On Top of the World – Imagine Dragons

It seems that I’ve been kept busier than I expected to be…Being in med school, having 6 weeks of midterms and a change in relationship status seriously affects how much free time I have (FYI, I wouldn’t change a thing…well…maybe not 6 weeks of midterms). At any rate, these are merely excuses as to why I didn’t post my review yesterday (or any time last month when it was “due”).

Well, they always say that it’s better late than never, so here we go. I’m still gonna count this as October’s review, because I had already picked the song, and started writing a little about it last month. Today’s review is of On Top of the World by Imagine Dragons.

This song is sorta the story of how we all go through tough times in life, or how a lot of times we can all to easily take things for granted. The first verse starts with this:

If you love somebody
Better tell them while they’re here ’cause
They just may run away from you

You’ll never know quite when, well
Then again it just depends on
How long of time is left for you

I’ve had the highest mountains
I’ve had the deepest rivers
You can have it all but life keeps moving

In the first two stanzas the song talks about how we often take people for granted. We might be friendly in thought or even action, but we never tell them how much they really mean to us. This is a problem I believe is being increasingly lost in our culture today – we don’t take the time to communicate our true feeling for each other. Every thing is about instant communication, and superficial interest. I talked a little bit about this last year on my personal blog, in a post entitled “Of Liking and Originality.” I hate to tell you, but double tapping an instagram photo, clicking the “Like” button, and texting “I ❤ u :)” will never replace speaking with someone face-to-face, seeing a smile spread across their face, and/or giving them a hug.
I think verse 1 here warns us against superficiality, and encourages people to invest in others, because really, “you do not know what tomorrow will bring.” (James 4:14a) As far as stanza three is concerned, I think that is warning us not to put too much emphasis on possessions (Luke 18:22, Matt. 19:24). Neither things or experience can never replace people or relationships, because the latter is what gives meaning to the former. Let’s look at verse 2:

I’ve tried to cut these corners
Try to take the easy way out
I kept on falling short of something

I coulda gave up then but
Then again I couldn’t have ’cause
I’ve traveled all this way for something

This verse talks about how a lot of times, we try to take “short-cuts” to find happiness. These short-cuts have a wide range of possibilities, everything from buying lottery tickets to try and get rich quick, to doing as little as possible to complete a task, to something more serious such as turning to drugs or alcohol to give you that “happy” feeling. However, corner-cutting can be much more insidious than even these things – for example, counting on a change in circumstances, like where you live, or if you are dating, or married, etc… to provide you with happiness. Many times we are not able to find happiness, not because we are pursuing the wrong things, but because we are not pursing the right things, or rather, person. That might sound like two ways to say the same thing, it’s not. Let me explain.
Pursuing worthwhile goals in life, school, jobs, relationships, are all good things. However, those things alone will never give you true, lasting, happiness. If that is all you’re shooting for, then you’re going to be “falling short of something,” and that “something” is actually a someone, and His name is Jesus.

Here’s the Chorus:

‘Cause I’m on top of the world, ‘ay
I’m on top of the world, ‘ay
Waiting on this for a while now
Paying my dues to the dirt
I’ve been waiting to smile, ‘ay
Been holding it in for a while, ‘ay
Take you with me if I can
Been dreaming of this since a child
I’m on top of the world.

As a Christian, this describes very well how it is when you come to faith in Christ. You are brought up, out from under your circumstances. When you finally do accept Christ into your life, you realize that this is what you’ve been waiting for, and the joy He brings will surely put a smile on your face. I’m not saying that you’ll never feel sad, or angry, or lonely again, but with Christ, you will always have someone you can turn to when times get tough. Here is the bridge, and something that I feel like Jesus speaks to me when I’m having a rough day:

And I know it’s hard when you’re falling down
And it’s a long way up when you hit the ground
Get up now, get up, get up now.

This sentiment is mirrored here:

“Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;

but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.”
-Isaiah 40:28-31

In conclusion, I like this song. It’s a catchy tune, and I think the message is a good one. Even if you may not agree with Jesus being the answer, I think that we can all agree that having stuff isn’t the answer. I also think that most people would say that we are becoming a very superficial society – and that needs to change. If you find something that is truly “life-giving” besides Christ, then I would be interested to hear what you’ve got. Ultimately, it’s not my job to convince people to believe in Jesus, it’s my job to speak the truth, and let God do the rest.

I hope this stirred up a little activity in your gray matter.
Thanks for reading,
Teegan