NEEDTOBREATHE – Able

This will be my third NEEDTOBREATHE review.  While Multiplied was awesome, Testify did not do well.  Perhaps Able will be better?

They have a new album that recently came out: Forever On Your Side (Niles City Sound Sessions).

Lyrics can be found at https://genius.com/Needtobreathe-able-lyrics.

Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site!  Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.

1. What message does the song communicate?

The singer is distraught about their own pain and suffering in their life.  They express an attitude of arrogance, that they can protect their loved ones through force, regardless of how right or wrong they are.  They show remorse for their actions.

I get the sense that NEEDTOBREATHE is not glorifying this sordid contempt towards other people.  I believe they were attempting to show the error in this sort of thinking.  However, they did not describe to whom or what the singer will turn to for help.  This hurts its overall message, blunting its impact.

Score: 4/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

As mentioned in section 1, without a clear explanation of the refrain, it is difficult to evaluate if the singer describes remorse or repentance.  Repetnance is what God requires of us.  Remorse does nothing for salvation.  I lean towards remorse in this evaluation.

It also fails to provide a solution to their source for help.

I give NEEDTOBREATHE credit for condemning prideful behavior.

[Verse 1]

Lines 1-4: Describes the full range of suffering we experience on earth.

Line 5: An expressed feeling of prideful thinking, which leads to destruction (Proverbs 16:18).

[Refrain]

Lines 1-3: An admission that the singer cannot handle their pain through mere effort.  Admission of guilt is shows remorse, but is not repentance.  Judas regretted his betrayal and showed remorse (Matthew 27:3), but did not repent.  Instead, he hung himself (Matthew 27:3-8).  This lyric does not make it clear if the singer has mere remorse or repentance.  It is also not clarified in other sections.

[Verse 2]

Lines 1-4: Repeats the same ideas described in Verse 1 in different wording.

[Bridge]

Lines 1-9: Though with selfish motives, this describes an individual who will do anything to protect a loved one, even if it requires them to kill someone else.  I do not get the sense that the singer’s misguided attitude is glorified.  It is merely put on display.

Score: 4/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

The unbeliever will see condemnation of selfish ambition, but will not receive the Gospel from this song.

Score: 4/10

4. What does this song glorify?

It glorifies remorse, but not repentance towards God.

Score: 5/10

Closing Comments

NEEDTOBREATHE’s Able rightly condemns bad behavior through remorse, but does not show Biblical repentance nor a dependance on God for correction.  I understand that some have found healing and comfort from these lyrics and praise God for that, but adding at least a rudimentery connection to God for repentance would significantly improve this score.

It’s difficult to recommend this for any worship set without it.

Final Score: 4.5/10

Artist Info

Track: Able (listen to the song)

Artist: NEEDTOBREATHE

Album: The Reckoning

Genre: Pop

Release Year: 2011

Duration: 4:21

Agree?  Disagree?  Don’t be shy or have a cow!  Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.

Updates:

03/25/2021 – Updated per repetition announcement.