Newsboys - Say You Need Love Lyrics
Lyrics
You've been looking for shelter
On a cloudless day, there's no rain
You're keeping pennies in your pocket
For a bottle full of spare change, just in case
And if the glass ain't half empty then it's broken
It helps you escape from the pain
You throw the baby with the bath water
Over and over again, turn the page
Chorus
You say you need love
(Tell me where does that get you?)
When push comes to shove
(Who you gonna run to?)
Turn your eyes up above
(He unconditionally loves you)
Nothing you can say or do
Will change his love for you
Heard it said you're an accident
Biological mistake
So you're a love child, who could say it better
A physical grace, a perfect display
Chorus
Has someone you trusted left you betrayed
Has someone who loved you thrown love away
Do you see God? does he have a face?
Looks like your father's, how does it relate?
You're scared of being let down, tell me
Don't be afraid, don't shy away
He'll never leave you, he won't forsake
Don't be afraid, don't shy away
He's not gonna leave you
Chorus
Chorus
Chorus
Video
You Say You Need Love
Meaning & Inspiration
Released in 1999 as part of the album *Love Liberty Disco*, Newsboys' "Say You Need Love" dives deep into the human yearning for love and acceptance, contrasting it with a divine, unwavering love. The song opens by painting a picture of someone desperately seeking solace and security in earthly, often fleeting, solutions. These "shelters" are temporary, like saving pennies "for a bottle full of spare change, just in case," a metaphor for grasping at insufficient or conditional forms of security. The imagery of a "glass ain't half empty then it's broken" speaks to a pervasive sense of disappointment and the destructive patterns of seeking escape from pain through flawed means, like "throw[ing] the baby with the bath water" repeatedly. This cycle of seeking fulfillment in the wrong places, of constantly turning the page on temporary fixes, highlights a profound spiritual hunger.
The chorus acts as a powerful pivot, directly addressing the listener's declaration of needing love. The rhetorical questions, "Tell me where does that get you?" and "Who you gonna run to?" challenge the efficacy of worldly pursuits for true love and security. The answer, presented with compelling clarity, is to "Turn your eyes up above," because "He unconditionally loves you." This divine love, the song asserts, is a constant, immutable force, unaffected by human actions or words: "Nothing you can say or do will change his love for you." This resonates deeply with biblical truths found throughout Scripture, such as Jeremiah 31:3, which proclaims, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you." Similarly, Romans 8:38-39 assures believers that "neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
The song then delves into the pain of rejection and worthlessness that can stem from human pronouncements. Being labeled an "accident" or a "biological mistake" inflicts deep wounds, making one feel like an unwanted "love child." The lyrics acknowledge the sting of betrayal and abandonment, questioning the nature of God and how our earthly experiences with flawed human relationships can distort our perception of the divine. The fear of being let down again is a palpable human emotion, a consequence of experiencing unreliability in those we trust. This struggle is met with a powerful reassurance: "Don't be afraid, don't shy away. He'll never leave you, he won't forsake." This is a direct echo of God's promise in Deuteronomy 31:6, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
Ultimately, "Say You Need Love" is a profound reminder that while the world offers conditional and often disappointing forms of love, there exists a perfect, unchanging love from above. It encourages a shift in focus from the fleeting to the eternal, from human validation to divine acceptance. The repeated chorus reinforces this central message with an urgent yet gentle call to recognize the boundless, unconditional love of God that is always available, a love that truly satisfies the deepest needs of the human heart. This unwavering truth is the ultimate refuge and the source of true security, offering hope and lasting peace to all who turn towards it.