In 2000, Dave Douglas replaced Stephen Cushman on drums. In 2004, John Warne, formerly of Ace Troubleshooter replaced Brian on bass guitar. In 2005,Jon Schneck joined on with additional guitars, as well as banjo, bells, and backing vocals. In 2008, Ethan Luck, formerly of The O.C. Supertones and Demon Hunter replaced Dave on drums.
The band has released 9 albums, including 2 Christmas albums, as well as 6 EPs, and some other miscellaneous projects. Starting in 2000 with their second album, Relient K was signed to Gotee Records, a Christian record label. In 2004, their album Mmhmm shot them into mainstream popularity when it released at #15 on Billboard 200, and was released on Gotee, Mono Vs. Stereo (both Christian record labels), as well as Capitol, a secular label. They stayed with Gotee/Capitol until 2007, and their album Five Score and Seven Years Ago released at #6. Their latest album, Forget and Not Slow Down was released in 2009 with Mono Vs. Stereo. The band has done very well in both the Christian and mainstream music industries. The band has received numerous awards including a Grammy Award nomination in 2003 for Best Rock Gospel Album and two Dove Awards. The band has sold over 2 million records, with three albums being given gold certification by the RIAA.
The band's musical style has changed over the years, starting off as very pop-punk, and maturing into a unique sort of pop-alternative-rock, with many songs varying in style, and some including acoustic guitars, piano, banjo, synths, bells, etc. Through the years, their lyrics and songwriting have matured, but they have not lost their silly side and sense of humor. They still often reference their Christian faith throughout their songs.
Matt Thiessen, the band's main songwriter, also has a solo side project, Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes. He has also collaborated with Owl City. Dave Douglas also had a solo side project, Agnes.
Forward Motion
Relient K Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whoa oh, for so long it seems I knocked it down
Yeah, it got knocked down
Whoa oh, and the heating bill went through the roof
Whoa oh, and the wall I knocked down was the proof
That my landlord needed to kick me out
I got evicted now I'm living on the street
Too many turns have turned out to be wrong
This time I learned that, I knew it all along
When car crashes occur then I'll be what you were
When I see what I should, when I see that it's good
That it's good
To experience the bittersweet
To taste defeat then brush my teeth
Experience the bittersweet
To taste defeat then brush my teeth
'Cause I struggle with forward motion
I struggle with forward motion
We all struggle with forward motion
'Cause forward motion is harder than it sounds
Well every time I gain some ground
I gotta turn myself around again
It's harder than it sounds
Well every time I gain some ground
I gotta turn myself around again
Whoa oh, I've been banging my head against the wall
Whoa oh, for so long it seems I got knocked out
Yeah, I got knocked out cold
Whoa oh, and the medical bills went through the roof
Whoa oh, and the scar on my head is the proof
That I'll still remember this when I get old
I got evicted now I'm living on the street
My spirits lifted, oh wait, that wasn't me
Too many turns have turned out to be wrong
This time I learned that, I knew it all along
When I grasp the concept
Then I'll sleep where you slept
When I know I need help
When I allow myself, allow myself
To experience the bittersweet
To taste defeat then brush your teeth
Experience the bittersweet
To taste defeat then brush your teeth
'Cause I struggle with forward motion
I struggle with forward motion
We all struggle with forward motion
'Cause forward motion is harder than it sounds
Well every time I gain some ground
I gotta turn myself around again
It's harder than it sounds
Well every time I gain some ground
I gotta turn myself around again
'Cause I struggle with forward motion
'Cause I struggle with forward motion
We all struggle with forward motion
('Cause forward motion is harder than it sounds)
'Cause I struggle with forward motion
(And every time you gain some ground, you've gotta turn yourself around again)
'Cause I struggle with forward motion
We all struggle with forward motion (is harder than it sounds)
Yeah, every time you gain some ground you gotta turn yourself around again
'Cause I struggle with forward motion
'Cause I struggle with forward motion
We all struggle with forward motion
The lyrics to Relient K’s song "Forward Motion" speak about the struggles of moving forward in life. The songwriter begins with the image of banging his head against a wall, a representation of the frustration of making little to no progress in life. The metaphor continues as the writer knocks down the wall and gets evicted, losing everything. The lyrics are specifically written to portray the struggles of moving forward in life despite the challenges.
As he ends up on the street, the songwriter figuratively understands that the struggles he faced have taught him that he should not blame others for his mistakes. He learns to take responsibility for his actions, which prepares him to be positive and take the necessary steps towards moving forward. The song's last verse shows that the writer is determined to embrace the taste of both success and failure and use each experience to motivate himself to move forward.
All in all, the chorus "We all struggle with forward motion" speaks to everyone who has experienced life's difficulties, learning to accept failure as part of the process and push forward with determination towards their goals.
Line by Line Meaning
Whoa oh, I've been banging my head against the wall
I've been continuously trying to overcome an obstacle
Whoa oh, for so long it seems I knocked it down
I have finally defeated the obstacle after a long time
Yeah, it got knocked down
The obstacle was finally overcome
Whoa oh, and the heating bill went through the roof
The consequences of overcoming the obstacle had a negative impact
Whoa oh, and the wall I knocked down was the proof
The result of overcoming the obstacle was evident
That my landlord needed to kick me out
The consequence of the negative impact led to me getting evicted
I got evicted now I'm living on the street
I lost my home and now I am homeless
My spirits lifted, oh wait, that wasn't me
I thought I was feeling better, but it was just temporary
Too many turns have turned out to be wrong
I have made too many mistakes in my life
This time I learned that, I knew it all along
I finally realized what I always knew deep down
When car crashes occur then I'll be what you were
I will be there for you when you need help
When I see what I should, when I see that it's good
When I finally understand what's right
To experience the bittersweet
To experience both good and bad
To taste defeat then brush my teeth
To learn from my failures and move on
'Cause I struggle with forward motion
I find it hard to make progress
We all struggle with forward motion
Everyone finds it hard to make progress sometimes
Cause forward motion is harder than it sounds
Making progress is more difficult than it appears
Well every time I gain some ground
Every time I make progress
I gotta turn myself around again
I end up facing new obstacles
And the scar on my head is the proof
The reminder of a past failure
That I'll still remember this when I get old
I will never forget this experience
When I grasp the concept
When I finally understand
Then I'll sleep where you slept
I will support you the way you supported me
When I know I need help
When I finally realize that I can't do it alone
When I allow myself, allow myself
When I finally let go of my pride and accept help
Yeah, every time you gain some ground you gotta turn yourself around again
Progress is never easy and always requires a new approach
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Matthew Arnold Thiessen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sarahtorres8137
Whoa oh, I've been banging my head against the wall
Whoa oh, for so long it seems I knocked it down
Yeah, it got knocked down
Whoa oh, and the heating bill went through the roof
Whoa oh, and the wall I knocked down was the proof
That my landlord needed to kick me out
I got evicted now I'm living on the street
My spirits lifted, oh wait, that wasn't me
Too many turns have turned out to be wrong
This time I learned that, I knew it all along
When car crashes occur then I'll be what you were
When I see what I should, when I see that it's good
That it's good
To experience the bittersweet
To taste defeat then brush my teeth
Experience the bittersweet
To taste defeat then brush my teeth
'Cause I struggle with forward motion
I struggle with forward motion
We all struggle with forward motion
'Cause forward motion is harder than it sounds
Well every time I gain some ground
I gotta turn myself around again
It's harder than it sounds
Well every time I gain some ground
I gotta turn myself around again
Whoa oh, I've been banging my head against the wall
Whoa oh, for so long it seems I got knocked out
Yeah, I got knocked out cold
Whoa oh, and the medical bills went through the roof
Whoa oh, and the scar on my head is the proof
That I'll still remember this when I get old
I got evicted now I'm living on the street
My spirits lifted, oh wait, that wasn't me
Too many turns have turned out to be wrong
This time I learned that, I knew it all along
When I grasp the concept
Then I'll sleep where you slept
When I know I need help
When I allow myself, allow myself
To experience the bittersweet
To taste defeat then brush your teeth
Experience the bittersweet
To taste defeat then brush your teeth
'Cause I struggle with forward motion
I struggle with forward motion
We all struggle with forward motion
'Cause forward motion is harder than it sounds
Well every time I gain some ground
I gotta turn myself around again
It's harder than it sounds
Well every time I gain some ground
I gotta turn myself around again
'Cause I struggle with forward motion
'Cause I struggle with forward motion
We all struggle with forward motion
'Cause I struggle with forward motion
(And every time you gain some ground, you've gotta turn yourself around again)
'Cause I struggle with forward motion
We all struggle with forward motion (is harder than it sounds)
Yeah, every time you gain some ground you gotta turn yourself around again
'Cause I struggle with forward motion
'Cause I struggle with forward motion
We all struggle with forward motion
@chexlemeneux171
I guess the 5 people who disliked this song don't struggle with forward motion
@cokiecat1013
LMAO
@ct4888
We all struggle with fowrard motion.
@RobertDuncanrobthevoice
Man this entire album was my childhood!!! It honestly helped me get through middle and high school
@emilyn.6199
For the longest time I thought this song was saying “experience the bitter sweet, to taste your feet then brush my teeth” only a year ago did I find out that what he says is “defeat” not your feet😭😂😂😂💀
@feathersparrots1456
Wait, it doesn't say "feet"?!
@hellomoto3581
@@feathersparrots1456 I felt the same way when I read this comment lmaooo
@treyharris7792
This just made my day.
When this album first came out that's what I thought lol
@Cira_Reyonnoc
That's what i thought to
@mavrakk
its both, a double entendre