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.
Everything You Ever Wanted
Hawk Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Leave it all behind
I've been waiting forever
Lets go back in time
When I could read your mind
So long I've been waiting
It took the seasons going by
I tried to be perfect, tried to be honest
Tried to be everything that you ever wanted
I tried to be stronger, tried to be smarter
Tried to be everything but you
It's been so long
Since you've been home
I used to wait up forever
I used to say a prayer
Wishing you were there
And I'm still waiting
You told me once
You'd show up
But I fell for that
Before I fell to pieces
Then I woke up
To no one,
Just a picture of Jesus
And a house left in pieces
It took the seasons going by
To know its not my fault
I tried to be perfect, tried to be honest
Tried to be everything that you ever wanted
I tried to be stronger, tried to be smarter
Tried to be everything but you
I wanted you
I need you
I want to believe you
I want to believe you
I tried to be perfect, tried to be honest
Tried to be everything but you
I tried to be perfect, tried to be honest
Tried to be everything that you ever wanted
I tried to be stronger, tried to be smarter
Tried to be everything but you
The lyrics of Hawk Nelson's song "Everything You Ever Wanted" express the struggle of trying to be someone you're not just to please another person. The singer in the song has been waiting for a long time for someone to come back into their life, but they start to realize that it's not their fault that the person left. They reflect on the past when they were able to read the other person's mind, and waiting up for them was worth it. However, now they're left with only a picture of Jesus and a house in pieces.
The chorus of the song highlights the singer's attempts to be all that the other person ever wanted. They tried to be perfect, honest, strong, and smart, but they couldn't be that for the other person. The repetition of "everything but you" emphasizes that the singer couldn't be true to themselves and had to change for the other person, which ultimately didn't work out.
Overall, the song's message is about the importance of being yourself in relationships and not trying to change who you are to fit someone else's expectations. It highlights the fact that even if you do everything "right," it doesn't guarantee that the other person will stay, so it's better to be true to yourself.
Line by Line Meaning
I walked the line
I followed a straight path towards you
Leave it all behind
I left my old life behind to pursue you
I've been waiting forever
I have been waiting for you for a very long time
Lets go back in time
Let's revisit our old memories together
When I could read your mind
When I knew exactly what you were thinking
So long I've been waiting
I have been waiting for you for a very long time
It took the seasons going by
It took a long time for me to realize
To know its not my fault
That it's not my fault that you haven't come back
I tried to be perfect, tried to be honest
I tried to be the best version of myself for you
Tried to be everything that you ever wanted
I tried to fulfill all your desires
I tried to be stronger, tried to be smarter
I tried to improve myself for you
Tried to be everything but you
I tried to change everything about myself except my love for you
It's been so long
It has been a very long time
Since you've been home
Since you last came back to me
I used to wait up forever
I used to stay awake endlessly waiting for you to come back
I used to say a prayer
I used to pray for your safe return
Wishing you were there
Wishing for you to be by my side
And I'm still waiting
And I am still waiting for you
You told me once
You promised me once
You'd show up
You would come back to me
But I fell for that
But I believed a lie
Before I fell to pieces
Before I completely broke apart
Then I woke up
Then I realized the truth
To no one,
To find myself alone,
Just a picture of Jesus
With only my faith in Jesus to keep me strong
And a house left in pieces
And a broken home to remind me of what I've lost
I wanted you
I desired you
I need you
I cannot live without you
I want to believe you
I want to trust you
I tried to be perfect, tried to be honest
I tried to be the best version of myself for you
Tried to be everything but you
I tried to change everything about myself except my love for you
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Capitol CMG Publishing
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind