familiar with the songs, but the objective really hasn’t changed. The objective is for people to encounter truth and be changed.”
Tenth Avenue North meets that objective head on with the music on The Light Meets the Dark. “I’ve sort of stepped back and looked at this group of songs and really I feel like it’s a continuation of this last album,” Donehey says. “I’m not trying to blow people’s minds. I’m trying to take them to the next step. ‘Over and Underneath’ is a call for the gospel. This next record is more like ‘Okay, now if you believe that, let people see how messed up you are. Are you ready to confess? Are you ready to have all your masks taken away?”
That ability to challenge audiences to a deeper walk of faith while simultaneously encouraging them with the truth of God’s grace has propelled Tenth Avenue North to the forefront of the Christian music industry. The band’s debut disc ranked No. 10 on Billboard Magazine’s list of Top Christian Albums for 2009. The group placed two songs on the Hot Christian Songs chart, including the No. 1 radio single “By Your Side” at No. 2 and “Hold My Heart” at No. 13. Most impressive is the fact that Tenth Avenue North, still on its first album, had “By Your Side” show up at No. 3 on Billboard’s overall decade ranking of Christian Songs.
It all began for Tenth Avenue North when Donehey, and Jamison met at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida. They recruited guitarist Owen and began booking themselves in churches and youth camps from Florida to Colorado. They began creating a buzz that caught the attention of label executives at Provident Label Group and landed a deal with Reunion Records.
Over and Underneath was released May 20, 2008, and quickly established Tenth Avenue North as one of the Christian music community’s most talented bands, and lead vocalist/principal songwriter Donehey began drawing comparisons to such visionary leaders as Casting Crowns’ Mark Hall, Third Day’s Mac Powell and Jars of Clay’s Dan Haseltine. For many young musicians, such early success may have proved paralyzing, but not for Tenth Avenue North because music for them has never been about awards and CD sales, but about the chance to impact lives.
“When we were going through songs and writing songs, we weren’t worried about whether or not this record was going to take,” Jamison says of the album’s potential. “The No. 1 priority is the songs and the lyrics. We want to create strong songs that hopefully draw people in to experience Christ.”
Donehey agrees, “I carry this ache with me and I don’t know if that’s common to a lot of people, but I know Paul says in Romans ‘I have unceasing anguish for my brothers who don’t believe.’ I don’t have unceasing anguish, but I do get a taste of what he’s talking about when I get up on stage and I’m talking about the truth and Christ and redemption. I look into the faces of the crowd and you can tell that some people have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.”
Owen feels the first single “Healing Begins” encapsulates the theme of the new album. “It’s where the title of the record comes from. It’s basically about confession—confessing your sins to one another that you might be healed, which is a scary thing to do. You can believe in God and love God, but confessing the things that you keep secret and hold on to—that keep you tied to your past and weigh you down—confessing those things is not easy. You can experience such freedom in telling someone else. You know that God knows everything about you, but telling someone else is an entirely different thing.”
The songs on The Light Meets the Dark are authentic, heartfelt and confessional. “On this record I really tried to be honest about how messed up I am,” Donehey says. “We wanted it to be a collision between our hearts and God’s truth. Sparks will fly. His grace collides with the dark inside of us. His blood can cover us and I’m trying to call people out and say ‘Look, please do not hide your darkness. Expose that to the light.’ I know that’s the scariest thought, but it’s where freedom and healing starts to take place. It’s where it all starts to happen.”
Audiences are already responding to the music. “Every time we play ‘You Are More’ people come up to us and say ‘That’s the first time they’ve ever heard anything like that,’” Owen relates. “The song says ‘You are more than the choices that you’ve made. You are more than the sum of your past mistakes.’ People don’t believe that. They believe the choices that they’ve made make them who they are and who they will continue to be until the day they die. The gospel doesn’t work on that scale and that’s what a lot of non-believers, and believers, don’t know about the gospel. It’s not what you have done; it’s about what He did for you. Christ has made you a new creation.”
Tenth Avenue North’s songs remind the listener of God’s grace and challenge believers to focus more on the things of God, not the things of this world. A prime example is “All the Pretty Things,” which encourages us to not let the bright, shiny things of this world distract us from God. “This song isn’t just about the obvious things we may be distracted by, like money, status or material things,” shares Donehey. “It’s about where we place things in our lives. Are we building our families around our faith or our faith around our families?”
In recording the new record, Tenth Avenue North worked with Jason Ingram, Rusty Varenkamp and Phillip LaRue. “We had the same producers on this record as the last record,” says Jamison. “God has really orchestrated a great team for us because they all really just love the gospel and they really just love seeing that the word of God is coming across in these songs.”
In recording the new album, the band definitely felt more comfortable in the studio; a confidence earned from spending so much time on the road the last two years. Not only did that time serve to put further polish on its musical skills, but also helped them forge a bond with its audience. Not content to just play for the crowds who came to see them, band members also held question and answer sessions during their headlining tour. Tenth Avenue North would interview its opening acts to give the crowd more insight into the music and ministry and then they’d field questions during its own set.
“We did a Q&A session where we took questions that were put up on our website. We invited people to ask questions about faith or about something they were struggling with or whatever. So we would print off those questions and we would answer like questions from our audience. We thought it was pretty fun,” says Donehey.
“We try to meet with people after all of our shows; it’s important to us to connect,” he says of interfacing with fans in the band’s seemingly endless autograph lines. “The reason we’re in this is to talk to people, engage with people and hopefully, disciple people.”
Over And Underneath
Release Date: May 20, 2008
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"Love is Here" is a song that was written in response to frustration of just hearing kid after kid after kid and adult after adult after adult just saying, "You know I would know that God loves me if..." Fill in the blank with whatever, but we run a dangerous game if we start asking God to prove things that he's already proven. Romans 5:8 says God demonstrates present tense, his love, in how, while we are still sinners Christ died, past tense, died for us and basically with that verse he's saying, "Look God is proving his love for you today." Christ died on the cross and our responsibility is to simply fix our eyes on Jesus. Love is here. Everything we are longing for, whether we would say it this way or not, is really Jesus. Our hearts are made for him and are hearts are restless until they rest in him. That's what St. Augustine said, so that song is just a call to anyone everywhere that the thing you want is here in the name of Jesus. -Mike
Love Is Here
Mike Donehey, Jason Jamison, Jason Ingram, Phillip LaRue, Drew Middleton
Come to the waters
You who thirst and you'll thirst no more
Come to the Father
You who work and you'll work no more
All you who labor in vain
And to the broken and shamed
Love is here
Love is now
Love is pouring from His hands from His brow
Love is near it satisfies
Streams of mercy flowing from His side
Cause Love is here
Come to the treasure
You who search and you?ll search no more
Come to the lover
You who want and you?ll want no more
All you who labor in vain
And to the broken and shamed
And to the bruised and fallen
Captives bound and brokenhearted
He is the Lord, He is the Lord
By His stripes He's paid our ransom
From His wounds we drink salvation
He is the Lord, He is the Lord
2008 Essential Tunes / West Main Music / Formerly Music (SESAC) All rights admin. by Sony/ATV Sounds LLC (SESAC). / Peertunes, Ltd. (SESAC) / Grange Hill Music (SESAC) / Windsor Way Music (SESAC). Grange Hill Music and Windsor Way Music administered by Peertunes, Ltd. / Phillip LaRue Publishing Designee (ASCAP) / Drew Middleton (BMI) -
"Lift Us Up To Fall" is a prayer song that sort of takes a turn from where most people would go. At the end of the chorus it says, "Lift us up to fall before everything you are." God loves people and wants to have relationships with people in order that He might glorify himself for his name's sake. It says God we want you to heal us. We want you to fill us and satisfy us so that we might fall down and worship you. -Mike
Lift Us Up To Fall
Mike Donehey, Tedd Tjornhom, Jason Ingram
You move the earth
You hold the stars
Come move in us
Come hold our hearts
You send the rain
And life begins
So rain on us and reign within our lives again
We're waiting here
Waiting for you, God
With our hopes and fears
We come empty hands held out
Lord, draw us near
Heal these broken hearts
And lift us up to fall before everything You are
You lift the sun into the sky
You lift us up
Open our eyes
To see Your face
And what You've done
You took the nails to give us love
And we stand in awe before Your throne
There's no where else that we can go
Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Come Lord here to dwell
Let all Your children lift one voice
2008 Essential Tunes / West Main Music / Formerly Music (SESAC) All rights admin. by Sony/ATV Sounds LLC (SESAC). / Tedd Tjornhom Publishing Designee (ASCAP) / Peertunes, Ltd. (SESAC) / Grange Hill Music (SESAC) / Windsor Way Music (SESAC). Grange Hill Music and Windsor Way Music administered by Peertunes, Ltd. -
There are a couple of lines in "By Your Side" that to me really encapsulate the whole song. One is in the second verse that says, "Why are you looking for love? Why are you still searching as if I?m not enough? To where will you go child? To where will you run?" And the last verse it says, "Look at these hands and my side, they swallowed the grave on that night, when I drank the world's sin so that I could carry you in and give you life." By Your Side is just a call to anyone who?s struggling or fighting against God thinking they have to work to earn it. It's calling them to stop looking for what you can do for God and fix your gaze upon what God has done for you. Let that motivate you. We love because He first loved us. -Mike
By Your Side
Mike Donehey, Jason Ingram, Phillip LaRue
Why are you striving these days?
Why are you trying to earn grace?
Why are you crying?
Let me lift up your face
Just don't turn away
Why are you looking for love?
Why are you still searching?
As if I'm not enough?
To where will you go child
Tell me where will you run?
To where will you run?
I'll be by your side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
Please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you
Look at these hands at my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in
And give you life
Here at my side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
Please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you
And I, I love you
And I want you to know
That I, I'll love you
I'll never let you go
2008 Essential Tunes / West Main Music / Formerly Music (SESAC) All rights admin. by Sony/ATV Sounds LLC (SESAC). / Peertunes, Ltd. (SESAC) / Grange Hill Music (SESAC) / Windsor Way Music (SESAC). Grange Hill Music and Windsor Way Music administered by Peertunes, Ltd. / Phillip LaRue Publishing Designee (ASCAP) -
The Bible says some really strange things and one of those things is when Jesus basically appeals to the people and he says, "You don't want to lose your life, do you? Well lose it and then you'll find it." It's a very strange sort of argument that Jesus makes, but "Let It Go" is a song about struggling to let go of being the captain of my own ship, of my own faith, which I think we all struggle with. A line in the chorus says, "Life is waiting for the ones who lose control." It's a call to say, "Man, if only I would really trust God, I would have far fewer aneurisms and stress than I put on myself." -Mike
Let It Go
Mike Donehey, Bebo Norman, Jason Ingram
I've been holding on so tight
Look at these knuckles they've gone white
From fighting for who I want to be
I'm just trying to find security
You say let it go
You say let it go
You say life is waiting for the one's who lose control
You say You will be everything I need
You say if I lose my life it's then I'll find my soul
You say let it go
Well it's hard enough to hear
Harder still to move beyond this fear
We know there's nothing I can bring
So tell me what do you want from me?
What do I love? What do I hate?
What will I lose? What will I gain?
How do I save my soul?
What if I bend? What if I break?
What will it cost? What will it take?
For You to save my soul
2008 Essential Tunes / West Main Music / Formerly Music (SESAC) All rights admin. by Sony/ATV Sounds LLC (SESAC). / New Spring, Inc. / Appstreet Music (ASCAP). All rights for the world on behalf of Appstreet Music administered by New Spring, Inc. / Peertunes, Ltd. (SESAC) / Grange Hill Music (SESAC) / Windsor Way Music (SESAC). Grange Hill Music and Windsor Way Music administered by Peertunes, Ltd. -
"Break Me Down" is a call to say, "Look God, you need to change my heart because I've tried and I can't." Sometimes the Holy Spirit haunts us and I love that God is the one that moves, that God is the one that changes people's hearts, that the spirit is the one who sanctified people and that's just a song to say, "Lord, I?m done, you've got to come and do this or I'm going to stay right where I am." -Mike
Break Me Down
Mike Donehey
I feel You falling
Like the rain against my skin
I hear You calling
Your voice like thunder in my head
But now I am stalling
'Cause I'm afraid to let You in
Come break me down with Your mercy
Come break me down again
I'm Yours tonight
I'm Yours if You can break me down
Break through these walls I hide behind
I'm Yours tonight
Come and break me down
Won't You break me
I feel it inside me
I feel You underneath my skin
These walls could not hide me
They could not keep you from coming in
So now here You find me
Right back to where I began
Come break me down with Your mercy
Come break me down again
I need Your strength to feel this weak
And I need Your touch to feel my need
And I need Your strong hands to carry me
Take me break me set me free
I need Your strength to feel this weak
And I need Your touch to feel my need
And I need Your strong hands to carry me
Take me bring me to my knees
I'm Yours tonight
I'm Yours if you can break me down
Break through these walls I hide behind
I'm Yours tonight
Come and break me down
Come and break me down
Come and break me down
Won?t You break me down
2008 Essential Tunes / West Main Music / Formerly Music (SESAC) All rights admin. by Sony/ATV Sounds LLC (SESAC) -
I wrote "Hold My Heart" with two friends, Phillip LaRue and Jason Ingram. Phillip and I at the time were both going through separate situations, but a really rough time. [We were] just grappling to understand why God would let certain things happen. We had lunch that day and we were talking about it and the conclusion we came to is really what the bridge says. It says, "There's so many questions without answers, but your promises remain. Basically what that is saying is you know what? Sometimes we aren't going to get the answers we want, but we still have God's promises and the tough part of that is when Jesus said to us, "I will never leave you nor forsake you," but your whole world feels like he's done exactly that, it is no small thing to hold onto the truth and cling to that truth. 'Hold My Heart' is a psalm. It's like Psalm 13, it's saying, "God I'm clinging and holding on and I just don't know how much longer I can go, so come and hold my heart." -Mike
Hold My Heart
Mike Donehey, Jason Ingram, Phillip LaRue
How long must I pray
Must I pray to You?
How long must I wait
Must I wait for You?
How long till I see Your face
See You shining through
I'm on my knees
Begging You to notice me
I'm on my knees
Father, will You turn to me
One tear in the driving rain
One voice in a sea of pain
Could the maker of the stars
Hear the sound of my breaking heart
One life, that's all I am
Right now I can barely stand
If You're everything You say You are
Would You come close and hold my heart
I've been so afraid, afraid to close my eyes
So much can slip away before I say goodbye
But if there's no other way
I'm done asking why
So many questions without answers
Your promises remain
I can't see but I'll take my chances
To hear you call my name
To hear you call my name
2008 Essential Tunes / West Main Music / Formerly Music (SESAC) All rights admin. by Sony/ATV Sounds LLC (SESAC). / Peertunes, Ltd. (SESAC) / Grange Hill Music (SESAC) / Windsor Way Music (SESAC). Grange Hill Music and Windsor Way Music administered by Peertunes, Ltd. / Phillip LaRue Publishing Designee (ASCAP) -
"Times" is a song reminding us that the Bible is a story about failures. It's not a story about a bunch of moral heroes. Look at David and you look at Peter and you look at Abraham. These are failures that God has redeemed. So the song 'Times' is just a prayer because we're all struggling. Then God just speaks his answer and says, "You know what, my love is going to carry you through. I began this good work in you and I will be faithful to carry it out in completion." -Mike
Times
Mike Donehey
I know I need You
I need to love You
I'd love to see You but it's been so long
I long to feel You
I feel this need for You
I need to hear You
Is that so wrong?
Now You pull me near You
When we're close I fear You
Still I'm afraid to tell you all that I've done
Are You done forgiving?
Can You look past my pretending?
I'm so tired of defending what I've become
What have I become?
But I hear You say
My love is over
It's underneath
It's inside
It's in between
The times that you doubt me
And when you can't feel
The times that you question
Is this for real?
The times that you're broken
The times that you mend
The times you hate me
The times that you bend
My love is over
It's underneath
It's inside
It's in between
The times that you're healing
And when your heart breaks
The times that you feel like you've fallen from grace
The times that you're hurting
The times that you heal
The times you go hungry and are tempted to steal
In times of confusion
In chaos and pain
I'm there in your sorrow under the weight of your shame
I'm there through your heart-ache
I'm there in the storm
My love I will keep you by my power alone
I don't care where you've fallen or where you have been
I'll never forsake you
My love never ends
It never ends
2008 Essential Tunes / West Main Music / Formerly Music (SESAC) All rights admin. by Sony/ATV Sounds LLC (SESAC) -
The Bible is filled with wedding metaphors. When it talks about Christ and his church, it uses the analogy of a husband and a wife. In fact you could even argue that the reason marriage exists is to point to the greater reality of Christ. Over and over and over again, Christ calls the church, not just his wife, but his wayward wife. I was thinking one day, I wondered what it would sound like if Christ gave his wedding vows to me, as his church, as his bride and what those would sound like. So "Beloved" is Jesus making vows to a wayward wife and the beautiful thing about Jesus is that when you're his bride, divorce is not an option. -Mike
Beloved
Mike Donehey
Love of my life
Look deep in my eyes
There you will find what you need
Give me your life
The lust and the lies
And the past you're afraid I might see
You've been running away from me
You're my beloved lover
I'm yours
Death shall not part us
It's you I died for
For better or worse
Forever we'll be
My love it unites us and it binds you to me
It's a mystery
Love of my life
Look deep in my eyes
There you will find what you need
I'm the giver of life
I'll clothe you in white
My immaculate bride you will be
Come running home to me
You've been a mistress, my wife
Chasing lovers that won't satisfy
Won't you let me make you my bride
You will drink of my lips and you'll taste new life
2008 Essential Tunes / West Main Music / Formerly Music (SESAC) All rights admin. by Sony/ATV Sounds LLC (SESAC) -
I wrote the chorus of "You Are" during a worship time at a little house worship gathering. I sang this chorus, "I give you all of me for all you are, here I am, take me apart," which isn't a reference to amputation, it's just a metaphor. I just started thinking, "I give you all of me for all you are." Then I thought, "Well who is God?" So the rest of the song is just saying, this is who God is and in light of that reality, do whatever you want with me because the more I believe that God is who He says He is, the more eager I will be to come to him and say, "Do whatever you want because I believe." The caring father will never cause his child a needless tear. -Mike
You Are
Mike Donehey
Lord of empty space
You breathe and then create
Before the earth was made
You are
The king of every age
Outside of time and space
All the heavens speak Your name
You are
You are
Lord of brilliant light
You separate the night
And everything inside
You are
The one who calms the seas
And every part of me
With just a word you speak
You are
You are
I give You all of me for all You are
Here I am
Take me apart
Take me apart
Angels bowing down
Beneath the rushing sound
A voice that thunders out
You are
The one who holds the stars
And the beating of my heart
Exalted above all You are
You are
All I am I want to lay down at your feet
2008 Essential Tunes / West Main Music / Formerly Music (SESAC) All rights admin. by Sony/ATV Sounds LLC (SESAC) -
The song "Satisfy" is a prayer. It's saying, "Look God, you need to satisfy me because everything I want, whether I realize it or not, is you. If you don't come and satisfy me, I'm afraid that I'm going to do exactly what I don't want to do which is I'm going to run to other things." That's what the second verse says. It says, "I just might run back to the things I hate, unless you satisfy me." So that's the prayer. -Mike
Satisfy
Mike Donehey, Jason Ingram, Phillip LaRue
Before the sun has touched the sky
Colors bursting from Your eyes
Before the flood of the morning light
Before the earth has felt Your heat
Before I stand up to my feet
Before I begin to feel this weak
Satisfy me, Lord
Satisfy me, Lord
I'm begging You to help me see
You're all I want , You're what I need
Satisfy me, Lord
And when the day is closing in like the stars in the night
I am falling into the pull of the earth and its affections
In me, O Lord, can You create a pure heart?
Because I'm afraid that I just might run back
To the things I hate
You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You're more than all this world can give
You're beautiful
You're beautiful
Your love is all I need to live
2008 Essential Tunes / West Main Music / Formerly Music (SESAC) All rights admin. by Sony/ATV Sounds LLC (SESAC). / Peertunes, Ltd. (SESAC) / Grange Hill Music (SESAC) / Windsor Way Music (SESAC). Grange Hill Music and Windsor Way Music administered by Peertunes, Ltd. / Phillip LaRue Publishing Designee (ASCAP)
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"Hallelujah," for me, is a need to understand the gospel. The chorus is a phrase in Revelations that says, "The church will sing for ever and ever" which is hallelujah for the blood of the lamb that was slain. The very end of the bridge says, "Inside your wounds we hide away." So this song is just a reminder that if God is who He says He is, if He's holy, we should be really scared, unless someone gets in between the glory of God and us little simple humans. The beauty of that song is we have a savior that has come in between the wrath of God and us. -Mike
Hallelujah
Mike Donehey, Jason Ingram, Phillip LaRue
At first I am afraid
But not because of fear
But the holy of holies is drawing me near
Your voice like thunder
Shakes the ground I'm on
Hide my face in the shadow of Your wings, oh Lord
Hide my sin from the beauty here before Your throne
Hallelujah for the blood of the lamb that was slain
Hallelujah for the blood of the lamb that was slain
And so we enter in to see Your face
Enter in to see Your face, oh God
I'm falling to my knees
I feel the earth beneath
With the weight of my sin and this crushing unbelief
Could You really love me
With all that I've done?
You spread Your hands
And made a refuge for the weak
And blessed the weary bruised and broken
Took us in
Inside Your wounds we hide away
Inside Your wounds we hide
You spread Your hands
And made a refuge for the weak
And blessed the weary bruised and broken
Took us in
Inside Your wounds we hide away
Inside Your wounds we hide
2008 Essential Tunes / West Main Music / Formerly Music (SESAC) All rights admin. by Sony/ATV Sounds LLC (SESAC). / Peertunes, Ltd. (SESAC) / Grange Hill Music (SESAC) / Windsor Way Music (SESAC). Grange Hill Music and Windsor Way Music administered by Peertunes, Ltd. / Phillip LaRue Publishing Designee (ASCAP)
About Over And Underneath
We’ve all heard it said that music is the universal language, and it’s so true. No other vehicle more powerfully captures our collective hopes and fears or more poignantly celebrates our dreams and triumphs. With one listen to the music of Tenth Avenue North, it becomes obvious that songwriter Mike Donehey and his bandmates have a gift for expressing truth in a way that simultaneously educates, enlightens and entertains.
“Most of the themes in our songs are about truth and about the struggle to believe it,” Donehey says of the music on the band’s debut disc Over and Underneath. “I think we have to represent both sides of that coin. Jesus said, ‘True worshipers will worship in spirit and in truth.’ When we sit down to write a song, essentially we are dealing with two things: Truth and the struggle to accept that truth. Emotion without truth is just sentimental and truth without emotion becomes cruel. Hopefully in our music, we are talking about the truth of God, but marrying that with the struggle that is within every person to believe. I think it’s a struggle that will last for our whole lives.”
It’s that rare ability to tap into those complex emotions that is at the core of Tenth Avenue North’s music. Its songs are intellectual, melodic pop/rock that listeners will find reminiscent of Jars of Clay, yet there’s a vulnerability that makes its music even more accessible in many ways. “To me, the most amazing thing is the songs,” says Jason Ingram, who co-produced the band with Phillip LaRue. “The songs are just rooted in so much truth and passion. Mike’s ability to communicate, both as a singer and songwriter, is on an exceptional level. I’m still overwhelmed at the way God uses these guys to teach us and compel us into a greater understanding of the gospel.”
The four members of Tenth Avenue North met at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida. “Tenth Avenue North started with Mike and I playing music together back in college,” says Jamison, who joined Donehey in leading worship on campus. “We have just continued on and since then we brought in Scott and Jeff. It’s been amazing.”
Donehey began sharing his songs while leading worship at a church in West Palm Beach, and after a while the band decided to hit the road, booking themselves in churches and at camps from Florida to Colorado. “The first summer tour we did was interesting to say the least. We literally got a map out and said ‘Alright, everyone point out a spot where you’ve never been and where you’d like to go.’
That’s not the way you should go about it,” Donehey confesses with a smile. “We borrowed a van from the college that we went to and it was fun. God provided for us. We met cool people and we ate lots of bologna.”
They also forged a strong bond that infuses the music and ignites the spirit of the band. “It’s a brotherhood,” comments Sanders. “We’re not going to say that we don’t clash at all, but that’s part of growing and living together. We spend more time with each other than any other friends. I know what they love and what I can do to encourage them.”
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Each member of the band brings a distinct flavor to Tenth Avenue North, sharing an array of musical influences. “We’re pretty eclectic,” admits Jamison. “A little bit of country, folk, rock, singer/songwriter acoustic, mainstream pop, hard rock to mid ‘90s bands like Pearl Jam. We really have a very strange conglomeration of musical interests.”
Those diverse musical roots meld to create a fresh, warmly textured sound. Their passion for sharing the gospel and the quality of the band’s music caught the attention of Provident Music Group executives. “There’s a great deal of depth to each and every song,” says Provident Music Group president Terry Hemmings. “The songs are distinct from one to another. So I think when somebody listens to the record, they aren’t just listening to a group of songs that sort of flow in and out of each other; they are listening to 10 or 11 distinct moments that the band has created.”
Among those moments are such songs as the band’s first single, “Love is Here,” an uplifting anthem with an incredibly potent chorus. The album’s title comes from “Times,” a song the entire band cites as their favorite. It’s a tender, transparent ballad that seeps into the listener’s soul as Donehey reminds us of God’s faithfulness and His promises. With its simple, understated production, the song serves as a perfect showcase for Donehey’s voice. Teeming with emotion, it’s his heart-in-the throat vocals that bring this collection of songs vibrantly to life.
“Hallelujah” is a compelling worship song with a shimmering melody and a lyric that sounds familiar even though it’s a brand new tune. Instantly memorable, it’s a sure bet to be embraced by churches for corporate worship, yet will also become a favorite in times of personal, intimate fellowship with God. As Donehey sings “Inside your wounds we hide away,” rarely has the cross felt closer and Christ’s love for us more palatable and real. “That’s the uniting factor,” says Owen. “We’re all covered by the blood of Christ.”
Another of the album’s many highlights is the poignant ballad “Hold My Heart,” a vulnerable cry from a shattered soul pleading for God to reveal himself. The raw passion in the lyric exemplifies what makes Tenth Avenue North so unique.
“There are some people who are able to detach themselves and write certain things – but I’ve never been that kind of songwriter,” Donehey admits. “It’s just more natural for me to be honest, just to say it like it is, ‘Hey, this is it. This is what’s going on.’ There are a lot of people who can write songs, while removing themselves from the subject matter, but I’ve never been that way. Whatever I’ve written – whether it be a short story, prayer, a poem or a song – it’s always saying, ‘This is where I am!’
As far as my struggle to believe truth goes, I guess I’d say that the more we believe the gospel, the more we can rest in the fact that Jesus qualifies us, that our identity is wrapped up in what he has done and not how well we’re doing. When we can come to grips with that, I think the easier it will be to be open, to be honest, and to be vulnerable because we’re not continually trying to prove ourselves to everyone.”
As the band looked to take their music to a national audience, Donehey says Provident was the perfect label home. He recalls Hemmings sharing a comment at dinner one night that really struck a chord with the group. “Terry was just talking about the mindset of this label and he shared with us something that Mark Hall from Casting Crowns had told him. He said, ‘We believe that music is important, but the word of God is the food. It’s the meal that we’re serving and the music is the plate we’re serving it on.’ As soon as we heard that, we said ‘This is the label that we want to be a part of.’”
Tenth Avenue North has nothing to prove, but so much to share, and they do it with songs that echo the heart of the human condition and the hope of the risen Savior. “Simply, our mission as a band is to know Christ and to make him known,” says Donehey. “It’s a grand adventure.”
Read the full article…The Light Meets The Dark
Tweets From Tenth
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Eat Organic. It's the libertarian party of food. posted 7 hours ago
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Hey remember Larue?! My good friend Natalie is making a new record! Help her out here! http://t.co/Ylh3bbVE posted 7 hours ago
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RT @tenthavenorth Madison, WI!: Come sing on our next record! Tomorrow, 10-11am Redamte Coffee House // I'm loving these... posted 7 hours ago
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