by Emily Medlock
If there’s one band that knows how to bring Christians and non-Christians together, it’s Skillet. Since 2006’s Comatose, Skillet has been writing lyrics that speak to everyone, especially young people. They strive to get us all to more than just survive. Their biggest hits to date have been “Awake and Alive,” “Monster,” and “Feel Invincible.” These life-breathing songs give us hope, and so does their newest addition, which will surely move up in ranks very soon.
On May 8, Skillet released a new single from their upcoming album Victorious (available August 2). The message is one we can all relate to, one (like their other songs) with a deeper meaning. Here is “Legendary”, a song full of life!
My heart bleeds adrenaline
The fire I breathe is where I live
Say my name, incredible
Say my name, an animal
One life to live
I never give up, I never give in
While the particular lyrics here may be a bit ambiguous, the meaning is clear. If there were one word this band likes, it’s “alive.” Because if we’re not living, we’re dying. The Bible talks about living full lives, dwelling on the Fruits of the Spirit, and in Ecclesiastes 8:15, it says, “Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.”
God wants us to live our one life here on earth to the fullest. Do everything we do wholeheartedly.
Some people wanna turn and run (Run)
But the strong rise under the gun
Remember the Christians persecuted in the Ottoman Empire, the Soviet Union, or Nazi Germany? Did these Christians stand down? Perhaps. They were fighting for the bigger purpose, they kept their families alive. We know this has happened in the Bible many times. People were asked to deny God, run away from the truth, or cower under corrupt power.
How easy is it to do that today? Run away from the fight, turn of the tv when the news hurts our hearts, or turn off our own compassion to preserve our sanity. Arguing politics on Facebook isn’t the fight. Keeping a pure heart and seeking is guidance as you lead others to Him through the toughest of times…that’s the fight.
Never gonna keep me down (Never keep me)
Still the one that’s standin’ now (Never falling)
Destiny is callin’ me
Go down in history
Every day I’ll fight to be legendary
Hate can control us if we let it. But 1 John 1:6 says, “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.” This is the life of a hypocrite. Someone who claims to be a Christian, but lives in a place far darker than any heathen out there. But here, we’re talking about standing our ground. The Bible doesn’t urge us to be stubborn (it is still better to be kind than to be right), but it does urge us to keep our faith and keep seeking more truths. We our often taught that we are worthless. But that’s far from the truth. I talked about before in “Don’t Change,” we are children of the one true God. We are royalty. And royals have a lot to live up to…royals must fight to be legendary.
Fly high or will I fall?
Legends made when faith is strong
As Psalm 46:1-3 tells us, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”
The whole point in faith isn’t just knowing we will fly; it’s taking the risk that we may fall. It’s called “faith” for a reason. It’s a leap, but one we must be willing to take with steady eyes.
Say my name, No time to plead
Say my name, I’m conquering
While I’m alive, I’ll push through the pain, I’ll run for the prize
I feel this has two meanings here. Our name is our identity, and much of our strength comes from loved ones urging us on. God tells us how important family and fellowship is. We need another voice besides our own to listen to. But we also know there is strength in His name. Call out to Him and he will answer. But until He does, we can’t let our struggles get us down. Success is trying, don’t let failures keep you from succeeding.
Wings are made to fly, made to fly (Made to fly)
Fears are born to die, born to die (Born to die)
Pushin’ through the pain, through the pain (Through the pain)
Pushin’ through, breakin’ through
Whatever it takes, what I gotta do
Givin’ my all, givin’ all that I’ve got
Never will stop ’til I get to the top
One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 40:31, “they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles.”
Those who say Red Bull give you wings have never tried God’s love, am I right? We are warriors. Warriors of kindness, love, dignity, integrity, identity, and everything that God stands for. In “Native Tongue,” I talked about this a bit more. Are you ready to go down in history (known or not) as someone who fought for the legendary cause?
“The general message of ‘Legendary’ is to make your life count,” John Cooper told Billboard. “You’re going to have a lot of hard things in your life. Sometimes it will get you down, but you need to make your life count. You are only here for so long on earth, so every day fight to be legendary.”
So let’s do it! Thanks for reading this week! If you have a song that you’d like me to cover, let me know in the comments below! It doesn’t matter what genre as long as it has touched your heart.
Emily Medlock is a freelance writer who specializes in video games, movies, viral content, Christianity, music and YouTube video scripts. Visit her online at emilymedlock.com/blog.