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.
Head On Collision
Hawk Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He never wanted to be just like his dad was
He was a dreamer but he had never had none
Who made the most of his life but never had one
He was a single boy he could never slow down
He always wanted to leave but didn't know how
He was a dreamer who seemed to never break ground
Shake up my life
Lets go...
Back to the days when we were young and all restless
We still believed in having built up offenses
I'll tell you one things for sure
Till we make the decision
We'll never take this world
Unless we make a head on collision
A head on collision
And daddy told her she could never have
Late night out with her man
So she sits crying by the window
Every time she gets another A
She makes it another day
And it's just that simple
Shake up my life
Let's go...
Back to the days when we were young and all restless
We still believed in having built up offenses
I'll tell you one things for sure
Till we make the decision
We'll never take this world
Unless we make a head on collision
A head on collision
Here they come now
Will you come down?
Make â??em run now
On to the next town
Here they come now
Let's make â??em run now
No time to fake now
Everything breaks down
(Here they come now
Will you come down?
Make â??em run now
On to the next town
Here they come now
Let's make â??em run now
No time to fake now
Everything breaks down)
(He was a simple boy he just liked to have fun
He never wanted to be just like his dad was
He was a dreamer but he had never had none
Who made the most of his life but never had one)
Here they come now
Will you come down?
Make â??em run now
On to the next town
Let's go...
Back to the days when we were young and all restless
We still believed in having built up offenses
I'll tell you one things for sure
Till we make the decision
We'll never take this world
Unless we make a head on collision
Let's go...
Back to the days when we were young and all restless
We still believed in having built up offenses
I'll tell you one things for sure
Till we make the decision
We'll never take this world
Unless we make a head on collision
Don't you know
?
Well we thought â??cause we were never listening
Knew it all ?
Well all we needed was a head on collision
Don't you know
?
Well we thought â??cause we were never listening
Knew it all ?
Well all we needed was a head on collision
The lyrics to Hawk Nelson's song "Head On Collision" paint a picture of two individuals who are determined to break free from the constraints that have been placed upon them. The first verse describes a young man who dreams of leading a different life than his father but has never been able to achieve that dream. Despite his desire to leave his small town, he feels trapped and unable to escape. The second verse tells the story of a girl who is being held back by her father's strict rules, but she continues to persevere by getting good grades and making it through each day. The chorus encourages the listener to take risks, leave their comfort zones, and make a head-on collision with the world.
The pre-chorus builds to the chorus's message of breaking free from limitations and follows the line, "Shake up my life, let's go." The bridge encourages the listener to take action, saying that everything breaks down eventually and that it's time to make a change. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the message of breaking free and making a "head on collision" with the world.
Overall, "Head On Collision" is an anthem for breaking free from limitations, pursuing one's dreams, and taking risks. It encourages the listener to not be afraid of failure but to embrace it as a necessary step towards achieving success.
Line by Line Meaning
He was a simple boy, he just liked to have fun
He was an uncomplicated person who enjoyed himself.
He never wanted to be just like his dad was
He didn't want to follow in his father's footsteps.
He was a dreamer but he had never had none
He was a person with lofty aspirations but had never achieved any.
Who made the most of his life but never had one
He managed to maximize his time but didn't have a meaningful existence.
He was a single boy he could never slow down
He was an energetic person who could never take a break.
He always wanted to leave but didn't know how
He desired to escape but didn't have a plan.
He was a dreamer who seemed to never break ground
He dreamt big but never made any significant progress.
Who spent most of his life in a small town
He lived most of his life in a limited environment.
Till we make the decision, We'll never take this world
Until we make a determination, we can't seize opportunities.
Unless we make a head on collision, A head on collision
Unless we take bold action, we won't make a difference.
So she sits crying by the window
She's saddened and upset by the window.
Every time she gets another A
She feels better every time she achieves something great.
She makes it another day
Her accomplishments give her the strength to persevere.
Here they come now, Will you come down?
The challenge is here, will you back down?
Make 'em run now, On to the next town
Defeat the challenge and move on to the next obstacle.
No time to fake now, Everything breaks down
No point in pretending, everything will eventually crumble.
We still believed in having built up offenses
We still believed in our defensive mechanism.
Well we thought 'cause we were never listening
We assumed we knew better, without opening our mind to new ideas.
Knew it all ? Well all we needed was a head on collision
We had a false sense of security, but we needed to take bold action to make a positive impact.
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Capitol CMG Publishing
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind