[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
Starts With Me
Starts With Me Song Meaning, Biblical Reference and Inspiration
"Starts With Me" by TobyMac featuring Aaron Cole stands as a poignant and timely reflection on division, historical pain, and the personal call to action for healing and unity. Released with a video on June 12, 2020, the song arrived during a period of heightened societal tension and calls for justice, adding significant weight and relevance to its message. The track opens with a spoken address acknowledging diversity and lamenting the forces that seek to separate people, expressing a belief that believers should exemplify authentic love and unity. The personal anecdotes shared about overcoming differences within his own touring team serve as a microcosm of the broader possibility for connection in communities and the nation.
The song delves into the deep-seated issues that fuel disunity, acknowledging a history filled with hate and questioning whether true unity has ever been achieved. It recognizes the widespread doubt and understandable hesitation that arise from this challenging past and present. The lyrics paint a picture of inherited issues, speaking of "dirty hands" and "distrust" passed down through generations from parents and grandparents, highlighting how historical wounds and prejudices can be unknowingly carried forward. This generational transmission of division creates barriers that seem insurmountable through external means alone.
Central to the song's powerful message is the core assertion found in the recurring chorus: "it starts with me." After cataloging the external reasons for division and the inherited baggage of distrust, the song shifts the focus inward. It posits that while systemic issues and historical contexts are real and significant, the path to freedom, healing, and reconciliation must begin at the individual level. Fixing what is broken in society is presented not as a top-down mandate or a collective movement initiated solely by institutions, but as a personal commitment each person must make. This emphasizes individual responsibility in confronting one's own biases, inherited perspectives, and willingness to extend grace.
Aaron Cole's verse further expands on the path towards healing, acknowledging the heavy road ahead and the breakdown of trust in systems. He points towards the necessity of confession, forgiveness, and compassion as foundational steps for healing to even begin. This highlights the spiritual and emotional work required, suggesting that true reconciliation involves acknowledging wrongs, offering and receiving forgiveness, and demonstrating empathy towards one another. The song's bridge introduces the feeling of hope and the potential for "freedom" and love to "move the needle," suggesting that these internal shifts can indeed lead to external change. The prayerful plea for "eyes to see" underscores a recognition that divine perspective and guidance may be necessary to navigate the complexities of achieving genuine connection and understanding.
From a faith perspective, the song resonates with several scriptural themes. The call for believers to lead in love echoes Jesus' commandment to love one another (John 13:34-35) and Paul's exhortation for unity in the body of Christ despite diverse backgrounds (Ephesians 4:1-3, Galatians 3:28). The emphasis on forgiveness is a central tenet of Christian teaching (Colossians 3:13, Matthew 6:14-15). The idea of personal transformation being the starting point for broader change aligns with the biblical concept of individual repentance and renewal (Romans 12:2). By asserting that healing "starts with me," the song reflects the principle that personal responsibility and a changed heart are fundamental to impacting the world around us. It offers an inspirational call to action, suggesting that while the challenges are great, hope for a more united and free future is possible when individuals commit to change within themselves and extend love and forgiveness to others.
