Steven Curtis Chapman - Live Out Loud - River Lyrics
Lyrics
Imagine this: I get a phone call from Regis, he says, "Do you want to be a millionaire?"
They put me on the show, and I win with two lifelines to spare,
Picture this: I act like nothing ever happened, and bury all the money in a coffee can,
Well, I've been given more than Regis ever gave away - I was a dead man who was called to come out of my grave, and I think it's time for making some noise.
Wake the neighbours, get the word out,
Come on, crank up the music,
Climb a mountain and shout,
This is life we've been given, made to be lived out,
So la, la, la, la, live out loud, yeah,
Live out loud, yeah.
Come on,
Everybody.
Think about this: try to keep a bird from singing after it's soared up in the sky,
Give the sun a cloudless day and tell it not to shine,
Now think about this: if we really have been given the gift of a life that will never end, and if we have been filled with living hope, we're gonna overflow,
God's love is burning in our hearts, we're gonna glow; there's just no way to keep it in.
Wake the neighbours, get the word out,
Come on, crank up the music,
Climb a mountain and shout,
This is life we've been given, made to be lived out,
So la, la, la, la, live out loud,
Live out loud.
Live out loud,
Everybody, come on,
I want to hear everybody sing,
I want to hear everybody sing.
Live out loud, loud, loud,
Live out loud, loud, loud.
Wake the neighbours, get the word out,
Come on, crank up the music,
Climb a mountain and shout,
This is life we've been given, made to be lived out,
So la, la, la, la, live out loud.
Live out loud,
Everybody, come on.
Video
Live Out Loud Vs. River
Meaning & Inspiration
Steven Curtis Chapman's "Live Out Loud - River," released on June 25, 2015, isn't just a song; it’s an electrifying declaration, a vibrant call to action for anyone who has experienced the transformative power of faith. From its opening lines, the song cleverly sets a scenario: what if you won a fortune on a game show but chose to bury the money and act as if nothing happened? This relatable image immediately establishes a powerful contrast with the infinitely greater, spiritual reality Chapman then reveals. The song's core message is that believers have been given something far more valuable than earthly riches – they were "dead men who were called to come out of their grave," referencing the spiritual resurrection Christians experience through Christ, as echoed in Ephesians 2:5, where we are made "alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions." This profound transformation is not meant to be kept secret but to be exuberantly proclaimed.
The heart of "Live Out Loud - River" beats with an urgent, joyful command to share this life-altering truth. Chapman’s lyrics, "Wake the neighbours, get the word out, Come on, crank up the music, Climb a mountain and shout," are not mere poetic flourishes but vivid metaphors for active, uninhibited witness. This isn't about quiet contemplation alone; it's about a visible, audible expression of faith that impacts the world around us. It’s the living out of Jesus's instruction in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." The life we've been given, Chapman asserts, is "made to be lived out" – a reminder that our existence is purposeful, intended to reflect the glory of God who called us from darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).
The song brilliantly reinforces this idea with natural analogies that illustrate the irrepressible nature of genuine faith. Chapman asks us to consider trying to stop a bird from singing after it has soared, or telling the sun not to shine on a cloudless day. These are impossibilities, just as it is impossible for true, living hope and divine love to remain hidden within a believer. If we truly "have been given the gift of a life that will never end" and are "filled with living hope," then, as the song proclaims, "we're gonna overflow." This imagery resonates deeply with Scripture, particularly John 7:38, where Jesus speaks of "rivers of living water" flowing from within those who believe in Him. The love of God "burning in our hearts" is an internal fire that compels outward manifestation, akin to Jeremiah’s experience in Jeremiah 20:9, where God’s word was like a burning fire shut up in his bones, making it impossible for him to hold back. "There's just no way to keep it in," Chapman declares, capturing the uncontainable joy and urgency that comes from being transformed by grace and filled with the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). "Live Out Loud - River" ultimately serves as an anthem for the believer, a vibrant encouragement to embrace the full, visible, and vocal expression of a life resurrected and made new, ensuring that the incredible gift of salvation is not a buried treasure, but a boldly celebrated reality.