Pain of Surprise [on the EP]: This song is probably the most heart felt out of all the songs I have written. Every time I sing it I have to watch my sister cry because it means a lot to both of us. It’s about the pain my Dad went through when him and my mother divorced. My sister and I had to watch his pain of surprise.
-Mark

Suicide Note [on the EP]: This song is a letter from the unpopular and the unloved to the good Christian kids who are too good reach out. Suicide Note was written to encourage people to love unpopular and otherwise unattractive people rather than just being content with their "normal" friends.
-Joe

A Martyr's Song [on the EP]: This song was written in Spring of 2002. I was reading a book called "Jesus Freaks" at the time. This book was all about martyrs of yesterday and today, written by the old school band, DC Talk. I was amazed at the stories in this book, and had long thoughts about how I didn't think I'd be able to take the pain. It is almost a prayer to God. So yeah, I wrote the chorus and the verses explaining how cool martyrs are, and how much I wish I could be as faithful and strong as them.
-Dan
In this song I take a different approach to it then Dan. This song is a perfect example of how different Dan’s writing style and mine are. His lyrics are pretty specific, while I left mine rather vague in hopes of helping listeners to put themselves in the shoes of a martyr. My goal is to have the listener wonder whether or not they would be able to become a martyr. All in all I think Dan did a good job of blending our otherwise contrasting styles, with the way he structured the song.
-Mark

Smaller Than... [on the EP]: Smaller Than is a unique song because of how fickle I sound in my words. It is about my everyday hypocrisy, but how I strive to follow the One I am supposed to. In the end I apologize for my crap, and rain the pre-chorus out stating, "I'll follow you," followed by how I am smaller than a grain of sand, but God still uses me to move mountains.
-Dan

Inconsistency: Dan, Mark and I wrote this song together, when the band was still just the three of us. It's about just what the title says - being inconsistent in our lives. Sometimes we're strong for God, and sometimes we're weak and sinful, but as we grow we become closer to God.
-Joe

Another Nail [on the EP]: I wrote this song in frustration of sin. I kept repeating the very thing I hated most, and every time I did it it felt like I was nailing another steel rod through Jesus' hands. Basically another cool song about hypocrisy. :O)
-Dan

Girl Song: It's called that because this was the first song DES wrote about a girl, and we're too lazy to think of a real name. The actual girl in the song remains unnamed (and it will stay that way). It's about how I'm too scared to talk to a particular female, but in the end I'll have to make the choice to either let her know or let her go.
-Joe
My verse in this song is also about an unnamed girl. I took it more as a joke then Joe did. The beginning of each verse borrows a line from Nsync songs. Even though some of the lyrics I use are kind of a joke… The feelings have towards this specific girl are serious and if you pay attention to the rest of my lyrics I think you can easily see that.
-Mark

Tuscarora 2002: I wrote Tusc. 2002 in light of a retreat I went to in May 2002. Reggie Dabbs was the speaker. The song is basically about how much I don't wanna leave where I was with God, but I know if I don't move on, He will without me. It also has a few double meanings in the song where I talk to my former self and say "get out of my life" and stuff like that. Its cool.
-Dan

Summer Tyme: This is a two sided (double-edged) song. On one hand, it's about summer and all the good times that come with it. It's also about my relationship with God, too, and about how cool everything is when I'm close with him, and about how life sucks when I'm not.
-Joe
I have no idea what the heck I wrote about in this song… I was just basically trying to have fun with it.
-Mark
I wrote my verse to this song, but I don't like it, so I sing Wu-Tang instead!!! Yeah!!!
-Dan

Revelation: I like to call this style of lyrics a list song. I first heard this style by the rapper DMX. Basically it is just a list of things that are bothering me or convicting me. This song covers a variety of topics from my friends back stabbing me to the good Lord dying for me.
-Mark

Time Has Passed: This song is simple. It was written in a time of my life where I was extremely far from myself and God. There is angst shown in the lyrics and music, and that makes it, what I think, a good song for an emotional expression.
-Dan

Unsaid: NEW SONG SOON TO COME!!!

Disqualified: NEW SONG SOON TO COME!!!

Untitled ["Mexico Song"]: NEW SONG SOON TO COME!!!

All I Can Say (cover - D. Crowder © 1998 INOT Music): We chose this cover for two reasons. 1. Its an awesome song to begin with. And 2. It fit where many of us were at, and still are at spiritually (at least me anyway). I just love how the words of this song flow like poetry, and it ends with such relief and truth.
-Dan

Light the Fire (cover - B. Maxwell © 1987 Bloodsmith Music): This was our first song ever. It was always my favorite song growing up in youth group (me and Mark even wrote a rap to this song when we were a rap group called "Obnoxious Teens," later changed to "Rapid Faith"). The rap bridge of this song is actually stemmed off of what Mark and I wrote! Cool stuff!
-Dan

Other covers: Sandbox Praise (Pax 217), Undignified (M. Redman), Further (Pillar), Points of Authority (Linkin Park), Hit or Miss (New Found Smelly)