Elevation Rhythm (Feat. Gracie Binion) – Goodbye Yesterday

Elevation Worship is a church-led band that was created in 2007.  They join Bethel Music and Hillsong as the “big three” that has the biggest reach in modern Christian music.  Elevation Rhythm is an off-branch artist that specifically targets youth.

They released two albums under this name, including:

• Growing Pains (2022)
• This is the Gospel (2023)

Lyrics can be found at https://genius.com/Elevation-rhythm-goodbye-yesterday-lyrics.

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1. What message does the song communicate?

Elevation was stuck in their old way of living, recognizing that it leads to death.  Born again, they are grateful for the new life God gave them, expressing their feelings through singing and asking others to do the same.

There is an unfortunate transition from Chrous’ second iteration to Verse’s second iteration.  Chorus (2) ends with “Praise the Lord, I’ve been born” and immediately goes into Verse again, which begins “Again and again and again and again”.  It makes it sound like Elevation has been born again, and again, and again, and again, which is incorrect teaching.  The way it’s written lyrically, as well as its usage in Chorus’ and Verse’s first iteration both point to independent ideas and not this unbiblical transition.  However, those who hear the lyrics audibly could potentially be led astray into false teaching.

Side Note: To those who don’t like massive repetition, essentially, the entire song is stuck on several loops.  The worst offender is Outro, which essentially contains the same phrase 11 times in a row with small blips of filler here and there.

Score: 8/10

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

Two-point penalty aside, the answer is yes.

[Intro]

Line 1: A posture of worship.

[Chorus]

Lines 1-4: Describe Elevation’s trajectory from deadness in lawbreaking to life with Christ (Romans 6:1-11, Romans 7:4-6, Galatians 2:19-20, 2 Timothy 2:11, and 1 Peter 2:24).  The phrase “born again” quotes from John 3:3.

Lines 5-8: Repeats lines 1-4.

Line 9: Yes.

[Interlude (1)]

Line 1: The food that horses eat.

Line 2: Repeats the last part of Chorus, line 4.

[Verse]

Lines 1-2: Elevation admits that, even post-salvation, they sin, yet, God is gracious to forgive them (Matthew 26:28, Act 2:38, Act 5:31, Act 10:43, Romans 4:7, Romans 5:6-8, Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 1:14, Colossians 2:13-14, James 5:15, James 5:19-20, 1 John 2:1-2, and 1 John 2:12).

Lines 3 and 4: See commentary on Chorus, lines 1-4.

[Bridge]

Line 1: Elevation asks the audience to join in song.

Lines 2-5: Borrows from Sundar Singh’s classic hymn I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.  It is a response to Jesus’ invitation to follow Him in Matthew 4:19 and Luke 18:22.

Line 6-28: Repeats/essentially repeats lines 2-5 with filler not worth commenting on.

[Interlude]

Line 1: The thing that equestrians say to their horses to get them to slow down or stop followed by yes.

Lines 2 and 3: Repeats Chourus, line 4.

Line 4: See Intro.

[Outro]

Lines 1-15: Either repeats/essentially repeats Verse, line 4, or contains some filler that I will comment on for funzies:

• Expressions of satisfaction after eating food
• Kool-aid man’s signature catchphrase
• Yes
• “You should dance too”
• A call to Casper the friendly ghost
• More horse food

Line 16: Essentially repeats Chorus, line 4.

Score: 8/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

The phrase “born again” is exclusively tied to Christianity.  It is explained in the song, meaning that Elevation’s habits have changed because of God.  Their old habits led to sorrow/death while their new ones lead to joy/life.  They are forgiven for past transgressions.

As stated previously, “born…again and again” could lead some to false teaching if interpreted this way.

Score: 8/10

4. What does this song glorify?

While it glorifies God that Elevation became born again and tells others, it does not glorify Him when unfortunate, perhaps unintended error crops up.

Score: 8/10

Closing Comments

Elevation Rhythm’s Goodbye Yesterday is mostly good.  It reminds us that we are born again, no longer tied to the patterns of our former life of sin and grave and free to live for Jesus.  These points bring Him glory.  While the phrase “born again” may potentially confuse outsiders to Christianity, the song explains what this means.

My only issue is with Chorus’ second iteration that ends with “born” which leads into Verse’s opener “again and again”.  Worship leaders can rectify this by gutting these repeats or just adding the word “again” to clarify independent thoughts.  Then it could be used for corporate worship.

Final Score: 8/10

Artist Info

Track: Goodbye Yesterday (listen to the song)

Artist: Elevation Rhythm (Feat. Gracie Binion)

Album: N/A

Genre: Rock

Release Year: 2024

Duration: 4:55

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