Happiness

“This song ain't nothing if this song can't set you free.”

This line is from a song called, “Happiness.” This might be the most inspiring song on the album. There are two versions of this song one is acoustic, and it is worth your time. This song is clearly about pursuing happiness to the fullest, and not stopping until you do.

  

 “I got a homesick heart, but long ways left to go. I've been doing my part, but I ain't got much to show. So, I'm asking you to show me some forgiveness. It's all for you in my pursuit of happiness.”

Like all of their songs, this can be applied to love for people, I think that because I think NeedToBreathe understands what love really is and that it relates to love of Christ and our faith life as well

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“I got a homesick heart but long ways left to go.”

I have always thought that if the goal is heaven then I just want to get there. Our true home is heaven, and our souls long to be there in unity with Christ. Whether you know it or not you will not be fully happy until you get there. The road is long. We have a long way left to go. Getting to heaven is not always easy. We have to try and do our part. “I’ve been doing my part, but I ain't got much to show.” Sometimes when we try our hardest, it doesn't seem like we have much to show for it. Even when we try, we still fail. “So, I'm asking you to show me some forgiveness. It's all for you in my pursuit of happiness.” Sometimes we fail so much we need to ask for some forgiveness. This could be a sin we struggle with, or maybe you just keep upsetting a friend, spouse, or anyone. This is for our pursuit to heaven or our pursuit of happiness. Sometimes you’re doing something and you just need to apologize. Everything we do, whether we are aware of it or not is to pursue happiness. Our souls long for happiness, so we look for it in many different ways.

“Chasing that life, moving on ‘cause I had to prove. There ain't no life worth doing what I did to you.”

If there is a life you want, you have to chase it until you get it. You are going to have to make sacrifices for it. Sometimes we make decisions, that affect the people in our lives, and when we look back we see that it was so stupid. Sometimes it was a sense of instant gratification we were looking for or something else. But when it comes down to it, it wasn't worth treating someone the way you did. This is true especially when it comes to God.

“I got dreams that keep me up in the dead of night. Telling me I wasn't made for the simple life. There's a light I see, but it's far in the distance.”

You weren't made to just go through the motions, you are made for greatness. You can choose to do something great, you can choose to do what is simple in life, or you can choose to do nothing. Sometimes it seems heaven or whatever your earthly goal is might see far away, but it’s there, just wait. Living a hard life will be worth it in the end.

    “I've been working all night, hoping you could help me to believe. This song ain't nothing if this song can't set you free.”

Sometimes we work hard and doesn't seem like it's paying off, but if we could just get someone to help us see the good that is coming we would be much happier. You can pray and ask God to show you, and He will. This last part about the song is so good because he is really saying this song means something and they want you to get something out of it.

“Sometimes you leave the ones you love, but if it's love, they won't give up. They know a war's raging and you gotta choose.”

This one is a little more tricky. I think it’s about the band’s families who can’t always be with them. It could also be about anyone who you love or loves you – sometimes you have to leave or stop what you what are doing, you have to make a sacrifice in order to do the will of God. This made more sense to me a few weeks ago when I went home and I was talking to my little sisters who are four. I asked them if mom wanted me to be so far away and they said after thinking for a second, “No! Mom doesn't want any of us to be far away, but you have to be Duncan.” No one explained that to them, they just understood that sometimes you do not always want something the way it is, but has to be.

“These days are tough, these days are long. Sometimes it's hard to carry on, but I hear a voice singing and I know it's true.”

This is very relatable. Some days it can be hard to carry on. Sometimes it can be hard to choose not to do the bad. There is a war and you have to choose. You have the choice to do the good. You can decide to say no to sin and to do the will of God. You have to make that choice.

I cannot explain what a song means better than the person who wrote it so here are his words:

"It's really about the sacrifices we have to make in order to change. I think that everyone who had to make major decisions in their lives knows that change is only worth it when you make the change for the right reasons. Happiness, after all, is clearly a fleeting thing; but, the purpose is what brings real joy. In this band, we've been forced to make countless decisions about our schedules or plans that definitely mean a sacrifice for our families. And, that can be tough. But, I think this song and my life have shown me that the people who really do love you want you to pursue your passions and the things that God wants you to do.”

You can overcome and make it! Just keep going.

Just my thoughts

Go with God

Duncan.