Seventh Day Slumber - When the Children Cry Lyrics
Lyrics
Little child
Dry your crying eyes
How can I explain
The fear you feel inside
Cause you were born
Into this evil world
Where man is killing man
And no one knows just why
What have we become
Just look what we have done
All that we've destroyed
You must build again
When the children cry
Let 'em know we tried
Cause when the children sing
Then the new world begins
Little child
You must show the way
To a better day
For all the young
Cause you were born
For the all the world to see
That we all can live
With love and peace
No more presidents
And all the wars will end
One united world under God
When the children cry
Let 'em know we tried
Cause when the children sing
Then the new world begins
What have we become
Just look what we have done
All that we've destroyed
You must build again
No more presidents
And all the wars will end
One united world under God
When the children cry
Let 'em know we tried
And when the children fight
Let 'em know it ain't right
When the children pray
Let 'em know the way
Cause when the children sing
The new world begins
Video
When The Children Cry
Meaning & Inspiration
Released in 2003 as part of their album *Picking Up the Pieces*, Seventh Day Slumber's "When the Children Cry" stands as a poignant anthem of hope and a stark reflection on the brokenness of the world, deeply rooted in a Christian worldview. The song opens by directly addressing the pain and confusion of a child caught in circumstances they cannot comprehend, a world marred by senseless violence and conflict. This opening immediately evokes the sorrow of the prophet Jeremiah, who wept for the suffering of his people and the sin that brought it about, as seen in Lamentations 1:16: "My eyes flow with tears, because of all the destruction of the daughter of my people." The lyrics acknowledge humanity's collective failure, questioning, "What have we become? Just look what we have done," a sentiment echoing the overarching theme of sin and its consequences throughout Scripture. The call to rebuild, "You must build again," resonates with the post-exilic rebuilding efforts under Ezra and Nehemiah, where the people were tasked with restoring their community and their faith after devastation.
The core message of the song centers on the transformative power of innocence and the dawning of a new era through the uncorrupted hearts of children. The refrain, "When the children cry, let 'em know we tried; cause when the children sing, then the new world begins," is not merely a plea for peace but a declaration of faith in a divine promise of restoration. This vision of a future world where love and peace prevail, free from the divisiveness of earthly powers and conflict, directly aligns with prophetic visions of the Messianic age. The lyrics envision a world without "presidents and all the wars will end, One united world under God," a powerful echo of Isaiah's prophecy in Isaiah 9:6-7: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end." The song posits that children, with their inherent purity and capacity for genuine love, are the harbingers of this renewed world. Their prayers and their songs become catalysts for change, guiding humanity back to the path of righteousness. The repeated emphasis on children showing "the way to a better day" and living "with love and peace" speaks to the teachings of Jesus, who often pointed to children as examples of faith and humility, saying in Matthew 18:3, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." The song's powerful juxtaposition of the present sorrow of crying children with the ultimate triumph of their singing underscores a profound belief in the redemptive arc of history, where the innocent's cry is heard, and their song heralds a future liberated by God's grace and love.