Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and I thought I’d celebrate by showing my gratitude for my favorite music band: Tenth Avenue North! This Christian pop band’s music has been part of my life since I first started listening to them on the radio in 2008. I didn’t really know who they were until I was much older and started recognizing how important music was to me. I started following their career in earnest in 2016. It was around this time I realized their music had helped to shape my beliefs and personality for most of my life.
In 2020, just before the pandemic reached the U.S., the Tenth Avenue North (TAN) announced their retirement, and I was heartbroken. I continued to follow Mike Donehey’s music, which I loved just as much as the original band’s. Just a couple of months ago, TAN announced its return and almost two weeks ago released a new single. In celebration of the band’s return, I am going to discuss some of my favorite TAN songs, the biblical truths they expound, and what they mean in my life.
I’m going to start with one song that many people know but often don’t realize is a Tenth Avenue North song. This is “Worn.” Perhaps one of the most emotionally raw of their music, “Worn” has brought me much peace in moments of pain and heartache. The singer cries out to God, confessing that his hope has been lost and that just breathing on this earth is a struggle. The singer asks God to give him rest, to know struggles end, and that he will never be left alone.
This song always comes to me right when I need it most, and I cry almost every time I listen to it. I have experienced the weight of these lyrics many times, and I know they’re truthful. Being “worn even before the day begins” has been something I struggle with even now. There’s never a clear answer from God within the lyrics for this prayer, but—as Mike has talked about before (part 1 and part 2)—even the Bible has many psalms and prayers of honest pain and regret without a message of hope. Sometimes hopeless, honest lamentations can be just as helpful as words of affirmation.
The song “Hold My Heart” is another powerful confession of difficulties in faith. The song opens with the singer asking God how long he must wait for God to answer his prayers. Many people would see questioning God as a sin, but God isn’t hurt or angered by these questions. Even Jesus asked for his suffering to be taken away (Luke 22:42, Mark 14:36, and Matthew 26:39, 42). Just like Jesus, this song asks God to be near and hold the singer’s heart. It’s a beautiful reminder that even “one voice in a sea of pain” matters to the “Maker of the Stars.”
TAN’s song “Space to Speak” is a song of preparation for vulnerability. The singer knows that he’s spent too much time with the cares of this world to pay attention to God, and it’s taken effect on his soul. He opens himself to listen to what God has to say to him. He invites God to speak into his life, even if it’s just a moment to breathe.
Perhaps my favorite line from any of TAN’s songs comes from “Space to Speak.” It says, “As I wait, it feels like wasting precious time, like perfume poured on the floor; forgive me, Lord.” This confession and asking for forgiveness hit me hard. I know exactly what the singer means. I often feel like my time can be used for so many important, productive activities, but sitting quietly, listening for God to speak when I don’t know if He will doesn’t feel productive. But, if I truly want a good relationship with God, that is exactly something I need to do. Forgive me, Lord, for considering time with You a waste of time.
A song close to my heart is one of TAN’s oldest songs, and probably only known to people who have listened to their debut album, is “Satisfy.” The singer in this song asks God to satisfy him before anything else ever does. It’s a simple yet powerful prayer that I seek to implement in my life regularly. There are many things and temptations in this world that appeal to me, that promise to satisfy my desires, threatening to replace God in my life. Asking God to fill those places with Himself is the best defense I have against sin. The song’s refrain, “You’re beautiful,” reminds me to see God’s true beauty, which nothing in this world can compare to.
One of my favorite songs of worship—which I believe needs to be sung in churches, but I may be biased—is “Hallelujah.” The singer confesses he is sinful, small, and ugly, compared to God’s perfection, powerfulness, and beauty, which can be terrifying to think about. The singer asks how God could love him after all he’s done, and he asks God to hide his sin and help him with his unbelief, much like the father in Mark 9:24. The lyrics praise God for His sacrifice and love. He sings “Hallelujah for the blood of the Lamb that was slain.”
A song that literally pulled me from one of my first bouts with depression is “I Have This Hope.” This song is certainly the most hopeful of TAN’s lamentations. It reminds me of the hope we have in Jesus’s works and the promises of God. If all falls away, if I lose everything, if nothing makes sense, I can cling to the everlasting hope of my Heavenly Father. I can “believe that one day I’ll see Your (God’s) face.”
I clung to this promise when I couldn’t feel joy during the Christmas season, my favorite holiday, which made me sad, contributing to more depression. It was a vicious cycle I couldn’t understand. I heard this song, and a weight was immediately lifted from my soul, and I felt true joy, not just the seasonal kind. It was because of this song that I began following TAN’s journey and listening to all of their wonderful songs, not just what played on the radio.
Before I talk about my favorite TAN song of all time, I’m going to run through some honorable mentions. “I Confess,” is perhaps the most overt of TAN’s confessional songs. The singer says talking to God feels like talking to a stranger, and he wants to change that, and he knows the only way to do so is to confess his sins as they are. “Heaven is Now” is a reminder to Christians that we shouldn’t wait for Heaven to come to live the life that God wants us to. We can live His will now and seek out those who are hurting and introduce God to them so that they will join us in that joyous day.
“Beloved” is sung in the first person and includes intimate language, giving the listener a feeling of truly being God’s beloved and chosen bride, as is depicted many times throughout the Bible. “No Shame” is an upbeat celebration of the peace and joy God grants his children. We weren’t created to live with shame, and Jesus’s gift of grace—should we choose to accept it—takes that weight off our shoulders, and that’s something we need to celebrate. Lastly, I have to mention their Christmas album, “Decade the Halls.” Each track is wonderful. That’s it for the honorable mentions. Now for my favorite TAN song.
From Tenth Avenue North’s debut album comes a song of discourse between God and His children. It’s called “Times.” The song begins with the singer confessing to needing God, wanting to see Him, to feel Him, but when He’s near, the singer fears Him. He has done so much wrong, how can He keep forgiving? The second half of the song is affirmation after affirmation, promise after promise. The singer says he hears God saying that He will always be there, no matter what, even when temptations run awry and doubt enters the singer’s heart.
This song’s lyrics contain the album title it’s part of: “My love is over, its underneath, its inside, its in between.” God’s love is penetrating and all-consuming. It’s perhaps a wordier, if not more comprehensible, version of Jesus’s words in John 14:20. The chorus is a simple “Oh, oh” refrain, allowing the listener time to meditate on the truth and depth of the song’s verses. It’s a soft and gentle tune, allowing us to experience the sweetness of God’s love, which “never ends.”
On November 10th, 2023, Tenth Avenue North released its first new single since their return titled “Suddenly,” and honestly, it’s the perfect comeback. It encapsulates all of TAN’s personality traits. It’s confessional, joyful, and filled with praise. God’s forgiveness and promises can bring sudden change and peace, and it’s worth celebrating. Not to mention, the title reflects the way we TAN fans feel about the band’s return. Suddenly, they’re back!
You have no idea how hard it was to choose only the songs above to discuss. I love so many of their songs, and each of them contains special messages. They are raw, honest, and different from most Christian songs I hear. They speak the words of my heart and remind me of God’s truth and character. They’re not afraid to question God or end their laments without hope, and that’s a freeing way to deal with overwhelming hurt. In the end, the songs always cling to God’s promises. I hope these songs will help you to have joy in the Lord as they have me. You can listen to all their songs for free on their YouTube channel.
Happy Thanksgiving!
~ Beth
P.S. The cover photo are all of TAN’s albums I own. I need to get the rest, but these are my top favorites.
Beth Freemont 