Written by: Derek Webb
Appears on: 40 Acres, Chronicles
Lyrics:
You know I ran across
An old box of letters
When I was bagging up some clothes for goodwill
But you know I had to laugh
At the same old struggles
That plagued me then are plaguing me still
‘Cause I know the road is long
From the ground to glory
But a boy can hope he’s getting some place
But you see I’m running from
The very clothes I’m wearing
And dressed like this I’m fit for the chase
You know there is none righteous
Not one who understands
There is none who seeks God no not one
No not one
So I am thankful that I’m incapable of doing any good on my own yeah
Said I’m so thankful that I’m incapable of doing any good on my own yeah
‘Cause we’re all still-born
Dead in our transgressions
Shackled up to the sin we hold so dear
What part can I play
In the work of redemption
‘Cause I can’t refuse and I cannot add a thing
‘Cause I am just like Lazarus
And I can hear your voice
And I stand and rub my eyes and walk to you
Because I have no choice
‘Cause it’s by grace I have been saved
And through faith it’s not my own
It is a gift of God and not by works
Lest anyone should boast
See also: MusicBrainz, iTunes.
This song has become one of a running anthology of Derek’s depravity songs. As Derek will tell you, he is “a little bit obsessed with the depravity of man”, and this song is the first of many that he has written and will write. The basic idea is that nothing good we will ever do in this life, including our own salvation, is of our own accord. God works all good in and through us, and we are “incapable of doing any good” on our own.
“But you see I’m running from the very clothes I’m wearing and dressed like this I’m fit for the chase”…here, Derek uses the analogy that sin is the ‘clothes he’s wearing’. he’s trying to run from something (sin) that he will never get away from on his own because he’s wearing it, and therefore he is ‘fit for the chase’.
“Cause I am just like Lazarus…as if I have no choice”…Derek is drawing a parallel between Lazarus being rasied from the dead (John 11) and his own salvation. Lazarus could not have made himself rise, and became alive again only through Jesus, and in the same way, our salvation does not come on our own doing, but only through Christ’s calling.
Other Notes:…Derek actually wrote this song from the inside out. He said that he came up with the line for the chorus and basically built the rest of the song around that line…This song has often been played as part of the encore in a live setting. Todd plays the trashcans on this song, and Cliff has been known to wander back and take over the cans. Usually, the band invites their opening act out to jam on the song, and occasionally, they have been known to pull and unsuspecting audience member up to jam with them, also!…
I just wanted to say that I am 33 years old. I have been listening to Caedmons Call since I was about 16 years old. So many times in life the Chorus line to this song will pop into my head when people thank me for doing something. I love it. Nothing good that I do comes from me but from Christ through me. Just humbled by the fact that he uses us sinners to do His good. God Bless.