He took a little extra time
On the sky tonight
A million lazy hues
Of orange and blue
Shed the perfect light
I can see the artist's hands
Paint a picture of the promised land
And I can't help but think how much time
He took on me
These same hands
That painted the heavens and the earth
Are the same hands that held me before my birth
I'm a masterpiece of love
Though sometimes
It's hard to believe
I was so blind
But now I see
I've been lost
But I've come to find
He took a little extra time
On me
She looks in the mirror
Every morning
She don't like what she sees
So she'll try harder
To look like the girls
On her magazines
But she doesn't realize
That she's perfect in his eyes
And the walls begin to build
Around her heart
These same hands
That painted the heavens and the earth
Are the same hands that held her before her birth
She's a masterpiece of love
Though I don't know her name
I'd love to tell her just the same
You may be lost
But you can find
He took a little extra time
On you
I've been where you are
You don't know you're a shining star
But I pray there will come one day
When your heart can say
These same hands
That painted the heavens and the earth
Are the same hands that held me before my birth
I'm a masterpiece of love
Though sometimes
It's hard to believe
I was so blind
But now I see
I've been lost
But I've come to find
He took a little extra time
On me
He took a little extra time on the sky tonight
He took a little extra time
On me
A Little Extra Time
A Little Extra Time Song Meaning, Biblical Reference and Inspiration
Released on January 26, 2024, Matthew West's song "A Little Extra Time" opens with a contemplative image of a stunning sunset, portraying the sky as a canvas painted by a divine artist. This initial observation sets a parallel, suggesting that the same careful attention to detail seen in creation is also applied to individuals. The lyrics shift from the grandeur of the heavens and earth to a deeply personal reflection, emphasizing that the hands responsible for the cosmos are also the hands that shaped and held the individual before birth.
The core message revolves around the profound truth of being a "masterpiece of love," despite personal struggles with self-doubt or feeling lost. The song acknowledges the difficulty in accepting this truth, using the metaphor of past blindness before coming to see and find this reality. This theme of deliberate, special creation and individual value is extended in the following verses, which introduce the story of someone struggling with body image and comparison, influenced by external pressures.
The narrative for this other individual mirrors the personal journey described earlier. Despite not knowing her name, the singer expresses a desire to share the same hopeful message: that she too is a masterpiece crafted by the same hands that created the universe and held her from the beginning. The song underscores that even when feeling lost or unseen, there is inherent perfection and value in God's eyes, and that the same "little extra time" and care were taken in her creation as in the individual's.
This concept resonates with biblical truths about God's intimate knowledge and formation of each person. Scripture speaks to God's intricate work in the womb, as found in Psalm 139:13-16, which describes being "knit together" and seen even before birth. Furthermore, the idea of being a masterpiece aligns with Ephesians 2:10, stating that we are God's handiwork, created for good works. The initial imagery of creation itself points back to foundational texts like Genesis 1, highlighting God's intentional and deliberate process in bringing forth the universe, implying a similar level of care in His creation of humanity. The song beautifully connects the vastness of divine power demonstrated in creation with the personal, detailed love shown in shaping each individual life.
