Story Behind The Song: Family Force Five, “Never Let Me Go”

The five of us stiffly sprinted out of the frigid Midwestern air and dove into a dank, musty dressing room, tossing our fingerless gloves and keytar scarves on the floor. Nadaddy feverishly searched for a pen and paper while Soul Glow plugged a frozen guitar into a 15-watt practice amp that Santa bestowed upon me when I was 13. We covered our ears and refused to talk to anybody in an effort to avoid forgetting the funky groove running through our heads. Finally, after banging my dusty amplifier around for a few minutes, Soul Glow discovered the hip-hop-influenced, Michael Jackson-esque riff that served as the foundation for our song “Never Let Me Go.”

The band [reconvened] in Atlanta to craft some lyrics for the song. Although we were cherishing our much-needed time at home, the five of us came to the writing session slightly wounded. Our extensive tour schedule had seriously damaged many relationships at home, and our frustrating legal problems had left the band in a tremendously ambiguous situation. It was with vulnerable and exhausted hearts that we all agreed there was only one truth that consistently provided hope and promise in our lives: the idea that God is with us at all times. Feeling a desire to share that peace with our listeners, we built the song around a thankful prayer to God that declares, “You never ever let me go.”

This song is about hope, because no matter how difficult or painful life can be, we can always know that there is a God who loves us more than we can ever imagine. And if there is only one thing of which we can be sure, I’m certainly glad it’s that.