This is Who We Are

this is the title of the last song, off As I Lay Dying's newest cd, An Ocean Between Us. im not sure if you have heard previous AILD songs but this album is a lot different than their other ones. their style has changed and overall the album is very diverse, ranging from some thrash songs, to their previous metalcore style, to even some instrumental songs... (no screamo... totally different sound) this album also has a lot more singing, cuz the band got a new bass player who can sing pretty good as well...

the majority of their songs contain the vocalist "singing," if you will, (most call it screaming) lyrics that are almost impossible to understand even after listening to the song several times. but thank God for the internet... and for websites that provide the lyrics :)

just a little background on AILD... one of things i really like about this band is the melody and fast pace of their sweet guitar riffs... but the area where they shine the most, in my opinion, is thier powerful lyrics. although they do not acually put "God" in their songs, they use a lot of "You"'s, implying God and events that could only point to Christ... the You's can get confusing at times because unlike rap, the message the band is trying to get out there is left up to the listener's interpretation. many non-christians think they are talking about a girl or wife or something like that despite the capitalization....

anyways... i think this song does a good job of not confusing God with any other human. here are the lyrics:

Now this is who we are
I am no one's hero
For we are not the giant men
That some may think
You are faithful when we are not
So I'd like to tell this story
The way it is meant to be
Without the burden that's in our hearts
None of us would have ever found You
For You are faithful when we are not
You began a work
That only You can complete

[Chorus]
Now this is who we are
I'll never know the answers
And I'll always wonder why

...Why we're given grace we'll never deserve
And a second chance that we will never earn
For there is nothing I can do to save myself

Now this is who we are
I'll never know the answers
And I'll always wonder why
But You have let me start again
I'd rather be called weak
Than die thinking I was strong

although this song might not be one of the best songs on the album, i think its lyrics are top notch...

Without the burden that's in our hearts
None of us would have ever found You
For You are faithful when we are not
You began a work
That only You can complete

i think this part is talking about conviction over sin, or just something that was preventing the song-writer from knowing God. and because of that conviction, Christ was revealed in his life. i think he's talking about the point of his conversion from living for himself to living for Christ ("a work that only You can complete")

[chorus]
Now this is who we are
I'll never know the answers
And I'll always wonder why
[bridge]
...why we're given grace we'll never deserve
and a second chance that we will never earn
for there is nothing I can do to save myself

in my opinion, the meaning of the chorus and bridge is to remind us of how undeserving we were of Christ and that we will never be able to fathom God's love and why He graciously let us live... it also stresses that we are helpless on our own and we deserve nothing from God, but He deserves everything from us.

i really like the last few lines, although im not exactly sure what tim (song-writer for AILD) was meant when he was writing them...

feel free to post your own interpretations...
and sorry i couldnt put the actual song on here...

hopefully ill be able to blog more about other songs or just blog more period after i get my computer back...