Lyrics
Chorus
I was down but now I'm up, yeah
This all God this ain't no luck, yeah
I used to be stuck in that mud, woah
Yeah, I was down but now I'm up, up, up, up
I was down but now I'm up, yeah
This all God this ain't no luck, yeah
I used to be stuck in that mud, yeah
Yeah, I was down but now I'm up, up, up, up (Ayy)
I was down but now I'm
Verse 1
Up like my name Lazarus
Know Satan gon' be mad at this
I had to ask my dad
If it's okay to swing my bat at this
He said, "Boy if I pitch it, it's out of the park"
Moving so quick it's like they stuck in park
They see the numbers but I see the heart
Ten thousand hours He spent in the dark
Putting in good work
Even though He didn't even know that it would work
Talk about a man who grew up in woodwork
Do it for the love of it, that's the way it should work, yeah, yeah (Yeah, yeah)
I know some people gon' look at me crazy and I'm like for what? (What?)
Man, I was stuck
Chorus (Repeat)
I was down but now I'm up, yeah (Now I'm up)
This all God this ain't no luck, yeah (Ain't no luck)
I used to be stuck in that mud, yeah (In the mud)
Yeah, I was down but now I'm up, up, up, up
I was down but now I'm
Verse 2
Down, now I'm up like a seesaw
When I'm on the beat, like an old man's lawn better keep off
From the ground to the treetops
Got clouds on my feet like Jack and the Beanstalk
Jumped off quick, went straight into freefall
Cowboy hat and a mic singing, "Yeehaw"
Landed on my feet like a feline
Put 'em back in the seat, like a recline
Ayy, what you mean I'm not worthy?
Did it with a purpose, didn't need a permit
Diggin' from the bottom and I brought it to the surface
Mind your business, not who I worship
Who the little guy making big, big, big moves?
Tik-Tok turn into a tick-tick-tick boom
Yeah, I talk a lot of stuff
Prolly thought it was a bluff
'Til I went and turned it where?
Chorus (Repeat)
I was down but now I'm up, yeah (Up, let's go, woah)
This all God this ain't no luck, yeah
I used to be stuck in that mud, yeah
Yeah, I was down but now I'm up, up, up, up
I was down but now I'm up
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
“UP!” by Forrest Frank is an upbeat testimony about being lifted out of a low place. The hook says, “I was down but now I’m up,” and gives credit directly: “This all God, this ain’t no luck.” The singer compares the former state to being stuck in mud, which makes the change feel physical as well as spiritual.
The first verse compares the lift to Lazarus, who was called out of the grave, and says the enemy will be angry about it. It also pictures the Father pitching and the singer swinging, with a line about Christ spending long years in obscurity. The second verse is playful, comparing the rise to a seesaw, a beanstalk and a cat landing on its feet.
The verse also answers a doubter who says the singer isn’t worthy, closing with the lines “Mind your business, not who I worship.” The story of Lazarus is in John 11:43-44, and the contrast of low and high is close to Psalm 40:2 and James 4:10. The tone is light, confident and grateful.
Related Scripture
- Psalm 40:2 Lifted out of the miry bog
- John 11:43-44 Lazarus called out of the tomb
- James 4:10 Humble yourselves and He will lift you up