The band played independently in Peterborough, Ontario for a few years before they signed with Tooth and Nail Records, largely on the recommendation of Trevor McNevan, the lead singer of fellow Tooth and Nail bands Thousand Foot Krutch and FM Static. McNevan, also from Peterborough, is credited with discovering the band. In July of 2004, Hawk Nelson released their major label debut Letters to the President. It was produced by Aaron Sprinkle and McNevan, who also co-wrote the album's fourteen songs. He has also appeared on some of the band's songs, as well as in their video for the song "California". In October 2005, the band re-released Letters to the President, with new material including their cover of The Who's My Generation, three acoustic versions of some of their hits, and a limited edition cover. Dave Clark was replaced by Jonathan Steingard on guitar in 2004.
The band released their second studio album, titled Smile, It's The End of the World, on April 4, 2006. The album's first single, "Everything You Ever Wanted", went on to hit #1 for 9 weeks on the R&R Christian CHR chart, and was the fourth most played song of 2006. Hawk Nelson released a 3-track Christmas EP titled Gloria on November 21, 2006.
In 2007, Aaron Tosti (who had joined the band to replace Matt Paige on drums) left the band to pursue other musical ventures and was replaced by Justin Benner. Justin had previously toured with Hawk Nelson before with The Send. Hawk Nelson's third full album, Hawk Nelson Is My Friend was released on April 1, 2008, and featured songs co-written by Trevor McNevan of Thousand Foot Krutch, Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace, and Richard Marx. The album was nominated for a 2009 Grammy Award in the category for Best Recording Package.
On July 21, 2009, Hawk Nelson released their second single from their fourth album Live Life Loud called "The Meaning Of Life", and on August 8, the song "Alive" began to be played on Christian Radio. They released the album in September of the same year.
Their fifth studio album, Crazy Love, which was released in stores February 8, 2011.
On February 1, 2012, lead vocalist Jason Dunn announced he would be leaving the band, in order to pursue his solo project, Lights Go Down. He is currently recording an album tentatively titled Abandon Progress. On March 11, 2012 in Fresno, California, frontman Jason Dunn performed his final US show with Hawk Nelson.
On December 11, 2012, Hawk Nelson announced they had signed with Fair Trade Services. Made was released on April 2, 2013. The album's release was preceded by the release of the album's debut single on January 15, 2013, "Words", featuring Bart Millard of MercyMe,while "Faithful" was released on September 12, 2013.
Tours
The band spent the summer of 2006 touring the major Christian music festivals. In the winter of 2006, they toured with TobyMac's Winter Wonder Slam tour along with The Afters, Family Force 5, and Ayiesha Woods. In 2007, Hawk Nelson performed at Winter Jam with a wide variety of other Christian bands, which were Newsong, Jeremy Camp, Steven Curtis Chapman, Sanctus Real, and Britt Nicole. Also, Hawk Nelson toured with MxPx, Run Kid Run, Project 86, The Fold, and The Classic Crime. In January 2008, the band headlined their own tour, that they called the Green T Tour, which also featured Capital Lights and Run Kid Run. In the summer of 2008, Hawk Nelson played their second annual Faith Nights Baseball Tour.
Mainstream Success
The band has achieved some success in the mainstream as well. They portrayed The Who on an episode of the NBC drama American Dreams, and they recorded a song named "Bring 'Em Out" for the 2005 motion picture Yours, Mine, and Ours featuring Drake Bell. This song and another hit song "The Show" were used on Sunday Night Football commercials. "Things We Go Through" from Letters to the President was also featured in Yours, Mine, and Ours. Bulletproof Records and Producer Ralph Sall have assembled the compilation Charlotte's Web (Music Inspired By The Motion Picture) in December 2006, which features "Everything You Ever Wanted" by Hawk Nelson, as well as music by Amy Grant and Billy Ray Cyrus. In 2008, the band also contributed a cover of "Don't You (Forget About Me)", originally by Simple Minds, off the JCPenney Presents: Don't You Forget About Me. The Covers (EP). The song was also featured in back-to-school commercials for J.C. Penney. The song "Live Life Loud" was featured in the trailer for the movie, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules," and was available in the Rock Band store during the first week of April 2010.
Elevator
Hawk Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feelin' stuck in the mud and I'm over it
So far down, lookin' around
And I don't know how I'm gettin' out
But hey, hey, hey
I hear You tell me not to stay, stay, stay
The door is open every day, day, day
Like an elevator
Can't stop 'cause Your love is liftin' me up
Like an elevator
I've never felt like I'm feelin' tonight
Straight off the ground, we'll never come down
Can't stop 'cause Your love is liftin' me now
Like an elevator
Like an elevator
Way up high, like I'm flyin'
And I'm finally feelin' so alive
You and I, to the sky
Gonna blow the roof off from the inside
So hey, hey, hey
I hear You tell me not to stay, stay, stay
The door is open every day, day, day
It takes me to another place, place, place
Like an elevator
Can't stop 'cause Your love is liftin' me up
Like an elevator
I've never felt like I'm feelin' tonight
Straight off the ground, we'll never come down
Can't stop 'cause Your love is liftin' me now
Like an elevator
Like an elevator (Woo!)
Here we go!
Here we go!
When we gonna stop?
No one knows
Everybody up
Get on board
You know you wanna come along for the ride
So let's go
Everyone on the flyest train
Never gonna be the same
I'm feelin' so fantastic
This party's everlastin'
So grab your friends
Push all the buttons
Ain't gonna stop until we get up to the top floor
Top floor
'Cause there's no way that we can feel more
Feel more
Here we go!
Like an elevator (elevator)
Can't stop 'cause You're love is liftin' me up
Like an elevator (elevator)
I've never felt like I'm feelin' tonight
Straight off the groud, we'll never come down
Can't stop 'cause You're love is liftin' me now
Like an elevator (elevator)
Like an elevator (like an elevator)
Whoa, hey, an elevator
The lyrics of Hawk Nelson's "Elevator" is about feeling stuck, going nowhere, and wanting to break free from that cycle. The song reflects how despite feeling down and stuck, the singer hears a voice telling them not to stay there, and that the door is always open to another place. This is interpreted as a message of hope, that despite the struggles and difficulties, there is always a way out. The elevator is used as a metaphor for this - as it lifts the singer up and helps them escape from feeling down and stuck, similar to how love and faith can lift a person up from despair and hopelessness.
The song also highlights the importance of taking action and grabbing opportunities. The line "Push all the buttons, ain't gonna stop until we get up to the top floor" encourages listeners to take control of their lives, push for their goals, and never give up until they reach the top. The upbeat, pop-rock melody reinforces the upbeat message of the song, and the chorus is catchy and easy to sing along to. Overall, "Elevator" is an inspirational and empowering song that encourages listeners to keep striving for their dreams no matter what obstacles they may face.
Line by Line Meaning
Feelin' tired of feelin' nothin'
I'm feeling bored and uninspired with my life.
Feelin' stuck in the mud and I'm over it
I feel trapped and frustrated, and I want a change.
So far down, lookin' around
I feel like I'm at the bottom and I don't know how to lift myself up.
And I don't know how I'm gettin' out
I'm unsure about how to make a change in my life.
But hey, hey, hey
But then, something catches my attention.
I hear You tell me not to stay, stay, stay
I hear a voice that tells me not to give up and stay where I am.
The door is open every day, day, day
The opportunity for change is always available to me.
It takes me to another place, place, place
This change will take me to a new and better place.
Like an elevator
This change is like being lifted up in an elevator.
Can't stop 'cause Your love is liftin' me up
Love is the force that will lift me up and keep me moving forward.
I've never felt like I'm feelin' tonight
I'm experiencing a new and exciting feeling that I've never felt before.
Straight off the ground, we'll never come down
Once I've made the change, I won't fall back to where I was.
Way up high, like I'm flyin'
The change will make me feel like I'm soaring high in the sky.
And I'm finally feelin' so alive
The change will make me feel truly alive and happy.
You and I, to the sky
Me and the voice that told me not to stay are going to reach new heights together.
Gonna blow the roof off from the inside
I'm going to shake things up and break free from my old limitations.
Here we go!
Let's do it!
When we gonna stop?
There's no end to this journey.
No one knows
We don't need to know, we just need to keep moving forward.
Everybody up
Let's all get on board with this change and lift each other up.
Get on board
Join us and be a part of this exciting journey.
You know you wanna come along for the ride
You know you want to be a part of this new adventure.
Never gonna be the same
Things will never be the same once we make this change.
I'm feelin' so fantastic
I'm feeling great about this new direction in my life.
This party's everlastin'
This change will bring us happiness and joy that will last forever.
So grab your friends
Bring your friends along for this exciting journey.
Push all the buttons
Try everything and take advantage of all the opportunities.
Ain't gonna stop until we get up to the top floor
We won't rest until we reach our full potential.
'Cause there's no way that we can feel more
We'll feel amazing once we've made this change, and it can't get any better than that.
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: AARON RICE, JON STEINGARD, JORDAN MOHILOWSKI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
yamil jose collazos lozada
Feelin' tired of feelin' nothin'
Feelin' stuck in the mud and I'm over it
So far down, lookin' around
And I don't know how I'm gettin' out
But hey, hey, hey
I hear You tell me not to stay, stay, stay
The door is open every day, day, day
It takes me to another place, place, place
Like an elevator
Can't stop 'cause Your love is liftin' me up
Like an elevator
I've never felt like I'm feelin' tonight
Straight off the ground, we'll never come down
Can't stop 'cause Your love is liftin' me now
Like an elevator
Like an elevator
Way up high, like I'm flyin'
And I'm finally feelin' so alive
You and I, to the sky
Gonna blow the roof off from the inside
So hey, hey, hey
I hear You tell me not to stay, stay, stay
The door is open every day, day, day
It takes me to another place, place, place
Like an elevator
Can't stop 'cause Your love is liftin' me up
Like an elevator
I've never felt like I'm feelin' tonight
Straight off the ground, we'll never come down
Can't stop 'cause Your love is liftin' me now
Like an elevator
Like an elevator (Woo!)
Here we go!
Here we go!
When we gonna stop?
No one knows
Everybody up
Get on board
You know you wanna come along for the ride
So let's go
Everyone on the flyest train
Never gonna be the same
I'm feelin' so fantastic
This party's everlastin'
So grab your friends
Push all the buttons
Ain't gonna stop until we get up to the top floor
Top floor
'Cause there's no way that we can feel more
Feel more
Here we go!
Like an elevator (elevator)
Can't stop 'cause You're love is liftin' me up
Like an elevator (elevator)
I've never felt like I'm feelin' tonight
Straight off the groud, we'll never come down
Can't stop 'cause You're love is liftin' me now
Like an elevator (elevator)
Like an elevator (like an elevator)
Whoa, hey, an elevator
Mickey the Lovely Fairy
More Christians should write songs like this, yes life sucks we know but this song says you can still be happy because we have a great blessing, Christ's love.
sabine Boonstra
so true. I was at a concert of hawk nelson last week and it was amazing. I totally recommend it.
Kirbythekrib™️
Mickey Lovely Heg ya they forget that the joy of the lord is with us regardless of what we going thru
lexi bishop
There concerts are always very good! I enjoy them every single time :)
The gaming pikachu
Careful you don't want to attract grammar Nazis!
Ben
Their*
catlover49
Hawk Nelson has the best Christian songs, in my opinion! This song is so upbeat and awesome! :)
Aleesha Perez
Saw them in concert tonight they opened for NEWSBOYS it was the best night ever and i got to take pics with one of them it was amazing never gonna forget this night!!!!!!
sabine Boonstra
wow that is so nice! i also was at a concert of hawk nelson last week. i got a video of him standing in front of me. it was the best day of my life <3
Reilly S
This is a great song! 5 Star!