Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
– Matthew 18:21-22
There are a few things you need to know about this song:
- Let It Go is the oldest song on the Flight Metaphor record (excluding Heaven Is My Home)
- Its original title was Off the Hook, which is just as bad as Let It Go
- We were calling it Let It Go as early as 2012, a full year before Frozen was released
Ok. Now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about the meaning of the song.
I’ve always said (with my tongue firmly in my cheek) that it’s easy to obey Jesus’ commands until we don’t want to. Forgiving others is an excellent example. Let It Go is a song about forgiveness, or perhaps more accurately, my inclination not to forgive.
At the time this song was written, I was recognizing unhealthy patterns in a few of my closest relationships. This song is an honest acknowledgement of my sin. When I first sang this song, I was confessing that I was the one who needed to change.
As a whole, the song is an allusion to Ephesians 4:22-27:
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.
The line, “If I’m to save my soul, I’ve gotta let it go; before this monster eat me alive,” has nothing to do with one’s eternal destiny, but the fact that when we are unwilling to forgive others, it eats away at us. Until I actually forgive my brother or sister – holding nothing against them – it weighs heavily on my soul. In this situation, only I have the power to save myself from that kind of grief. No one else can do it for me.
Lyrics:
Oh, bitterness is in my bloodstream
It’s like I’ve got a disease
I’ll never let you off the hook
For what you did to me
If I’m to save my soul, I’ve gotta let it go
Before this monster eats me alive
If I’m to save my soul, I’ve gotta let it go
In anger I cry out for justice
Without regard for amends
I can’t show the grace which I require
To put this thing to bed
Before the setting sun, let’s get it over done
I need to make amends to survive
If I’m to save my soul, I’ve gotta let it go
You can stream and purchase Flight Metaphor via Bandcamp.