Lyrics Page

All My Worst Ideas

By Chris Renzema

659 views Sep 14, 2026 updated Manna album Verified editorial review

Song Meaning

Chris Renzema borrows two old disaster stories for his verses — building "a tower to the sky" that ends in confusion, and flying too close to the sun until he "fell into the ocean." Neither reference needs explaining; he trusts the images to carry their own warning.

The chorus turns those failures into a predictable pattern rather than isolated mistakes: "all of my worst ideas start with me trying to put myself up where you are," he admits, "and all my worst ideas end with you rescuing me." Renzema doesn't pretend the pattern has stopped — "I've got a tendency to lose track of the times that you saved me" — he just trusts how the story keeps ending.

Genesis 11:4 records the builders of Babel with the same ambition Renzema confesses, reaching for heaven on their own terms, and Paul's description of grace as an unearned gift in Ephesians 2:8-9 explains why every failed tower and every crash landing still ends the same way here: "I've been saved by grace, again." The rescue isn't a reward for improving — it's the one constant no matter how the ideas turn out.

Lyrics Verified by Editorial Team

[Verse 1]

I build a tower to the sky

Tried to get to heaven

But all I got was tongue-tie


[Verse 2]

I stretched my wings out to the sun

Must have flown too close

Cause I fell into the ocean


[Chorus]

Cause all of my worst ideas start

With me trying to put myself up where you are

And all my worst ideas end

With you rescuing me as I spin

Out of control of of the road

Reaping the world and I have sown

All of my worst ideas always end

With me singing hallelujah

I've been saved by grace, again

By grace, again


[Verse 3]

Tried to ignore it when you call

Sent you to voicemail

But you always get through to me, after all


[Verse 4]

Cause every time I try and hide

Doesn't matter where I sail

I always end up capsized


[Chorus]

Cause all of my worst ideas start

With me trying to run away from where you are

And all my worst ideas end

With you rescuing me as I spin

Out of control of of the road

Reaping the world and I have sown

All of my worst ideas always end

With me singing hallelujah

I've been saved by grace, again


[Verse 5]

And I keep telling myself

That I'll rise up eventually

But knowing me


[Verse 6]

I'm gonna need some help

Cause I've got a tendency

To lose track of the times, that you saved me


[Chorus]

Cause all of my worst ideas start

With me losing sight of how good you are

And all my worst ideas end

With you rescuing me as I spin

Out of control of of the road

Reaping the world and I have sown

All of my worst ideas always end

With me singing hallelujah

I've been saved by grace, oh

Hallelujah, I've been saved by grace, oh

Hallelujah, I've been saved by grace, again

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