Although the band started out playing at Christian music festivals, they shun the label of "Christian rock," with singer and guitarist Jon Foreman saying, "For us, it's a faith, not a genre. We've always been very open and honest about where the songs are coming from. For us, these songs are for everyone. Calling us `Christian rock' tends to be a box that closes some people out and excludes them. And that's not what we're trying to do. Music has always opened my mind -- and that's what we want." They started out on Charlie Peacock's label "re:think" and spent several years appearing at Christian festivals and enjoying Christian radio hits. Most of their early tours were with Christian bands and both of the band's new members were borrowed from Christian bands.
Switchfoot did not see success outside of the Christian rock scene until they were featured alongside singer Mandy Moore on the A Walk To Remember soundtrack. The band's first true commercial success came in 2003 with the release of their fourth major label (and first mainstream label) offering, The Beautiful Letdown. The album went on to sell more than 2 million albums and Switchfoot became the most popular rock band to be associated with Christian music.
They were featured on the British Edition of the Spiderman II soundtrack along with the likes of Taking Back Sunday and Dashboard Confessional to name a few, in 2004 with the song 'Meant To Live'.
In 2005 Switchfoot released "Nothing Is Sound". The album went gold within 3 months and received much critical acclaim.
Switchfoot's highly anticipated album, titled "Oh! Gravity." was released on December 26th, 2006.
On November 10th, 2009, Switchfoot released their first album produced under their own label, lowercase people. "Mess of Me", a single from the album released months before the CD, has enjoy chart-topping radio plays since its release.
In 2010 Switchfoot released their album, "Hello Hurricane".
On September 27th, 2011, to much anticipation and excitement, Switchfoot released their newest album, "Vice Verses".
Sites:
www.switchfoot.com
Switchfoot Message Boards
Any's Song
Switchfoot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And time rolls on
How far?
How fast?
How long?
The last time we saw Amy
She was headed for the shore
She said now begins forever
And that no one knows their time
We bid farewell not knowing
That might be our last good-bye
Amy was a fighter
She cut like Cassius Clay
She burned like a fire
Despite these rains
When time was a question
She only knew one song:
She's singing "how far, how fast, how long?"
Salvation is a fire
In the midnight of the soul
It lights up like a can of gasoline
Yeah, she's a freedom fighter
She's a stand up kind of girl
She's out to start a fire
In a bar code plastic world
Amy was a fighter
She cut like Cassius Clay
She burned like a fire
Despite these rains
When time was a question
She only knew one song:
She's singing "how far, how fast, how long?"
When everything stops moving
And I stop to catch my breath
And ride my train of thought
All the way round
My thoughts return to Amy
And the fire she's begun
She came when we were freezing
And left us burning up
Amy was a fighter
She cut like Cassius Clay
She burned like a fire
Despite these rains
When time was a question
She only knew one song:
She's singing "how far, how fast, how long?"
How long?
How long?
How long?
The last time we saw Amy
The last time we saw Amy, yeah
The last time we saw Amy
The last time we saw Amy, yeah
The last time we saw Amy
"Any's Song" is a tribute to a woman named Amy who passed away. Throughout the song, it describes the last time the writer saw Amy, how she faced challenges and ultimately how she still burned like a fire despite the "rains" of life. The chorus repeats "how far, how fast, how long?" indicating the deep sense of questioning and wondering about life's purpose, time, and distance. The lyrics also explore the idea of salvation being a kind of burning flame within one's soul and how Amy was a fighter who started a fire in a world that had become plastic and artificial.
The song is incredibly touching and moving, as it captures the essence of someone who was passionate and had a lasting impact on the world. The lyrics also delve into themes of mortality, purpose, and passion, which are universal experiences that everyone can relate to. The lyrics are written in such a way that they tug at the heartstrings, and invite the listener to reflect on their own life and the kind of impact they want to make.
Line by Line Meaning
Amy's gone
Amy is no longer with us
And time rolls on
Time passes by and life goes on
How far?
What distance did Amy go before her departure?
How fast?
How quickly did Amy's life come to an end?
How long?
How long will it take for us to accept and move on from Amy's death?
The last time we saw Amy
The most recent memory of Amy that we have
She was headed for the shore
Amy was leaving for a new beginning
Fighting off the volatile gray skies
Amy was persevering despite the challenges she faced
She said now begins forever
Amy believed in eternal life
And that no one knows their time
Amy realized that our lives are unpredictable
We bid farewell not knowing
We said goodbye without realizing it was our last
That might be our last good-bye
We were unaware that we were saying goodbye to Amy forever
She cut like Cassius Clay
Amy was strong and fierce
She burned like a fire
Amy's passionate spirit could not be extinguished
Despite these rains
Despite the hardships Amy faced
When time was a question
When faced with the uncertainty of time
She only knew one song:
Amy had one response
She's singing "how far, how fast, how long?"
She questioned the length and speed of life
Salvation is a fire
Finding peace is a powerful experience
In the midnight of the soul
During our darkest times
It lights up like a can of gasoline
Hope sparks like a flame that cannot be contained
Yeah, she's a freedom fighter
Amy fought for liberty
She's a stand up kind of girl
Amy was courageous and honorable
She's out to start a fire
Amy wanted to ignite something powerful
In a bar code plastic world
In a world of artificiality
When everything stops moving
When life stands still
And I stop to catch my breath
When I pause to reflect
And ride my train of thought
And let my mind wander
All the way round
Until I come back to where I started
My thoughts return to Amy
I think of Amy once again
And the fire she's begun
The passion Amy ignited
She came when we were freezing
Amy visited us during a dark time
And left us burning up
And left us inspired and motivated
How long?
How long will we feel the effects of Amy's passing?
The last time we saw Amy
The final time we were in Amy's presence
The last time we saw Amy, yeah
The farewell we were unaware of
The last time we saw Amy
The memory that sticks with us
The last time we saw Amy, yeah
The last moment we had with Amy
Contributed by Noah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ana Rivera
Amy's gone
And time rolls on
How far? how fast? how long?
The last time we saw Amy
She was headed for the shore
Fighting off the volatile gray skies
She said "now begins forever"
And that no one knows their time
We bid farewell not knowing
That might be our last good-bye
Amy was a fighter
She cut like Casius Clay
She burned like a fire
Despite these rains
Where time was a question
She only knew one song
She's singing, "how far?, how fast?, how long?"
Salvation is a fire
In the midnight of the soul
It lights up like a can of gasoline
Yeah, she's a freedom fighter
She's a stand up kind of girl
She's out to start a fire
In a bar code plastic world
Amy was a fighter
She cut like Casius Clay
She burned like a fire
Despite these rains
Where time was a question
She only knew one song
She's singing, "how far?, how fast?, how long?"
When everything stops moving
And I stop to catch my breath
And ride my train of thought
All the way round
My thoughts return to Amy
And the fire she's begun
She came when we were freezing
And left us burning up
Amy was a fighter
She cut like Casius Clay
She burned like a fire
Despite these rains
Where time was a question
She only knew one song
She's singing, "how far?, how fast?, how long?"
How long?
How long?
How long?
Last time we saw Amy
Last time we saw Amy
Last time we saw Amy
Last time we saw Amy
Last time we saw Amy
breakingbaptist
Amy's gone
And time rolls on
How far? how fast? how long?
The last time we saw Amy
She was headed for the shore
Fighting off the volatile gray skies
She said "now begins forever"
And that no one knows their time
We bid farewell not knowing
That might be our last good-bye
Amy was a fighter
She cut like Casius Clay
She burned like a fire
Despite these rains
Where time was a question
She only knew one song
She's singing, "how far?, how fast?, how long?"
Salvation is a fire
In the midnight of the soul
It lights up like a can of gasoline
Yeah, she's a freedom fighter
She's a stand up kind of girl
She's out to start a fire
In a bar code plastic world
Amy was a fighter
She cut like Casius Clay
She burned like a fire
Despite these rains
Where time was a question
She only knew one song
She's singing, "how far?, how fast?, how long?"
When everything stops moving
And I stop to catch my breath
And ride my train of thought
All the way round
My thoughts return to Amy
And the fire she's begun
She came when we were freezing
And left us burning up
Amy was a fighter
She cut like Casius Clay
She burned like a fire
Despite these rains
Where time was a question
She only knew one song
She's singing, "how far?, how fast?, how long?"
How long?
How long?
How long?
Last time we saw Amy
Last time we saw Amy
Last time we saw Amy
Last time we saw Amy
Last time we saw Amy
Aqua Star Dolphin
One of the best Switchfoot songs of the first 3 albums. Here's to Amy!
ΛUTOMΛTIC JΛCK
This track is RAD. Funky, Gentle, Powerful... MAGNIFICENT.
Caleb Johnson
Definitely a classic. Still sounds good!
kanjo007
This song fits an Amy I once knew to a "T". It's an outstanding tribute to the things I knew described her, but never really appreciated about her until recently.
If given the chance, I'd want to give her a hug and apologize for not respecting those things sooner.
Ana Rivera
Amy's gone
And time rolls on
How far? how fast? how long?
The last time we saw Amy
She was headed for the shore
Fighting off the volatile gray skies
She said "now begins forever"
And that no one knows their time
We bid farewell not knowing
That might be our last good-bye
Amy was a fighter
She cut like Casius Clay
She burned like a fire
Despite these rains
Where time was a question
She only knew one song
She's singing, "how far?, how fast?, how long?"
Salvation is a fire
In the midnight of the soul
It lights up like a can of gasoline
Yeah, she's a freedom fighter
She's a stand up kind of girl
She's out to start a fire
In a bar code plastic world
Amy was a fighter
She cut like Casius Clay
She burned like a fire
Despite these rains
Where time was a question
She only knew one song
She's singing, "how far?, how fast?, how long?"
When everything stops moving
And I stop to catch my breath
And ride my train of thought
All the way round
My thoughts return to Amy
And the fire she's begun
She came when we were freezing
And left us burning up
Amy was a fighter
She cut like Casius Clay
She burned like a fire
Despite these rains
Where time was a question
She only knew one song
She's singing, "how far?, how fast?, how long?"
How long?
How long?
How long?
Last time we saw Amy
Last time we saw Amy
Last time we saw Amy
Last time we saw Amy
Last time we saw Amy
Jessica Zardini
👏👍 thanks
Rebecca MacDonald
Could have been written about my daughter, Amy, who was definitely a "freedom fighter and stand up kind of girl" who left us far too soon and left us "burning up" .... here's to my Amy and Switchfoot's Amy!!! "How far, how fast, how long" ....and....Amy, its been SO long......
1dareu2mov3
Sorry for your loss. It sure sounds like she was an amazing girl!
1dareu2mov3
Well, I’m back to this comment... I just lost my own “Amy” this past Saturday. She was one of the best friends I’ve ever had. This song really captures her personality. She left us way too soon, but while she was with us she always burned so brightly. I think I might send this song to her parents at some point; I think they might appreciate it.
clore
@1dareu2mov3 Oh goodness I'm so sorry for both of your losses. She must've meant a lot to you. May this song be something you can listen to in memory of her <3