Sara Groves - Soul of Things Lyrics
Lyrics
How is it a stranger
Can know you for a moment
And call out pretty closely
What it takes years to name
Why is it so hard to tell yourself the truth
To see into the soul of things
See your hopes and fears
The oughts the shoulds the habits
The unseen puppeteers
That pull you on the stage
Why is it so hard to tell yourself the truth
To see into the soul of things
What a mystery your very heart
Held inside you and known in part
Held inside you and known in part
Memory grows rigid
Playing in the loops
Running my resentments
And all my well-worn proofs
It's hard to get a witness
Even when I'm there
To see into the soul of things
What a mystery your very heart
Held inside you and known in part
Held inside you and known in part
Somewhere in the vast
Waters of my mind
A memory resurfaced
And I'm looking in your eyes
You are trying to tell me
A better way to see
Into the soul of things
Into the soul of things
Into the soul of things
Video
Sara Groves - Soul of Things (Official Lyric Video)
Meaning & Inspiration
Sara Groves' "Soul of Things," released on November 12, 2021, as part of her album *What Makes It Through*, is a profound exploration of the human struggle for self-awareness and truth. The song delves into the often-frustrating difficulty of truly understanding ourselves, our motivations, and the deeper realities that shape our lives. Groves articulates a universal experience: how a brief encounter with another person can sometimes reveal profound insights about ourselves that we’ve been unable to grasp for years. This resonates deeply with the scriptural understanding that true wisdom and discernment often come not just from introspection, but also from the perspective of others, or even from divine revelation. The lyrics touch upon the internal battles we fight, the "hopes and fears," the prescriptive "oughts and shoulds," and the ingrained "habits" that act as unseen forces, guiding our actions like a puppeteer. This mirrors passages like Jeremiah 17:9, which states, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" The song’s central plea, "Why is it so hard to tell yourself the truth? To see into the soul of things?" is a cry for clarity, a yearning to pierce through the layers of self-deception and rationalization that often obscure our true selves. The repeated refrain about the "mystery of your very heart" speaks to the inherent complexity of human nature, a concept acknowledged throughout Scripture, where God’s knowledge of our hearts is absolute (1 Samuel 16:7). Groves then pivots to the frustrating rigidity of memory and ingrained patterns of resentment, suggesting how our past experiences, when replayed and held onto, can prevent us from seeing clearly in the present. The inability to "get a witness" even when we are actively seeking it underscores the internal isolation that can accompany this struggle. However, the song offers a glimmer of hope. The resurfacing memory, described as being found "somewhere in the vast waters of my mind," and the subsequent looking into another’s eyes, signifies a turning point. This moment of connection, where someone "is trying to tell me a better way to see," echoes the biblical encouragement to seek counsel and community. Proverbs 11:14 reminds us, "For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many counselors bring safety." Ultimately, "Soul of Things" is an inspiring call to pursue deeper self-understanding, not through mere introspection, but through openness to truth, the wisdom of others, and perhaps, a divine perspective that can illuminate the "soul of things" and lead us toward a more authentic existence.