Alabama natives Rush of Fools made quite an impression with two albums in less than two years, including their impressive self-titled debut. That project yielded the stand-out songs "Undo," "When Our Hearts Sing" and "Peace Be Still." The band was nominated for GMA Dove Awards' Best New Artist of 2007 and "Undo" was nominated for Song of the Year. This summer the band has returned with their fourth studio album, Carry Us Now, available everywhere June 3.
I've long enjoyed their songs, whether pop, rock or worship. The entire album is full of very worshipful and uplifting lyrics such as in the chorus of "Lay Me Down:" "I lay me down, I'm not my own, I belong to You alone."
Every song has a similar sentiment of praise and worship to our Savior set to memorable melodies and sung with emotion by frontman Wes Willis, who co-wrote every new original song with fellow band member Kevin Huguley. I had the great opportunity to interview Rush of Fools band member Kevin Huguley about the catchy worship song "Lay Me Down."
Please share your personal connection with this song.
This is a song that we are a very small part of as an artist and as a worship band, and we couldn't have picked a better song to record for this album. We've seen God moving in this song for the Church. We are four albums in as the band Rush of Fools, and as a worship band who has always written our own original songs, this is our first recording of a song we didn't write. It felt like the right fit to go outside of our own material to sing a song that we've seen God's hand get behind in the Church.
As a band, we are one worship band that is an extension of two churches that we've planted in the last five years. Together we planted Christ City Church in Birmingham, Alabama where I serve as worship pastor, and two of our band members moved to Montgomery, Alabama where they are part of Catalyst Community. I think this song is fitting for our season as a worship band who has been given by God the opportunity to also be a national touring band, though the center of our heartbeat is our local context. We are passionate about our local churches.
We felt with this album it was perfect timing to have the chance to sing a song that we're really excited about. We've seen how this song has impacted the Church. We love the song, and the Passion Movement, and One Sonic Society and Jason Ingram made our very first album with us back in 2006. That was before his name was on every other song in our genre. We worked with Jason again on the new album. We love church music, and seeing how God is moving. Jason Ingram and Matt Redman have been big inspirations for us.
Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?
Matthew 5:16 (NKJV): Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
John 10:10 (NKJV): The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV): For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Colossians 1:15-18 (NKJV): He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
What is the takeaway message?
The language of the song is quite beautiful because it reminds me of how David spoke in the Psalms. We know that David has his bipolar moments. He is infatuated by the goodness of God, and then he's yelling in the next verse. Ultimately, we know when we use these words in a vertical perspective from us to God, we're only even able to offer those words because of what Christ has done on our behalf, first and foremost. The initial offering and sacrifice is rooted in Jesus. From 2nd Corinthians 5:21 we learn that we are only giving back to God what He has already given us. Anything we have that is good comes from Christ.
We love the heartbeat of the song, the declarations of the sufficiency of Christ. The supremacy and preeminence of Christ in all things, and that all things were made through Him, by Him, and for Him, is the context that to me beckons the people of God to sing a song like this. We come forward and we proclaim, "I'm not my own, I belong to You alone, lay me down, hand on my heart this much is true, there's no life apart from You."
The song also celebrates the idea of John 10:10 to have life, and live it abundantly. We know when we read about and sing about the sufficiency of Jesus, the wrecking ball of the Gospel, there's something in us from the Holy Spirit that makes us want to turn back and give it all to Jesus. That's what this song does.
Lyrics:
With this heart open wide
From the depths, from the heights
I will bring a sacrifice
With these hands lifted high
Hear my song, hear my cry
I will bring a sacrifice
I will bring a sacrifice
I lay me down, I'm not my own
I belong to You alone
Lay me down, lay me down
Whoa, oh, oh
Hand on my heart, this much is true
There's no life apart from You
Lay me down, lay me down
Letting go of my pride
Giving up all my rights
Take this life and let it shine, shine, shine
Take this life and let it shine
It will be my joy to say
Your will, Your way
It will be my joy to say
Your will, Your way
It will be my joy to say
Your will, Your way
Always
I have enjoyed this song for the Church since it first appeared on Passion: White Flag, led by worship leaders Matt Redman and Chris Tomlin. The song is also featured on Tomlin's Grammy winning album Burning Lights. "Lay Me Down" is an unashamed declaration of faith and the desire to serve God in the same musical rock style as "I Will Wait" by Mumford & Sons.
The bold testimonial of this song is a great anthem for Christians everywhere praying to live for God's glory. All of the lyrics on the album point to the wonders of our God combined with sweeping melodies and infectious choruses that will be replayed in your mind over and over again.
The album features several songs that are instantly sing-able and worshipful arrangements that you'll want to add to your Sunday morning setlist, including "Lay Me Down," "God of My Salvation" and "Power in the Blood." I find myself raising my hands in worship after those songs, and then I'm compelled to reach out horizontally to help show others the love of Jesus. The beauty of losing ourselves and submitting to God in worship is that we can then truly sing the bridge with abandon: "It will be my joy to say, Your will, Your way, Always!"
(Watch the lyric video here.)
