This song is special to me. Back in 1996 I was a relapsed meth user/occasional cook. I had put this CD in my Honda CRX and thought I was skipping to The Moshing Floor, but landed here. I was on my way to a gas station in Stockbridge GA to get some ephedrine pills to convert to meth, but this song struck me hard. I knew I was wrong. "Darkness falls The devil stirs And as your vision blurs you start stumbling The heart is weak The will is gone And every strong conviction comes tumbling down" Crap. That's me. I had to pull over to the side of the interstate and lose every bit of composure I had. I kept listening, though. "And I gasped when I saw you fall in His arms at the finish line." Thank you, Steve Taylor. 26 years clean.
I love this song. It really captures the struggle of the Christian life. My favorite line is "And I gasped when I saw you fall in His arms at the finish line." Amen! "Father, by your grace, I will never kneel."
Greatest lyricist of his generation... regardless of genre. 100 years from now, someone will discover his songs and truly understand this brief moment in man’s journey to get back home...
I can't remember when I first heard this song, but it moved me in a very deep way. I'm 57, successful, but like all humans I've had my share of sorrow and tragedy. A song like this helps me stay a believer.
Amen Brother ! Steve's a great gifted observer lyricist & songwriter. So is Kerry Livgren who wrote "Dust in the Wind"...he converted to Christ a year after he & Kansas made that anthem song a hit. Look up the 1981 Kansas album "Vinyl Confessions" & his Solo "Seeds of Change" - + Kerrys top 30 songs with his later band AD, "Decade". Just like Steve Taylor, Kerrys a brilliantly thoughtful musician & Christian. Both mens songs are SO deep that the pop rock / gospel market didn't appreciate them. (As an aside, CBS Records took advantage of the neophyte young Kansas band (all boys from small town Kansas) and grabbed the legal rights to that name. Hence Kerry - 90% of the musical songwriting / composing genius behind Kansas, lost the right to use that name. But that's ok we have their excellent offerings just the same & both men are on Heaven's Roll Call
I First saw Steve and some band when they came to Oz as the main artist for BlackStump festival Number 1. He blew everyone away with his amazing talent and strong message in his songs. Still love his music. Cheers Trev
Though you struggle in this relm... You finish first at the finish line.... Though you succeed in all the world gives in this relm, you can choose to win or lose at the finish line.... What will it be???? The weakest win... The sickest stand strong... Those trampled underfoot, become inheritors of "The Kingdom".. This stuff reaches and preaches... "Thanks Steve" for your exajecticle study of the "GOD-MAN" relationship...
While some artists settled on 'sure-fire' formulas, Mr. Taylor kept pushing, provoking, encouraging. A memory: methinks Clone was the first CD I ever heard..drivin around LA '82
This is definitely a favorite song, but then again there are so many. Almost everything from Meltdown was brilliant, but I think the best of all is "Hero" from Meltdown. Didn't even make it onto his last boxed set, which had almost EVERYTHING ELSE. I had to buy the album in MP3 form from Amazon because I'd totally destroyed my tape from playing TOO many times.
Once upon an average morn, an average boy was born for the second time Prone upon the altar there, he whispered up the prayer he’d kept hid inside The vision came, he saw the odds; a hundred little gods on a gilded wheel “These will vie to take your place, but Father, by Your grace, I will never kneel” And I saw you upright and proud, and I saw you wave to the crowd, And I saw you laughing out loud at the Philistines And I saw you brush away rocks, and I saw you pull up your socks, And I saw you out of the blocks for the finish line Darkness falls, the devils stirs, and as your vision blurs, you start stumbling The heart is weak, the will is gone, and every strong conviction comes tumbling down As malice rains, the acid guile is sucking at your shoes while the mud is fresh It floods the trail, it bleeds you dry, as every little god buys its pound of flesh And I saw you licking your wounds, and I saw you weave your cocoons And I saw you changing your tunes for the party line And I saw you welch on old debts, I saw you and your comrades bum cigarettes And you hemmed, and you hawed, and you hedged all your bets waiting for a sign Oh, let’s wash our hands as we throw little fits Let’s all wash our hands as we curse hypocrites We’re locked in the washroom, turning old tricks Deaf, and joyless, and full of it - OH! The vision came, he saw the odds; a hundred little gods on a gilded wheel “These have tried to take your place, but Father, by Your grace, I will never kneel; I will never kneel…” Off in the distance, bloodied but wise, as you squint with the light of the truth in your eyes And I saw you, both hands were raised; and I saw your lips move in praise And I saw you steady your gaze, for the finish line Every idol like dust, a word scattered them all; and I rose to my feet as you scaled the last wall And I gasped when I saw you fall in His arms at the finish line Oh, at the finish line.
Surely the lyrics are a clever expression of a searching soul. It's a shame I hear wayyyyy tooo much the template of 'Five Years' of David Bowie. It's even anoying. I wish I knew just one or the other. At least I can read the lyrics :P
Steve Taylor is try to fund a new album and tour on Kickstarter. Funding ends December 24, 2013. Check out the funny video on that site as well. Spread the news to all Clones.
I'd never seen this video before this morning and had a vivid dream about Steve Taylor last night. I met him once just after "Meltdown" came out - he's a prince of a guy. The dream is at bingfutch dot blogspot dot com - I'll be parsing the meaning for awhile, I'm sure.
NEVER WILL I LEAVE YOU, NEVER WILL I FORSAKE YOU! (Hebrew 13:5) Why would we leave him on purpose? And God is no respecter of persons, so ALL will never have him leave them.. Anyways Ephesians 1:4-6 says we were predestined to be in him... All would have to be included or he shows favoritism... Just not all are in Christ at the same time.. Only those Elected for this eon of time come to him now, others in the future... "everyone shall be salted with fire" "God is a consuming fire" (not a monster). Hell is a Catholic LIE. God's word is only pure in Heaven. Psalms 119:89 "Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heaven"... Down here we seem to have confusion... and also a whole lot of denominations and a whole lot of fear... "Fear does not come from God."
