In this post, I will break down the lyrics to Nine Lashes’ new song “Ready to See,” and discuss how the song talks about submitting to God’s will.
Christian rock band Nine Lashes released their first album, Escape, 15 years ago in 2009. They released four albums up until 2016. Since then, they’ve been releasing the occasional single every now and then.
Photo of Nine Lashes band members
“Ready to See” is Nine Lashes’ first song in almost three years, and it marks a return to their heavier sound.
Here is the official lyric video, so give it a listen!
And here are the lyrics:
I didn’t want to be
Standing underneath
Watching as the tower crumbled
I didn’t want to be
Left in the debris
Struggling to step and stumble
It was everything to me
A castle and a dream
Cast into a home left hollow
It was everything to me
Wasted and diseased
I had to watch you burn it to the ground
The focus of this song is control. As humans, we often struggle between choosing our own desires and choosing to submit to God’s plans for us. The song uses the analogy of a destroyed kingdom (“tower crumbled,” “castle,” and “debris”) to represent our own ambitions and desires that we often prioritize instead of focusing on what God wants for us. The lyric “I had to watch you burn it to the ground” represents God humbling us to rearrange our priorities.
I wanted what was mine
Wanted what was mine
The dust is settled now
But none of it was mine
None of it was mine
I'm letting it go
We often feel like we deserve things in life (the lyric “I wanted what was mine”), but in reality, we deserve nothing. God made everything, so everything belongs to Him (“But none of it was mine”). The lyric “I’m letting go” represents submitting to God’s will. Once we start to see our plans, our time, and our resources as God’s instead of as ours, we can start to be more trusting of God.
I know
In the outer cold
I never had control of nothing
I know
I gotta let it go
Running to the dawn that’s rising
Now I’m ready to breathe
Your light will soon be found
As I’m ready to see
Ready to see
The chorus also talks about control. The lyric, “I’m ready to see” represents being ready to focus on God’s will and follow His plan. By choosing to follow God instead of our own understanding, we gain a new perspective.
All the references to light in the song represent God’s goodness, which pierces through the darkness of the world around us (check out John 1:5). God’s goodness and wisdom allow us to see the world differently, like out of love instead of selfishness.
"Ready To See" single cover
I didn’t want to see
The fracture start to stretch out in the stone
I didn’t want to see
That it would’ve crushed me
Crushed me on my throne
This verse talks about why we should trust God’s plans because He knows far more than we do, such as with the lyric, “I didn’t want to see / That it would’ve crushed me / Crushed me on my throne.” This verse reminds me of Proverbs 3:5, which says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” God knows more than us, and He knows what is good for us. So trusting Him puts us on a better path than relying on our own desires and limited strengths.
I built a kingdom with these hands of mine
But this is the day it all comes down
Now I take the world in through my opened eyes
And there You are
And there You are
Let the light in
Stone after stone
So hollow the home
Now fractured and tossed in the sea
I'm taking a hold
I'll go where You go
I'll follow the light that I see
The bridge of the song is about following God’s will, such as proclaimed in the lyric, “I’ll go where You go / I’ll follow the light that I see.” With our own self-centered desires out of the way (“Stone after stone / So hollow the home / Now fractured and tossed in the sea”), we can give our full focus to following God.
Overall, this song reminds me of Proverbs 16:9, which says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” We can try to plan our lives as much as we want, but in reality, God is the only one who knows where we will end up.
Nine Lashes. (2024, January 2). NINE LASHES - 2024 - Ready to see ( Official lyric Video) [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved January 11, 2024, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cR3BCHJerY
Wikipedia contributors. (2024, January 2). Nine lashes. Wikipedia. Retrieved January 11, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_Lashes