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.
Is Forever Enough
Hawk Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're all the same
We roll the dice
And we play your game
Show us the way
Before it's too late
And the whole thing breaks
We have a name
We all create
Everything else,
the mistakes we made
We'll make a change
We'll concentrate
Before we suffocate
Can't hold this in
And keep it quiet any longer
I've fallen in
And now this feeling's getting stronger
Take my breath away
Now I'm trying to get up
I'm trying to retrace
My steps back
To wherever I messed up
Is forever enough?
I'm holding on
I know you'll be there
Whenever I wake up
What makes everything change?
We're not the same
We all get stuck in the same clich©
We're taking aim
We dominate
Put on the pressure
Then the whole thing breaks
How come we wait?
Why do we hate?
We're falling away like the last crusade
We rearrange
We need to change
before we suffocate
Can't hold this in
And keep it quiet any longer
I've fallen in
And now this feeling's getting stronger
Can't hold this in
And keep it quiet any longer
I've fallen in
And now this feeling's getting stronger
Take my breath away
Now I'm trying to get up
I'm trying to retrace
My steps back
To where ever I messed up
Is forever enough?
I'm holding on
I know you'll be there whenever I wake up
(Now I'm trying to get up)
I'm trying to retrace
I've fallen in
(and now this feeling's getting stronger)
You take my breath away
Now I'm trying to get up
I'm trying to retrace
my steps back
to where ever I messed up
Is forever enough? (Is forever enough?)
I'm holding on
I know you'll be there
Whenever I wake up
Whenever I wake up
I know you'll be there whenever I wake up
Whenever I wake up
If I wake up!
What makes all of us hate?
Show us the way
Before it' too late
And the whole thing breaks
Hawk Nelson's song Is Forever Enough is about the changes and challenges that people go through in their lives. The lyricist ponders why we hate and why we complicate everything. He acknowledges that we make mistakes and take aim but then dominate and put on the pressure until everything breaks. The song urges the listeners to make a change before they suffocate. The lyrics seem to suggest that we must follow a way and make a change before it's too late. The lyrics emphasize the need to retrace our steps whenever we make mistakes.
The song's overall theme suggests that we all go through the same problems in life and that we must learn to create change before breaking point. The song suggests that reaching a state of forever is only possible when we find our way and learn to change. The message here emphasizes that change, no matter how difficult, is necessary to progress in life.
Line by Line Meaning
What makes all of us hate?
Despite our sameness, what causes our inclination towards hate?
We're all the same
Every one of us is equal to one another.
We roll the dice
We take chances, often without considering the consequences.
And we play your game
We follow along with what those in authority want us to do, without questioning if it's right or wrong.
We complicate
We overthink and make things more difficult than they need to be.
Show us the way
Provide us guidance in the right direction.
Before it's too late
Before things reach the point of no return.
And the whole thing breaks
When everything falls to pieces and is beyond repair.
We have a name
We have an identity and purpose.
We all create
We have the power to make things happen and bring about change.
Everything else, the mistakes we made
All our imperfections and errors we've made during the course of our lives.
We'll make a change
We have the power to transform things for the better.
We'll concentrate
We'll focus our attention and energy on making things happen.
Before we suffocate
Before we feel overwhelmingly trapped and unable to move forward.
Can't hold this in
I can't keep this to myself any longer.
And keep it quiet any longer
It's impossible to remain silent and hide how I feel any longer.
I've fallen in
I've become emotionally invested in something.
And now this feeling's getting stronger
My emotions are getting stronger and more intense.
Take my breath away
Overwhelm me with intense emotions.
Now I'm trying to get up
I'm trying to recover from a mistake or setback.
I'm trying to retrace
I'm trying to remember and figure out what I did wrong.
My steps back
Reverse the course of my actions.
To wherever I messed up
To where my mistake or error occurred.
Is forever enough?
Will we be satisfied with just existing forever, or will we strive for something more?
I'm holding on
I'm not giving up or giving in.
I know you'll be there
I have faith and trust in someone or something to help me through.
Whenever I wake up
Whenever I recover from this setback or mistake.
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Capitol CMG Publishing
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