Playlist Prompt #21: "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark"

Hello, friends! Today's prompt, courtesy of Kelsey, is the song "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark" by Fall Out Boy.

There's a lot of fire in this song. I don't mean that metaphorically, like it's a really high-energy song. I mean it literally. The song says "Light 'em up" a grand total of 18 times! 

According to singer/songwriter Pete Wentz, this song is about starting over.

"When you do take account of your life, sometimes it's all right to just burn it, raze it, and start fresh. For me, it's happened a couple of times, and it's been a healthy thing. I feel better as a person, I feel reenergized."

Fire is a very permanent thing. You can't undo flames. I suppose that's why it's such a great visualization for starting over. No matter what, once the fire burns out, you have to start something new. You can't go back. It's just not possible.

Most of the time, when fire is mentioned in the Bible, it's as a punishment. Think Sodom and Gomorrah style. However, there is a notable instance in which fire is used as a guide - right after Pharaoh let the Israelites leave Egypt.

"And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people." (Exodus 3:21-22)

The Exodus is an extreme example of starting over. An entire nation of people was escaping Egypt into the wilderness, not knowing where they were going or what was going to happen. They couldn't go back to the way things were. It just wasn't possible. No matter what, they had to start anew. And they weren't alone - God was in the fire, leading them.

Our examples today aren't quite as dramatic, but that doesn't make them less relevant. I moved from Oklahoma without much of a plan, but I knew one thing: I couldn't go back. I was starting over. I didn't have a pillar of fire to follow; I had to trust God's timing and the people he placed in my life. I still do, as hard as it is sometimes. What I probably need to do now is "light 'em up" - that is, burn the memories that hold me back, and start fresh. I can't move forward if I'm looking over my shoulder. I have to believe in God's promise that he will never depart from me.