Chris Rice - Love Is Gonna Break Through Lyrics
Lyrics
Hear a newborn baby cry
Hear the farmers pray for rain
One more soldier gives his life
A homeless man begs for change
But change won't come easily
What does this have to do with me?
And my heart pounds with a thunder
And I stop and wonder
What should we do with life's surprises?
(Everyday the sun rises on us!)
Like a swing set in a graveyard,
Like a bloom in the desert sands
(Look at my tremblin' hands!)
'Cause it hits me like lightning
That love must keep fighting
And somehow, every time
Love is gonna break through!
Love is gonna break through!
Love is gonna break through!
Love is gonna break through!
World inside a clear blue sky
Teeming with humanity
Tears and laughter intertwine
Our comedies and tragedies
And History is a runaway
But not so far that Love can't find and save
And my heart pounds with a thunder
And I stop and wonder
What should we do with life's surprises?
(Everyday the sun rises on us!)
Like a swing set in a graveyard,
Like a bloom in the desert sands
(Look at my tremblin' hands!)
'Cause it hits me like lightning
That love must keep fighting
And somehow, every time
Love is gonna break through!
Love is gonna break through!
Love is gonna break through!
Love is gonna break through!
It takes my breath, it's come to this
We all bleed red, you can't resist
The changing wind, the roaring tide
C'mon, get on the winning side
Love is gonna break through!
Love is gonna break through!
Love is gonna break through!
Love is gonna break through!
Video
Love Is Gonna Break Through
Meaning & Inspiration
Released on July 17, 2007, as part of Chris Rice's album *What a Heart Is Beating For (Bonus Track Version)*, "Love Is Gonna Break Through" emerges as a profound exploration of hope amidst a world wrestling with deep challenges. Rice masterfully frames the universal human experience, starting with vivid, often stark, imagery of life’s realities: the fragility of a newborn's cry, the dependence on nature for sustenance, the ultimate sacrifice of a soldier, and the pervasive issue of homelessness. This opening serves not as a litany of despair but as a truthful acknowledgment of the brokenness that permeates our existence, reflecting the lament found in Scripture regarding a fallen world, where "the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time" (Romans 8:22).
The initial scenes provoke an honest, introspective question: "What does this have to do with me?" This query resonates deeply, mirroring our own struggles with empathy fatigue or the feeling of powerlessness in the face of overwhelming global issues. It’s in this moment of questioning, where the heart "pounds with a thunder" and one "stops and wonders," that Rice shifts from observation to introspection, inviting us to grapple with "life’s surprises." This internal wrestling aligns with biblical calls to self-examination and to not be conformed to the patterns of this world but to be transformed by the renewal of our minds (Romans 12:2). The song doesn’t shy away from the discomfort of these questions but uses them as a springboard for a deeper, Spirit-led revelation.
Rice uses powerful paradoxes, likening hope to a "swing set in a graveyard" or a "bloom in the desert sands." These images are not just poetic; they are deeply theological. They symbolize the resurrection power and the promise of life in the midst of death and barrenness, reflecting passages like Isaiah 43:19, "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." It's in perceiving these unexpected manifestations of grace that the truth "hits me like lightning"—the unwavering conviction that "love must keep fighting." This isn't a passive hope but an active, persistent love, a divine imperative. The repeated affirmation, "Love is gonna break through!" isn't a mere wish; it's a declaration of divine certainty, a foundational truth rooted in the very character of God as described in 1 John 4:8, "God is love."
Expanding his scope, Rice paints a picture of a "world inside a clear blue sky, teeming with humanity," acknowledging the complex tapestry of "tears and laughter intertwine, our comedies and tragedies." History itself is presented as a "runaway," a force seemingly beyond our control. Yet, critically, Rice swiftly follows this with the assurance that history is "not so far that Love can't find and save." This powerfully encapsulates the Gospel message—that no matter how far humanity strays, or how entrenched sin and suffering become, God’s redemptive love, demonstrated supremely through Christ, pursues and saves. This mirrors the boundless compassion articulated in Ephesians 2:4-5: "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved."
The bridge of the song brings an urgent, unifying call to action. "It takes my breath, it's come to this / We all bleed red, you can't resist / The changing wind, the roaring tide / C'mon, get on the winning side." This powerful imagery strips away superficial differences, reminding us of our shared humanity and vulnerability. The phrase "we all bleed red" is a profound biblical truth, underscoring that we are all created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27) and are equally in need of His grace. The "winning side" is unequivocally the side of active, persistent, divine love. It's a call to abandon cynicism and embrace the transformative power that only love offers, echoing the greatest commandments to love God with all our being and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39). The final, emphatic repetition of "Love is gonna break through!" serves not just as a promise but as a charge for us to participate in this breakthrough, to be vessels through whom God’s love can manifest in a broken world, proving that "love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13:8).