Starfield - Innocence and Other Things Lost Lyrics
Lyrics
Things once certain, I no longer trust
My sure foundations have crumbled to dust
I would scale the highest height
Or search the depths to find
The path to innocence and wonder
I don't wanna lose my way
I don't wanna lose my faith
Revelation, great is your cost
Truth has been gained, but innocence lost
I would scale the highest height
Or search the depths to find
The path to innocence and wonder
I don't wanna lose my way
(It's a bitter fate, it's a heavy load, it's a mighty weight, it's a narrow road)
I don't wanna lose my faith
(It's a bitter fate, it's a heavy load, it's a mighty weight, it's a narrow road)
Narrow the road, small is the gate, it's getting harder to find, harder to find
Mighty the load, heavy the weight, still I'm walking the line, holding the line
Gone is the sun into the night, it's getting harder to see, harder to see
Many the rules, wrong from the right, they're getting harder to keep, harder to keep
Oh, how I've realized, all that I've compromised, I'm living in disguise
Video
STARFIELD - Innocence (And Other Things Lost)
Meaning & Inspiration
Starfield’s "Innocence and Other Things Lost," released on January 31, 2012, as part of their album *The Kingdom*, offers a profoundly honest and relatable exploration of the spiritual journey's complexities. This is not a song content with simplistic answers; instead, it fearlessly dives into the challenging terrain where faith meets the harsh realities of life and self-awareness. It speaks to the universal human experience of growing beyond naive beliefs, questioning what once felt unshakeable, and the often-painful cost of true spiritual maturity.
The song immediately establishes a poignant sense of disillusionment, articulating a crisis of trust in the lines, "Things once certain, I no longer trust / My sure foundations have crumbled to dust." This reflects a common sentiment for many believers who, having encountered life’s trials or deeper theological questions, find their earlier, simpler faith shaken. It’s a moment reminiscent of Abraham's journey, leaving behind the familiar to follow a call into the unknown, or even the disciples wrestling with Christ's harder sayings. Yet, amidst this crumbling, there's an earnest yearning to reclaim what feels lost: "I would scale the highest height / Or search the depths to find / The path to innocence and wonder." This isn't a desire to revert to ignorance, but rather to recapture the pure, unadulterated joy and open-hearted trust that often characterize the beginning of one's walk with God, akin to the childlike faith Jesus encouraged in Matthew 18:3, where becoming like a child is essential for entering the Kingdom.
The song’s core message deepens with the powerful confession: "Revelation, great is your cost / Truth has been gained, but innocence lost." This insight is incredibly profound, acknowledging that spiritual growth and a deeper understanding of God's truth often come at the expense of a pristine, unexamined worldview. It mirrors the Genesis narrative where the knowledge of good and evil, though bringing truth, also ushered in a loss of primal innocence. This "cost" is the pain of wrestling with difficult doctrines, acknowledging personal sin, or confronting the brokenness of the world, all of which chip away at a comfortable, uncomplicated faith. The truth gained, however, is not a lesser thing; it's a more resilient, hard-won faith, forged in the fires of doubt and inquiry, understanding that God's unwavering faithfulness stands firm even when our human perceptions falter, as Hebrews 11:1 reminds us that faith is "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
Throughout this process, the human struggle to persevere is undeniable: "I don't wanna lose my way / I don't wanna lose my faith." This refrain is a raw prayer, a desperate plea to hold fast to the divine connection amidst the swirling uncertainties. The interjected lines, "It's a bitter fate, it's a heavy load, it's a mighty weight, it's a narrow road," vividly paint the picture of the Christian walk as a demanding journey. This imagery directly echoes Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:13-14 about the "narrow gate and the difficult road that leads to life." While Christ promises that His "yoke is easy and His burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30), this song candidly expresses the *felt* weight of carrying our crosses, of striving to live by faith in a world that often pulls us in different directions. The journey is made harder because "narrow the road, small is the gate, it's getting harder to find," suggesting moments of spiritual disorientation where the path forward feels obscured, much like walking through a spiritual "night" when "gone is the sun into the night."
The concluding lines offer a gut-wrenching moment of self-reflection and repentance: "Oh, how I've realized, all that I've compromised, I'm living in disguise." This is a stark admission of falling short, of adapting to external pressures, and of a lack of authenticity in one's faith or life. It speaks to the human tendency to conform rather than be transformed, a tension Romans 12:2 addresses directly: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." This realization of compromise and living "in disguise" is not an end but an invitation to renewed honesty, to shed the masks, and to walk in genuine alignment with God’s truth. It’s a call to embrace the vulnerability of a transparent faith, knowing that even in our weakness, God’s grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9). "Innocence and Other Things Lost" stands as a powerful testament to the messy, yet ultimately refining, process of Christian discipleship, encouraging us to press onward even when the path is hard, trusting that the God who initiates our faith will also be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6).