TobyMac + Aaron Cole - Starts With Me Lyrics
Lyrics
[Listen, looking out over this audience tonight, I just gottta tell you
Denver, you look beautiful in all your diversity tonight
I’ve always believed that there’s richness in diversity
I’ve always believed we’re better together than separated
And I’ve always believed that we the believers, we should be leading the way in what real love looks like.
I gotta be honest with you, sometimes I get online or turn the news on the television and man sometimes I just gotta shut it off. Cause it makes me, makes me start believing that we can’t make it together. But then I look up on this stage and see these people that I travel with, been running with for 15 years. And look, all of us different upbringings, different colors of skin. Listen, If we can live together and make it together on a tour bus, surely we can make it in a city, or a state, or a town or a nation. The truth is, there’s no law the government can pass that brings us together. A song can’t bring us together. Coming together comes down to you and me.]
(One day
This nation will rise up
Rise up)
There's a million reasons to hesitate
With a history that's filled with hate
Have we ever been united states?
I wonder (oh, oh, oh)
So who can blame us for the doubt
Forgive me if I think out loud
But we're just as just won't come around
I wonder (oh, oh, oh)
I was born with two, dirty hands
Something my daddy didn't understand
Something his daddy didn't understand
So it starts with me
I was raised with distrust, in my heart
Momma told me we're in worlds apart
Her momma told her don't even bother
So it starts with me
'Cause we can be free, yeah I know that
Let's try to fix the things that's been broke down
'Cause we can be free, yeah I know that
And it starts with me
[Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Aaron Cole]
With a heavy road in front of us
And a system that has lost our trust
Can we ever find the strength to rise from ashes?
And looking at the heart of it
The healing nearly can't begin
Without confession and forgiveness and compassion
I was born with two, dirty hands
Something my daddy didn't understand
Something his daddy didn't understand
So it starts with me
I was raised with distrust, in my heart
Momma told me we're in worlds apart
Her momma told her don't even bother
So it starts with me
'Cause we can be free, yeah I know that
Let's try to fix the things that's been broke down
'Cause we can be free, yeah I know that
And it starts with me
'Cause we can be free, yeah I know that
Let's try to fix the things that's been broke down
'Cause we can be free, yeah I know that
And it starts with me
Can you feel it in your heart tonight? (freedom)
Love is gonna move the needle (freedom)
I can feel it in my heart tonight (freedom)
Oh, yeah
I need you, you need me
One more step, almost free (Almost free, almost free)
Say I need you and you need me
Father give us eyes to see
Yeah, gives us eyes to see
'Cause we can be free, we can be free
We can be free, yeah I know that
And it starts with me
We can be free, yeah
We can be free, yeah I know that
And it starts with me
Video
TobyMac - Starts With Me (Lyric Video) ft. Aaron Cole
Meaning & Inspiration
TobyMac and Aaron Cole's "Starts With Me," released on June 12, 2020, arrived at a moment of profound global introspection, offering a stark yet hopeful message about the origins and solutions to societal division. The song begins with a powerful, candid spoken introduction from TobyMac, delivered as if directly to an audience. He celebrates the beauty of diversity, expressing a deep conviction that humanity thrives when united and that believers should exemplify true love. He shares a relatable frustration with the polarizing narratives often dominating news and online spaces, which can erode faith in collective progress. Yet, he finds an antidote in the unity of his touring family – a diverse group from varied backgrounds, proving that if a small community can coexist peacefully on a tour bus, a city, state, or nation can too. This powerful preamble culminates in a pivotal declaration: no government legislation or even a song itself can truly forge unity; rather, true reconciliation begins with the individual.
The narrative then seamlessly transitions into the musical verses, echoing the themes of division and despair. TobyMac vocalizes the historical weight of disunity, acknowledging "a history that's filled with hate" and posing the poignant question of whether a truly "united states" has ever existed. This questioning reflects a collective doubt, a weariness with the persistent fractures in society. He articulates a profound realization about inherited brokenness, singing about being "born with two, dirty hands" and "raised with distrust in my heart," a legacy passed down through generations. This is not merely about personal moral failing but about the pervasive societal biases, prejudices, and fears that are often unconsciously absorbed from family and community. The profound truth, however, arrives with the chorus: "So it starts with me." This line is a powerful spiritual pivot, shifting the focus from external blame to internal responsibility, recognizing that while systemic issues exist, the path to healing begins with personal transformation. It is a bold affirmation that freedom from these generational chains is possible, contingent on each individual's commitment to mend what has been broken.
Aaron Cole’s verse amplifies this plea, acknowledging the "heavy road" ahead and the challenge of navigating a "system that has lost our trust." He wisely points to the essential components for genuine healing: "confession and forgiveness and compassion." This insight resonates deeply with biblical principles, where personal accountability, the willingness to acknowledge wrongdoing (confession, as in 1 John 1:9), and extending grace to others (forgiveness, as commanded in Ephesians 4:32 and Colossians 3:13) are foundational to reconciliation. The repeated chorus reinforces the profound truth that while the path to freedom might seem daunting, it is always initiated by individual choice.
The song’s core message aligns perfectly with the Christian understanding of personal responsibility within a broader community. While acknowledging the pervasive effects of inherited sin and societal brokenness, often termed generational patterns (Lamentations 5:7), the Bible consistently emphasizes the individual’s capacity for change through Christ (Ezekiel 18:20). The idea of "dirty hands" speaks to the universal human condition apart from God, as Romans 3:23 reminds us that all have sinned and fall short. Yet, the call to action, "it starts with me," echoes Philippians 2:12, urging us to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." The song's hopeful vision of being "free" and "fixing the things that's been broke down" mirrors Isaiah 58:12, where those who break unjust yokes are called "repairer of the breach, restorer of streets to dwell in."
The bridge and outro of "Starts With Me" culminate in an expression of hope and interdependence. The repeated invocation of "freedom" suggests an internal liberation that can then spread outwards. The lines "Love is gonna move the needle" and "I need you, you need me" underscore the biblical truth that love is the ultimate catalyst for unity and the fulfillment of God’s law, as Romans 13:10 teaches. The concluding prayer, "Father give us eyes to see," is a humble request for divine wisdom and spiritual insight, echoing Ephesians 1:18, where Paul prays for the "eyes of your understanding being enlightened." This spiritual vision is crucial to discerning the path forward, recognizing the inherent dignity in every person, and actively participating in building bridges rather than walls. TobyMac and Aaron Cole deliver not just a song, but a powerful call to action for personal transformation, asserting that genuine unity and freedom are not found in grand gestures or political mandates, but in the quiet, courageous choice of each heart to begin with itself.