Bryan McCleery - A Love That Remains Lyrics
Lyrics
Verse 1
You have not let me go too far away
Although I'd strayed, although I'd strayed
All I have found is a love that remains
A love that remains
All I could see was the mess that I made
You were not phased, no You were not phased
All I have found is a love that remains
A love that remains
Chorus
When I was in need You sought after me
When I turned away
Your love had never changed
You paid off my debt, gave me Your rest
Washed off my weary feet
Prepared a feast, saved me a seat
Brought out Your best for me, yeah
Verse 2
All that I had, I had wasted away
But You took my shame, put a robe in its place
Gave me Your ring and You called me by name
You celebrate
Chorus
When I was in need You sought after me
When I turned away
Your love had never changed
You paid off my debt, gave me Your rest
Washed off my weary feet
Prepared a feast, saved me a seat
Brought out Your best for me, yeah
Interlude
Holding nothing back
Holding nothing back
You have open doors and open arms
You say I'm not too far
You have open doors and open arms
My home is where You are, You have
You have open doors and open arms
You say I'm not too far, no
You have open doors and open arms
My home is where You are
You always come running
You always come running out to me
You always come running
You always come running out to me
Chorus
When I was in need You sought after me
Thought I was too far gone
You stood there with loving arms
You paid off my debt, gave me Your rest
Washed off my weary feet
Prepared a feast, saved me a seat
Brought out Your best for me
You paid off my debt, gave me Your rest
Washed off my weary feet
Prepared a feast, saved me a seat
Brought out Your best for me, yeah
Interlude
You always come running
You always come running out to me
You always come running, yeah-yeah
You always come running out to me
(You always come running) Reminding me of your mercy
(You always come running) Reminding me of your love
(You always come running)
(You always come, oh)
When I went my own way
You came chasing me down
You came chasing me down
Never giving up, You won't let me go
You won't let me go
Hey, your mercy is unending
Your mercy is unending
Oh, you're chasing me down
All I had to do was turn around
And you we're right there to meet me
You we're right there to meet me
You always come
You always come running
You always come running out to me
You always come running
You always come running out to me
Chorus
When I was in need You sought after me
Thought I was too far gone
You stood there with loving arms
You paid off my debt, gave me Your rest
Washed off my weary feet
Prepared a feast, saved me a seat
Brought out Your best for me, yeah
You paid off my debt, gave me Your rest
Washed off my weary feet
Prepared a feast, saved me a seat
Brought out Your best for me, yeah
Video
SongLab - A Love That Remains (Lyrics) ft. Bryan McCleery & Meredith Mauldin
Meaning & Inspiration
Bryan McCleery’s "Mighty Redeemer" sits in that crowded room of songs about the Prodigal Son. It’s familiar territory, maybe too familiar. As an editor, I’m looking for where the repetition stops and the truth starts. There is a lot of circling here—the "running" and the "chasing" get hammered home until the song feels like it’s pacing the floor, looking for a way to exit.
The Power Line is hidden in the second verse: “You took my shame, put a robe in its place.”
It works because it moves past the abstract concept of forgiveness into the physical reality of exchange. In Luke 15, the father doesn’t just say "all is forgiven"; he dresses the son in the best robe. It’s a jarring shift from the mud of the pig pen to the dignity of the house. Most songs stop at the relief of not being punished. McCleery hits on the more uncomfortable truth: being brought back to the table requires wearing something you didn't earn, covering up the mess you made. It’s a heavy trade.
The refrain, “You were not phased,” sticks with me, though it’s grammatically shaky. It’s a human way of describing the immutability of God. We tend to view our failures as catastrophic—a bridge burned, a door locked—but the song posits that the Divine reaction is something closer to a steady gaze. While we are busy hyperventilating over our own wreckage, the other side of the room remains entirely unmoved by the chaos.
Yet, the song loses its nerve toward the end. The final minutes dissolve into a cycle of "You always come running." By the fourth or fifth time we hear that, the urgency of the initial confession is watered down. It goes from a gut-level realization to a loop. If McCleery had let the song end at the three-minute mark, it would have been a sharp, clean cut. Instead, it overstays its welcome.
There is a strange, unfinished tension in the line, “All I had to do was turn around.” It sounds simple, but it’s the hardest part of the entire ordeal. Turning around is an admission that the last few years—or decades—were a mistake. It’s the ego’s death. The song skates over the agony of that pivot, favoring the comfort of the "running" imagery.
Still, there’s an honesty in admitting that we often think we’re "too far gone." We build a narrative of being unredeemable because it’s easier than being vulnerable to someone else's grace. This record isn't perfect, but when it strips away the noise and looks at the robe, the ring, and the seat at the table, it manages to find the center of the story. It’s enough to make you pause.