Jesusfreakhideout.com: The American Hotel System Can You Hear It?

Artist List / The American Hotel System / Can You Hear It? - EP

04. Seattle

Can You Hear It? - EP
by The American Hotel System

Lyrics:

V1
Take me back to the garden where my heart wasn’t guarded
And we whispered under the stars
Then the clouds came to cover and took away the colors
We had both claimed as ours

PC
Open up the skies, open up my eyes
To sow these seeds

CH1
This is my time to grow, so give me a chance to see
The fire inside my lungs is the love in the air we breathe
Won’t you quake the ground
when I fall down and I’m calling out to be free
Come on, shake the clouds and let it rain down
‘Cuz love is the storm we need

V2
Let’s go back to Seattle where love was like a battle
Charging hard on this saddle of life
I wanna live life unsettled clinging firm to the nettle
When the winds try to deepen divides

PC
Open up the skies, open up my eyes
To sow these seeds

CH2
This is our time to grow, so give us a chance to see
The fire inside our lungs is the love in the air we breathe
Won’t you quake the ground
When we fall down and we’re calling out to be free
Come on, shake the clouds and let it rain down
‘Cuz love is the storm we need

Bridge
Did we jump the gun ‘cuz we were young?
Did we treat our love as a hit-and-run?
Or is this our time to see we’ve just begun?

CH3
This is my time to grow, so open my eyes to see
Let’s pour out all our love and soak in everything…
‘Cuz this is our time to grow, so give us a chance to see
The fire inside our lungs is the love in the air we breathe
Won’t you quake the ground
When we fall down and we’re calling out to be free
Come on, shake the clouds and let it rain down
‘Cuz love…love is the storm we need

Lyrics by Jacob L. Betts (ASCAP IPI #1095371544)

Behind the Song:
This song narrates the entire journey of my relationship with my wife, Ashley ('Take me back to the garden where my heart wasn't guarded and we whispered under the stars'). We first met during my freshman year of college, and shortly after, we began dating following a traumatic brain injury I endured. Not many couples face health challenges so early in life, but I'm grateful for this experience as it provided us with a glimpse of what it means to support each other in sickness and in health. The initial years of our relationship were marked by significant personal growth and learning, particularly for me as I had to let go of selfishness and fiery ego in order to serve and love Ashley ('This is my time to grow, so give me a chance to see the fire inside my lungs in the love in the air we breathe'). After three years of dating, we tied the knot and embarked on our honeymoon in Seattle ('Let's go back to Seattle where love was like a battle, charging hard on this saddle of life'). Thinking about seeds, I'm reminded of the stinging bull nettle seed pod. It is covered in hairs that release a stinging toxin upon contact. We had a college professor who used this as an example of living boldly; when you firmly crush the pod in your palm, it no longer stings you ('I want to live life unsettled, clinging firm to the nettle when the winds try to deepen divides'). I aspire to live and love boldly, rejecting complacency. This entire song serves as a reminder for me to continually seek deeper growth in love. -- Jacob Betts