I dare you

Have you heard the song "I Dare You" by Shinedown? I really liked it the first time I heard it. It was about 10 p.m. a few weeks ago and I was running up and down the stairs of the parking garage out by Purdue West. Yes, I know I'm crazy. Please don't give me any lectures about girls alone at night. At least I was in a well-lit area and who wants to chase a girl who's sprinting up a staircase, anyway? It gets you kind of out of breath rather quickly.

But to return to the song, the lyrics got stuck in my head and as a result I got thinking about what they mean. Here they are, with my (not so) insightful comments...

Hello, let me introduce you to
The characters in the show
One says yes, one says no
Decide - which voice in your head you can keep alive

Even in madness, I know you still believe
Paint me your canvas so I become
What you could never be

I dare you to tell me to walk through the fire
wear my soul and call me a liar
I dare you to tell me to walk through the fire
I dare you to tell me
I dare you to

Hello, are you still chasing
The memories in shadows
Some stay young, some grow old
Come alive, there are thoughts unclear
You can never hide

Even in madness, I know you still believe
Paint me your canvas so I become
What you could never be

I dare you to tell me to walk through the fire
wear my soul and call me a liar
I dare you to tell me to walk through the fire
I dare you to tell me
I dare you to

HelloHello...I dare you to tell me to walk through the fire
Brand my soul and call me a liar
I dare you to tell me to walk through the fire
I dare you to tell me
I dare you to

Hello...Hello...I dare you to tell me
I dare you to
I dare you to tell me
I dare you to

Supposedly there's no good story without a conflict, and this one is evident from the very start: the "voices in your head". Even atheists have consciences. We read a letter to the editor in Sunday school this week that stated that the author believes he has a "moral compass" independent of God. Uh, think again, buddy... To me, the conscience is just one more evidence of God.

The second stanza makes it seem like someone wants his life lived out through the singer ("paint me your canvas so I become what you could never be"). This is responded to with the taunt of "I dare you to tell me to walk through fire"--presumably the singer has no intentions of being something for someone else. I don't either. I'm not perfect, and I have a lot to work on. For a friend, I might become something, but only if it's in line with what God wants. I don't ever want to catch myself changing because I'm trying to impress someone. I hope to catch myself doing LOTS of changing to line myself up with the standards of God's Word.

The third stanza is about the past. First it makes an allusion to remembering the past (chasing memories) and then it reminds us that you can't get away from it ("You can never hide"). The past is one of those things that's tricky to balance. I try to forget it, and sometimes that works, but a lot of times it doesn't. I dwell on it too much, and forget to live in the here and now, and miss what's going on under my nose.

I really don't get exactly what this song is about. I don't think you're supposed to. Like the liar part...what is that about?