Joel Vaughn - Wide Awake Lyrics
Lyrics
Can't fix a bullet with a bandaid
You can try to hide it but your heart's still bleeding out
Now your voice is screaming on the inside
But the Universe doesn't hear a sound
When everything comes crashing we come alive
I can see, I'm wide awake
There's a fire in my heart I can't put out
Now it's breaking through the day
Your love invades me inside out
Nothing else could separate
(and when my heart stops)
I don't have to fear my world is crashing down
I know your love will stay the same
No height or depth could bring me down
Don't you know the truth about who you are
You don't have to buy the lies that keep you breaking down
You were never meant to be a savior
Let it set you free as your walls come down
When everything comes crashing we come alive
I can see, I'm wide awake
There's a fire in my heart I can't put out
Now it's breaking through the day
Your love invades me inside out
Nothing else could separate
(and when my heart stops)
I don't have to fear my world is crashing down
I know your love will stay the same
No height or depth could bring me down
We can't stop the night, hold on to the light
We can't stop the night, hold on to the light, hold on to the light
We can't stop the night, hold on to the light
We can't stop the night, hold on to the light, hold on to the light
I can see, I'm wide awake
There's a fire in my heart I can't put out
Now it's breaking through the day
Your love invades me inside out
Nothing else could separate
(and when my heart stops)
I don't have to fear my world is crashing down
I know your love will stay the same
No height or depth could bring me down
Video
Joel Vaughn - "Wide Awake"
Meaning & Inspiration
Joel Vaughn's "Wide Awake," released on March 2, 2016, is a powerful anthem that delves into the profound liberation found in recognizing one's true identity in Christ, especially when facing personal crises. The song opens with stark imagery of superficial attempts to mend deep wounds, describing the futility of masking internal suffering when the heart is still in distress. This resonates with the scriptural truth that outward appearances can deceive, but God sees the hidden pain, as Samuel was told, "The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). The lyrics then pivot to a moment of revelation, where "everything comes crashing" becomes the catalyst for awakening, suggesting that it's often in our weakest moments that we become most alive to the truth. This aligns with Paul's declaration, "For my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
The core message of "Wide Awake" is the realization of an unshakeable, all-consuming divine love that brings true freedom. Vaughn sings of a "fire in my heart I can't put out" and a love that "invades me inside out," indicating a transformative spiritual encounter. This inner burning and permeating love mirrors the Holy Spirit’s presence within believers, empowering and sanctifying them. Jesus promised, "Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them" (John 7:38), and Paul describes believers as being "filled with the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:19). The song emphatically states that "nothing else could separate" this love, echoing Romans 8:38-39: "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
A central theme is the shedding of deceptive self-reliance and the acceptance of God's redemptive work. The lyrics bravely confront the idea of trying to be one's own savior, urging listeners to recognize they were "never meant to be a savior" and to let their walls of self-sufficiency come down. This directly speaks to the futility of human effort to achieve salvation independently, contrasting it with the grace offered through Christ. Isaiah powerfully declares, "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6). The song offers solace in the face of life's inevitable storms, assuring that even when "my world is crashing down," there is no need for fear because God's love remains constant and unfaltering. This unwavering assurance is rooted in God's covenant faithfulness, a promise that endures through all circumstances, a truth found repeatedly in Scripture, from God's steadfast love for Israel to the everlasting covenant in Christ. The repeated refrain, "We can't stop the night, hold on to the light," serves as a profound encouragement to persevere through darkness, holding fast to the enduring light of God’s presence and truth, even when circumstances feel overwhelming.