Family Force 5 - Replace Me Lyrics
Lyrics
My batteries died sometime ago
Got a heart shaped box where they must go
Corrosion's building everyday
My flesh is leading me astray
That's why I started to decay and I will
Slowly rot away but I can't feel that anyway
This heart it wants to beat
These lungs they want to breathe
These eyes they want to see
Got a mouth that wants to sing
Desperation
Needing You
Every last breath
I scream for You
Shatter me into a million pieces
Make me new
Crush me, tear me, break me, mold me
Make me what You want me to be
I am Yours for You to use
Oh, take and replace me with You
Needing more than just a jump start to get me through
My disconnection is now the issue
I miss my first love bad and it's driving me mad
Just like a mixed up crazy person out of his head
It's been a long long time I've been on the decline
I do an about face so I can be replaced 180
This heart it wants to beat
These lungs they want to breathe
These eyes they want to see
Got a mouth that wants to sing
Desperation
Needing You
Every last breath
I scream for You
Shatter me into a million pieces
Make me new
Crush me, tear me, break me, mold me
Make me what You want me to be
Video
Replace Me
Meaning & Inspiration
Family Force 5's "Replace Me," released on their 2006 album *Business Up Front / Party In the Back*, is a powerful declaration of surrender and spiritual renewal. The song delves into the profound human experience of recognizing one's own decay, not in a physical sense alone, but in the spiritual and moral sense of drifting away from a foundational love. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a soul running on empty, describing a "heart shaped box" where vital components have died and "corrosion's building." This decay is not external but internal, as "flesh is leading me astray," leading to a state of spiritual decline where the individual feels they are "slowly rot[ting] away." Yet, paradoxically, there's a persistent, inherent longing for life, a primal desire for the heart to beat, lungs to breathe, eyes to see, and a voice to sing—all symbolic of a yearning for divine connection and purpose.
The core of "Replace Me" is an urgent plea for transformation, a desperate cry for the Divine to intervene. This isn't a request for a minor adjustment but a complete overhaul. The repeated cries of "Desperation, Needing You" and "Every last breath, I scream for You" underscore a profound dependency and the recognition that human efforts are insufficient. The repeated refrain, "Shatter me into a million pieces, Make me new," is a radical expression of the desire for complete renovation, echoing the biblical concept of being born again. It's a willingness to be broken down, "crush[ed], tear[ed], break[ed], mold[ed]," not out of masochism, but out of a deep-seated understanding that only through complete surrender can one be "made what You want me to be." This sentiment directly aligns with scripture that speaks of God's refining fire and the transformation He brings. For instance, the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 12:2, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." The song’s core message resonates with the idea that our old selves, corrupted by sin and straying from God, must be dismantled for a new creation in Christ.
The lyrics further articulate this need for replacement, moving beyond a mere "jump start" to address a deep "disconnection." The artist expresses a longing for their "first love," a profound spiritual intimacy that has been lost, leading to a state of confusion and mental distress. This feeling of decline and the deliberate choice to "do an about face" to be "replaced" speaks to a conscious turning away from old ways and a desperate embrace of divine intervention. This aligns with the prophetic call to repentance, where turning back to God is essential for restoration. Isaiah 44:22 speaks of this forgiveness and renewal: "I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you." The song’s intense desire for spiritual overhaul, for the old to pass away and the new to emerge, is a testament to the transformative power of God. It's a bold confession that true vitality and purpose are found not in self-preservation, but in allowing God to completely remake us, fulfilling His divine design for our lives, much like Jeremiah 29:11 promises, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." "Replace Me" is an anthem of profound spiritual longing, a brave admission of brokenness, and an inspiring call to the ultimate renewal that only a divine Creator can offer.