On June 28, 2011, Cook released his second major-label studio album, entitled "This Loud Morning". Produced by Matt Serletic, the album consists of 14 tracks penned by Cook along with co-writers David Hodges, Ryan Tedder, Kevin Griffin and Marti Frederiksen, among others. The album title comes from a line in the song “Rapid Eye Movement” – “Give me one more quiet night, before this loud morning gets it right, and does me in.”
On May 10, 2012, Cook debuted a new, independently released single, The Last Song I’ll Write for You, on American Idol. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Cook denied this was written with his former record company in mind, despite the fact it was his first new song after losing his recording contract with RCA. He insisted it was a break-up song that came together very quickly.
Early Music Career: David Cook formed a band with his friend Bobby Kerr while at high school. The band was initially named Red Eye, later Axium. He wrote his first song titled “Red Hot” when he was fifteen. He was encouraged by Evan Sula-Goff of 8stops7 to make an album when he went to Cook’s school to judge a contest, Mr. Jaguar, where David Cook and his band performed Guns N’ Roses’ “Paradise City”. The band had some success when one of their songs, “Hold”, was selected to be played in movie theaters across the country, and they were named one of the top 15 independent bands in the country by “Got Milk?” contest as well as the best Kansas City band in 2004.
Axium however broke up in 2006 and David Cook moved to Tulsa where he joined Midwest Kings, a band he once opened for. Members of that band Andy Skib and Neal Tiemann later became part of David Cook’s post-Idol band The Anthemic. He recorded and self-released a solo album Analog Heart in 2006, which sold well regionally.He worked as a bartender prior to appearing on Idol.
In 2006, after obtaining a degree in graphic arts, Cook had to decide whether he wanted to be a musician or a graphic designer. “I gave myself every opportunity not to do music,” he says, “but it was always there. I couldn’t ignore it.” He moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and was in the early stages of recording his second album when his younger brother Andrew asked Cook to accompany him to Omaha and lend moral support while he tried out for American Idol. Andrew didn’t make the cut, but he encouraged a very reluctant David to try out. After Cook made it through the early auditions, he reportedly told his brother he’d drop out if Andrew didn’t want him to go through with it. “He threatened to beat my ass if I didn’t, so it’s entirely his fault that all this happened to me,” Cook says with a smile.
One week after being declared the winner with a record-breaking 56 percent of the nearly 100 million votes cast, Cook rewrote chart history when 11 of his songs debuted on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart — the highest number of new entries in a single week by an artist since the Beatles in 1964. Topping the list was “The Time of My Life,” which debuted at No. 3, making it the highest new entry on the Hot 100 of 2008.
Cook’s self-titled major-label debut was released on November 18, 2008. His debut album was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association for America (RIAA) for sales exceeding one-million units in January 2009.
In January 2009, Cook announced he would be embarking on a national tour in February. The Declaration Tour began on February 13, 2009 in Tallahassee, Florida, and was originally set to end in Tulsa, Oklahoma on April 25, 2009. Due to strong ticket sales, the tour was extended several times, finally wrapping up on December 1, 2009 at The Fillmore in Charlotte, North Carolina, after 154 concerts in the U.S. and Canada. During 2009 Cook also took his show overseas to the Philippines, and performed for troops in Iraq with the USO.
On April 30, 2013, Cook released a new single, “Laying Me Low”, through XIX Recordings, the record label of American Idol creator Simon Fuller. The song was written by David Cook, Chris Reardon, and Andy Waldeck.
Dare You To Move
David Cook Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Welcome to existence
Everyone's here
Everyone's here
Everybody's watching you now
Everybody waits for you now
What happens next
What happens next
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened before
Welcome to the fallout
Welcome to resistance
The tension is here
Tension is here
Between who you are and who you could be
Between how it is and how it should be
Maybe redemption has stories to tell
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
Where you gonna go?
Where you gonna go?
Salvation is here
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened
Today never happened before
The song "Dare You To Move" by David Cook is an uplifting anthem that encourages listeners to step out of their comfort zones and take risks. The opening lines serve as a welcome to existence, a reminder that everyone is here and watching. The line "everybody waits for you now, what happens next" suggests a sense of expectation, perhaps even pressure, to succeed or take action.
The chorus, "I dare you to move," is a challenge to the listener to make a change, to do something they've been too afraid to try. The line "I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor" is a metaphorical call to rise above one's struggles, to overcome obstacles and move forward, leaving behind the past or any failures.
The second verse introduces the idea of resistance and tension - the conflicting forces within oneself that make change difficult. The line "between who you are and who you could be, between how it is and how it should be" highlights the struggle between the present reality and one's aspirations or potential.
The bridge of the song offers a message of hope and redemption, suggesting that even after failures or mistakes, forgiveness and salvation are possible. The repetition of the line "where you gonna go?" creates a sense of urgency, encouraging listeners to take action now rather than wait for a later opportunity.
Overall, "Dare You To Move" is a powerful song that can inspire listeners to take risks and pursue their dreams. It acknowledges the difficulties of change but also offers hope for a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Welcome to the planet
Welcome to the world and all that comes with it
Welcome to existence
Welcome to being alive and having experiences
Everyone's here
All people are present and participating in the world
Everybody's watching you now
Everyone is paying attention to what you do and how you live
Everybody waits for you now
People expect things from you and look forward to seeing your next move
What happens next
What you do in the future will impact your life and those around you
I dare you to move
I challenge you to take action and make a change
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I challenge you to improve your situation and move forward
Like today never happened
Start fresh and forget about any mistakes or regrets you’ve had
Welcome to the fallout
Welcome to the aftermath of something negative that has occurred
Welcome to resistance
Welcome to facing obstacles and opposition while striving towards your goals
The tension is here
There is an atmosphere of pressure and stress in your current situation
Between who you are and who you could be
There is a gap between your current self and the potential you have to become something greater
Between how it is and how it should be
There is a difference between the reality of a situation and the way it could/should be in an ideal world
Maybe redemption has stories to tell
You can learn from your past mistakes and grow as a person
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell
You can find self-forgiveness and healing in the place where you made your mistake
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
You cannot run away from your personal struggles or inner demons
Where you gonna go?
There is no escape from yourself, you must face your problems and work on them directly
Salvation is here
Hope for a better future is available to you right now, you just need to take action and seize it
Today never happened before
Every day is a new opportunity to improve yourself and your life
Contributed by Noah E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jrocker324
i wish he sang the chorus one more time... i liked it a lot.
@biancacookhook
I can't stop listening to this version,I love it so much...David Cook is so talented.....I swear.....
@TonkaJay
He knew how to pick the right songs.
@eduardaamello_
Oh God I didn't know I needed this until I saw it..... DAMNNNNN DAVID
@SuperCosmiccowboy
this guy is a super talented dude
@karabrodsky2852
I love this song. I remember it was a song in the movie A Walk to Remember with Mandy Moore.
@10100shanice
2019.. still a fan
@dctrishy
I love this song and I loved the fact that he performed this song on the Finals and when he said that"LYRICALLY UT JUST WRAPS UP THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE,WELCOME TO THE PLANET,WELCOME TO EXISTENCE","IT SEEMS LIKE A PERFECT SONG AT THE PERFECT MOMENT".Amazing performance!I loved it!
@j.r.lobinsky4578
That song’s one of my favorite songs of all time, love Switchfoot! David Cook was my pick to win it all that season, it definitely wasn’t his best, I love that song either way!
@brandigabriel6921
I remember when I was a little kid, my grandma liked to watch American Idol when she came over and babysat us. I always remembered this song coming on and I was like, "Hey, I know that song!"