What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

This is a song playing on the big Christian station here in Dallas. (KLTY 94.9). It’s a catchy song. I like it. Yesterday driving home, it came on and I was singing along and the more I sang, the less it seemed like a Christian song. In fact, I really don’t know what exactly it is. So I got home, went to the computer and found the lyrics. I can’t figure it out! LOL!

So what is this? There is nothing bad about it. The song itself has a great hook but really? What is it?

Keep Your Eyes Open
Needtobreath


If you could soldier on, headstrong into the storm
I'll be here waiting on the other side don't
Look back the road is long, the first days of the war are gone
Take back your former throne and turn the tide

'Cause if you never leave home, never let go
You'll never make it to the great unknown
Till you keep your eyes... open my love

So tell me you're strong, tell me you see
I need to hear it, can you promise me
To keep your eyes... open my love

Just past the circumstance, the first light a second chance
No child could ever dance the way you do oh
Tear down the prison walls, don't stop the burden calls
Your chains will never fall until you do

'Cause if you never leave home, never let go
You'll never make it to the great unknown
Till you keep your eyes... open my love

So show me your fire, show me your heart
You know I'll never let you fall apart
If you keep your eyes... open my love

Ohhh open up
Ohhh open up
Ohhh open up your eyes, the way is unbroken

Ohhh open up
Ohhh open up
Ohhh open up your eyes (keep your eyes open)

Don't let the night become the day
Don't take the darkness to the grave
I know pain is just a place
The will has been broken

Don't let the fear become the hate
Don't take the sadness to the grave
I know the fight is on the way
When the sides have been chosen

'Cause if you never leave home, never let go
You'll never make it to the great unknown
Open up your eyes, keep your eyes open

So show me your fire, show me your heart
You know I'll never let you fall apart
If you keep your eyes... open my love
Keep your eyes... (keep your eyes open)

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

It's a vague blurry song.

It's fairly popular to have a song or two that have a good message or a message that could be construed to refer to a christian life but is written in a vague enough fashion that it will catch plays in the secular market as well.

But... having said that... Needtobreathe isn't bashful about including a song or two on their album that is clearly not a song about Christ or the church. They tend to have a message that is not offensive in any way. It just isn't a christian song.

One example would be Stones Under Rushing Water.

There are a number of songs that catch secular play because of their message that is vague enough to allow for play on secular stations.

Other songs that play on Christian stations that aren't "Christian" songs would be songs like Butterfly Kisses and Steven Curtis Chapmans' song Cinderella.

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

Im pretty good with that. Its just with this song, i got to thinking about it and what exactly they are saying.... and LOL. I just dont get it.

I mean, Im singing along with it, its all good, really catchy, and then Im like "what, what???"

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

The group Life House is like that for me.

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

Poor Sam Hill - what's it got to do with him?

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

Who IS Sam Hill?

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

"Whhyyyyyyy, you know ol Sam Hill! He's the guy who walks like this!"

http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.49725...23278&pid=15.1

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

So Hill is Brother Sam's last name, good grief!

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

"The most likely, and accurate, source for "what in the Sam Hill is that?" comes from Abraham Lincoln's employer, Sam Hill, who is said to have thrown Lincoln's manuscript against the divinity of the Bible in the fire in 1834, advising Lincoln it would hurt him politically when running for office. Since as freethinkers neither Sam Hill or Lincoln believed in hell, the story goes Lincoln is reputed to have remarked "What in the Sam Hill are you doing?"".

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

I like that! LOL

this makes more sense than the song in question!

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

It's cussing, so stop doing it.

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

5-6 years ago I worked at a local Christian radio station as a saturday morning DJ/ voice over guy for commercials. Our station played the newest contemporary christian (CC) and cross-over music (COM) out at the time. COM bands usually will play CC material and some secular stuff too with the intention of getting into both christian and secular markets. I wasn't a big fan of much of it but I liked the job and thought about making a career of being a DJ with hope of scoring a spot in the morning talk slot. We played only bands the station manager perceived as true christians but he wasnt too worried about how many times they said Jesus either. Believe me the CC music world is full of out-right shysters trying to make a buck of the CC music buying public. Homosexuality, promiscuity, rock-star quality partying complete with heavy drinking, the whole mess. The common understanding around the station about the COM bands were they were not necessarily a "christian band" but they were definitely christians IN a band. So take it for what its worth. In case you haven't noticed, most of these COM bands go the generic route. Most of their lyrics are very neutral, they could be talking about God or they could not be. Some of their more secular stuff often doesn't really promote what we would call worldliness but they don't promote God either. About Need to Breath, I have a relative who was in one of these cross over bands and they did a concert with Need to Breath as they were getting their big record contract. His band dealt with them personally and had alot of interaction with them. He told me they were christ like and very professional.

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

You know...there is actually a county road in these parts named Sam Hill Road?

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

So it should be where is the Sam Hill?

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

yeah

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

Who was the first popular cross over artist?

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

The first that I can remember would be Amy Grant. I was quite young when she made that move.

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

Elvis?

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

Lucifer?

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

maybe with only 33.3% of all listeners.

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

:lol

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

:heeheehee:yourock:highfive:chat:ursofunny

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

Jimmy Swaggart, a couple of times!!!! :happydance

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

You got me thinking now. I was thinking of christian artists crossing over to secular music mid career, not any other variation. Elvis was kinda a switch hitter on that. He did sing a great rendition of "How Great Thou Art".

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

UGH, intense dislike of Elvis.

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

I think he is over-rated like the Beatles and other boomer generation bands. I find more entertainment in the fans of Elvis than Elvis himself.

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

:thumbsup

Re: What in the name of sam hill is this?
 

Go to Elvis's birthplace and if you look hard enough, you will find people who went to school with Elvis. They will tell you the real story about Elvis and not the sanitized stories.

:thumbsup