City on Our Knees

Analysis Method: "MALL"
Key -
M = What is the meaning of the lyrics?
A = The lyrics are clearly against Biblical teaching.
L = I don't know what the Bible says about these lyrics.
L = I can glorify God when I listen to these lyrics. 

Verse:
If you gotta start somewhere why not here.
If you gotta start sometime why not now.
If we gotta start somewhere I say here.
If we gotta start sometime I say now.
Through the fog there is hope in the distance.
From Cathedrals to third world missions.
Love will fall to the earth like a crashing wave.

Chorus:
Tonight's the night! for the sinners and the saints.
Two worlds collide! in a beautiful display.
It's all love tonight, when you step across the line.
We can sail across the sea, to a city with one King.
A city on our knees.

Verse:
If you gotta start somewhere why not here.
If you gotta start sometime why not now.
If we gotta start somewhere I say here.
If we gotta start sometime I say now.
Through the fog there is hope in the distance.
From Cathedrals to third world missions.
Love will fall to the earth like a crashing wave.

Chorus:
Tonight's the night! for the sinners and the saints.
Two worlds collide! in a beautiful display.
It's all love tonight, when you step across the line.
We can sail across the sea, to a city with one King.
A city on our knees.

Bridge:
Tonight couldn't last forever.
We are one choice from together.
Tonight couldn't last forever.    Oh

Tonight couldn't last forever.
We are one choice from together.
Family, We're family.  OH!!!
Tonight couldn't last forever!
We are one choice from together!
You and me! yeah, You and me!

Chorus:
Tonight's the night! for the sinners and the saints.
Two worlds collide! in a beautiful display.
It's all love tonight, when you step across the line.
We can sail across the sea, to a city with one King.
A city on our knees.

Ending:
If we gotta start somewhere why not here.
If we gotta start sometime why not now.

This song came in by a student's request, and while I had heard this song before, I had never really listened to it. The benefit of this song is that it is entirely safe to listen to - and, as I always tell my students, I don't assume that just because this is a Christian song that it is all okay to listen to. The Scriptures are clear that there can be deception and false teachings, and so I always try to be careful not to make assumptions. In this case, though, I don't see anything wrong with this song.

With that said, I want to try to share some other thoughts on this song with as much grace and humility as possible. Quite honestly, I don't entirely understand the lyrics of this song. From the verse of this song I read of a person considering following after Christ but who is unsure. The verse encourages them to go forward in walking with Christ because, "through the fog there is hope in the distance." My guess of "from Cathedrals to third world missions" is a call away from materialism towards action for the Gospel.

Then, the chorus continues with "stepping across the line," which I would again take to be referring to making a decision to follow Christ. My take of the "sinners and the saints" would be the people who are already pronounced forgiven by Jesus' sacrifice (1 Peter 2:9-10 is one passage that comes to mind). Moving on to the chorus, we get the idea "one choice" - to follow Christ - which would result in becoming part of the family of God (Col 1:18; Gal 3:27-29; Ro 12:4-5) Beyond that, though, I'm a little confused by the end of the chorus. "We can sail across the sea, to a city with one King" makes sense as New Jerusalem, or Heaven (with the sailing metaphor being a common one for the journey from death to the afterlife), but then it goes from there to "a city on our knees." Is he referring to that future location in the present tense, as though we who are followers of Christ are there? Or is he referring to the present using the imagery of "on our knees" as referring to prayer? Finally, the connection to the ending of starting somewhere is not entirely apparent to me. Maybe he's meaning the journey of the mature follower of Jesus and the new follower of Jesus moving on together towards eternity with God?

Am I completely over thinking this song? Is there some more obvious meaning? Because honestly, based on the lyrics, the song's meaning seems a bit obscure to me. I get the sense that the artists are going for portraying the beautiful imagery of a sinner, lost and without a future with God, giving their lives over to Christ, becoming part of God's family, and then having the hope of future glory. 

Musically speaking, there isn't much to talk about in this song. It sounds very synthesized to me, especially in the repeat of the verse. I don't have any against this particular style, but honestly there isn't enough content there to really hold my interest.

So, where does that leave this analysis overall? I hope that my students and others are more moved by this song than I am. I'm sure the writers and Toby Mac intended for there to be a great meaning; I just don't entirely get it.

If we add the official video into the question, the picture doesn't become much clearer for me... I'm still not sure what imagery the authors mean for a "city on our knees." I also find the metaphor displayed in the video to be, well, just a bit strange. I can't entirely explain it, and I really don't want to be too critical. The pieces of this song just don't connect for me.