for KING & COUNTRY - Burn The Ships Lyrics
Lyrics
How did we get here?
All castaway on a lonely shore
I can see in your eyes, dear
It's hard to take for a moment more
We've got to
Burn the ships, cut the ties
Send a flare into the night
Say a prayer, turn the tide
Dry your tears and wave goodbye
Step into a new day
We can rise up from the dust and walk away
We can dance upon our heartache, yeah
So light a match, leave the past, burn the ships
And don't you look back
Don't let it arrest you
This fear is fear of fallin' again
And if you need a refuge
I will be right here until the end
Oh, it's time to
Burn the ships, cut the ties
Send a flare into the night
Say a prayer, turn the tide
Dry your tears and wave goodbye
Step into a new day
We can rise up from the dust and walk away
We can dance upon our heartache, yeah
So light a match, leave the past, burn the ships
And don't you look back
So long to shame, walk through the sorrow
Out of the fire into tomorrow
So flush the pills, face the fear
Feel the wave disappear
We're comin' clear, we're born again
Our hopeful lungs can breathe again
Oh, we can breathe again
Step into a new day
We can rise up from the dust and walk away
We can dance upon our heartache, yeah
So light a match, leave the past, burn the ships
And step into a new day
We can rise up from the dust and walk away
We can dance upon our heartache, yeah
So light a match, leave the past, burn the ships
And don't you look back
And don't you look back
And don't you look back
Video
for KING + COUNTRY - burn the ships (Official Music Video)
Meaning & Inspiration
Released on October 5, 2018, for KING & COUNTRY’s “Burn The Ships” is a powerful anthem of unwavering commitment, a sonic declaration resonating with the profound implications of radical faith. The song’s narrative is deeply rooted in the ancient and powerful act of literally burning ships, a tactic employed by ancient leaders to eliminate any possibility of retreat, forcing their armies to press forward and secure victory. This imagery serves as a potent metaphor for a life lived in dedication to God, where past allegiances and comfortable familiarities are sacrificed for a future secured by faith. The meaning transcends a simple decision to change; it’s about severing ties with what holds us back, embracing the uncertainty of a new path with absolute trust in divine guidance. This echoes the biblical call to leave behind all for the sake of the Kingdom, as Jesus instructed the disciples in Matthew 19:27, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundred times more, now in this age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, in the next age, eternal life." The decision to "burn the ships" is an active surrender, a conscious choice to forsake the safety of the known for the promise of the unrevealed, a concept powerfully illustrated by Abraham's departure from his homeland as commanded by God in Genesis 12:1, "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.'" The song encourages an intentionality in our faith journey, where vacillation is replaced by resolute forward motion, trusting that the God who calls us will also sustain and guide us, much like Paul’s affirmation in Philippians 1:6, "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." "Burn The Ships" is an inspirational call to live a life unburdened by the allure of what was, a testament to the freedom found in full surrender and the courage required to navigate toward God’s promised future.